Modifying IPTC info erases ACR settings from sidecar file

[kwell]

I recently discovered the following potential problem. I'm working with raw files (NEF), running PM 4.4.3.3 on Windows XP.

I have the PM preferences set to "always create and/or update XMP sidecar file..." After ingesting, I add keywords, rate the better images, and then type 'E' to send a selected image to the defaul editor (Photoshop Elements 5, in this case). In PSE, I set the ACR settings. Instead of opening the file, I click on "Update" (shown when holding Alt key). Using a text editor, I can verify that (a) PM create XMP sidecar files as expected; and (b) PSE wrote the ACR settings to that sidecar file, without affecting any of the other information (keywords, PM ratings...etc.). So far, so good.

However, if I make any further changes to the IPTC info for the image (e.g. change the Urgency Field so iView can see the ratings), PM appears to re-write the sidecar file and wipes out the ACR settings.

Is this the expected behavior and, if so, can it be improved?

Thanks, as always,

Kevin

PS. PSE stores ACR settings in an undocumented database, rather than offering the option of writing to a sidecar file (like PS CS2). However, I found that if a sidecar file already exists, PSE will read and write ACR settings to the sidecar. This is the main reason why I set up PM to create/update sidecar files in the first place: to force PSE to write the ACR settings in them.

[Kirk Baker]

Kevin,

I recently discovered the following potential problem. I'm working with raw files (NEF), running PM 4.4.3.3 on Windows XP.

I have the PM preferences set to "always create and/or update XMP sidecar file..." After ingesting, I add keywords, rate the better images, and then type 'E' to send a selected image to the defaul editor (Photoshop Elements 5, in this case). In PSE, I set the ACR settings. Instead of opening the file, I click on "Update" (shown when holding Alt key). Using a text editor, I can verify that (a) PM create XMP sidecar files as expected; and (b) PSE wrote the ACR settings to that sidecar file, without affecting any of the other information (keywords, PM ratings...etc.). So far, so good.

However, if I make any further changes to the IPTC info for the image (e.g. change the Urgency Field so iView can see the ratings), PM appears to re-write the sidecar file and wipes out the ACR settings.

Is this the expected behavior and, if so, can it be improved?

Thanks, as always,

Kevin

PS. PSE stores ACR settings in an undocumented database, rather than offering the option of writing to a sidecar file (like PS CS2). However, I found that if a sidecar file already exists, PSE will read and write ACR settings to the sidecar. This is the main reason why I set up PM to create/update sidecar files in the first place: to force PSE to write the ACR settings in them.

In your IPTC/XMP settings are you also having PM embed IPTC and/or XMP?

Can you send me some files (before and after the data loss)?  I would need the RAW files and the XMP files at the various stages of your workflow.


Basically, PM knows nothing about the ACR settings.  It just parses the file with Adobe's XMP Toolkit library, and removes only the fields that it updates, then adds the fields back in.  All other fields should just remain since we don't remove them.

Thanks,

-Kirk

[kwell]

Kirk,

Yes, I do have the checkboxes to "Add Embedded IPTC" and "Add Embedded IPTC4XMP".

Also, I did a little more testing. On the "When reading IPTC/XMP" area of the IPTC/XMP preferences, I had the read order set to "embedded IPTC" then "embedded XMP" and then "XMP sidecar."

When I change the read preferences to start with the XMP sidecar, the problem I was having no longer occurs.

I presume that in the first case it was resolving an embedded vs. sidecar mismatch (with preference to the embedded info). Since ACR settings are not embedded in NEF files, they got wiped out.

Let me know if you still want some test files. Changing the reading preferences seems to have solved it, though.

Thanks for your help,

Kevin