# Universal Metadata? Software independent metadata?



## RegRoy (Jul 25, 2010)

Hi,
My current workflow involves converting my .cr2 files to .dng, bringing them into bridge, and editing in Photoshop CS3.

The problem I'm having is that I can't seem to get bridge to save my metadata to the .dng files.
_
My big picture concern_ is that one day if I decide to move to lightroom or another program,  that my current metadata will be useless (e.g. go to the Expression Media 2 forum at MS and see the headaches they are having).

I've tried these experiments to test the "flow of metadata
1. EM2 applied keywords do not show up in Bridge CS3.
2. Bridge CS3 applied keywords do not show up in EM2.

So I ask,

1. Are there intermediary programs that function to handle the metadata only?  As I'm only shooting raw right now, I'm happy to convert to .dng and then apply the metadata.  *Please correct me if I'm wrong, but it's my understanding that if I save my metadata in the .dng file, that the metadata should be readable regardless of what program I use (EM2, LR3, Aperture)?*

2. And on the subject of JPEGs, my wife still shoots in JPEG and I would like to add her images to my library and add keywords and other metadata.  Putting aside for a minute the fact that I can go JPEG to .DNG, and then go with the solution in question #1 above, is this a correct statement:

*Metadata cannot be saved to JPEG files, so if you are to apply metadata to a JPEG, then you are going to be storing this information in the database of the respective catalog software (LR3, aperture), and not in the files themselves.  Therefore, the only way to extract this metadata if you were to move these JPEGs to a different cataloging program would be to rely on some type of export feature in the current cataloging program.*

Thank you for helping me nail this stuff down.


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## MountainPaul (Jul 26, 2010)

Bridge treats raw files as read only including DNG's, although I have had no problem writing metadata to DNG's. Metadata can be written via script to .cr2 / raw files in Bridge if synchronous method is used.
I don't understand your comment about JPEG files as they can and do hold metadata.


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## RegRoy (Jul 26, 2010)

1. Could you please explain (or send a link) to how I can get bridge to write metadata to .DNGs?

2. I was under the impression that you cannot write metadata to a jpeg, and that if you do write metadata to a jpeg, then you are actually writing the metadata to the database in your catalog program, and not the jpeg itself.  That's why I thought .DNG was so good -- because you can write the metadata to .DNG.

Thank you!


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## MountainPaul (Jul 26, 2010)

There are many ways of adding metadata.
Select the file in Bridge, File > File Info then add anything you want.
Have the Metadata panel open, select your file enter data into whatever fields you like.
Tools > Create Metadata Template, fill in the template, save it then select your documents, Tools Append or Replace Matadata.
These are a few ways, for most types of documents including JPGS.


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## RegRoy (Jul 26, 2010)

If you can save metadata within a jpeg, then how is that different from what you can to (in terms of metadata) with a DNG?  I though the beauty of DNG was that it was the only format where you could save metadata to the file itself without being tied down to a catalog program and without a sidecar file.

thanks for your continued help.


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## MountainPaul (Jul 26, 2010)

A DNG is a Digital Negative File, this is a standard raw file. All Raw files crw, cr2, nef, mos etc. can be converted to DNG this file can then be opened in most versions of Photoshop. A DNG can contain the original raw file as well. This is it's main use, not for adding Metadata. As I said before Metadata can be stored in most file types.
Sidecar files normally hold changes that will be applied when converting a raw file to another format. Sidecar files don't hold keywords, description, headline etc. This metadata is embedded in a tif, psd, jpg etc.
Select any jpg file that has come straight from a camera, and select file info in Bridge or Photoshop and select advanced or rawdata, you will then see all the embedded metadata.


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## RegRoy (Jul 26, 2010)

Can jpeg's hold keyword metadata? or is keyword metadata for a jpeg tied to the catalog program (like lightroom)?


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## MountainPaul (Jul 27, 2010)

Yes JPG, Tiff, PSD, etc can all hold Keywords.


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