Do It Yourself Metadata Input

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Paul MR

Do It Yourself Metadata Input

Post by Paul MR »

************* Requires CS3 or Better ****************
*********************************************************

This script will allow you to choose the fields and order they are in within either your CSV or TEXT file so that you can input your metadata.

Fields available are:-
Keywords 1 - These are Keywords that are in ONE field seperated by semicolons
Keywords 2 - These are Keywords in seperate fields. These must be last in the list/file!
N.B. Only one type of Keywords allowed!

Description - Text, if commas are in this field input file MUST be Tab Delimited!
Headline - Text, if commas are in this field input file MUST be Tab Delimited!
Title - Text, if commas are in this field input file MUST be Tab Delimited!
Instructions - Text, if commas are in this field input file MUST be Tab Delimited!
Date Created - Date IE: 12/24/2001
Location - Text, if commas are in this field input file MUST be Tab Delimited!
City - Text
Country - Text
Rating - This should be numeric 1 to 6

There is the option to remove a header line if one exists.
An error file is created and shown on completion.
josh2000

Do It Yourself Metadata Input

Post by josh2000 »

Hi - I like the way this script shows up under it's own Metadata menu.
When I used it I got this error message in a log file:

Processing :: C:\Users\8VNWLN1\Desktop\blah-blah-blah\long-list-for-keywords2.csv
Total Files = 4076

So I must be using it wrong.

I have a huge image database in MS Access. My supervisor wants to customize it. By the time he was finished describing his wish list it sounded like he wanted to re-invent adobe Bridge. So I demonstrated how we can open the folders of images, display, make collections and keyword, etc. So far so good- until he reminds us that there are image attributes (column headings in an Access table) that we would have to enter by hand. That's when I learned about this script.

I took the column headings out of the CSV.

One of the attributes matching the images are "bin numbers" (e.g.: 102.333.201.220) and I thought I could import this as "Keyword 1".

The next attribute is the actual file name - which I imported as "Title".

The last is the full file path, from "C://" to "4100.jpg" which I imported as "Location".

Am I on the right track? Should I be using this script differently?

TIA your guidance.

j2
Paul MR

Do It Yourself Metadata Input

Post by Paul MR »

I think there is a little missunderstanding in my instructions

The first column in the csv/tab delimited file must be the file name IE: fileName.pdf the script does not support full paths.
You need to select the folder where the files are located before running the script, you can of course have the subfolders turned on.

Hope this helps.
josh2000

Do It Yourself Metadata Input

Post by josh2000 »

Paul MR - I misunderstand instructions all the time. That's why there are "Post A Reply" buttons.
Thanks for your input. I did keep poking at the script until it worked correctly.

The first column in my CSV is the image name without the file type extension (.jpg). I had to add that extension in order to make the script find the images.
However I figured out that I should not import that first column at all in the script dialog box. (I had tried using the first column as "Title".)
I only imported one keyword and the description (which was that useless path - because I had no other info to work with at the time).

The script worked perfectly and fast.

Now - what did you mean by "you can of course have the subfolders turned on".
How is turning on subfolders done?

Thanks.
j2
larsen67

Do It Yourself Metadata Input

Post by larsen67 »

What I 'think' Paul is referring to here is in Bridge's content panel there is an option to view the contents of folders… If you switch this on in the GUI then the script will process the the files of the sub folders too… Im not sat in front of CS5 at the moment so thats my best guess.
josh2000

Do It Yourself Metadata Input

Post by josh2000 »

larsen -
That worked! But it isn't anymore.
If I go up to the breadcrumb trail above the content panel and select "show items from subfolders" the active list of images gets longer. Then, when I run the script, all the images will be updated if the CSV list is inside that root folder.

However I had to change a piece of info in the Keywords and the images will not update when I run the script again.

Is changing this meta information a one-time deal??

Thanks for your input.

j2
larsen67

Do It Yourself Metadata Input

Post by larsen67 »

The changing of file metadata is not a one time deal… I have not had the chance to use Paul's script myself so I can't really say much more. It would be best left to those who know it better…
josh2000

Do It Yourself Metadata Input

Post by josh2000 »

larsen67- thanks for your help. I await the master also.

Paul_MR -

I've been experimenting with Bridge and your very excellent DIY Metadata script for hours now trying to get it to modify images in subfolders.

I am able to get the intended results from the script if the script is in the same folder with the images. However Subfolders are another issue completely.

If I "show items from subfolders" the entire script fails and no images are affected. I see the additional files appear in the Content Panel so I know the items are being shown. To activate the "show items" option I am right-clicking on the parent folder name in the breadcrumb trail above the Content panel. Is this the correct way to tell the script what to do?

If I edit the CSV adding a simple path to images in the subfolders (subfolder/image-in-sub.jpg) - then those images will be modified as planned along with the others. This seems to be a working work-around. But is this the way to get what I need from the script?

I think I'm very close to the results I need.

TIA your input to get me further.

J2
Paul MR

Do It Yourself Metadata Input

Post by Paul MR »

Sorry, I am going senile, it's old age you know! Of course it won't do subfolders!

This version will/should. I have added a checkbox that needs to be ticked if you need it to look in the subfolders.
There is no need to to have "Show Items From Subfolders" checked.

N.B. you will need to delete the old version from the startup folder.
josh2000

Do It Yourself Metadata Input

Post by josh2000 »

Paul -
Perfect! It drills right into the subfolders. Outstanding work.
Thanks.
Josh