Hi,
there are many discussions here about the different way darktable handles XMP files, like here
I have a question specifically about the Color Labels.
When darktable imports images for the first time, it reads existing XMP files, even those with the format filename.xmp. The color labels are taken by darktable from the entry xmp:Label=“color” (please correct me if i am wrong).
After the import darktable writes its own XMP file in the format filename.filetype.xmp. The color labels are written here in the tag darktable:colorlabels and all changes are now stored only in this place. All changes in the other XMP file (filename.xmp) are now no longer recognized.
But many programs work with this other XMP file like Photoshop, Capture One, Photo Mechanic Plus and so on. Everyone who tries to manage his photos centrally with a DAM knows the problem that not all programs read all changes the same way.
My question now is:
Since darktable was able to read the colorlabels from the tag xmp:Label during the first import, is there maybe a way to read them again?
Maybe there is already a lua script for this purpose? (unfortunately my programming skills are not enough for this)
Many thanks in advance for your answers.
Greetings
Thomas
If you 1) remove the file from the database via the Selected Iamge(s) module and then 2) go delete the filename.filetype.xmp from the folder. You could then import the file back into dartkable. This will then read the original xmp file (with any edits to it). BUT, if you do this, you will loose all edits (develop, tags, colors) you did to that image.
If the software manages the darktable format (eg. digikam can), then you can setup darktable to look for updated xmp files (darktable xmp format) at startup.
That’s right, I have sometimes done it this way, but for a large database of images it is not really practical.
It would be great to just have an “Update” button that reads the labels from the other xmp file back in. Maybe someone has already tried something similar with a lua script.
I don’t think syncing things around is practical from a dam perspective. Better to choose one source of truth and go with it.
Sure, it would be great if there was just one program for all photo editing.
At the end you look for the programs which fit best for the respective tasks.
Darktable is a wonderful raw developer but not particularly made for organizing and managing big photo archives. The metadata management capabilities for example are not as central. There are other programs that are only made for this and implement it accordingly well.
If you could make these programs understand each other, that would be just perfect.
That is not what I said or implied.
Yes so choose something that works as a DAM and just use darktable for editing. That was my suggestion. You can start darktable in a manner so that the library is in memory.
Not going to happen without some serious dev work.