darktable: How to avoid writing XMP files?

[ff2000 (Franz Trischberger)]

@chris

What you cannot do is storing only the edits and not the metadata in the xmps.

I have no problem with the metadata in the xmp files. I just want to avoid them unless I do some edits.
As I said I understand that, if darktable is your image management solution, there is no problem with those xmp files. But that’s not the case for me (and possibly others). I shoot RAW+JPEG. I routinely use the file manager (dolphin) to manage my photos. I often just slightly tweak a JPEG file. I often start RawTherapee from within dolphin. Having to deal with those additional XMP files for every Raw and every JPEG image makes things a lot harder.

[st.raw]

@ff2000

@st.raw

Preferences > Core Options > XMP > Write sidecar file for each image > untick

But that option entirely prevents writing of xmp files which is what I do NOT want - I want those XMP files for images that I edited but not for images that got imported together with the other images in that directory! Or has that behaviour been changed in DT-3.0.0?

Just tested 3.0.0 with the No XMP option, dt does not create any visible XMP in the output folder. There is no “save XMP” option when you do export. Hope we can have that in 3.0.1

Yes, I want the XMP on images I edited. Not on others.

[elstoc (Chris E)]

@st.raw

There is no “save XMP” option when you do export

Not sure I’d want it only when exporting. Perhaps when exiting the darkroom if the history stack has been modified?

[st.raw]

@elstoc

@st.raw

There is no “save XMP” option when you do export

Not sure I’d want it only when exporting. Perhaps when exiting the darkroom if the history stack has been modified?

When you close/open dt the history for that image is still there. It gets stored somewhere internally.

One point I like to add: This behavior is not consistent. Sometimes it happens, once in while. I am not sure what triggers it. Anybody knows?

@paperdigits

So its either and RC bug or you’re accidently importing folders recursively.

Please elaborate on this. As said, it’s not consistent, if there is a way to avoid it AND keep XMP for files that I edited would be great.

[paperdigits (Mica)]

You either get xmp files or you don’t. There is no finer control over xmps. I wouldn’t want to change that either. Much like @chris, my sidecar files are important and get checked into git for safe keeping.

[bilddateien (Bernhard)]

@ff2000

As I said I understand that, if darktable is your image management solution, there is no problem with those xmp files. But that’s not the case for me (and possibly others). I shoot RAW+JPEG. I routinely use the file manager (dolphin) to manage my photos. I often just slightly tweak a JPEG file. I often start RawTherapee from within dolphin. Having to deal with those additional XMP files for every Raw and every JPEG image makes things a lot harder.

If darktable is not your image management solution (DAM) and you want to edit only selected images - why do you import anyway?

As for RAW Therapee it is also possible with darktable to open an image from the filemanager.
darktable also may be used as a plugin for the gimp.

In both cases you don’t have - what you call - “spam” since only those images you touch are processed and logically an XMP is written (as long as it is not deactivated in the preferences).