Metadata not stored in linked RAW file AF2

[stuartbarry]

When using the linked RAW files new feature in Affinity Photo 2 I see that the metadata is not copied to the afphoto (sidecar) file. That creates a problem when cataloguing. My original DNG file contains loads of metadata and a star rating. If I later search my catalogue under star rating or other metadata the 'sidecar' file does not appear, so then I have to search again to see if I did create an edited version of that DNG. The GPS field is not available in the 'sidecar' file, meaning that these files do not appear on a map - very frustrating if I am searching for images by location. All of these things are especially important when I am working on an Alamy batch submission. Is this a bug or a missing feature?

[walt.farrell]

The .afphoto file is not a sidecar. It is the main file. And its format is not known to other programs, and the information in it will not be indexed by other applications. 

Those ratings, etc. for your DNG files are probably in true sidecar (.xmp) files. And if you have a sidecar file for your DNG file, you can configure Photo 2 to load it automatically. That's done by a Preference in the app. It's in the general section of Preferences, near the bottom, and will say something like "Load sidecar (.XMP) data automatically". If it's set, the sidecar info will be loaded into the metadata within the .afphoto file. However, it still will not be indexed by external applications, which cannot understand the .afphoto file format.

[stuartbarry]

Walt

Thanks for the reply, but it's not quite right. I referred to the linked afphoto file as a 'sidecar' (note the quotes) file because it acts in that way. It contains the settings from the last edit and needs to open the original RAW file to complete its operation. You can see this happening in real time. When I open the linked file it opens with a very pixelated image (conforming that it does not contain a good quality thumbnail) before switching to a high quality image as it completes the link.

My RAW images do not have sidecar files. I convert them to DNG, which also does not have a sidecar file. I use Neofinder to catalogue my images at it CAN read all types of afphoto file, including this new, linked file. Neofinder DOES catalogue the file and allows me to write back certain metadata. But the issues still remain that certain exif data, notably GPS, is missing from this new file format, metadata is not synchronised between the linked file and the original, and the thumbnail in the original is of poor quality.

 

[R C-R]

6 hours ago, stuartbarry said:

I referred to the linked afphoto file as a 'sidecar' (note the quotes) file because it acts in that way. It contains the settings from the last edit and needs to open the original RAW file to complete its operation.

i am not sure what you mean about what it is that contains settings from the last edit, other than an actual sidecar file that AP does not create, but in V2 there are 3 possible output options for developing RAW files. Of the 3 only RAW layer (linked) references the original RAW file.

From what I can tell, no afphoto file retains any settings unless save history with document is enabled, but that has nothing in particular to do with developing RAW files that I can see.

[stuartbarry]

If you develop a RAW image as a linked image (rather than embedded or pixel) and save that file it saves a small file (KBs not MBs). If you make some edits, such as levels, a bit of masking or whatever, save and re-open that file the last edit state is recalled. I know that this is not the history - it's just the status (including layers) the last time it was saved. However, if you make any change that forces a layer to become a pixel layer then the file is stored as an embedded file, or at least it appears to be as its size increases to 00s of MBs.

I am only interested in the linked file and cannot see why AF2 does not store metadata there as in other files. For me this is a huge gap in the offering and means I am likely to have to stay with my current workflow of using Apple Photos for primary editing and dipping into AF2 when something more serious needs doing. This preserves a catalogue with a good quality thumbnail showing the image as I last left it. It does not look as if anyone from Serif is looking at this, so I'll give up at this point and work out my own solution.

[dominik]

12 minutes ago, stuartbarry said:

It does not look as if anyone from Serif is looking at this

@stuartbarryplease bear in mind that Serif have announced that they were closed during holiday season right into the new year. Maybe you missed that notice but it may explain why noone from Serif has not responded to your posting.

d.

[DWright]

Hi @stuartbarry,

Are you still having this issue with the 2.0.4 update for Affinity Photo 2 as this contain fixes for reading the XMP metadata. 

[stuartbarry]

On 2/22/2023 at 1:11 PM, DWright said:

Hi @stuartbarry,

Are you still having this issue with the 2.0.4 update for Affinity Photo 2 as this contain fixes for reading the XMP metadata. 

Yes. I tried again in 2.0.4. If I open the original .dng image it shows location metadata in APhoto and in an external file viewer. If I save as a linked raw image the .aphoto file does not contain the metadata from the .dng file. If I open the linked .aphoto image in APhoto it retrieves the metadata from the .dng file. But that does not solve the problem - the metadata does not exist in the .aphoto file, so that can never been used for indexing or searching.