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For some of us, .xmp files are a useful and necessary part of our workflow

Mar 31, 2012 5:05 AM

So, for those of us who have no interest in answers that are purely opioion as to why or why we shouldn't use them, is there a way to have the "save xmp" switch in catalog settings turned on by default.  I'm using Lightroom v3.6 for Windows 7 64 bit and am comfortable editing the registry or starting the program with a modified shortcut using the command prompt. 

1305 Views   8 Replies   Latest reply: CrossfirePhotos, Apr 2, 2012 7:09 AM
 
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  • Dennis Smith
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    1. Dennis Smith,
    Mar 31, 2012 5:10 AM   in reply to CrossfirePhotos
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    I don't use .xmp files, but if you go to the "Catalog Settings", 3rd tab (MetaData), the 3rd checkbox down is

      [ ] Automatically write changes into XMP

     

    Is that what you are after??

     
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  • CrossfirePhotos
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    2. CrossfirePhotos,
    Apr 2, 2012 5:09 AM   in reply to Dennis Smith
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    Thanks for the response Dennis.  What I'm actually looking for is a way to make that particular box stay checked by default.

     
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  • -Agfaclack-
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    3. -Agfaclack-,
    Apr 2, 2012 5:41 AM   in reply to CrossfirePhotos
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    you check it and it´s on...it stays on.

     

    you want that when a new catalog is created, the checkbox is on by default... that is your question?

     
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  • CrossfirePhotos
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    4. CrossfirePhotos,
    Apr 2, 2012 5:56 AM   in reply to -Agfaclack-
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    It doesn't stay checked by default when you create a new catalog, only for the catalog that you're working in when you check it.

     

    So, yes.  The goal is to have the box checked by default every time a new catalog is created.

     
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  • johnbeardy
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    5. johnbeardy,
    Apr 2, 2012 6:29 AM   in reply to CrossfirePhotos
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    There's no way to do that. That's because Lightroom works best with a single catalogue and using metadata to categorise and group images. Just imagine one of the situations that might easily occur - the same picture is referenced in two catalogues, and both are set to auto writing. If you don't really know what you are doing, having that option on by default could easily lose the information you've saved to xmp (though of course it's only part of your LR work). So while you can break up control of your workflow into multiple catalogues, there are safeguards such as this.

     
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  • CSS Simon
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    6. CSS Simon,
    Apr 2, 2012 6:48 AM   in reply to CrossfirePhotos
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    CrossfirePhotos wrote:

     

    The goal is to have the box checked by default every time a new catalog is created.

    I'm guess that most of us use only one catalog 99% of the time.  The question of multiple catalogs comes up from time to time, but as johnbeardy says, Lightroom appears to work best with a single catalog. 

     

    Do you find yourself creating new catalogs frequently?  If so, why?  I'm not being critical: I'm wondering if I've missed some benefit of multiple catalogs that might be relevant to me. 

     
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  • Hal P Anderson
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    7. Hal P Anderson,
    Apr 2, 2012 7:02 AM   in reply to CrossfirePhotos
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    About the only thing you can do is create an empty catalogue with that flag set that you copy to create your new catalogues as you need them. It would be about the same amount of work as going into preferences for a new catalogue, but could perhaps keep you from forgetting to make the change.

     

    Hal

     
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  • CrossfirePhotos
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    8. CrossfirePhotos,
    Apr 2, 2012 7:09 AM   in reply to CSS Simon
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    I've been creating a catalog for each project that I'm working on so that when I open Lightroom I can just select the image set that I need.  I sometimes have as many as ten projects running concurrently so it's just a matter of convenience to be able to open LR and select the appropriate one.  Part of the reason for wanting the sidecar files is that I'm the only one working on the files, but I regularly switch systems between a laptop, desktop, and Mac systems at a local college that use Aperture instead of Lightroom.  Having the .xmp files in the same folders as the RAWs is a timesaver for me.

     
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