I am having the same problem (albeit with different metadata fields). Altered metadata does get permanently saved in JPEG and TIFF files but not in raw image files that store their metadata in XMP sidecar files (didn't try DNG files yet); instead the new data will float around in Bridge's cache only.

You can force Bridge to write the altered metadata from the cache down into the XMP sidecar file by opening the File Info dialog, navigating to the "Extended" panel, and then pushing the "Save ..." button. Unfortunately you can save only one file's metadata at a time this way; it's virtually impossible to do it for hundreds or thousands of files at once :(

-- Olaf

I am particularly having problems with aux:Lens and aux:SerialNumber (namespace xmlns:aux="http://ns.adobe.com/exif/1.0/aux/") and tiff:Model (namespace xmlns:tiff="http://ns.adobe.com/tiff/1.0/"). I made these fields accessible (editable) by customizing the Camera Data 1 tab in Bridge's File Info dialog. It works for JPEG files but not for raw files.

I assume there are more fields causing problems but those are the two or three I'd really like to use. Furthermore I also want to change time-zone data through a script (as Bridge always gets it wrong; it insists to confuse the computer's time zone with the images' time zones) but I can't :-(

I'm not having any problems with metadata fields that originally are accessible through the File Info dialog, for example all the IPTC Core fields. Also Camera Raw settings get stored just fine (for raw files that got touched by ACR).

By the way, the problem occurs in both Bridge 1.0.4 and Bridge CS3 Beta 2 (on Windows XP SP2).

-- Olaf

David Franzen wrote:
> Bridge writes back some of the EXIF properties
> to the native EXIF but not all. All the properties
> changed are updated in the file's XMP.

No, they're not. Actually they (or at least some of them) are updated in Bridge's cache only but not in the XMP file on disk. Meanwhile I have also tried DNG files---they don't get updated properly, too, even though they don't have sidecar files. By the way, the updating does work fine for all fields if the image file is a JPEG or a TIFF file. Updating is incomplete if the image file is a raw or a DNG file.

It must be considered a serious bug when Bridge does not properly update any altered EXIF, IPTC, or XMP metadata properties! After all, the File Info dialog is customizable. But what's the point in customizing it when only those properties will properly get updated that were editable in the original (i. e. non-customized) dialog?

And I really don't like those "meaningless" UTC offsets mindlessly added to the date-and-time tags! Please make them meaningful (and editable), or remove them altogether! Wrong offsets are much worse than no offsets at all.

-- Olaf

David Franzen wrote:
> Please try turning off the "Prefer Adobe Camera Raw
> for JPEG and TIFF" preference and trying again.

I can't, because I don't have Bridge CS3. I used to have Bridge CS3 Beta 2 and now I am back to Bridge 1.0.4. Anyway, with Bridge CS3 Beta 2 I never had the "Prefer Adobe Camera Raw for JPEG and TIFF" preference on; it was always off. Still I had the same problems in Bridge 1.0.4 as well as in Bridge CS3 Beta 2. I don't know if the problems still persist in the current release version of Bridge CS3 ... but until proven otherwise I have no reason to assume anything has changed for the better. That's why I have put off updating to CS3 yet. I'll wait until the first fixes are out.

.
> md.namespace = "http://ns.adobe.com/exif/1.0/aux/";
> md.SerialNumber = "1234556";
> md.Lens = "50 mm f/1.4";

This is exactly what I am doing in one of my scripts---but it will work well only for JPEG and TIFF files, not for raw or DNG files.

-- Olaf

Olaf,

Bridge uses the Adobe Camera Raw plugin for doing all metadata reading and writing to DNG and other RAW files. You may want to post your questions on the ACR forum as well.

-David

Olaf,

Can you explain why you need to be able to modify this metadata through scripting? Does your camera not record it in the orignal EXIF? This information will help us understand how this issue may affect other customers.

Thanks,
David

Hi Omar,

I also was trying to insert GPS data in the XMP files, and came on to the same problem you encountered. I also don't understand why specific EXIF fields cannot be updated. I know they shouldn't be updated (in an user interface), but sometimes there are some exception, like we can find in this thread here.

However, I finally did find a solution, but it need some more testing to say it really works under all circumstances. Perhaps it can also be of any help on ohter EXIF fields.

Here is my solution:

1) Create a new XMPMeta object and fill in your GPS fields
2) Get the current XMP metadata from the selected thumbnail
3) Use XMPUtils.appendProperties to combine the two meta data objects
4) Write the appended metadata to the XMP file
5) Write the appended metadata back to the current thumbnail

I've used the following script snippit:

var xmp = new XMPMeta();

xmp.setProperty(XMPConst.NS_EXIF,'GPSLongitude',longitude);
xmp.setProperty(XMPConst.NS_EXIF,'GPSLatitude',latitude);
xmp.setProperty(XMPConst.NS_EXIF,'GPSAltitude',altitude);
xmp.setProperty(XMPConst.NS_EXIF,'GPSMapDatum','WGS-84');

var md = thumb.synchronousMetadata;
var xmp2 = new XMPMeta(md.serialize());

XMPUtils.appendProperties(xmp,xmp2,XMPConst.APPEND_ALL_PROPERTIES | XMPConst.APPEND_REPLACE_OLD_VALUES | XMPConst.APPEND_DELETE_EMPTY_VALUES);

var xmpFile2 = new XMPFile(thumb.spec.fsName,XMPConst.FILE_UNKNOWN, XMPConst.OPEN_FOR_UPDATE);

if (xmpFile2.canPutXMP(xmp2))
xmpFile2.putXMP(xmp2);
xmpFile2.closeFile();

var xml = xmp2.serialize(XMPConst.SERIALIZE_OMIT_PACKET_WRAPPER | XMPConst.SERIALIZE_USE_COMPACT_FORMAT);

thumb.metadata = new Metadata(xml);

I have not tested this with JPG and TIFF files. I have tested a bit with existing and non existing XMP files.

Any suggestions are very welcome!

Erwin

I am having trouble getting Bridge CS3 to recognize the updated EXIF fields I've editing with another utility.

I shot an event with two cameras, one set to the wrong time (forgot to adjust for DST). I want the files to sort into their correct order based on Date/Time Created, regardless of filename. I batched processed all the files that were an hour late to reflect the correct hour nit heir EXIF. Windows Explorer recognizes the change and lets me sort them correctly. Bridge does NOT, and still shows the original WRONG time from the camera. Re-running the batch utility shows the EXIFs were changed.

What is Bridge reading to determine the Date/Time? Why won't it re-read the edited EXIF on a refresh or a purge of the folder's cache? Will future versions of bridge have [better] editing, and batch editing, of more EXIF/XMP fields to correct for common mistakes such as this or facilitate better organization of our photos?

Chris Rakoczy
Rakoczy Photography

http://shop.rakoczyphoto.com

Yes, I am aware of this tool and use it quite frequently (great software), but a disadvantage of this that you have to rebuild the Bridge cache, to see the changed fields within Bridge.

For GPS specific EXIF fields I prefer the more user friendly RoboGEO http://www.robogeo.com/home/, with that same disadvantage as exiftool.

Still I think it would be nice to have a feature in Bridge or the scripting, to update (some) exif fields, particulary GPS, creation time and copyright fields.

David,

Oops, I'm usually better about including pertinent info. Here it is

I'm working with JPG files generated in-camera, processed and sorted in Bridge CS3

I'm trying to correct a wrong time stamp from a camera I forgot to update after DST, so I'm editing the EXIF Date & Time, Date and Time Original and Date & Time Digitized, even the File D/T Created, File D/T Modified and File D/T Accessed attributes.

I'm using a program called Sophisticated Renamer (SR) to batch edit EXIF and file attributes. Changes I make there DO show up in Windows Explorer, allowingm e to sort by date.

No matter what I do however, Bridge reads the original D/T somewhere. When I then further process the files (open in ACR to crop and adjust) all their dates get reset back to the incorrect original D/T!

Image Processor in Photoshop doesn't seem to change the dates, keeping the edits I've made in SR. Perhaps it's a problem with both Bridge and ACR as Bridge reads the wrong date and ACR modifies the attributes to match? I'm not really sure what's going on, aside from I have to batch edit my files over and over again as I find each step I make changes them back.

Chris Rakoczy