updating XMP sidecar-file for NEF files

Thanks for reply.

Here my answers to your questions:

-Currently the SDK 3.0 is not in use (but it will be either to resolve this oddity or the latest once this is resolved)

-I verified that the xmp-sidecar files do not exist prior to importing to LR

-I also verified that the NEF files are 'virgin', freshly out of the camera. Appart from the copy-process (FileManager) there was no software touching them files.

-LR creates the first xmp-sidecar files for these NEFs upon saving the metadata.

-I agree, LR can and will not support all tags in the world. But since LR is writing them into its own Metadata output file, then it should at least support their own tag (Adobe) even though it (photoshop:Urgency) has been deprecated in 2005.

... but LR creating tags once and not keeping them up-to-date seems less reasonable.

Yes I totally agree and that's why I writing this post.

Here is in detail what happens:

The original file is NEF and contains:

- RatingPercent: 0

- it does NOT contain any of the other tags discussed here yet.

In Nikon View NX2 only label 1 (Select) and rating **  are applied.

Now the NEF contains:

- RatingPercent:     25

- Label:     Select

- Rating:     2

Import to Lightroom 3.6 reflects Label and Rating correctly.

Save Metadata to file creates an xmp-sidecar file which now contains the following:

- photoshop:Urgency="1"     (this is only created when a Label has been set, but NOT when Rating has been set only)

- MicrosoftPhoto:Rating:"25"

- xmp:Label:"Select"

- xmp:Rating:"2"

So far so good.

In LR only change Label to 4 (Approved) and Rating to **** (Stars) and save Metadata to file (updating the existing xmp-sidecar file).

Now it reads as follows:

- photoshop:Urgency="1"

- MicrosoftPhoto:Rating:"25"

- xmp:Label:"Approved"

- xmp:Rating:"4"

My interpretation/conclusion of this:

1. the tag 'RatingPercent' (=MicrosoftPhoto:Rating) originates from the original NEF and is imported by LR.

2. Nikon View NX2 updates this latter tag just fine.

3. in LR upon writing the xmp-sidecar file:

          - a new tag 'Photoshop:Urgency' is created and written by LR (presumably interpreting the tag Label).

          - the tag 'MicrosoftPhoto:Rating' is written by LR (presumably interpreting the tag Rating).

4. Even though LR writes the tags 'Photoshop:Urgency' and 'MicrosoftPhoto:Rating' to the xmp-sidecar file, LR does not reflect the 'changes' applied to either of the two tags. The 'changes' are not really changes as LR does not provide an option to manipulate the values of these 2 tags. Of course: one tag is deprecated the other is from Microsoft (member of MWG).

5. Nikon is running their own show. I want and have to use Nikon software because their RAW-converter results are superior than that of LR.

All this appears very odd to me.

I am still puzzled and wonder about a reasonable explanation (the base eventually leading to solution of this oddity).

... your right Rob, this indeed has nothing to do with the SDK. Possibly a solution might have to do with it, I really don't know.

I chose this forum because I found the LR Forum is very general and for this kind of specialty question/observation I'd like to communicate with people who (I assume) do have profound knowledge of LR. Plug-in developers are that kind of people - and you're one of them.

Sorry for not being a profound knowledge carrier myself - I may get there someday.

I am open for suggestions to post this post somewhere else or have it moved, no problemo - but please not into the general pot where it'd drown.