[digiKam-users] When do tags get written to image file(s) - how to delete a tag?

[Chris Green]

I hope I'm not becoming a big nuisance asking all these questions. :-)

I'm a bit confused about the order in which tag changes (and
especially tag deletions) happen.

I deleted a tag using the Tag Manager and assumed that would delete it
from the image so I then did "Read tags from image".  However it would
appear that my idea of how this works is all wrong as the deleted tag
came back.

So, after using the Tag Manager (or manipulating tags in any other
way) how do I guarantee that all my changes are in the image files?
I need them to be there for other programs to use them.

--
Chris Green
·

[woenx]

In theory metadata should be written to the picture file if you have
configure it this way (checking the boxes on: Settings, Configure digikam,
Metadata, Behavior). I use digikam in two computers and I know for sure
metadata is written in each picture file, as changes appear at the other
computer after new items are scanned at startup.

Sometimes the database is not refreshed after metadata has been written to
the file, and you have to select "Item, Reread metadata from file" to
refresh it manually. It usually happens with Dates, but Tags are normally
refreshed automatically.

If you want to make sure the metadata is in the file, you can use a
different tool to visualize it (e.g. http://exif.regex.info/exif.cgi )

I hope I helped.



--
Sent from: http://digikam.1695700.n4.nabble.com/digikam-users-f1735189.html

[Maik Qualmann]

Are you still on digiKam 5.6.0? Unfortunately, digiKam-5.6.0 had an error, so
that not always the metadata was written into the pictures. Please do *not*
use this version.

Maik

Am Donnerstag, 20. September 2018, 18:24:02 CEST schrieb Chris Green:

> I hope I'm not becoming a big nuisance asking all these questions. :-)
>
> I'm a bit confused about the order in which tag changes (and
> especially tag deletions) happen.
>
> I deleted a tag using the Tag Manager and assumed that would delete it
> from the image so I then did "Read tags from image".  However it would
> appear that my idea of how this works is all wrong as the deleted tag
> came back.
>
> So, after using the Tag Manager (or manipulating tags in any other
> way) how do I guarantee that all my changes are in the image files?
> I need them to be there for other programs to use them.

[Chris Green]

Maik Qualmann <[hidden email]> wrote:

>
> Am Donnerstag, 20. September 2018, 18:24:02 CEST schrieb Chris Green:
> > I hope I'm not becoming a big nuisance asking all these questions. :-)
> >
> > I'm a bit confused about the order in which tag changes (and
> > especially tag deletions) happen.
> >
> > I deleted a tag using the Tag Manager and assumed that would delete it
> > from the image so I then did "Read tags from image".  However it would
> > appear that my idea of how this works is all wrong as the deleted tag
> > came back.
> >
> > So, after using the Tag Manager (or manipulating tags in any other
> > way) how do I guarantee that all my changes are in the image files?
> > I need them to be there for other programs to use them.
>
> Are you still on digiKam 5.6.0? Unfortunately, digiKam-5.6.0 had an error, so
> that not always the metadata was written into the pictures. Please do *not*
> use this version.
>

No, I'm using the 5.9 Appimage.

--
Chris Green
·

[Andrew Goodbody]

On 20/09/18 17:24, Chris Green wrote:
> I hope I'm not becoming a big nuisance asking all these questions. :-)
>
> I'm a bit confused about the order in which tag changes (and
> especially tag deletions) happen.

Not surprising, it is far from obvious.

> I deleted a tag using the Tag Manager and assumed that would delete it
> from the image so I then did "Read tags from image".  However it would
> appear that my idea of how this works is all wrong as the deleted tag
> came back.

OK, yes, the Tag Manager manipulates the list of tags in the database.
It does not directly affect the images.

> So, after using the Tag Manager (or manipulating tags in any other
> way) how do I guarantee that all my changes are in the image files?
> I need them to be there for other programs to use them.

 From the Tags Manager window, use the 'Sync Export' dropdown and use
'Write tags from database to image' although I am not 100% confident
that this will remove tags from the images that you deleted from the
database, but in theory I think it should.

The other tool you can use is in Tools->Maintenance and sync the
database to the images.

Both of the above options seem rather heavy weight to me and liable to
touch more files than they need to.


The way I would use however does not involve the Tags Manager tool at
all. Click on the Tags icon in the left sidebar, then select the tag you
wish to delete. This should show you all the images that have that tag
applied to them. Select all visible images with Ctrl-A. Un-tick the
relevant tag in the tags area on the right. Click 'Apply' in the tags
area. Right click the tag in the tags area on the right and select
'Delete tag'. This way you know that you are removing the tag from all
relevant images and then removing it from the database.

Andrew

[woenx]

Yep, that's probably the easiest way to do it.

In any case, I'd update your digikam to the last beta (
https://files.kde.org/digikam/ ), because since the 5.9 version there have
been some changes regarding how tags are synced between the image and the
database. I remember a few versions ago, deleting a tag from an image
wouldn't delete it from the database when it was being re-scanned.



--
Sent from: http://digikam.1695700.n4.nabble.com/digikam-users-f1735189.html

[Chris Green]

Andrew Goodbody <[hidden email]> wrote:

> On 20/09/18 17:24, Chris Green wrote:
> > I hope I'm not becoming a big nuisance asking all these questions. :-)
> >
> > I'm a bit confused about the order in which tag changes (and
> > especially tag deletions) happen.
>
> Not surprising, it is far from obvious.
>
> > I deleted a tag using the Tag Manager and assumed that would delete it
> > from the image so I then did "Read tags from image".  However it would
> > appear that my idea of how this works is all wrong as the deleted tag
> > came back.
>
> OK, yes, the Tag Manager manipulates the list of tags in the database.
> It does not directly affect the images.
>
> > So, after using the Tag Manager (or manipulating tags in any other
> > way) how do I guarantee that all my changes are in the image files?
> > I need them to be there for other programs to use them.
>
> From the Tags Manager window, use the 'Sync Export' dropdown and use
> 'Write tags from database to image' although I am not 100% confident
> that this will remove tags from the images that you deleted from the
> database, but in theory I think it should.
>

The other tool you can use is in Tools->Maintenance and sync the
> database to the images.
>
> Both of the above options seem rather heavy weight to me and liable to
> touch more files than they need to.
>
Yes, definitely, they often take a *log* time! :-)

>
> The way I would use however does not involve the Tags Manager tool at
> all. Click on the Tags icon in the left sidebar, then select the tag you
> wish to delete. This should show you all the images that have that tag
> applied to them. Select all visible images with Ctrl-A. Un-tick the
> relevant tag in the tags area on the right. Click 'Apply' in the tags
> area. Right click the tag in the tags area on the right and select
> 'Delete tag'. This way you know that you are removing the tag from all
> relevant images and then removing it from the database.
>

That makes a lot of sense, thank you.

--
Chris Green
·