Syncing IPTC data between SM and local files after uploading to SM?

Pixoul · January 22, 2007

I've been on the fence about subscribing to SM for about a year now and, after doing quite a bit of searching for info on my one last requirement, the only thread I can find that addresses my question is an old feature request entitled Feature Request: Ability to synchronize Captions.

Basically, I'm looking for a way to synchronize IPTC between my SM photos and my local files after uploading to SM.

For example, if I change IPTC metadata in SM I would like to be able to update the IPTC metadata in my local photos to match the metadata in SM without going to each photo and copy/pasting the new metadata into the local file on my drive.

Conversely, I'd also like to be able to update IPTC in my local photos and upload just the IPTC data to SM to update photos that have already been uploaded.

I'm on Mac OS X 10.4.8 running Photo Mechanic 4.4.3.3. Photo Mechanic does have an XML export function that allows you to export data in the following format; does SM have a metadata upload function that will match XML data files up to the appropriately-named uploaded photo?

<?xml version="1.0" encoding="UTF-8"?>
<!DOCTYPE plist PUBLIC "-//Apple Computer//DTD PLIST 1.0//EN" "http://www.apple.com/DTDs/PropertyList-1.0.dtd">
<plist version="1.0">
<dict>
	<key>Creator</key>
	<string>Photo Mechanic</string>
	<key>Creator URL</key>
	<string>http://www.camerabits.com</string>
	<key>Images</key>
	<array>
		<dict>
			<key>Image EXIF data</key>
			<dict>
				<key>file_name</key>
				<string>20070111-080452-PEP-CES_2007.jpg</string>
				<key>file_path</key>
				<string>/Users/sean/Pictures/Incoming/20070111-01-PEP-CES_2007/20070111-080452-PEP-CES_2007.jpg</string>
				<key>file_size</key>
				<string>3.9MB</string>
				<key>date</key>
				<string>1/11/07</string>
				<key>time</key>
				<string>8:04:52 AM</string>
				<key>firmware</key>
				<string>Version 1.00</string>
				<key>aperture</key>
				<string>2.8</string>
				<key>brightness</key>
				<string>4.7</string>
				<key>exposure_compensation</key>
				<string>0.0</string>
				<key>ev</key>
				<string>8.9</string>
				<key>flash_compensation</key>
				<string></string>
				<key>focus_mode</key>
				<string>Single</string>
				<key>program</key>
				<string></string>
				<key>ISO</key>
				<string>55</string>
				<key>frame</key>
				<string>0139</string>
				<key>lens</key>
				<string>8</string>
				<key>quality</key>
				<string>Superfine</string>
				<key>sharpness</key>
				<string>Normal</string>
				<key>shutter_speed</key>
				<string>1/60</string>
				<key>tone_compensation</key>
				<string>0</string>
				<key>white_balance</key>
				<string>Auto</string>
				<key>width</key>
				<string>2736</string>
				<key>height</key>
				<string>3648</string>
			</dict>
			<key>Camera</key>
			<dict>
				<key>make</key>
				<string>Canon</string>
				<key>model</key>
				<string>Canon PowerShot SD900</string>
				<key>owner</key>
				<string></string>
				<key>serial_number</key>
				<string></string>
			</dict>
			<key>IPTC Fields</key>
			<dict>
				<key>city</key>
				<string>Las Vegas</string>
				<key>state</key>
				<string>NV</string>
				<key>country</key>
				<string>US</string>
				<key>object_name</key>
				<string>20070111-080452-PEP-CES_2007</string>
				<key>category</key>
				<string></string>
				<key>supplemental_category_1</key>
				<string></string>
				<key>supplemental_category_2</key>
				<string></string>
				<key>supplemental_category_3</key>
				<string></string>
				<key>keywords</key>
				<string>Pepper,CES</string>
				<key>edit_status</key>
				<string></string>
				<key>photographer</key>
				<string>Sean Sosik-Hamor</string>
				<key>title</key>
				<string>Photographer</string>
				<key>credit</key>
				<string>Pepper Computer, Inc.</string>
				<key>source</key>
				<string>http://www.pepper.com/</string>
				<key>caption</key>
				<string>Pepper Computer, Inc. at Consumer Electronics Showcase 2007 (01/11/2007)</string>
				<key>caption_writers</key>
				<string>SSH</string>
				<key>headline</key>
				<string></string>
				<key>special_instructions</key>
				<string></string>
				<key>transmission_reference</key>
				<string></string>
				<key>urgency</key>
				<string></string>
				<key>copyright</key>
				<string>Copyright © 2007 Sean Sosik-Hamor</string>
			</dict>
			<key>GPS Fields</key>
			<dict>
				<key>altitude</key>
				<string>0</string>
				<key>latitude</key>
				<string></string>
				<key>longitude</key>
				<string></string>
				<key>speed</key>
				<string>0</string>
				<key>track</key>
				<string></string>
				<key>gps_date</key>
				<string>0000/00/00</string>
				<key>gps_time</key>
				<string>00:00:00</string>
				<key>gps_datum</key>
				<string></string>
				<key>gps_dir</key>
				<string></string>
				<key>gps_dop</key>
				<string></string>
				<key>gps_mode</key>
				<string></string>
				<key>gps_status</key>
				<string></string>
				<key>gps_version</key>
				<string>0000</string>
				<key>satellites</key>
				<string></string>
			</dict>
		</dict>
	</array>
</dict>
</plist>

I hate delurking by asking a n00bish question as my first post... :rofl

System · January 22, 2007

And, for those musing on this answer, note that this topic is within 5 feet or so of my query about the XML from Picasa in that other thread... :-)

wellman · January 22, 2007

This only gets you partway there, but you can download your smugmug albums with your captions and keywords embedded in the IPTC with AlbumFetcher, a little Windows utility I wrote. (You can run it on a Mac, too.)

Syncing IPTC data between SM and local files after uploading to SM?

Comments