Automatically write all changes out to XMP

Select this option if you want IDimager to automatically add selected labels to the XMP properties of the image (this will also be mapped to IPTC). This may be time consuming because every time you assign labels, IDimager needs to update the meta information inside the photo file. You can also use the Catalog Manager (Tools -> Catalog Manager) to write all labels for the entire catalog.

Tip; when using this option, the Stamper feature may be a handy tool for you

Allow extensive meta searching by storing properties as database records

IDimager supports extensive meta data searching, meaning you can design combined search queries that find your images based on the explicit information that you need. For example combine Exif info with entered detail information. IDimager is able to to do because it stores every property as individual records in the database.

When you deselect this option, IDimager will no longer store these individual records making it perform faster. But on the other hand, it will no longer allow you to design extensive search operations. If you are not interested in searching meta data (e.g. with the quick search bar in the right upper corner, or with Ctrl+F), then deselect this option.

After switching away from extensive searching your database will still contain all records that were created earlier. Then after you compact your database (Tools -> Catalog Manager -> Maintenance), all these records will be removed decreasing your database size.

Keyword processing

Do not modify keywords

Select this option if you don't want to store all assigned catalog labels for an image as metadata keywords

Merge catalog labels with keywords

Select this option if you want to add all catalog labels that are not yet available as keywords to the metadata

Replace keywords with catalog labels

Select this option if you want IDimager to be fully leading. Your existing metadata keywords will be replaced by all assigned catalog labels

Write delimited keywords

With this option checked, IDimager will write keywords in the hierarchical notation, meaning that the hierarchy for the assigned keyword will be added with a delimiter character that you can specify yourself; e.g. the "period" as delimiter gives you Events.Birthdays.Children

With this option unchecked, IDimager will only write the name of the assigned keyword, without the hierarchy; e.g. Children

Always write Lightroom hierarchical keywords

Adobe Lightroom(tm) writes hierarchical keywords apart from normal keywords. For a better integration with Lightroom, IDimager offers this option and when this option is enabled, IDimager will always write Lightroom hierarchical keywords. The delimiter setting mentioned earlier are for your normal keywords and have no influence on the Lightroom keywords. Lightroom always uses the pipe | character as the delimiter.

Also include all parent level labels as keywords

With this option disabled, IDimager will store the lowest leveled assigned catalog label as a keyword in your image. E.g. an image has a label "John" assigned in the hierarchy Persons -> Family -> John. Now when you store your catalog info to the image, IDimager will create a single keyword "John".

When you enable this option, you are telling IDimager that you want all higher leveled labels to be stored as keywords also. So for the sample above; even though there is only 1 catalog label assigned, IDimager will also create keywords for the parent levels.Assigned label "John" in the hierarchy Persons -> Family -> John. Now when you store your catalog info to the image, IDimager will create a keywords "Family" and "John". The top category is not stored as a keyword; in this case Persons.

Store only catalog category

Here you can select any one of the top level catalog categories that should be stored as keywords. This way you can control which catalog labels are mapped to metadata keywords.

Write catalog label structure to IDimager ICS schema

The ICS schema (IDimager Core Schema) is an XMP schema that is specific for IDImager and if you decide to write the ICS schema, IDimager will store all its specific catalog info in there. These include version info and label hierarchies. By writing the ICS schema, you will have a way of reconstructing your full catalog based on the embedded metadata.

Only update out-of-sync images

Out-of-sync images are images where the ICS schema is not yet been written for. In other words, when an image is out-of-sync, IDimager can not guarantee that it will be able to reconstruct your catalog based on the embedded metadata. Out-of-sync images are recognizable by the orange cube icon on the thumbnails, while in-sync images have a green cube icon.

With this option enabled, IDimager will only process the out-of-sync images when using Ctrl+F12 on a series of selected thumbnails. That will prevent updating the metadata for images that are already complete.

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Store constructed XMP to the database only

When you use IDimager to store catalog information to XMP (Ctrl+F12), then IDimager will create a XMP block for the image and store that block to the database as well as to the image. Meaning that after using the Ctrl+F12 feature, your image will become in-sync.

When you select this option IDimager will construct the XMP block and store it to the database only. That means that after this, you will not see the XMP information in 3rd party applications. This allows for a faster workflow, where you use a feature afterwards to find out-of-sync images and dump the XMP from the database to the images. This is done with Shift+F12.

Store synonyms as keywords too

By enabling this option IDimager will also write out every synonym for ever assigned catalog to the meta keywords.

E.g. an image has one catalog label assigned called "Automobile" and this catalog labels also uses the synonyms "Auto" and "Car". Then with this option enables you will have 3 keywords after synchronization: Automobile, Auto and Car. With this option disabled then only one keywords will be written: Automobile.

Store keywords in alphabetical order

Use this option to have you keywords sorted before written to the metadata. This is generally not recommended when you send out images to imaging stock sites. The sites often prioritize the keywords and they consider the first keyword more important than the second one. With sorted keywords you undermine that concept. But if you never send out keywords to stock services or other agencies, then feel free to use this option.

Always convert IPTC keywords to XMP first

Normally IDimager will only convert IPTC keywords to XMP when there is no pre-existing XMP in your image. But if you use with 3rd party tools and these don't support XMP then you can use this option to force IDimager to always check your IPTC keywords first.

Keyword processing

Do not process keywords to catalog

Select this option if you don't want to read existing metadata keywords as IDimager catalog labels.

Merge keywords with existing catalog labels

Select this option if you want to migrate all metadata keywords to catalog labels if they don't exist yet.

Replace catalog labels with existing keywords

Select this option if you want your metadata keywords to be fully leading. Your existing catalog labels will be removed and then new catalog labels will be created for each existing keyword

Store keywords in

Here you can select any one of the top level catalog categories where the keywords that are migrated to the catalog should be created in. This way you can control which catalog labels are mapped to metadata keywords.

Map delimited keywords to hierarchical label structure

With this option checked, IDimager will create catalog labels based on the existing  delimited keywords. That means that after creating a catalog label, it will be created in the hierarchy of the delimited keywords. e.g. a keyword Events.Birthdays.Children will be created as "Events" -> "Birthdays" -> "Children"

With this option unchecked, IDimager will not map delimited keywords and just create one label per keyword named with the name of the full metadata keyword.

Lightroom keywords only

Adobe Lightroom(tm) writes hierarchical keywords apart from normal keywords. For a better integration with Lightroom, IDimager offers this option and when this option is enabled, IDimager will only read the Lightroom hierarchical keywords and ignore the normal keywords.

Read IDimager ICS schema if available

The ICS schema (IDimager Core Schema) is an XMP schema that is specific for IDImager and if you decide to write the ICS schema, IDimager will store all its specific catalog info in there. These include version info and label hierarchies. By writing the ICS schema, you will have a way of reconstructing your full catalog based on the embedded metadata.

With this option checked, IDimager will process the ICS schema if found and recreate all catalog info based on the content of the ICS schema. It is not recommended to enable this option unless you need to.

IPTC/Exif encoding method

Here you can specify how the IPTC data is written to your files. Option are

ANSI

UTF-8

Unicoded

You will get the best interoperability with other tools by using the ANSI method. However, in ANSI you can not store special/international characters. The UTF-8 and Unicode methods do. Most modern metadata tools support UTF-8 encoding which is why IDimager uses that as its default.