Metadata Panel Folder Format

Help & Support
1

I noticed that the metadata panel shows what is appropriate for file types, depending on what metadata they would have.

But most images that exist were not taken with a camera, but have all the camera specs in the pane. So could you make the metadata panel be a part of the folder formats, so it could hide fields that don't belong for all the files in certain folders, please.

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For example, the only time all these camera fields would appear in the metada panel is when I would be browsing within my Canon folder, where this data might be useful. Otherwise for all other picture folders these fields just get in the way.

2

Whether images were taken with a digital camera or not, the metadata fields shown are supported by the file format. Opus isn't passing judgement on your images, it just shows the fields it supports for the file in question.

3

Yes and it would be helpful for it *not to show fields that I don't use.

The problem is how many fields there are. It's a lot faster to find the helpful fields when the hundred useless fields are hidden. They just get in the way.
Especially for professionals who use these things a lot. Who prioritize certain metadata, like photographers who keep an eye on their camera's aperture speed, or whatever else they use. They could hide data they never care about, to keep only the relevant information right infront of them by default. Other metadata panel presets could be quickly chosen by a dropdown box.

Otherwise useful data is buried under a bunch of bloat fields. This is even more of an issue with digitally acquired pictures that don't even carry any camera data. Like when snipping pics to show on a forum etc.

4

Use columns in the file display, or info-tips on hover, to show fields you want to keep an eye on like that. That lets you see just the things you're interested in, without the metadata panel even being on or taking up space, and columns let you see the data for multiple files at once.

2 Likes
5

I like that idea. Reading it is more frequent than writing it. And more important to be easily accessed.

I could use my 'Edit Metadata' button that shows the dialog, which is the same thing as the panel. I'll get more horizontal space for columns too.

But now my layout is unbalanced. I can't seem to get the Viewer Panel to the bottom left like this:

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It's currently on the right and refuses to move over to the left.
It has to remain a square shape so horizontal layout is no good. I also wonder if I can toggle it (swap) with a second folder tree using a button. ?

6

Putting the viewer pane or metadata pane there probably interferes with how folder trees are displayed in dual horizontal mode.

Try these two commands in a dual horizontal lister.

Set TREE=source,toggle

Set TREE=dest,toggle

That's my best guess.

Edit Note: Perhaps best to split this to a new thread ??

1 Like
7

I would do a new thread but the answer to putting the viewer pane to the bottom left is it can't be done. It's a strange place to have it anyway. My idea was not ideal.

I forgot about the viewer pane previews text files too. And so its vertical portrait footprint with the scrollbar is actually beneficial. I've made it wider and now can use it to preview text comfortably as well as pics and video. The downside is most text backgrounds are always a blinding white light, against the Dopus dark mode.

I'll keep the preview pane closed by default, giving the listers more breathing room for columns, and use my toggle button to open it. That's fine by me.
Dopus best ever. :heartpulse:

8

Working with metadta is the core of what I do, but I don't use the metadata pane very much. I use columns, as Leo suggested. I have created many different Favorite folder folder formats and can select the one I want, which depends on the file types (photos vs videos) and the task at hand.

1 Like
9

Ya, I'm learning that this method is actually useful. Having the right side pane closed is giving me a good amount of room for pic and vid columns.

For my camera folder the custom fields I've chosen, in order:
Camera model, lens model, date time original, aspect ratio group, aspect ratio, dimensions, resolution, bit depth (colours), image quality, aperture, shutter speed, flash, scene mode. For this folder only these are added to the right of the standard columns: comment, rating, tags etc. With the index, filename and extension frozen for horizontal scrolling.

These things the camera recorded when the pic was taken. I can quickly compare the data while looking at how I like the pictures, to see the result of my camera settings and lens. And what situations to use the auto mode. But by your avatar pic I get the feeling you already know these things.

It's good that jpeg actually keeps this metadata. The camera takes raw pics and they get converted when I process them with my image editor. But I should probably be converting to png. Raw pics are ridiculous file sizes, but they are better for publishing to pro photography websites I think. I have a "new" folder that the new pics get put into, to separate them from what has already been processed.

I have to make sure gps coordinates are never on any pic published to the internet. That's the absolute worst security nightmare possible. Big Corp is so obsessed with our personal data, including where we are when we take a pic, that they've put every woman with a smart phone and a social media account in mortal danger from stalkers. Good job you actual asshats.

...

Videos. Funny GPSoft calls videos "movies". That's an English thing (The country that spawned the Fing language doesn't seem to speak it). Both Australia and Canada are English colonies basically (rough description) but we don't call them movies here.

Duration, year, genre, dimensions, aspect ratio group, aspect ratio, frame rate, bits, audio bit rate, video bit rate, video codec.

There is a column for stream count. I wonder how Dopus would possibly get this data. ?

Music:(Which maybe should be called "Audio" instead. Although most people have music and no audio samples)
Genre, publisher, year, artists, album, track, duration, mode (stereo/mono), key, bpm, sample rate, bit rate, codec.

Documents:
Category, company, authors, title, subject, pages
I wish companies would put this data in their pdfs.

Programs:
Company, product name, product version
Not sure how much I trust the product version column. Many companies don't bother to put that data in there anyway. But it's a good way to check update history.

10

I recommend you convert to JPEG for uploading to photography website - IF you want people to be able to download them.

11

Interesting.

I will be uploading svg's mostly. But still developing a working tool set. The 100% jpeg quality isn't that much of a difference from the png's in my opinion but it's without an alpha channel, and I like consistency with as many variables as possible. The metadata support seems to be the same.

So I keep two different types of images: nice ones and lighter jpegs. The nice ones are the max quality possible; actual photographs etc. The lighter ones are for internet use and reference. Memes, info etc. I don't really like the webp format.