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re-visiting "over write setting" or "import setting from disc"

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Ian.B

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Question on behalf of others too I'm sure
Image1.jpg


one of those things I don't really understand; but along the way I have been told/worked out/learnt/guessed to click "over write setting" . Now I'm using ON1 more I'm getting more files with the little square
Am I right to click "over write setting" every time?
Should or do I really need to do it or does it make little difference either way ?

now keeping simple please :rolleyes: . I don't really care too much about the reasons why

>> :) Other similar questions are more than welcome -- don't be shy
 
It depends on what On1 is doing. Apparently On1 writes to the metadata, that is why you get this message. If you added something in On1 you want to keep in Lightroom (and is understood by Lightroom, such as a new keyword or a change in star rating), then you should use 'Import Settings from Disk'. If not, you can use 'Overwrite Settings'. Or you can ignore it...
 
Thanks Johan; that makes sense and why those keywords didn't come into LR
that explained it easier than anything I have read -- I how it works now; thanks for that
 
then you should use 'Import Settings from Disk'. If not, you can use 'Overwrite Settings'. Or you can ignore it...
I vote for number 3. My original images don't need to be used by any outside applications nor do they need to contain any information not already in the LR catalog file. Should some third party app "touch" my master original files, then LR will produce this message. Do I care what is in the metadata of these master image copies after I have imported all of the source metadata into LR? NO, because all derivatives images created by LR will use only the metadata stored in LR.
 
Incidentally there are some real dangers in doing the import which may not be obvious, depending on your setting in Lightroom for automatically updating XMP files.

If you do as most (I think it's the default), and turn OFF the option to write to XMP files, then XMP files sitting on disk can be old. They might come from an initial ingestion, you writing metadata manually, a period when you had it turned on, some other program entirely like Photoshop. But the key is they are NOT up to date with what Lightroom has as info.

Programs accessing existing side car files to modify them are supposed to merge their own data with what is there. So if On1 modifies the file already there, it will leave that old data present.

If you now READ the data in Lightroom, you also make active the old data.

This problem does not exist, generally, if LR is set to always write XMP files (I am not suggesting that is how you should set it, that is just a comment). But with the default setting, ANY time you do a READ metadata, you risk reloading something old that you have already changed. This is the disconnect from LR not keeping it updated, and something else merging in changes.

If you ARE going to have another program that is ALSO going to change metadata and you ARE going to IMPORT (not overwrite), I recommend writing metadata from LR before calling that other program, either with the automatic setting or manually. People do this with Photo Mechanic, for example, when they want to use its metadata tools to modify images already in Lightroom. Write XMP, modify with Photo Mechanic as you like, then READ XMP.

But personally I agree with Cletus -- the real solution is don't let anything else's changes pollute what Lightroom has.
 
thanks for the information Cletus and Linwood. It all comes back the "do most filing thing INSIDE Lightroom" rule --- should be a law haha
 
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