[Digikam-users] Metadata - again

[Daniel Bauer]

Hello digikam developpers and users,

while (partly) watching the devel-list I see there is a more technical 
discussion about XMP etc. that - while I don't understand all the technical 
stuff... - at least shows me that the topic is "on".

I still would like to suggest a plugin for professional metadata handling, but 
I can't take part in the technical discussion, so I post here... (b.t.w.: I 
don't find the earlier metadata kipi plugin from Gilles anymore, doesn't it 
come with svn version?)

Why a separate plug-in?

Professional image management has many *important* needs to make a program 
useful, but these needs are "too much" for private users and just make the 
whole thing more complicated. I think the current implementation of metadata 
handling is very good and easy for home use, and it will get even better with 
XMP etc.

But on the professional side the handling is not suitable at all. I am very 
sorry to say so, because you know that I am a fan (and heavy user) of 
digikam.

Just one example:

I make pictures for my website. Copyright info should be "bauer-nudes". Ok, I 
type this in the settings and sync the album. Next job is for an industry 
customer. Well - under *no* circumstances those images may contain the 
bad "nudes" word or I'd get hold responsible for heart attacs in their 
management.... So I go, change the digikam settings, sync each appropriate 
folder...

But this is just the beginning of the troubles. Only to organize my nudes 
pages I already use approx. 300 different keywords (each ~100 in german, 
english, spanish). You can imagine how much I click on parent/child tags, 
open/close trees... And we havn't talked about the keywords I must use for 
customer jobs, private clients, models, image buyers, databases... In short: 
to handle all this, digiKam is *not* the tool to use :-( 

So my big, big wish would be the developement of an additional "metadata pro 
plugin". This would at least include loadable metadata templates and keyword 
lists.  A tree-like organized thesaurus, translated vocabulary, extended 
search, import and export/backup functionalities... are some keywords to 
further wishes.

Is there a chance that digiKam will get such a plugin once? I'll be glad to 
throw in my ideas, if requested.

kind regards

Daniel
-- 
Daniel Bauer photographer Basel Switzerland
professional photography: http://www.daniel-bauer.com
erotic art photos: http://www.bauer-nudes.com/en/linux.html
Madagascar special: http://www.sanic.ch