[Digikam-users] Metadata settings when using XMP sidecar files

[Marcel Wiesweg]

> I'm trying to set digiKam up so that it always and only writes to an
> xmp sidecar file (never to the actual image file). I have all the
> image files set to 'read only."
> 
> I'm a little confused about some of the settings options. Here's what
> I have for the Metadata Settings:
> 
> Under Behavior tab:
> Write this information: image tags, captions and titles, rating, pick
> label, color label (but don't write timestamps or metadata templates -
> these are not checked).
> 
> Reading and Writing Metadata:
> "Read from sidecar files" is checked.
> "Write to sidecar files" is checked, and "Write to XMP sidecar only"
> is selected. "If possible, write to raw is unchecked, and "update file
> timestamp" is unchecked.
> 
> I don't know what "Read from sidecar files" means. 

If unchecked, digikam will only read from the file and ignore any sidecar.
(it's not the most needed and necessary option as you see)

> When digiKam
> created the sidecar files, obviously it read from the image file. So
> once the sidecar file is created, what is the effect of reading or not
> reading from the sidecar file? digiKam is the only application that
> will write to the sidecar files.

You can have it write to sidecars, but not read from them. Sense? Not much.

> 
> On the Rotation page, I have "rotate by only setting a flag" checked,
> along with "write flag to metadata if possible". Does this mean the
> flag is written to the XMP sidecar? Or does it mean that digiKam tries
> to write to the image file (but will fail because the image file is
> "read only").

That depends on your metadata settings. As above, it will only write to the 
sidecars.