DF Studio offers a variety of methods for managing asset metadata and supporting complex operations. To manage the metadata values across several assets (including an entire Project), a metadata import can be a valuable tool. For more precise management of a few assets at a time, the metadata editing tools provide custom information about matching, shared, and varied values among the selected assets.
For general information about editing metadata in DF Studio, see Edit Asset Metadata.
Multi-Value Metadata Fields
Some metadata fields in DF Studio are designed to support multiple values on each asset—for example keywords, or people shown in an image. When editing these fields across multiple selected assets, the controls will display a summary of any shared values, with additional information about any variances between different assets in the selection.
- Matching: Indicates those values which are an exact match across all selected assets.
- Shared: Indicates values appearing on all selected assets, but not always in the same order.
- Varied: Indicates that different values appear across all selected assets (including some assets which may have no values at all for the current field).
- Plus other Varied: Indicates that in addition to the shared values displayed, there are additional values on one or more assets.
Append additional values to the field for the selected assets by adding values in the input area below.
Saving the changes in the metadata editor will update all selected assets.
To remove existing values from all selected assets, click the “Replace” icon. When the “Save” button is clicked, the values will be cleared, or replaced with any new values entered into the input area below.
The “Clear” icon will clear all values from the field across all selected assets, including any new values that have been added into the input area, as a way to start over with empty values across all assets. The “Undo” icon will undo any changes, restoring the metadata field to display the values currently stored for the selected assets.
Click the “Copy” icon to copy a list of all values currently shown, including any matching or shared values, and any unsaved values added to the input area. These can then be pasted into another document, or into the same metadata field for other assets.
Single-Value Metadata Fields
The majority of DF Studio metadata fields support a single value, such as a caption, a date, or a color rating. When multiple assets are selected, these fields will summarize their shared or varied values.
- Varied: Indicates that all selected assets have a value for the metadata field, but not all values match.
- Plus other Empty: Indicates that some selected assets do not have a value for the metadata field.
Entering a new value into the input area will replace the current value in all selected assets, including assets with a previously empty value.
In cases where all selected assets have the same value, this value will be editable in the input area below the summary. “Plus other Empty” will appear as well, if there are assets in the selection that don’t match because the metadata field is empty for those assets.
Any changes saved here will update all selected assets with the new value, including assets with a previously empty value.
Some metadata fields support a single value that is a date or a number. In these cases, the “Varied” summary will display the range of values present in the selected assets. If any assets lack a value for the metadata field, “Plus other Empty” will appear. Making any change in the input area will affect all assets, as in non-numeric metadata fields.