Search using metadata

[PL2020]

Hi

What is the best practice to search for files using metadata as criteria in MacOC environment?

I tried using Adobe Bridge to search; however, it is slow and the app crashes and quits all the time I guess because of the quantity of my files (60,000+)

Searching within Finder is a lot quicker and won't crash; however, it only supports search using some typical metadata attributes (e.g. Author and Keyword)

Searching using Finder is the best ONLY IF I can specify whatever tag name/field/attribute I want; but I cannot find information in this respect on the Internet

Any thought will be appreciated

[StarGeek]

You might look into a program such as Darktable.  Darktable tries to be a FOSS version of Lightroom.  It has various editing features similar to LR, but it also acts as a DAM (Digital Asset Management) program.  I haven't used it but I believe it should be able to allow you to search the metadata for any files loaded into its library.

[Alan Clifford]

A bit of a kludgy suggestion.  Create a csv file of all your metadata.  It will take some time but you'll only have to repeat it when you add photos.

example using all xmp tags for my 2019 photos

exiftool -r -csv -xmp:all -ext jpg ~/photographs/processed/2019  > ~/photographs/temp/temp.csv

Scan your csv flle for your keyword and display the files. Here I search for beach

grep -i beach temp.csv | cut -d , -f 1

Code Select Expand

/Users/alan/photographs/processed/2019/SouthAfrica.FebMar/x-s1_3794.jpg
/Users/alan/photographs/processed/2019/SouthAfrica.FebMar/x-s1_3780.jpg
/Users/alan/photographs/processed/2019/SouthAfrica.FebMar/x-s1_3781.jpg
/Users/alan/photographs/processed/2019/SouthAfrica.FebMar/x-s1_3795.jpg
/Users/alan/photographs/processed/2019/SouthAfrica.FebMar/x-s1_3783.jpg
/Users/alan/photographs/processed/2019/SouthAfrica.FebMar/x-s1_3782.jpg
/Users/alan/photographs/processed/2019/SouthAfrica.FebMar/x-s1_3779.jpg
/Users/alan/photographs/processed/2019/SouthAfrica.FebMar/x-s1_3786.jpg


[PL2020]

You might look into a program such as Darktable.  Darktable tries to be a FOSS version of Lightroom.  It has various editing features similar to LR, but it also acts as a DAM (Digital Asset Management) program.

Correct me if I'm wrong: in Adobe Lightroom, users have to create a project and import files before users can search and work with the files

Is Darktable the same? I didn't use Lightroom because it takes way too much effort to keep importing additional files to a given project

[PL2020]

Scan your csv flle for your keyword and display the files. Here I search for beach
grep -i beach temp.csv | cut -d , -f 1

I will open the CSV file in Excel and do filter and search with Excel functions as I am not a power user of Terminal

[Alan Clifford]

I will open the CSV file in Excel and do filter and search with Excel functions as I am not a power user of Terminal

Good idea.
I just tried that importing into Open office and filtering the suject column for "containing beach" and that looks like it worked really well.

[StarGeek]

Correct me if I'm wrong: in Adobe Lightroom, users have to create a project and import files before users can search and work with the files

Files have to be imported, but you can set LR to auto import watched directories.

Is Darktable the same?

Not sure.  Some quick search indicate that it may be possible with some effort.

Another option would be Digikam.  That I have installed and a quick check shows that it will auto update folders when new images are added.

[PL2020]

Good idea.
I just tried that importing into Open office and filtering the suject column for "containing beach" and that looks like it worked really well.

Your idea of having a separate file storing metadat to perform searches on is excatly the logic behind the MacOS Spotlight

https://developer.apple.com/library/archive/documentation/Carbon/Conceptual/MetadataIntro/Concepts/HowDoesItWork.html

[PL2020]

.  Some quick search indicate that it may be possible with some effort.

Another option would be Digikam.  That I have installed and a quick check shows that it will auto update folders when new images are added.

Good to know that they all adopt the same concept of importing files before further actions are possible

[PL2020]

Another option would be Digikam.  That I have installed and a quick check shows that it will auto update folders when new images are added.

In fact, do you know why almost all these metadat editor Apps require importing files? The only exception I have come across is Adobe Bridge. I prefer not having to import files as I want to browse through folders.

But Adobe Bridge has two showstoppers for me:
1) it becomes unresponsive very often
2) the IPTC extension tags the App provided is limited

[StarGeek]

They have to import because they keep all the thumbnails and metadata in a database so it's easier and quicker to find images and do searches on the metadata.

I can't speak about how responsive Bridge is for you, it's quick and responsive for me even on my low powered computer.  But it allows for pretty much the full range of metadata, even the obscure stuff like the Artwork or Object in image structure and Model Release Status.  Over 250 metadata entries, counting structures as a single entry.  Go to Edit Menu -> Preferences -> Select Metadata on the left and then select what items you want it to show.

[Joanna Carter]

I know this is a long time after the original post but, for those who might stumble across it, the fastest way to search for metadata in macOS is to use the Spotlight search in Finder.

It is a lot more powerful than most people realise and can search for a great number of metadata.

I use the Spotlight engine to power the search in the image browsing app that I have written but there is no reason why you shouldn't use it directly from Finder.