ibiRecovery

Metadata Embedding Guide

This guide analyzes what metadata from ibi databases can be embedded back into files versus what requires external software support.

📷 Images (JPEG, PNG, HEIC, etc.)

✅ Embeddable Metadata

EXIF Data

• Standard: EXIF
• Fields: Camera Make/Model, Aperture, Exposure Time, ISO Speed, Focal Length, Flash Fired, Image Width/Height, Orientation, Date/Time Original
• Support: Universal - all photo software reads EXIF

GPS Data

• Standard: EXIF GPS tags
• Fields: Latitude, Longitude, Altitude
• Support: Universal - Google Photos, Apple Photos, etc.

Keywords/Tags

• Standard: IPTC Keywords or XMP Subject
• Fields: AI-generated content tags
• Support: Most photo management software (Lightroom, Photos, etc.)

Description

• Standard: EXIF ImageDescription or IPTC Caption
• Fields: File description from database
• Support: Universal

❌ Requires External Software

Album Associations

• Issue: Not part of EXIF/IPTC standards
• Solutions: XMP sidecar files, Photo management software databases

User Reactions/Likes

• Issue: No standard metadata field
• Solutions: Custom XMP tags, External database

File Relationships

• Issue: EXIF doesn’t support relationships
• Solutions: Folder organization, Catalog software

Version History

• Issue: Not supported in image metadata
• Solutions: External versioning system

🎥 Videos (MP4, MOV, etc.)

✅ Embeddable Metadata

Basic Metadata

• Standard: QuickTime/MP4 metadata atoms
• Fields: Creation Date, Duration, Width/Height, Codec
• Support: Universal

GPS Data

• Standard: QuickTime GPS atoms
• Fields: Latitude, Longitude, Altitude
• Support: Most video players and editors

Technical Data

• Standard: Container metadata
• Fields: Bitrate, Framerate, Audio codec
• Support: Universal

⚠️ Limited Support

Keywords/Tags

• Support: Limited - some video editors support XMP
• Note: Not as universal as image tags

Album/Collection Data

• Support: Very limited
• Note: Most video software doesn’t support collections in metadata

Common Metadata Export Formats

📄 Adobe XMP Sidecar (.xmp)

• Description: XML-based metadata standard
• Supports: Keywords, GPS, Descriptions, Custom fields, Ratings
• Software: Adobe Lightroom, Adobe Bridge, darktable, digiKam
• Pros: Universal, Human readable, Preserves all data
• Cons: Separate files to manage

📄 IPTC/EXIF Embedding

• Description: Direct embedding in image files
• Supports: Keywords, GPS, Camera data, Descriptions
• Software: All photo management software
• Pros: Self-contained, Universal support
• Cons: Limited field types, May not support all AI tags

📄 CSV/Excel Export

• Description: Spreadsheet format for analysis
• Supports: All metadata fields, Relationships, Statistics
• Software: Excel, Google Sheets, Any spreadsheet app
• Pros: Easy analysis, Importable to databases
• Cons: Not linked to files, Manual process

📄 Photo Management Catalogs

• Description: Import into existing photo software
• Supports: All metadata, Albums, Collections, Relationships
• Software: Lightroom, Capture One, digiKam, Photo Mechanic
• Pros: Full integration, Searchable, Maintains relationships
• Cons: Software-specific, May need conversion

📄 Dublin Core XML

• Description: Library science metadata standard
• Supports: Descriptions, Subjects, Creators, Dates
• Software: Digital asset management systems
• Pros: Standards-based, Archival quality
• Cons: Limited photo-specific fields

Recommended Workflows

🏠 Home User - Simple Organization

• Goal: Get photos back with basic organization
• Metadata Strategy: Basic EXIF/GPS embedding + folder organization
• Steps:
  1. Use ibi-extract to organize by original albums
  2. Embed GPS and basic EXIF data back into files
  3. Export to simple CSV format for basic metadata
  4. Import into Apple Photos/Google Photos

📸 Photography Enthusiast

• Goal: Preserve all metadata for advanced management
• Metadata Strategy: Full EXIF/XMP embedding + sidecar files
• Steps:
  1. Use ibi-extract --export for complete extraction
  2. Generate XMP sidecar files with all AI tags
  3. Embed GPS, camera, and keyword data in files
  4. Import into Lightroom/Capture One with XMP files

🏛️ Archival/Professional

• Goal: Long-term preservation with full metadata
• Metadata Strategy: Standards-based metadata + original database preservation
• Steps:
  1. Extract with complete metadata preservation
  2. Export to IPTC-compliant formats
  3. Generate CSV catalogs for database import
  4. Maintain original database alongside files
  5. Use digital asset management system

🔍 Research/Analysis

• Goal: Searchable collection for content analysis
• Metadata Strategy: Database-driven with web search interface
• Steps:
  1. Extract all metadata to JSON format
  2. Import into database (SQLite/PostgreSQL)
  3. Create web interface for searching
  4. Link files via file paths in database

Implementation Notes

The ibiRecovery toolkit provides 12 export formats covering all these workflows:

• Universal formats: ExifTool CSV, JSON metadata, XMP sidecars
• Photo management: Lightroom CSV, PhotoPrism, Apple Photos, digiKam
• Video management: Jellyfin NFO, Plex CSV, IPTC Video
• Professional: IPTC-compliant CSV, Google Takeout JSON

Use ibi-extract --list-formats to see all available options.

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