Manual · Chapter 7
Metadata
ViolaScope displays technical, descriptive and organizational information for the currently selected photo in the metadata area on the right side of the main window.
What metadata is
Metadata is information associated with a photo in addition to the visible image itself.
Depending on the source file, this can include camera information, capture settings, dimensions, location data and descriptive information.
ViolaScope also maintains project-specific information used to organize and identify photos within the project workflow.
Where metadata is displayed
The metadata area is located on the right side of the main ViolaScope window.
It follows the currently selected photo.
When you select another photo in the workspace or filmstrip, the metadata area updates to show the information associated with that photo.
Metadata sections
ViolaScope organizes metadata into several sections so that different types of information remain easy to distinguish.
Depending on the selected photo and the information available in the source file or project, the metadata area can include:
- General
- File
- Media
- Capture
- GPS
- IPTC
- XMP
- Identity
General information
The general section provides basic information about the selected photo.
It is intended as a quick overview before you inspect more specialized metadata sections.
File information
The file section contains information associated with the image file itself.
This can include values such as the file name and other file-related properties available to ViolaScope.
Which values are shown depends on the selected file and the information that is available for it.
Media information
The media section describes properties of the image resource.
Depending on the file, this can include information related to the image format, dimensions or other media-specific characteristics.
Capture information
The capture section contains information recorded in connection with taking the photo.
Depending on the camera and file format, this may include camera or exposure-related information.
Not every source file contains every possible capture value.
GPS information
When geographic information is available, ViolaScope can display GPS-related metadata for the selected photo.
Location information may already be embedded in the source photo or may have been assigned as part of the ViolaScope project workflow.
The Map, GPS and GPX chapter explains the geographic workflow in more detail.
IPTC information
IPTC metadata is commonly used for descriptive and editorial information associated with photos.
ViolaScope can display IPTC information when corresponding data is available for the selected photo.
Empty fields do not necessarily indicate a problem. The source file may simply not contain that information.
XMP information
XMP provides a standardized way to store and exchange metadata between applications.
ViolaScope can display available XMP information and can also create XMP sidecars as part of supported export workflows.
XMP export behavior is described in detail in the Export chapter.
Identity information
The Identity section shows information used to uniquely associate a photo with its record inside the ViolaScope project.
This internal association helps ViolaScope distinguish photo resources reliably as the project is reviewed, exported and continued later.
A file name alone is not necessarily sufficient to establish that two image resources are identical.
Why some fields may be empty
Not every image contains the same metadata.
Available information depends on factors such as:
- camera or capture device
- image format
- camera settings
- whether GPS information was recorded
- previous editing or metadata processing
- whether IPTC or XMP information exists
A missing value therefore does not automatically mean that the photo or ViolaScope project is damaged.
Viewing metadata does not alter the photo
Inspecting metadata in ViolaScope is a viewing operation.
Simply opening a metadata section or reading a value does not modify the visual content of the original image.
Project-specific changes are handled separately by the relevant ViolaScope features.
Metadata during review
Metadata can provide additional context when two photos look similar or when you need technical information before making a review decision.
For example, capture information may help explain a difference in exposure, while GPS information can confirm where a photo was taken.
Because the metadata area follows the current selection, you can inspect this information without leaving the review workflow.
Next step
Metadata provides additional information about the selected photo. The next chapter focuses on the different ways to display and compare photos while reviewing them.