I would like to have an option in DxO to auto-generate and embed a keyword that is the current image file name.
This would let me (and others) rename files yet still be able to track back to the original.
This keyword should be persistent (as much as possible) upon export to jpg or other formats.
In Lr the metadata has field for original file name. I believe it becomes populated the file name is changed. Is that field not available to PL?
With all the other little persistent issues in PLx, I don’t see this as something that would be adopted soon.
However, I do see a way this can be implemented outside PL if you are comfortable with the Mac shell (Terminal) environment. The wonderful utility exiftool can do this for you almost effortlessly, but you should have some shell environment smarts and comfort before proceeding. It involves writing an EXIF tag that will be set to the filename.
The advantage is that this will be entirely under your control, and you can apply the filename at any stage in your workflow, and you can also go back and apply the tag to images in an existing library.
There is an EXIF tag for original filename (see Exiv2 - Image metadata library and tools and search for “filename”).
PL does offer direct access to various tags in the IPTC family, but I don’t see filename.
IPTC explainer: link
This suggests IPTC is not really the appropriate place to put the filename. I don’t know where LR keeps it (in the .xmp or elsewhere).
Most DAM-systems keeps both the filename and the filepath searchable, so there is no need to think about that and save that metadata once more. The same goes for a lot of other data. Some people like to save camera models and lenses they have used in metadata or in file names and folders too and even that is unnecessary and just redundant and a waste of time and efforts in most systems.
One really good thing with the search in PL is that it flags where it gets its matches when you search and filename is one of these parameters the system uses to indicate.
Filename search i PL
Joanna complains that PL doesn´t make it possible to search for keywords
but that is only the fact if you use hierarchical keywords. Searching for “flat keywords” are no problems
Indication of search hit source in PL
If you look carefully top left, you will see that the system indicates search hits both in files, folders and IPTC
Camera models found in “Model” in EXIF-browsing in Photo Mechanic
No need to enter data like that by yourselves
In Photo Mechanic you can also easily display this data with “variables” both in forms and fileinfo
And if you also want to save the old filename in some other place you need something like Photo Mechanic that can use variables. In a case like that you just have to put the variable {filename} in another field/element of your choise
Example on search with the word “Boat” in PL
Hit in “Keyword”, and IPTC and as you see 0 hits indicated in Filename and Folders
I like that feature a lot
