Photolab does not delete xmp files when deleting the RAW image - why?

DxO PhotoLab
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Dear Forum members,
I just moved to Photolab and I have a little truble with my workflow and the xmp files that Photolab is automatically creating when it is reading a directory. I know my work flow could be improved (I am happy to hear about suggestions). My workflow now is:

  • I used to have RAW and JPEGs in a Folder on my NAS that shows me project name and date. (now I only record pics in RAW)
  • I use Picture labs to browse through the RAW files (filter settings that show me only RAW) and rate the pictures, delete the not wanted ones (all within Photolabs), give all of the pictures that I keep a keyword, marking them with the color-tag and add some IPTC information for some pictures.
  • Then I usually delete all the JPEGs in the folder using the windows explorer (if I have recorded both with the camera)
    Now I have discovered that all the XMP files of the RAW images that I have deleted are still in the folder. This could create problems when moving to another software and I don’t like to have files that have no reason to exist.

How can I make Photolab automatically delete those XML files?
Does Photolab put any information of JPEG files in its database? If so, I would have another problem.

Thanks in advance,
Luz

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Welcome to the forum @Luz

Are you working with DPL on Windows or on macOS?

Here, on Mac, delete works as expected:

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Welcome to the forum, Luz.

In your workflow, you mention that you deleted the JPGs using Win Explorer … but you don’t explain how you deleted the RAWs.

If there were XMP’s associated with any of your JPGs then PL would not know to clean-up the XMPs - because you did not use PL to delete the JPGs.

If there were XMP’s associated with any of your RAWs (as a result of applying keywords, etc - using PL) then PL should know to clean-up the XMPs - as noted by @platypus … But, not if you deleted the RAWs using Win Explorer ('cos that’s without PL’s “knowledge”).

Yes, any image file encountered by PL will be recorded in its database - along with details of any corrections you have applied to them … Plus same details also written to a Sidecar/.dop file.

John M

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Thanks for the answers. I tested my workflow now with a new folder on my NAS and there it seems to work that PL will delete the XMP together with the RAW file.
When I started using PL on my local SSD I also deleted many RAW files but here all the XMP files are still in the folder.
It seems to me that PL created automatically a XMP file for every RAW file in the directory because I did not develop/change most of them.

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I don’t know what went wrong here but I guess I have to delete now many XMP files manually :frowning:

For the JPEGs: So I should delete the JPEG files within PL to prevent the database from growing for nothing, right?

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Do you need the XMP files, Lorenz ? … Since you’re deleting them, I’m guessing you don’t (?)

In which case, you can switch OFF Synchronisation via the “Metadata” tab of Menu → Edit / Preferences

Where are the JPGs coming from ?

  • If they’re JPGs from your camera - then you’ll (probably?) want to keep them.
  • If they’re being exported by PL (from your processed RAWs) - then it would be better to have them generated into a folder separate from the RAWs … which you can achieve via Export dialogue.
    For example: image - into a folder beneath the folder containing your RAWs

John M