SUMMARY Rating and color transfer are working in "Advanced" settings. The obstacle is the "Sidecars" settings STEPS TO REPRODUCE 1. The rating and color marked outside digiKam will not be updated if "Read from sidecar files" is selected in the side file settings. 2. In my case, an external program changes the settings of the image file but reads the outdated data of the xmp file. 3. This can be bypassed if "Read from sidecar files" is not selected - but then the data of certain files (xcf; video) will be lost for viewing. OBSERVED RESULT The rating and color marked outside digiKam will not be updated if "Read from sidecar files" is selected in the side file settings and the external program only changes the image file settings. EXPECTED RESULT If "Read from sidecar files" is selected, digiKam compares the dates of xmp and the image file and selects the newer data. The result could ensure that digiKam is always able to accept external changes according to a subsequent change. SOFTWARE/OS VERSIONS Windows: macOS: Linux/KDE Plasma: (available in About System) KDE Plasma Version: KDE Frameworks Version: Qt Version: ADDITIONAL INFORMATION
This behavior is not a bug. The sidecars have priority over the metadata in the images. Otherwise sidecars wouldn't work. If you read in these image, you have to deactivate the reading of the sidecar. There can be no other technical solution here. It is not possible to determine by reading the image or the sidecar which are the newer or desired values. Don't use your external program if it can't handle sidecars, but you want to use sidecars. Maik
I was thinking of comparing the dates of an image file and an xmp file to find out more recent data. If they cannot be used in different operating systems, it is possible to save them as digiKam data in each system. Of course, final accuracy cannot be achieved, but this could be the last file change. But I don't go very far. Hannes
Maik, This one can be closed as RESOLVED/NOT A BUG ? Gilles
We cannot solve this, if sidecar reading is active, these have priority. Even if the modification date of the image is newer, we do not know whether metadata has been changed or not. The problem here is clearly with the external program that cannot handle sidecars. Maik
Ok thanks Maik, it's clear. I close as RESOLVED/NOT A BUG