Metadata Variables
When Dirk is moving a file that has metadata associated with it, then you can use this metadata in your Move Rules in the same way that you use built-in Path Variables.
Metadata as Variables
The metadata that is available for a file depends on the type of file that is being moved, and the method that was used to create it.
You can see all the available metadata associated with a file in the Repository Snapshot. Right-click on a file’s entry in the snapshot and select Properties. You can then see all of the metadata associated with that file:
This is an image file that has a large amount of metadata associated with it. You can reference metadata values in your Move Rules using the same format as Path Variables. For example, you could specify a Destination Folder with the following value:
{RepoBase}\Organized\{CameraModel}
The {CameraModel} value will expand to iPhone when this file is moved to its final destination.
Derived Metadata
There are two types of metadata that you can use in your rules: Derived Metadata and Raw Metadata.
Derived Metadata is metadata that has been extracted (derived) from the Raw Metadata in a file. It might be in a slightly different format from the original metadata, or it may combine information from multiple raw metadata values.
The entire purpose of Derived Metadata is to provide easy-to-use access to common information that is embedded into files. Therefore, you should prefer using Derived Metadata instead of Raw Metadata whenever possible when referencing metadata in your Organization Rules.
The following is a list of common Derived Metadata values that are available:
| Variable | Description | Example Output |
|---|---|---|
| {Album} | Album name | Greatest Hits Volume 1 |
| {Aperture} | Camera’s aperture value | 2.8 |
| {Artist} | Artist / band name | The Veedles |
| {Author} | Author Name | Stephanie Prince |
| {BeatsPerMinute} | Song’s beats per minute | 124 |
| {BitDepth} | Audio bit depth | 24 |
| {BitRate} | Audio bit rate | 256 kbps |
| {BitsPerPixel} | Image bits per pixel | 8 |
| {BitsPerSample} | Audio bits per sample | 16 |
| {CameraIso} | Camera’s ISO value | 100 |
| {CameraMake} | Camera make / manufacturer | Apple |
| {CameraModel} | Camera model | iPhone |
| {Comment} | File-specific comment | Made on Mars |
| {Company} | Company associated with file | ACME Inc |
| {Composer} | Song’s composer | Jimmy Coins |
| {Copyright} | Copyright associated with file | (C) 1945 ACME Inc |
| {Description} | Description of file contents | Screenshot |
| {Encoder} | Encoder used to create the file | LAME3.93 |
| {FileType} | File type | JPEG |
| {FileTypeExtension} | Typical extension for this type of file | jpg |
| {FocalLength} | Camera’s focal length | 35.0 mm |
| {FrameRate} | Video frame rate | 30 |
| {Genre} | Genre associated with file (typically audio) | Pop |
| {ImageHeight} | Image height in pixels | 4288 |
| {ImageIso} | Image ISO value | 100 |
| {ImageSize} | Image resolution | 4288x2848 |
| {ImageWidth} | Image width in pixels | 2848 |
| {Language} | Language associated with file | English |
| {LensInfo} | Camera lens information | 4.15mm f/2.2 |
| {LensMake} | Lens make / manufacturer | FUJIFILM |
| {LensModel} | Lens model | XF55-200mmF3.5-4.8 R LM OIS |
| {Manufacturer} | Manufacturer associated with file | ACME Inc |
| {Megapixels} | Image megapixels | 12.2 |
| {MimeType} | File MIME type | image/jpeg |
| {PlayCounter} | Number of times file has been played | 5 |
| {Producer} | Producer associated with file | ACME PDF Library |
| {Publisher} | Publisher associated with file | ACME Records |
| {SampleRate} | Audio sample rate | 44100 |
| {SetNumber} | File’s position when part of a set | 1/3 |
| {ShutterSpeed} | Camera’s shutter speed | 1/60 |
| {Title} | Title associated with file (typically audio) | Happy Birthday |
| {TrackNumber} | Audio track number | 8 |
| {XResolution} | Image file’s horizontal resolution / DPI | 72 |
| {Year} | Year associated with file (often release year) | 1893 |
| {YResolution} | Image file’s vertical resolution / DPI | 72 |
Raw Metadata
You can also reference Raw Metadata values in your rules, using the same format where the variable name is put into curly brackets.
Because different types of files contain different types of metadata, and because not even all files of the same type will contain the same metadata fields, there can be no exhaustive list of fields available for you to use. Because of this, it is advisable that you use the Derived Metadata fields whenever possible.
To view all of the Raw Metadata associated with a file, select the “Properties” option in the File Browser.
Rule Priority
When creating rules, keep in mind that rules with a larger number of variables will generally take priority over rules with a smaller number of variables. So, you can craft your rules to fallback to lesser-preferred rules.
For example, if you wanted to sort photos by their year and type of camera that was used to take them, you might create a Move Rule with the following destination:
{RepoBase}\Organized\{CreateYear}\{CameraModel}
If the Camera Model is unavailable, this rule will not be used. You could then create an additional Move Rule with this destination:
{RepoBase}\Organized\{CreateYear}\UnknownCamera
This has a lower priority because it only has two variables, as opposed to the three in the first rule. This allows you to adjust your rules based on the amount of metadata that is included with them.
Click here for more information about the order in which rules are processed.