Enhancing FileInfo Generic Panels

Hi,
the FileInfo SDK offers two approaches to extend the XMP FileInfo dialog found in many Adobe applications.
1.) A generic panel which can be setup by editing a couple of XML files.
It offers only limited support for properties defined in XML, it can display only simple XMP properties and comma-separated array lists, with limited layout capabilities (e.g. separators).
2.) A Flash-based custom panel that offers more possibilities but needs some programming skills to develop.
The XMP team is currently thinking about enhancing the generic panel approach to make it easier to build complex Metadata UI without programming skills. Planned features are, for example, support for complex properties and more layout capabilities.
We would like to get feedback from you about enhancing the generic panels and also collect examples of generic panels, as well as flash-based panels.
Have you developed a generic panel or flash-based panel in the past? Why did you choose one approach over the other? Which features would make a generic panel more valuable to you?
Please post your experience with FileInfo panels to this thread and, if possible, show us your panel. You can also send us your panel through private forum mail and we will keep it confidential.
Thanks for your help!

Over the years I have built several (generic) File Info panels and
Bridge Metadata Panes that can display multi-dimensional XMP arrays,
such as those used in IPTC Extension, PLUS , and PRISM Metadata for
Images schemas.
These directly index the row and column in the array. Attached is a
partial screenshot of a CS4 Bridge Metadata Pane for PRISM Metadata
for Images that uses IPTC Extension arrays that have been extended by
one sub property: agreementID. With the preference "Hide Empty Fields"
this pane is practical for viewing existing complex XMP metadata in a
file. There is a version of this pane for old File Info, and one for
the newer File Info (XML).
The second attachment is a screen shot of the corresponding (old) File
Info Panel (0.0/1.0). The two dimensional arrays are displayed as
fixed height tables with column headers: Location, City, State, ... A
new ( 2.0+) File Info Generic Panel was constructed, but with a
separate line per sub property, it is very, very tall and not
practical for use.
The array fields in this pane and this panel are set to be display-only.
If the array fields were set to be read/write and the array already
contained data when the XMP packet is opened, then File Info is
capable to editing/appending to it. However, if the array does not
exist when File Info opens the XMP packet, any data entered into these
fields will be ignored when the packet is updated. It appears that
(generic) File Info cannot generate a new XMP array structure. As a
result, these panes and panels were constructed with the array fields
as display-only.
I have experimented with directly indexing into 3, 4 and 5 dimensional
XMP arrays in File Info. It behaves the same as with 1 and 2 dimensions.
Observation: If File Info could generate new XMP array structures when
none previously existed in the packet, like it does for full custom
Flash File Info panels, then generic Bridge Metadata Panes and Acrobat
Pro (old) File Info panels could support read/write of complex XMP
metadata.
Regards,
Carl Rambert (previously with Pound Hill Software)

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My Requirement is As follows
i have root folder and this root folder contains the template file ,when user select the template from this folder preview of that file is drwan into the generic panel.
if anybody knows the solution for the same please help me.
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Tahir

Hi Hans
If you want to use PNG image, that is embedded in plugins binary you can simply use PlatformIconClass in your GenericPanelWidget Draw method.
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PlatformIconClass thePIC;
thPIC.LoadIcon(kYOURPluginID, kPicIcoTopOutsidePictureRsrcID);
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IPTC Description Field via Generic Panel

I want to access some IPTC Core Fields (Description , Title) via the properties.xml from the Generic Panel .
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Best regards

I found out how to do this thanks to Carl Rambert.
The title and description field is in an alt-array - if I understand this correctly. So to get it to work, you have to use the code in your generic panel's properties.xml as follows (it's basically changing the type from "text" to "langalt:"
<xmp_schema prefix="dc" namespace="http://purl.org/dc/elements/1.1/" label="What ever you want as a header" description="$$$/Custom/Schema/Description=This example panel contains most of the options available for the 'Generic Panel'.">
<xmp_property name="description" category="external" label="Description:" type="langalt" ui:multiLine="true" ui:height="75"/>
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Using openchoice and langalt together in generic panel

How do you specify langalt in the xmp_property if you're using openchoice as the type for a generic panel?

You can't.
Types openchoice and closedchoice imply an XMP Text property only.
There are some built-in "Text" aliases for three Very-Well-Known fields.
photoshop:Caption (Text) --- dc:description (Lang Alt)
photoshop:Copyright (Text) --- dc:rights/ (Lang Alt)
photoshop:Title (Text) --- dc:title (Lang Alt)
Presumably you could configure these as openchoice.
There is another thread on this forum, "CS5 Generic File Info Memory
Problem",
http://forums.adobe.com/thread/844222?tstart=0
that happens to discuss preloading the MRU cache for a property to
simulate an openchoice for a bag or seq array via the MRU autocomplete
feature. You might try technique for a custom langalt property.
Carl

FileInfo Custom Panel doesn't show xmp data: flex 3.6, FileInfo SDK 5.1

Just getting into XMP. Decided to make custom File Info panel for our custom xmp namespace data that will be applying to all our images in our archive.
Since still on Adobe CS 5.5, got the FileInfo 5.1 SDK. Got the Flex 3.6a package. I'm on Mac OS X 10.7.5, java version "1.6.0_37".
Compiled the "TestPanel" that comes with the SDK. That works. It has a fi:XMPTextInput item that shows the xmpPath="dc:title" dublincore xmp data, i can change it and save it and when i come back it is the changed data. When i look in the Raw fileinfo tab, it is there as i had modified it.
Now when i add a fi:XMPLabel for xmpPath="xmp:CreatorTool" no data is shown in my custom FileInfo panel. And when i add in my own custom xmp namespace data "mydata" that does not show either. The labels and textboxes are there for entering, but it appears that it is not parsing correctly to find the data to populate what is in the file already. I can type something in but it doesn't save it to the file. My custom xmp data namespace "mydata" data is showing in the Raw FileInfo panel so i know it is there, as i put it there with exiftool.
I have the required namespace lines in the mxml file for the panel:
<fi:XMPNamespaces>
<fi:XMPNamespace prefix="mydata" value="http://example.com/xmp/mydata/"/>
<fi:XMPNamespace prefix="dc" value="http://purl.org/dc/elements/1.1/"/>
<fi:XMPNamespace prefix="xmp" value="http://ns.adobe.com/xap/1.0/" />
</fi:XMPNamespaces>
The mxml file compiles and the panels load and display so it doesn't seem like it is the source files. It seems like a runtime issue. Since it does show the one dublincore xmp data it does seem like the panel is working, except for the "xmp" namespace and my "mydata" namespace. That's got to be a clue but being so new to this it is not giving me any directions to go in.
Any and all ideas are most appreciated.
Peace,
Dan

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CS4 Custom Metadata Panels : "Generic" : Ability to display block of predefined text in panels ?

I am in the process of converting a number of CS3 custom metadata panels to the Adobe CS4 Suite using the "Generic" panel included with the current SDK. After reading though the documentation on the "Generic" panel, it seems that there is no easy way to define a block of predefined, non-editable text (a legal disclaimer for example) within a CS4 "Generic" panel.
Note that this is text that is not actually embedded into an image or editable, but rather a block of predefined text that simply displays within the panel itself.
When creating CS3 custom panels, a predefined text block was easily displayed using a combination of the "width:", "height:" and "static_text:" parameters.
Has anyone been able to replicate this using the CS4 "Generic" panel?
Thanks in advance for your time and effort...

James,
Alternative: XMP FileInfo SDK page 40, the attribute description= displays static text as a mouse-over tooltip operation on a single field.
This applies to custom XMP properties in a custom namespace. The standard in-the-box XMP properties description= cannot be modified via a custom .xml schema definition as far as I can determine. (I tried, and mine were ignored.)
Regards,
Carl Rambert

Using Multiple Generic Info Panels

Hi:
I had an info panel that was working fine in CS6 for production metadata on Photoshop images.
I then wanted to do a second panel with licensing metadata (separating it from the production stuff).
I duped the production panel, changed the name of the panel in both the manifest and properties xml files and then added in my new fields.
What happens when I go to the Get Info selection in Photoshop is that both panels have the same tag name as well as the same name below. The fields are correct, but I can't seem to get those names to change.
I've changed the date in the manifest.xml (which is suppose to reload it). I've killed the 4.0 FileInfoPrefs.xml as described in the troubleshooting section of the FileInfo SDK.
Kind of running out of ideas. Has anyone used multiple info panels off the Generic Panel successfully and does anyone have any other suggestions that I might try?
Thanks.
--jon

Stefan:
I still couldn't get it to work with my two panels, so I downloaded a clean copy of the SDK Info kit and grabed the folder GenericPanel from the samples folder. I duped it immediately and changed the names on the two folders to Test_One and Test_Two.
I went into each manifest.xml and in the first I changed two lines:
name = "test_one"
label = "$$$/Custom/Panel/CS6/Label=Test One"
and in the second to:
name = "test_two"
label = "$$$/Custom/Panel/CS6/Label=Test Two"
I changed the dates in both (adding a 02 and a 03 to the month in each) and closed out the files.
In the properties.xml files I edited the label lines:
<xmp_schema prefix="custom" namespace="http://my.custom.namespace/" label="$$$/Custom/Schema/Label=Test One Properties"
and
<xmp_schema prefix="custom" namespace="http://my.custom.namespace/" label="$$$/Custom/Schema/Label=Test Two Properties"
I also deleted some of the property choices in the second properties file so I could tell the difference between the two.
Dumped them into the 4.0/panels folder and started up Photoshop. Opened an image, went to File Info and fouund that both panels have tabs that say "Test One" and both had subheads on the panels saying "Test Two Properties" (although the panels themselves had different property elements -- one with the full generic and the other with the abbreviated one where I had cut some properties to make sure it was seeing two different panels which it is).
Is there anything wrong with my methodology that you can see?
Thanks.
--jon

How to create a custom panel in the right way (without having an empty panel in the file info) ?

Hi Everyone
My name is Daté.
I'm working in the fashion industry as a designer and Design consultant to help fashion brands improving the design workflow by using Adobe softwares and especially Illustrator.
I'm not a developper, but i'm very interested about the possibility to introduce xmp technology to provide more DAM workflows in the fashion industry.
Fashion designers produce a lot of graphical objects in illustrator or Photoshop. Unfortunately they are faced to a big challenge which is about how to manage, search, classify and get this files faster. Of course PDM system or PLM system are used in the Fashion industry to manage data, but for many companies, implemanting this kind of database is very complex.
When i look at what you can do with xmp, it seems to be an interesting way of managing design files, then i started to follow Adobe instruction to try to build a custom panel.
The main idea is to (Theory) :
create custom panels used by fashion designers to classify their design files.
Use Adobe Bridge to search files, create smart collection to make basic reports in pdf and slideshows
Find someone to make a script able to export metadata in xml files
Use indesign and the xml file to generate automatically catalogues or technical sheets based on xmp values
I have created a custom panel by using the generic panel provided by Adobe and i have modified the fields to feet with the terms used in the fashion industry and it works well.
But unfortunately, when i try to create my own custom panel from scratch with Flashbuilder (4.6) and the Adobe CSExtensionBuilder_2 (Trial version), it doesn't work!
Here is the process :
I have installed flashbuilder 4.6
I have download the XMP Fileinfo SDK 5.1 and placed the com.adobe.xmp.sdk.fileinfo_fb4_1.1.0.jar in C:\Program Files (x86)\Adobe\Adobe Flash Builder 4.6\eclipse\plugins
In Flashbuilder, i have created a new project and select xmp Custom panel
The new project is created in flashbuilder with a field with A BASIC Description Field
To generate the panel, right click the project folder and select xmp / Publish Custom Panel
The panel is automatically generated in the following folder : C:\Users\AppData\Roaming\Adobe\XMP\custom file info panels\3.0\panels
Go to illustrator, Open the file Info
The panel appears empty
The others panel are also empty
The panel is created and automatically placed in the right folder, but when you open it in Illustrator by selecting the File Info option in the File Menu, this custom panel appears empty!!! (only the title of the tab is displayed). This panel also prevent the other panels to be displayed.
When you delete this custom panels from the folder C:\Users\AppData\Roaming\Adobe\XMP\custom file info panels\3.0\panels and go back to the File Info, the other panels display their content properly.
I also try to use the plugin XMP Namespace designer to create my own namespace. this plugin is also able to generate a custom panel, but this one also appears empty in AI or Photoshop.
I try to follow the process described in Adobe xmp documentation many times, but it didn't works.
It seems that many peaople have this issue, but i dodn't find a solution in the forum.
I try to create a trust file (cfg), but it didn't work.
It would be so kind if you can help me to understand why i can't create a custom panel normally and how to do it in the right way.
Thanks a lot for your help,
Best regards,
Daté

Hi Sunil,
After many trial, i realize the problem was not coming from the trust file, but from the way i have created the custom panel.
There is 2 different ways, the first described below is not working whereas the second is fine :
METHOD 1 :
I have downloaded the XMP-Fileinfo-SDK-CS6
In the XMP-Fileinfo-SDK-CS6 folder, i copied the com.adobe.xmp.sdk.fileinfo_fb4x_1.2.0.jar plugin from the Tools folder and i pasted it in the plugind folder of Flashbuilder 4.6
The plugin install an XMP project
In Flashbuilder 4.6 i have created a new project (File / New /Project /XMP/XMP Custom Panel)
A new xmp project is created in flashbuilder.
You can publish this project by right clicking the root folder and selecting XMP / Publish Custom Panel
The custom file info panel is automatically published in the right location which is on Mac : /Users/UserName/Library/Application Support/Adobe/XMP/Custom File Info Panels/3.0 or /Users/UserName/Library/Application Support/Adobe/XMP/Custom File Info Panels/4.0
Despite the publication of the custom file info panel and the creation of a trust file in the following location : "/Library/Application Support/Macromedia/FlashPlayerTrust", the panel is blank in Illustrator.
I try this way several times, with no good results.
METHOD 2 :
I have installed Adobe CSExtensionBuilder 2.1 in Flash Builder
In FlashBuilder i have created a new project (File / New /Project /Adobe Creative Suite Extension Builder/XMP Fileinfo Panel Project)
As the system display a warning about the version of the sdk to use to create correctly a custom file info, I changed the sdk to sdk3.5A
The warning message is : "XMP FileInfo Panel Projects must be built with Flex 3.3, 3.4 or 3.5 SDK. Building with Flex 4.6.0 SDK may result in runtime errors"
When i publish this File info panel project (right click the root folder and select Run as / Adobe illustrator), the panel is published correctly.
The last step is to create the trust file to display the fields in the panel and everything is working fine in Illustrator.
The second method seems to be the right way.
For sure something is missing in the first method, and i don't understand the difference between the XMP Custom Panel Project and the XMP Fileinfo Panel Project. Maybe you can explain it to me.
So what is the best solution ? the right sdk to use acording to the creative suite (the system asks to use 3.3 or 3.5 sdk for custom panels, so why ?)
I'm agree with Pedro, a step by step tutorial about this will help a lot of peaople, because it's not so easy to understand!!!
Sunil, as you belong to the staff team, can you tell me if there is :
A plugin or a software capable to extract the XMP from llustrator files to generate XML workflows in Indesign to create catalogues
A plugin to allow indesign to get custom XMP in live caption
A plugin to allow Bridge to get custom XMP in the Outputmode to make pdf or web galeries from a smart collection
How can you print the XMP data with the thumbnail of the file ?
Thanks a lot for your reply.
Best Regards
Daté

Custom File Info Panel CS2- CS4

I have a Custom File Info Panel that has been created in Adobe Photoshop CS2 and works in CS3. I am having trouble figuring out how to get it to work in CS4. Is there a way to port the Custom File Info Panel into CS4 without entirely recreating it?
I am seeing references to FileInfo SDK and creating a new Flex UI but I can't seem to find a definitive method on this pre-CS4 File Info Panel to the new UI - and I am in unfamiliar territory.
Any assistance or points in the proper direction would be most helpful.
UPDATE: Answering at least some of my own questions, I have followed the procedure here:
http://blogs.adobe.com/gunar/2008/11/customizing_metadata_ui_in_cs4.html
I am still having some trouble with a couple of the unique properties but I expect that they will be typos... I hope...
Any good reference information is still welcome.

Thank you for suggesting the PS Scripting forum but I think the next stop might be the XMP SDK Forum as there are a few similar questions there such as http://forums.adobe.com/thread/540397. But before I go impolitely cross-posting...
I've had some success and it appears that my custom file info metadata edited and saved in CS2 is now visible in CS4 and the reverse is also true - metadata edited and saved in CS4 is visible in CS2. This was built using the Generic Panel from the SDK according to the instructions shown at the link in my original post.
The only problem is that the external application that relies on the custom metadata doesn't see the CS4 version of the metadata. I suspect that this is just some general namespace issue. Perhaps if an XMP expert would be willing to comment on the conversion of the Custom Info Panel based on the following single portion of the metadata to see if I am doing it correctly - I would very much appreciate it.
In the CS2 Custom Info Panel XML I have this field:
<panel title="$$$/CustomPanels/XYZ/PanelName=XYZCorp Graphics MetaData" version="1" type="custom_panel">
group(placement: place_row, spacing: gSpace, horizontal: align_fill, vertical: align_top, reverse: rtl_aware)
static_text(name: '$$$/CustomPanels/XYZ/fullName=Full Name/Title of Graphic', font: font_big_right, vertical: align_center);
cat_container_edit_text(xmp_ns_prefix: 'xyzcorp', xmp_namespace: 'xyzcorp', xmp_path: 'FullName', container_type: seq_struct, horizontal: align_fill);
mru_popup(xmp_ns_prefix: 'twcable', xmp_path: 'FullName', no_check: true, vertical: align_top, container_type: seq_struct, mru_append: true);

</panel>
In my CS4 properties.xml the corresponding field:
<xmp_definitions xmlns:ui="http://ns.adobe.com/xmp/fileinfo/ui/">
<xmp_schema prefix="custom" namespace="xyzcorp" label="$$$/Custom/Schema/Label=XYZCorp Graphics MetaData" description="$$$/Custom/Schema/Description=CS4 Version of XYZCorp MetaData Custom Panel.">

<xmp_property name="FullName" category="external" label="$$$/Custom/Property/FullName_Label=Full Name/Title of Graphic:" type="seq" element_type="text"/>

<ui:separator/>
</xmp_schema>
</xmp_definitions>
It seems that the following CS2 => CS4 translations should be true:
"xmp_namespace" => xmp_schema namespace property (in this case "xyzcorp")
"xmp_path" => xmp_property name property (for this one property, "FullName")
is there another translation that I am missing? I am betting it has something to do with the CS2 "xmp_ns_prefix" but I am not entirely sure how to map this. Also perhaps something in manifest.xml (though it didn't seem like it)?
Many thank you's to anyone that can offer words of wisdom.
j

Custom File Info Panel: Bridge Locks Up (trials, tribulations, woes)

o/ all!
So I've spent the better part of this morning trying (for what I think is the fifth time this year) to get a custom file info panel installed properly. I've managed to successfully install a generic panel with most of the properties that I'd like in the panel proper, however, I'm having no end of trouble publishing and installing the panels and having them display properly in Bridge CC (64-bit).
I've followed the instructions provided in the Programmer's Guide to the letter (yes, including the trust files), and I'm still having issues.
-- System Information --
OS: Windows 7 64-bit
Flash Builder 4.7 (64-bit)
Adobe Bridge CC (64-bit)
Right now, all I'm trying to do is:
Create the flash builder project for an XMP File Info Panel
Publish the file info panel
Confirm the file info panel was installed correctly in Adobe Bridge CC.
The process:
1. I create the new project in Flash Builder (I've attempted using the 4.6.0 and 3.6A flex SDKs).
Now, at this point, I'm simply attempting to confirm that everything is hunky-dory with the installation process before I start converting my generic panel into a flash/flex panel; so I'm not modifying any of the files that the wizard created.
2. Right-click the root project folder in the leftmost pane in Flash Builder, select XMP>Publish.
3. Locate the published panel's output directory that Flash Builder published to
4. Copy/paste the published panel's root directory to the following directories:
C:\Users\Erik\AppData\Roaming\Adobe\XMP\Custom File Info Panels\4.0\panels\
C:\Users\Erik\AppData\Roaming\Adobe\XMP\Custom File Info Panels\4.0\custom\
C:\Program Files (x86)\Common Files\Adobe\XMP\Custom File Info Panels\4.0\panels\
C:\Program Files (x86)\Common Files\Adobe\XMP\Custom File Info Panels\4.0\custom\
I put the panel definition in all of these folders as per various 'fixes' to what I think my issue is that I've discovered while google-troubleshooting.
5. Create a trust file in FlashPlayerTrust folder with the name testPanel36A.cfg (contents listed below):
C:\Users\Erik\AppData\Roaming\Adobe\XMP\Custom File Info Panels\4.0\panels\testPanel36a\bin\testPanel36a.swf
C:\Users\Erik\AppData\Roaming\Adobe\XMP\Custom File Info Panels\4.0\custom\testPanel36a\bin\testPanel36a.swf
C:\Program Files (x86)\Common Files\Adobe\XMP\Custom File Info Panels\4.0\panels\testPanel36a\bin\testPanel36a.swf
C:\Program Files (x86)\Common Files\Adobe\XMP\Custom File Info Panels\4.0\custom\testPanel36a\bin\testPanel36a.swf
As far as I know, I can put multiple paths in these .cfg files, but I'm not-at-all confident that this is, in fact, the case.
After all this, I fire up bridge, right click an image file, and select FileInfo. The dialog displays fine, and the panel tab appears on the right. Clicking on the panel reveals nothing but a gray area with no content, and Bridge locks up entirely. I can't cancel out of the dialog, and end up having to end the process from Task Manager.
My gut tells me that I'm doing something wrong with the trust files, as this seems like the issue that most closely resembles what I'm encountering. Secondarily, It may be the flex SDKs -- I only have the 4.6.0 and the 3.6A SDKs, and the link in the Flash Builder dialog takes me to the sourceforge page for Adobe, and from there, I cannot locate any additional older SDKs to try this with (I've seen posts around saying that people got their panels to work with 3.0, or 3.5).
Anyone have ANY insight on this? Seriously at my wits end -- I've tried everything but nothing seems to work . Many thanks,
.e

Hi The_Mumm,
     You need to correct content fo the .cfg file (hope your .cfg file is at correct directory i.e. C:\Documents and Settings\<user name>\AppData\Roaming\Macromedia\Flash Player\#Security\FlashPlayerTrust). Yes, I agree that you have followed the documentation and put the path upto .swf file.
    Could you please modify the content of the trust file, with the below content (you path have been modified)
C:\Users\Erik\AppData\Roaming\Adobe\XMP\Custom File Info Panels\4.0\panels\testPanel36a\bin\
C:\Users\Erik\AppData\Roaming\Adobe\XMP\Custom File Info Panels\4.0\custom\testPanel36a\bin\
C:\Program Files (x86)\Common Files\Adobe\XMP\Custom File Info Panels\4.0\panels\testPanel36a\bin\
C:\Program Files (x86)\Common Files\Adobe\XMP\Custom File Info Panels\4.0\custom\testPanel36a\bin\
Hope everything will work now. If it doesn't work, please put only one path in trust file e.g. "C:\Users\Erik\AppData\Roaming\Adobe\XMP\Custom File Info Panels\4.0\panels" and put the publish panel in this folder.
One more precaution, don't copy, if required move the custom panel from one place to other.
Please let me know if you still faces any issue. Enjoy you new year.
For your reference, I am following the following steps and everything is working fine
1. Open the Fb7,
2. file->new->project
3. in the new project wizards, select "xmp->custom panel wizard"
4. xmp->publish custom panel
5. Open the .cfg file and added the path (C:\Users\<user name>\appdata\Roaming\Adobe\XMP\Custom File Info Panels\4.0\panels) where my panel has got published.
6. Ran Bridge CC, panel is there and working fine.
One more variations I did is, moved custom panel from C:\Users\<user name>\appdata\Roaming\Adobe\XMP\Custom File Info Panels\4.0\panels to C:\Program Files\Adobe\Adobe Bridge CC (64 Bit)\Custom File Info Panels\4.0\panels (the location of the custom file info panel inside bridge).
      For you doubts I tried with flex SDK 3.3A and 3.6a both worked fine. As in forum you have written that you don't have any other sdk. If you like please go on the following links for older SDKs "http://sourceforge.net/adobe/flexsdk/wiki/Download%20Flex%203/"
-Sunil

Two Custom File Info Panel Issues

When I add a second custom file info panel that has a different name (panel, .xml, and folder), the panel name that appears is the same as the first. What is causing this?

Hi,
here is how it works:
If you open the properties.xml you will find a zString key for every label:
i.e. label="$$$/Custom/Schema/Label=Custom Properties" (which is the panel name).
Depending on the language of the application it will load the values from the zstring files. If there are no files it will use the value of the properties.xml.
So if you want to change any label it is not enough to change the value in the properties.xml or the folder name. Is you leave the key as it is it will load the value based on the key. So you have to change the key and value in both the properties.xml and the Generic_en_US.dat and all other language files you would like to support.
example:
properties.xml:
label="$$$/Custom/Schema/Label2=Custom Properties 2"
*.dat:
"$$$/Custom/Panel/Label2=Generic Panel 2"
Or you remove the Keys completly from the properties.xml, but then multilanguage is not supported.
Hope this helps,
Samy
P.S. You can test different languages by changing for example Bridge to a different language (in the settings) and restart it. If you then open FileInfo it will load the correct *.dat files based on the language. You can add more *.dat files for more languages for you panel if you like.

CS 6 Generic File Info - not keeping checkboxes

I have a Generic Panel, that has been working fine since CS3, but in CS6 the checkbox values are not retained when a file is reopened. Well that's not strictly true and the value "True" seems to be stored, but it no longer checks the box.
The code I am using is:
<xmp_schema prefix="DK" namespace="http://DK.com/namespace/xmp/" label="$$$/DK/panel/blank=" >
<xmp_property name="ModelRelease" category="external" label="$$$/DK/values/modelRelease=Model Release:" type="boolean" description="$$$/DK/panel/modelReleaseDesc=Please check this option if you have a completed Model Release contract for each model within the image." />
<xmp_property name="LocationRelease" category="external" label="$$$/DK/values/locationRelease=Location Release:" type="boolean" description="$$$/DK/panel/locationReleaseDesc=Please check this option if a Location Release was required and completed for this image." />
</xmp_schema>
Which in the Raw Panel produces the following:
But the check box in the panel is unchecked, when the file is reopened.
Any help would be much appreciated!
James

Hi James,
thanks for reporting this problem which is a bug in the Generic panel that we could reproduce.
As you said the value is correctly stored in the file, but when you open the FileInfo dialog with the Generic panel being in front, the check box is not properly checked according to the stored value. Actually it is just when the panel is loaded the first time that the value is not recognized. When switching to the Generic panel later it is.
So a work-around at the moment is to switch to another panel and then back to the Generic panel. The check box will then be checked correctly.
Sorry for the inconvenience.
Kind regards
Jörg

Zstrings in Custom Metadata Panels

I'm trying to create a popup widget in a custom panel that will return a value with an ampersand (&) in it. I do something like this in the item variable "...;Folks{Mom & Pop};..." What gets stored is "Mom Pop" with no ampersand.
So I looked at the Zstring escapes and it seems that I should do something like "#{amp}" for the ampersand. Tried that "...;Folks{Mom #{amp} Pop};..." and what gets stored is "Mom #{amp" -- it's like the escape sequence is not seen in the item variable.
To add insult to injury, I don't know how to make Google search on "#{amp}" (it wants to simplify the search to just "amp").
Any ideas?
Thanks, Doug

Thanks Gunar,
I already had my custom XMP panel for my server product for InDesign. I tried to create a CS4 compatible panel on MacPro (Mac OS X 10.5.5 3GB RAM) using every possible method from the XMP FileInfo SDK pdf - it didn't work. The panel did show up in the dialog, but not the fields. Not only this, all fields also disappeared from some other panels. After I removed my custom panel, everything went back to normal.
I tried:
-Generic panel method - the fields didn't show up
-The Flex SDK method: when I run
ant built.xml
I got the "Target "build.xml" does not exist in the project "TestPanel"." error (I checked many times - all the files were where they're supposed to be, and I run it from the correct directory).
-I downloaded Flex Builder, followed all the steps - the fields didn't show up, and fields in other panels disappeared.
The idea of building the panel interface interactively is great - I hope it will ever work.
Any ideas of why it didn't work for me?
While we're on this, I think that the new tabbed interface for the File Info dialog is a huge step back. You already had a great interface, with the list of panel names on the left side - which is easy to use and is standard through many Adobe dialogs.
The multi-tab approach for many items proved to be inefficient long time ago. Right now you created a dialog that works like a dilaog in QuarkXPress 4 - what's the point?
To support the new tabbed interface, you had to introduce TWO new "arrow" controls, none of which is user-friendly, and which make a simple task of choosing a panel extremely confusing.
The new feature of changing panel position by dragging is great, but it could be also achieved through the side list approach.
Bottom line: could you please restore the side list approach. I think it will help advance the XMP technology further and encourage people to actually use it , instead of doing exactly the opposite.
Best,
Leo Revzin
Zevrix Solutions
zevrix.com

Custom Metadata Panels from CS3 to CS4.

I have install CS4 on my Vista Ultimate PC. It runs like a dream. However there is now a new format for the custom metadata panels. I have two panels that I created in CS3 that I need to convert to the new format. Is there an easy way to do this?
The CS3 files are txt files that all I had to do was copy to the proper directory and they appeared. Thanks.
Fred

Thanks Gunar,
I already had my custom XMP panel for my server product for InDesign. I tried to create a CS4 compatible panel on MacPro (Mac OS X 10.5.5 3GB RAM) using every possible method from the XMP FileInfo SDK pdf - it didn't work. The panel did show up in the dialog, but not the fields. Not only this, all fields also disappeared from some other panels. After I removed my custom panel, everything went back to normal.
I tried:
-Generic panel method - the fields didn't show up
-The Flex SDK method: when I run
ant built.xml
I got the "Target "build.xml" does not exist in the project "TestPanel"." error (I checked many times - all the files were where they're supposed to be, and I run it from the correct directory).
-I downloaded Flex Builder, followed all the steps - the fields didn't show up, and fields in other panels disappeared.
The idea of building the panel interface interactively is great - I hope it will ever work.
Any ideas of why it didn't work for me?
While we're on this, I think that the new tabbed interface for the File Info dialog is a huge step back. You already had a great interface, with the list of panel names on the left side - which is easy to use and is standard through many Adobe dialogs.
The multi-tab approach for many items proved to be inefficient long time ago. Right now you created a dialog that works like a dilaog in QuarkXPress 4 - what's the point?
To support the new tabbed interface, you had to introduce TWO new "arrow" controls, none of which is user-friendly, and which make a simple task of choosing a panel extremely confusing.
The new feature of changing panel position by dragging is great, but it could be also achieved through the side list approach.
Bottom line: could you please restore the side list approach. I think it will help advance the XMP technology further and encourage people to actually use it , instead of doing exactly the opposite.
Best,
Leo Revzin
Zevrix Solutions
zevrix.com

Can I create a custom XMP panel but using the exact same fields from standard XMP panels?

Hi,
I am new to XMP and not very technical, so please excuse me if this sounds like a stupid question!
I have managed to create my own custom panels for Photoshop using the Generic Panel method with my own custom fields and they work fine. However what I need to do now is create a custom panel that uses the exact same fields from some of the standard panels. The reason being is that I have 4 fields that need to be integrated into another non-adobe system (Extensis Portfolio) that recognizes standard XMP fields, but at present these 4 fields are spread across different standard panels and it would be much easier for the user in Photoshop if they were all together on one panel.
An example field is the "Additional Model Info" field that currently resides on the standard IPTC Extension panel. If I fill in a value in this field on a JPEG then open the the image in Extensis Portfolio, then the field is also filled in in a field called IPTC - Model Info, displaying a key of Iptc4xmpExt:AddlModelInfo.
Is there a way I can take this standard field and use it on a custom panel, so that it can still be filled in in Photoshop and the value viewed in Extensis Portfolio? Sure I can create a custom panel and create a field called "Additional Model Info" but I can't figure out how to connect it to the corresponding field in Portfolio. I tried changing the xmp_property name="Iptc4xmpExt:AddlModelInfo" but this just broke the panel.
Is what I am trying to do possible and if so how and can it be done using the Generic Panel method?
Many thanks!

I am trying to do the same thing but with only the IPTC Keywords field. Searching everywhere but no luck.
Thanks!

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