Using the Properties pane

The Properties pane displays all the database information about your files. It also displays file properties, such as file size, creation date, and read-only or hidden status, EXIF and IPTC metadata that your camera adds to your files. You can use the Properties pane to add, change, or delete database information, and edit the metadata for image and media files.

To open the Properties pane:

In Manage mode or View mode, click View | Properties.

The Properties pane is located by default on the right side of your screen in both Manage mode and View mode.

Properties pane areas

The Properties pane has these tabs: Database, File, EXIF, and IPTC.

Database tab

Caption

Type a brief description of the file to store in the database.

Date/Time

Specify the date and time you want to associate with the file and store in the database.

Author

Type the name of the author or photographer that you want to store with the file in the database.

Rating

Select a file or multiple files in the File List, and then click a rating to apply to the file(s). You can use the rating to sort and search for files in the database.

Tagged

Select the check box to tag the file.

Notes

Type any descriptive or additional text you want to store with the file in the database. You can add up to 4,095 characters of free-form text.

Keywords

Type any keywords you want to associate with the file, or click the Keyword Picker button to choose from the Master Keyword List. Separate multiple keywords with a comma.

Organize

Select the check box next to any category or categories to which you want to assign the file. To create a new category, right-click the Categories field and select New Category. You can select multiple photos in the File List and assign them to multiple categories in this way.

ACDSee Photo Manager tip Using the Properties pane

You can also use the Organize pane to assign categories and ratings, or use the right-click menu in Manage mode.

File tab

The File tab displays detailed file information and image attributes for a selected file or files. You can set or change the Read-Only and Hidden properties of a file or folder, and view a summary of any EXIF information contained in a file.

EXIF tab

The EXIF tab displays EXIF metadata information that is stored with an image from a scanner or digital camera. Metadata is embedded in the file, and can be retained by ACDSee 12 when you edit an image. You can edit certain types of metadata.

To edit EXIF metadata:

Double-click the metadata tag you want to edit. You can edit any tag marked with a blue label.

IPTC tab

The IPTC tab displays IPTC metadata information that is stored with a photo created by a scanner or digital camera. Metadata is embedded in the file, and can be retained by ACDSee 12 when you edit an image. You can also edit certain types of IPTC metadata.

To edit IPTC metadata:

Double-click the metadata tag you want to edit. You can edit any tag marked with a blue label.

Embedding database information in files

ACDSee Photo Manager Info Using the Properties pane

If you have embedded the database information in your files and they are copied, moved, or renamed, outside of ACDSee 12, the link between the file and the database will be broken, but you can rebuild the database using the embedded data in the file.

ACDSee Photo Manager Info Using the Properties pane

ACDSee 12 uses XMP to embed database information in each file. Only some file formats and file extensions support XMP. These include GIF, JPEG, DNG, PNG, and TIF. In the case of these file formats, the database information is embedded inside the file and so you can rename or move the file outside of ACDSee 12 and still be able to retrieve the database information.

For formats that currently do not support XMP, including RAW, PSD, ABR, the database information is written to a sidecar file that is stored in the same folder as its file. Because a sidecar file is separate from the file itself, you need to rename or move them together, or you could lose the database information permanently.

See also:

Using the Properties pane