Assigning Metadata

Now that you've created a catalog and added some items to it, you should learn how to add and change the metadata associated with each item. You will want to know how to assign keywords and how to fill in fields.

Assigning Keywords

There are several ways to assign keywords to items in your catalog:

• You can assign keywords to items as you add them to the catalog (see Adding Items to a Catalog).
• You can edit the keywords in batches of items simultaneously by selecting items and choosing Item > Edit Keywords... (Command-Option-K).


• You can use the Master Keywords Palette (Window > Master Palette > Show Master Keywords, or Command-K) to assign keywords to selected items.
  

  To do so, select items, select keywords from the Master Keywords List, and click the Assign button.

• You can edit keywords in Record View, provided that you have made keywords visible in Record View and enabled the Edit option in the Record View tab of the Customize Gallery window (see Customizing Views). Simply click in the Keywords box in the main window and type. Press Enter, Return, or click the + symbol to the right of the box to add a keyword. Click the - symbol to delete selected keywords.

Editing Field Data

Field data can be edited in much the same way that keywords can.

• Selecting items and choosing Item > Edit Field Values... will accomplish many of the same things that Item > Edit Keywords... will.
• You can assign field data prior to cataloging (see Adding Items to a Catalog), just as you do with keywords.
• You can also edit field data in Record View, as with keywords (above) by making specific fields visible and enabling the Edit option.<

The Properties Window

The Properties window will also allow you to edit field data and keywords. It will even allow you to change filenames and descriptions, and it will display certain information by default that you do not necessarily have to display in any of the other views.

To open the Properties window, type Command-I, press the button or select Item > Get Info/Properties.

To modify keywords, click on the Keywords tab.

You can enter keywords into the text box to the upper left, or select keywords (single or multiple) from the list to the right and click the Assign button to assign keywords to a record. To delete them, simply select the keywords you wish to delete and click Remove.

To edit field values, click on the Fields tab. Then click on any field in the list and double click it or click Edit... to open a small editing window for that field. Type the data you wish to enter, and click OK or press Enter (not Return - Return will not work on text box fields).

Click Done when you have finished to return to the main catalog window.