Viewing and Using Metadata

Metadata (data about data) are the bits of information in a record to describe the item the record points to. These include such mundane computer things as filename, file creation date, and file type, as well as general descriptions, field data on image type, medium, and other information associated with cataloged items.

If you need to add, delete, or otherwise modify metadata in a catalog, make sure you have appropriate access and see the Advanced section on Assigning Metadata. Otherwise, read on to learn about how to view metadata.

Portfolio offers three ways of viewing the metadata in a catalog. First is via record view, which displays a user-pre-defined set of fields alongside each record thumbnail, as if each thumbnail were placed on a page of its own and surrounded by detailed descriptive information about it. To switch to record view, press the record view button (see also Working with Views). You can also choose View > Record View or type Command-R to switch.

The second method of viewing metadata is to select a record or group of records and press the Info button (), choose Item > Get Info, or type Command-I, all of which will open the Properties window. Then click on the Fields tab to see a list of all the custom fields in the catalog and to examine the metadata assigned to each record. For more information on the Properties window, see Assigning Metadata.

The slightly more complicated, third way to view metadata is to customize your view so that you see the metadata you desire for each record. To learn how to do this, see Customizing Views in the Advanced Help section.