Not everyone has the same way of doing things, we know this and that's why LUNA is a flexible tool for managing your content. Maybe you've got a spreadsheet with a ton of data, maybe you don't have any data yet. Here are three helpful ways to add data to a collection:
- Upload .csv spreadsheet
- Use embedded metadata
- Create custom data fields
Upload a .csv spreadsheet via the LUNA Uploader
If you've been cataloging your media items directly into a spreadsheet this is the way to go. Or, if you're able to export your data out of another system and into a spreadsheet, this method is also for you!
Basically by uploading a .csv file LUNA will create a record for each row in the spreadsheet.
Some tips:
- Make sure your spreadsheet matches your data schema. What does this mean? Well, in the LUNA Collection Manager when you established your collection properties you selected a data template. This data template gives structure to the data records in your collection. So when you import a .csv spreadsheet with your data, the fields in the data template must match the fields in the spreadsheet. This means the spelling and order need to be an exact match. If they don't match you'll get an error upon upload. You can download the log to see where in the spreadsheet the discrepancy lies.
- Before you can upload a .csv file you need to have a collection created, this means establishing the collection properties in the LUNA Collection Manager.
- Check your LUNA Uploader settings! By default the Uploader settings will mark your records for display in the LUNA Viewer.
Use embedded metadata
In LUNA each media item can have a corresponding data record. Typically the data record will describe the item by using fields like Title, Creator, Date, etc. But LUNA also supports the searching and display of embedded metadata. Embedded metadata allows you to encode data about the image into the file itself. Usually this kind of information could relate to what kind of equipment was used to create the digital file, but more and more organizations are using embedded metadata to describe the item, like adding Title, Creator, and Copyright. For some a data record is enough, but for others the embedded metadata can cut out the step of having to create separate data records. Some tips:
- LUNA supports IPTC, EXIF, and XMP embedded metadata
- There can be a lot of technical information with embedded metadata so in the LUNA Collection Manager make sure you choose the settings carefully for how they will display and serarch. You can choose whether or not you want the IPTC, EXIF, and XMP fields to display in the LUNA Viewer and whether or not you want them to be searchable.
- To view the embedded metadata in the LUNA Library, select a media item, view it in the edit mode and then click in the "i" in the thumbnail.