How to import metadata into Portfolio from a text file

Description

This article explains how to import metadata from a text file into a Portfolio catalog.

Solution

Before you can import metadata, you need something in your catalog. Go ahead and catalog whatever files you want to import metadata for.
Once the files are in your catalog, select the ‘Import Field Values’ dialogue from the File menu. It should look something like this:
In the dialogue that opens, you will see three columns. On the left will be the fields that you will be importing, on the right the fields that are in the Portfolio catalog, and in the middle are the import settings.
First we have to set a “Key” field. This is a field that exists in the catalog and in your text file that allow you to link up the data in the text file with what’s in the catalog. We typically recommend using the Filenamefield in Portfolio, but you can use others.
- Align the name of the field that contains the text file’s image filenames in the left column with ‘Filename’ on the right. Drag the name of the field up or down in the list to reposition it it.
- Change the setting in the middle column to ‘Key (=)’ off that field.
For the other fields that you are importing, align the field names on both sides, then set the middle column to ‘Import (->)’.
Here’s an example that shows the Keywords, Copyright, and Approved fields configured to import data:
If the catalog has any multi-value field data (more than one entry) in it, and you want to overwrite all of its contents in your catalog, enable the ‘Replace Multi-valued Field Data’ checkbox.
Click on the ‘Import’ button. Portfolio will then add the metadata stored in your text file to all of the matching records in your new catalog.