Hint: Source images have Finder metadata but GraphicConverter output files not. You may suffer the Finder caching bug!

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porg
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Hint: Source images have Finder metadata but GraphicConverter output files not. You may suffer the Finder caching bug!

Post by porg »

Foreword:
• Usually GraphicConverter keeps Mac filesystem metadata (timestamps, Finder tags, color, Spotlight comment) really well during conversions.
• Even with various "Remove metadata" functions in batch actions or file format options. Because these usually affect only the metadata in the respective image format's file headers. Not filesystem metadata. Although such options also are explicitly available in Convert & Modify.
• Now I experienced a conversion where my comments were in the intermediary folder but not in the final folder.

The reason:
• I had duplicated the original folder in Finder which held files with comments which correspond to IDs in an online design app different to the file name which I will use on my website. So worth keeping locally in Finder.
• In the intermediary folder I did some editing on the files with a 3rd party app (Snagit). They still all had their Mac metadata intact.
• In GraphicConverter I used the intermediary folder as the source for a conversion to my final folder. I thought I had found a bug in any of the batch or file format options (among it the ImageOptim option) which may remove the Mac metadata as an unintended/buggy side effect.

But a thorough inspection finally showed the reason to by a bug in Finder/macOS:
• GraphicConverter > Browser > Preview Panel > "Image" tab > General image data
• "Spotlight Comment" showed "" (null) although the corresponding file in Finder had a comment.
• This again was Finder's dreaded Spotlight Comment caching bug.

Workaround:
• In GC or in Finder trigger a metadata change on the files: Add a tag and remove it again.
• This triggers an enforced cache refresh.
• The Spotlight Comment then eventually is not only cached in Finder's memory but made available to 3rd party apps as well.
• In GraphicConverter the attribute "Spotlight Comment" finally showed its true value.
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Re: Hint: Source images have Finder metadata but GraphicConverter output files not. You may suffer the Finder caching bu

Post by forum_adm »

I rechecked. I made a batch conversion of a file with a Spotlight comment into a new folder.
The file in the new folder contains the same comment after the conversion. So, not a GraphicConverter issue.

The Spotlight comment is set by an AppleScript which is executed by GraphicConverter and calls the Finder for setting the comment.
porg
Posts: 554
Joined: Tue Apr 05, 2022 1:04 pm
Country: Austria

Re: Hint: Source images have Finder metadata but GraphicConverter output files not. You may suffer the Finder caching bu

Post by porg »

Yes, for this reason it is in the "General Discussion" section as a "Hint".

I know that GraphicConverter operates correctly in the subject matter but that the Finder is known to be notoriously buggy in terms of comment caching as the provided link explains in detail.

These bugs have a decade old history, occurring time and time again in different forms and scenarios.

Your test run on macOS Ventura showed it to be working.

For me on previous macOS and my currently used macOS 11 Big Sur it also works 9 out of 10 times.

But then again and again that haunted bug comes in one way or the other.

I hope Apple finally fixed it.
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