Copy & Paste

Quite often, for files that are part of the same shoot or theme, you'll want to copy file meta data from one file to one or more others. DeepMeta allows you to do this with the 'Copy & Paste' feature.

Efficient Metadata Management

Copy & Paste functionality enables rapid duplication of metadata across similar files, saving significant time when working with series of related images or videos.

Copying File Data

Right-Click Method

In the File list section, Ctrl-click (macOS) or right-click (Windows) on the file from which you want to copy data, and click 'Copy'.

Keyboard Shortcut

Alternatively, you can press Cmd-C (macOS) or Ctrl-C (Windows) on the keyboard with the file selected.

Source File Marking

This will internally mark the file as the source for future 'Paste' actions. The file becomes your metadata template.

Pasting to Target Files

Select Target Files

Select one or more files in the list to which you want to copy the file data. Use Shift-click or Cmd-click (macOS) or Ctrl-click (Windows) to select multiple files in the list.

Right-Click Paste

Ctrl-click (macOS) or right-click (Windows) on one of the selected files and select 'Paste to selected rows'.

Keyboard Shortcut

Alternatively, you can press Cmd-V (macOS) or Ctrl-V (Windows) on the keyboard with the files selected.

Paste Selection Dialog

The 'Paste' selection dialog will pop up, allowing you to specify what you want to copy:

Selective Copying

The dialog allows you to choose exactly which metadata fields to copy from the source file to the target files. This gives you precise control over what data gets transferred.

'Clear First' Option

Tick the 'Clear first' box if you want to clear the corresponding data on the target files before the copy. For example, for keywords, this would mean DeepMeta will first clear all keywords of the target file(s) before pasting the keywords.

Confirmation

Click OK to confirm the changes. That's all there is to it!

Copy & Paste Best Practices

Strategic Source Selection

Choose your most completely and accurately tagged file as the copy source to ensure high-quality metadata propagation.

Selective Field Copying

Don't copy everything blindly - uncheck fields that should remain unique to each file, such as specific titles or descriptions.

Use 'Clear First' Wisely

Enable 'Clear first' for keywords when you want to replace all existing keywords, or leave unchecked to add to existing keywords.

Batch Similar Files

Group files from the same shoot, location, or theme to maximize the efficiency of copy & paste operations.

Verify After Pasting

Always review the pasted metadata to ensure it's appropriate for each target file, especially for file-specific fields.

Efficient Workflow Tips

Template Files

Create "template" files with complete metadata for different types of shoots or subjects, then use copy & paste to apply this metadata to new files.

Combine with Multi-Edit

Use copy & paste to establish baseline metadata, then use multi-edit mode to refine and customize specific fields for individual files.

Keyboard Efficiency

Master the Cmd/Ctrl-C and Cmd/Ctrl-V shortcuts for rapid copying and pasting without reaching for the mouse.

Common Use Cases

Photo Series

Copy location, date, and base keywords from one photo to all others in a series from the same shoot.

Event Coverage

Apply consistent event information, releases, and base metadata across all files from the same event.

Model Shoots

Copy model releases and base styling keywords from one image to all others featuring the same model.

Product Photography

Apply consistent product categories, property releases, and brand-related keywords across product variants.

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