2.9 XML Sidecar Files (v3.0)

Owned by Thomas Staiger
Last updated: Apr 13, 2021
2 min read

Since version 2.5 we support advanced metadata .xml sidecar files which replace the sidecar files which have been generated by the Library of our applications before. Here are some more informations how this works.

  • The sidecar file has the same name like the Video, but with the file extension .xml.

  • It is automatically generated for each Video, independent of the Video file extension.

  • The sidecar file contains all metadata related to the Video.

  • The sidecar file also includes the In/Outpoint as well as the poster frame information defined in the Library.

  • If a sidecar file already exists, the In/Outpoint as well as the poster frame is saved in the new sidecar file.

  • The sidecar file is generated by the Just Control user interface, so at least one user interface which points to the repository has to be opened to generate new sidecar files.

  • Sometimes we have seen missing sidecar files in situations where several user interfaces are using the same repository at the same time. Click the Refresh button of the Library to get the .xml done.

  • The sidecar file is automatically generated for every new Video. If this is not the case, the Refresh button in the Library can be used to force this.

  • In case the sidecar file can not be generated, no metadata will be shown in the Library and the video remains red.

  • We recommend to delete/copy the sidecar file along with the Video.

  • No Video will be shown in the Library in case the Video is missing and only the sidecar file is available.

  • Generating the sidecar file can take some seconds. Keep this in mind in case you have several thousand files in your repositories and you open Just Control for the first time.

  • Once the sidecar files are made, accessing the Library will be much faster.

  • The sidecar file should work with every file system, but we recommend to test it with your system before using it in production.

  • Search for any kind of metadata (except Name) in the Library, to force generating the sidecar file in all (sub)folders of your repositories.

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