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by Timon Käch
Verified in v1.5.4
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Metadata & Ratings

The Metadata panel (I) shows everything RapidRAW knows about a photo, both from the file itself and from the edits/labels you've added.

What's in the panel

Section Source Editable in RapidRAW?
EXIF The image file (camera, lens, exposure, ISO, etc.) No — read-only display
GPS EXIF GPS tags No — viewed on a map
Star rating .rrdata sidecar Yes — keys 0–5
Color label .rrdata sidecar Yes — keys Shift+1–Shift+5
Tags .rrdata sidecar Yes — type new tags or assign quick-access buttons

EXIF display

Common fields shown:

  • Camera make and model
  • Lens model
  • Focal length
  • Aperture (f-number)
  • Shutter speed
  • ISO
  • Exposure compensation
  • Capture date and time

If a field is missing from the file, it just isn't shown. Some camera-specific fields (e.g. Canon Maker Notes) appear only for that brand.

GPS map

If the file contains GPS coordinates (most phone photos and some camera setups), the metadata panel shows a small map with a pin. Click to expand.

Star ratings

Action Shortcut
Set rating 0–5 Press 0 through 5

Star ratings are persistent across sessions. Use the library's filter controls to "show only 4+ stars" when culling.

Color labels

Color Shortcut
Red Shift+1
Yellow Shift+2
Green Shift+3
Blue Shift+4
Purple Shift+5
Clear Shift+0

Color labels appear as colored dots on thumbnails. Use them however you want, common conventions:

  • Red = reject; Yellow = needs attention; Green = approved
  • Per-client color codes
  • Per-edit-stage tracking ("draft", "approved", "delivered")

Tags

Free-form text tags. Add them in the Metadata panel:

  • Type a new tag in the input box.
  • Or click a quick-access tag button if you've configured any in Settings.

Tags are stored in the .rrdata sidecar. They're searchable and filterable in the library view.

To set up quick-access tag buttons (for one-keystroke tagging during a cull), open Settings → Tagging shortcuts and assign tag values to the available slots.

The .rrdata sidecar

Every edit, rating, label, and tag is stored in a small JSON file next to the photo:

IMG_2231.NEF             ← original (never modified)
IMG_2231.NEF.rrdata      ← edits + metadata you added

If you move photos, move the .rrdata files with them. If you delete a .rrdata, the photo reverts to "no edits", the original is still safe.

Backups should always include both the original and its .rrdata.

The .rrexif companion

Some operations produce a new image file (Denoise, Panorama, HDR Merge, Negative Convert). When that happens, RapidRAW writes a .rrexif companion alongside the new file to preserve the original EXIF (camera, lens, capture date, GPS), which would otherwise be lost when generating a new pixel file.

Treat .rrexif like .rrdata: keep them with the image.

Privacy: stripping GPS on export

When exporting (E), enable Strip GPS to remove location data before sharing. This is the right default for any photo destined for the public web.

You can also choose to strip the entire EXIF block on export, see Batch Export.

See also