Feature Request: Read and Display XMP Metadata from Sidecar Files

[nicolasernult-lgtm]

First of all, thank you for RapidRAW.

I have recently switched from Darktable to RapidRAW and I really appreciate its speed, image quality and simplicity.

Like many Linux photographers, my workflow is:

• Rapid Photo Downloader (import)
• digiKam (DAM, keywords, metadata, rating)
• RapidRAW (RAW development and export)

Currently, digiKam stores metadata in standard XMP sidecar files.

Typical metadata includes:

• Title (dc:title)
• Description (dc:description)
• Keywords (dc:subject)
• Author
• Copyright
• Rating
• Color labels

RapidRAW correctly reads EXIF information, but it does not appear to display the standard XMP metadata already available beside the RAW file.

It would be extremely useful if RapidRAW could simply read (read-only is enough) the XMP sidecar and display the metadata in the information panel.

This would make RapidRAW integrate perfectly with existing DAM software such as:

• digiKam
• Adobe Lightroom
• Photo Mechanic
• XnView MP
• darktable

No catalog functionality would be required.

Only displaying the existing XMP information would already be a huge improvement.

Possible fields:

• Title
• Description
• Keywords
• Author
• Copyright
• Rating
• Color Label

This would make RapidRAW fit naturally into a professional Linux photography workflow.

Suggested UI

A simple panel in the Information sidebar could display:

---

Title
Sunrise at Labenne Beach

Description
Beautiful sunrise over the Atlantic Ocean.

Keywords
France • Landes • Ocean • Sunrise

★★★★★

Color Label
Green

Author
Nom

Copyright
© name

---

Why this matters

RapidRAW does not need to become a DAM.

Instead, it would integrate seamlessly with existing DAM software such as:

• digiKam
• Lightroom
• Photo Mechanic
• XnView MP
• darktable

This would make RapidRAW fit naturally into professional photography workflows while keeping the application lightweight and focused on RAW development.

Many photographers already manage all metadata before opening their RAW files.

Displaying this information inside RapidRAW would greatly improve the editing experience.

Thank you very much for considering this feature.