Metadata tokens are a tool that you can use to determine how ZPS X shows pictures’ information. Tokens can be added, removed, edited, and freely rearranged. ZPS X then converts every token into text for a given picture that is based on that picture’s specific values.
| E.g. this series of tokens: | (date and time of creation )(widthx ) (heightx) (bits per pixel)(exposure time ) (Fvalue) (ISO value) |
| might lead to this for a particular picture: | 28/06/2022 17:29 5472x3648x48 1/30 s, F3.2, ISO 125 |
Click the arrow button next to a token to edit its format and contents. The basic menu for token editing has these items:
Description – use this to edit or fill in the information for the given data type. For example, when you’ve placed the time of creation and time of last changes right next to each other, you can use Description to differentiate the two and make it clear which is which.
Prefix – use this to add information of your choice before a value (for example an opening parenthesis).
Suffix – use this to add information of your choice after a value (for example a closing parenthesis).
Separator – use this to set how this piece of information should be separated from other information in a row. Use the Separator item’s menu to set what separation method to use.
This menu can be clicked to display an advanced token editing menu:
Character case – use this to switch between small and capital letters. The available options are Do not change, Capitalize All Words, All Lowercase, and All Uppercase.
Show Description Only – turn on this option to show only the information in the Description field, while hiding the actual value. Turning on this option also provides access to Also Use for Invalid Values. With this option active, the information in the Description field is displayed even when a given file does not contain that value.
Default Value – turn on this option to show the text “Not Available” for items with missing information.
Regular Expression – this is an advanced function that is only recommended for experienced users who have worked with regular expressions before. It can be used to find specific information within the values that a given token represents and replace it with something else. This function is powered by the ECMAScript grammar.
Character Limit – use this to limit the display of the value that the given token represents to a certain set of characters. For example, entering “2” makes ZPS X show only the 2nd character within the given value. Entering the range “3–8” shows the 3rd–8th character within the given value.
Besides the basic and advanced editing menu, for certain specific tokens, other options for adjusting the given value are also available. For example, the Width token offers the option of also including the units alongside the value and thus displaying e.g. “2893” as “2893 px” (pixels).