Every MetaScope
release, in one place.

MetaScope 1.2.7 (Build 32)

March 2026 - Build 32

MetaScope 1.2.7 delivers a polished image viewer, expanded rule capabilities, and important reliability fixes.

Image Viewer Polish

A refined viewing experience that keeps you focused on your images.

Auto-Hiding Controls

The toolbar and overlays fade out after 2 seconds of inactivity and return instantly on mouse movement — keeping your focus on the image without manual toggling.

Crossfade Transitions

Navigating between images now plays a smooth crossfade instead of an instant cut, giving browsing a more cinematic feel.

Zoom Percentage Indicator

A zoom level overlay appears in the corner during zoom so you always know your magnification level. The indicator fades automatically when you stop zooming.

Liquid Glass Styling

On macOS 26 Tahoe, the toolbar, badges, and overlay controls adopt the system Liquid Glass appearance, blending seamlessly with the new OS design language.

Transformation Rules

4 New Action Types

Write Finder Tags, Write Finder Comments, Apply Template, and Set From Expression are now available in the transformation rule editor — giving you more ways to automate your metadata workflows.

Rule Descriptions

Add a description to your rules for easier management and team sharing. Descriptions appear in the rule list so you can quickly identify what each rule does.

Reliability

• Keyword and transformation rule batch operations are more reliable — errors on individual files no longer stop the entire batch
• Improved accuracy when syncing keywords with Finder tags

Bug Fixes

• Fixed a bug where expired Pro subscriptions could incorrectly continue showing as active. The app now validates subscription expiration immediately on launch.
• Fixed a rare crash that could occur when multiple views loaded simultaneously on launch.

Requirements

• macOS 15.6 or later
• Apple Silicon or Intel Mac

Get MetaScope

MetaScope is available on the Mac App Store. Free tier includes 5 edits per day. MetaScope Pro unlocks unlimited edits and all professional features.

Download on the Mac App Store

MetaScope 1.2.6 (Build 31)

March 2026 - Build 31

MetaScope 1.2.6 brings a fully redesigned Vocabulary Browser and a complete editor overhaul, alongside significant under-the-hood reliability and performance improvements.

Vocabulary Browser Redesign

A ground-up rebuild of the Vocabulary Browser with better organization, faster navigation, and standalone windows.

Category Display and Sorting

Terms in the Vocabulary Browser are now grouped under collapsible category rows when your vocabulary uses categories. A sort picker lets you arrange terms by default order, alphabetically, by category, or by usage frequency — making it easy to find exactly what you need in large vocabularies.

Keyboard Navigation and Multi-Select

Navigate terms with the arrow keys and press Enter to apply. Multi-select mode lets you pick several terms and apply them all at once. Collapse individual vocabularies to keep the browser tidy, and use the suggested terms panel to surface your most recent and most-used terms without scrolling.

Standalone Edit and Import Windows

The Edit, New, and Import panels now open as independent resizable windows instead of blocking sheets. You can reference the browser while editing a vocabulary or importing new terms at the same time.

In-Browser Vocabulary Management

Create, edit, and delete your user vocabularies entirely within the browser. Edit term synonyms directly in the edit sheet. Clear your usage history from the suggested terms panel. No more navigating to a separate management screen.

More Import Formats

Bring in terms from plain text (.txt) or Markdown (.md) files — one term per line. Combined with the existing CSV and JSON support, you can import from virtually any source. A new Import Format Guide in Help documents all four formats with full specifications.

Editor Improvements

Search and Filter Bar

A search bar above the field list lets you filter all 119 metadata fields by name, field ID, or current value. A category dropdown narrows the view to a single field group. A live count badge shows how many fields match. Press Cmd+F to jump straight to the search bar.

Adaptive Two-Column Layout

At 700pt or wider, the Editor tab switches to a two-column layout with categories balanced evenly across both columns. Narrower windows keep the familiar single-column list. The layout adapts automatically as you resize.

Safety Indicators on the Advanced Tab

Every field in the Advanced tab now shows a color-coded safety indicator at a glance. Green means the field is freely editable. Orange with a camera badge means the value was recorded by the camera and may be overwritten on re-import. A lock icon marks read-only fields. A collapsible legend explains the coding. Field groups are now collapsible too.

Expanded Font Picker

Font selection throughout the app — in the editor, info panel, compare view, and Settings — now uses a richer picker with a live preview of the selected typeface.

Performance

• Fixed a 6-second hang when opening the Vocabulary Browser with large vocabularies
• Vocabulary search is significantly snappier with debounced filtering and cached term lists
• Repeated browser opens are faster now that built-in vocabulary parsing is cached
• Usage stats save in the background to keep the UI responsive

Bug Fixes

• Fixed a crash when editing vocabularies created by import
• Arrow key navigation in the browser no longer inadvertently scrolls the parent view
• Editor Favorites tab now correctly uses editor font settings instead of info panel settings
• Rating star overlays appear reliably after batch rating operations
• Cmd+A Select All and Option+0-5 rating shortcuts work correctly on first press

Requirements

• macOS 15.6 or later
• Apple Silicon or Intel Mac

Get MetaScope

MetaScope is available on the Mac App Store. Free tier includes 5 edits per day. MetaScope Pro unlocks unlimited edits and all professional features.

Download on the Mac App Store

MetaScope 1.2.5 (Build 30)

March 2026 - Build 30

MetaScope 1.2.5 is the most feature-rich update yet. Smart Collections, Linked Metadata Profiles, and Custom Fields give you powerful new ways to organize and manage your metadata. Catalogue Card export lets you create beautiful print-ready asset sheets, and Quick Star Rating puts file ratings right on your thumbnails. The metadata editor gets a search bar, adaptive two-column layout, safety indicators, and an expanded font picker. A redesigned search window, native Liquid Glass on macOS 26, and major performance improvements round out the release.

Organize Smarter

Powerful new tools to structure and manage your metadata workflow.

Smart Collections

Create dynamic, query-based collections that auto-update whenever your metadata changes. Define your criteria once and results stay current automatically. Three built-in collections get you started: Untagged Files, Geotagged Photos, and 5-Star Rated. Create your own from any set of search filters.

Linked Metadata Profiles

Apply a bundle of metadata fields in one step. Create named profiles for copyright info, contact details, or workflow tags. Use expression tokens like {filename}, {year}, and {date:format} for dynamic values that fill in automatically. Apply from the Editor header, toolbar, or Cmd+Shift+P.

Custom Metadata Fields

Define your own XMP metadata fields using the ms: namespace. Choose data types (text, number, date, list, boolean), set validation rules and allowed values, and import or export definitions as JSON for team sharing.

Label Sets

Create custom labels with a name, color, and icon to categorize your files. Assign from the Info Panel or context menu — including search results with multi-file selection. Filter by label in Metadata Search.

Custom Metadata Panels

Add up to 8 custom tabs to the Info Panel, each populated with whatever metadata fields you choose from the registry. Drag fields into your preferred order.

Export & Rate

New ways to share and evaluate your assets.

Catalogue Card PDF Export

Export your assets as beautifully formatted, print-ready catalogue cards. Each card shows a hero image alongside grouped metadata from your Favorites. Choose A4, Letter, or A5 page size, portrait or landscape, and 1, 2, or 4 cards per page. Export each card as a separate file or combine all into one document. Available from the Document Export window, Export Wizard, Compare Tray, and Search Results.

Quick Star Rating

Rate files right from the thumbnail grid or list view. Click the star overlay on any thumbnail, use Option+0–5 keyboard shortcuts, or pick a rating from the context menu or Tools menu. Ratings write to XMP:Rating instantly without opening the editor.

Search & Compare

A completely rebuilt search experience.

Search Window Redesign

The search window has been completely rebuilt with a source-list sidebar, compact filter bar with chip toggles, and advanced/technical filters in popovers. The sidebar is resizable and toolbars adapt responsively to your window width.

Selection Context Bar & Saved Sets

See your active selection source and item count at a glance, with Quick Export and Batch Actions inline. Name and persist curated collections of assets as Saved Sets. The Compare Tray now has a “Send to…” menu for Export, Saved Sets, and Batch Actions.

Modern Interface

Liquid Glass (macOS 26)

On macOS Tahoe, toolbars and system chrome adopt the native Liquid Glass material. Toolbar controls, filter chips, and the compare tray use glass effects. All changes are availability-gated — no visual difference on macOS 15.

Native Context Menus

Context menus throughout the app now use native macOS menus with stable submenus. Labels, Rating, and Apply Profile submenus no longer collapse when the parent view updates.

Editor Revamp

Search and Filter Bar

Find any metadata field instantly. Type to filter all 119 fields by name, field ID, or current value. Use the category dropdown to focus on a single group. A live badge shows how many fields match your query. Press Cmd+F to jump to the search bar.

Adaptive Two-Column Grid

The Editor tab switches to a two-column layout when your window is 700pt or wider, distributing categories evenly across both columns. Narrower windows use the familiar single-column list.

Advanced Tab Safety Indicators

Every field in the Advanced tab is color-coded by edit safety. Green means registry-editable. Orange with a camera badge means camera-recorded. A lock icon marks read-only system fields. Field groups are now collapsible.

Expanded Font Picker

Font selection in the editor, info panel, compare view, and Settings now uses a richer picker with a live preview of the selected typeface.

Performance

• Folder switching is ~50% faster with batch star rating loads and cache-first reads
• Selected-file metadata latency reduced from ~3.9s to ~130ms via priority ExifTool worker
• Six main-thread hang categories eliminated via Instruments profiling
• @AppStorage isolation removes 200+ unnecessary KVO subscriptions per thumbnail grid

Bug Fixes

• Catalogue card metadata now renders reliably in exported PDFs
• PDF text wrapping fixed for long metadata values
• Photos XPC recovery handles all known connection failure modes
• Context menu submenu stability improvements
• Editor Favorites tab now correctly uses editor font settings
• Rating star overlays appear reliably after batch rating
• Cmd+A Select All and Option+0–5 rating shortcuts fixed

Requirements

• macOS 15.6 or later
• Apple Silicon or Intel Mac

Get MetaScope

MetaScope is available on the Mac App Store. Free tier includes 5 edits per day. MetaScope Pro unlocks unlimited edits and all professional features.

Download on the Mac App Store

For questions, feedback, or feature requests, contact support via the MetaScope Help menu.

MetaScope 1.2.4 (Build 27)

February 2026 - Build 27

MetaScope 1.2.4 brings professional controlled vocabularies with 600+ IPTC terms, vocabulary-powered keyword rules, major search window upgrades, editable technical camera fields, and GPS date management.

Professional Controlled Vocabularies

Manage keywords with industry-standard vocabulary terms.

What’s New

• 4 Built-in Vocabularies — 600+ terms including IPTC Media Topics (17 categories), IPTC Scene Codes, ISO 3166 Country Codes, and Common Keywords
• Vocabulary Browser — Hierarchical browser with search, language filters, and usage tracking for recent and frequently used terms
• Import/Export — Import custom vocabularies from CSV or JSON with validation for duplicates and hierarchy integrity. Export for sharing or backup.
• Finder Sync — Bidirectional sync keeps keywords synchronized with Finder tags and captions with Finder comments
• Smart Suggestions — Multi-source keyword suggestions combine recent terms, frequent terms, synonyms, and vocabulary entries

Access the vocabulary browser from Tools menu (Cmd+Opt+V), the book icon in keyword fields, or Settings > Keywords.

Vocabulary-Powered Keyword Rules

Keyword rules now integrate seamlessly with controlled vocabularies.

What’s New

• Autocomplete from Vocabularies — Type to get instant suggestions from all vocabularies
• Validation Hints — Rule editor shows when terms match vocabulary entries for consistency
• Vocabulary Badges — Rule preview displays source badges showing which vocabulary each term comes from
• Rule Suggestions — Generate new rules automatically from IPTC vocabularies

Keyword rules combined with controlled vocabularies ensure consistent, professional metadata across your entire library.

Search Window Upgrades

The standalone metadata search window has been completely overhauled.

What’s New

• Grid and List Views — Toggle between grid and list layouts with adjustable thumbnail size (64–512px)
• Density Controls — Three levels (compact/standard/detailed) control how much metadata is visible
• Inspector Panel — Mini sidebar shows detailed metadata for selected results including match context (Option-Shift-Command-I)
• Action Toolbar — Prominent toolbar with Focus in Browser, Open in Viewer, Send to Batch, and Edit Metadata buttons
• Enhanced Status Bar — Selection count, total results, page navigation, and real-time ingest progress
• List View Upgrade — Match context chips, relevance scores, and search term highlighting with hover popovers
• Collapsible Sections — All five sections can be collapsed with state persisting between sessions
• Arrow Key Navigation — Full keyboard navigation in both grid and list views
• Enhanced Context Menus — Get Info, Copy, Duplicate, Move to Trash, Send to Batch, and Export Metadata
• Single-File Drag — Drag files directly from the grid to Finder or other apps
• Folder Scoping — Search within current folder or all files with scope picker in filter overlay

The search window is now a full-featured browser with all the tools you need to work with search results.

Editable Technical Camera Fields

10 camera fields previously read-only are now fully editable.

What’s New

• Unlocked Fields — Edit Camera Model, Lens Make, Lens Model, Focal Length, Aperture, Shutter Speed, ISO, Exposure Program, Metering Mode, and Flash
• 9 New Fields — Camera Make, Exposure Compensation, Focal Length 35mm, Exposure Mode, Camera/Lens Serial Numbers, Owner Name, Scene Capture Type, Subject Distance Range
• 119 Total Fields — Up from 110 in previous version
• XMP Sync — All fields write to both EXIF and XMP for cross-application compatibility
• Camera Icon Indicator — Visual indicator distinguishes camera-recorded fields from editorial metadata

Perfect for photographers who need to correct camera metadata or add technical details to scanned film images.

GPS Date Management

GPS date fields are now fully integrated into the metadata editor.

What’s New

• GPS Date Display — GPSDateStamp and GPSTimeStamp shown in dates section with clear UTC labeling
• Inline Editing — Edit GPS dates with the same pattern as other date groups
• Bidirectional Sync — Copy GPS dates to EXIF DateTimeOriginal, or copy EXIF dates to GPS fields
• Smart Validation — Intelligent inconsistency detection with timezone-aware tolerance prevents false warnings
• Batch Operations — GPS date sync operations available in batch processing panel

Keep GPS timestamps in sync with your photo timestamps for accurate geotagging workflows.

Enhanced Location Tools

More control over GPS metadata in batch operations.

What’s New

• Resizable Map — Adjust map height (100–500px) for better spatial context when viewing locations
• GPS Offset — Shift coordinates by specified distance and bearing for bulk location adjustments
• Copy GPS Coordinates — Copy from one file to all selected files for consistent geotagging
• Sync GPS Metadata — Sync across EXIF and XMP standards for cross-application compatibility

Inline Filename Rename

Rename files directly in the browser without opening a modal dialog.

What’s New

• Slow-Double-Click — Click to select, wait, then click filename again to enter edit mode
• Works Everywhere — List view and thumbnail grid view both support inline rename
• Keyboard Shortcuts — Press Enter to confirm or Escape to cancel
• Modal Fallback — Rename button and keyboard shortcut remain for advanced operations

Quick renames for single files, advanced rename panel for batch operations.

More Improvements

ExifTool 13.50

Updated embedded ExifTool from 13.42 to 13.50 with 224 Perl module updates and new Kandao camera support.

Bug Fixes

• Fixed semaphore leak in AsyncSemaphore with proper task cancellation
• Reduced DatesSectionView complexity for improved maintainability
• Fixed term usage tracking persistence in vocabulary system
• Security hardening for vocabulary system (AppleScript injection fix, file size limits, symlink handling)
• Fixed search inspector thumbnail clipping and Photos thumbnail crash
• Fixed inline rename keyboard handling and search filter overlay layout
• Fixed overlay click-through and search UI publishing warnings
• Removed redundant file system dates from Essentials tab
• Fixed rules UI layout to expand with window

Requirements

• macOS 15.4 or later
• Apple Silicon or Intel Mac

Get MetaScope

MetaScope is available on the Mac App Store. Free tier includes 5 edits per day. MetaScope Pro unlocks unlimited edits and all professional features.

Download on the Mac App Store

For questions, feedback, or feature requests, contact support via the MetaScope Help menu.

MetaScope 1.2.3 (Build 26)

February 2026 - Build 26

MetaScope 1.2.3 brings integrated metadata search to the main browser, batch privacy redaction, native Finder integration, and significant memory improvements for the image viewer.

Integrated Metadata Search

Find photos by their metadata without leaving the browser.

What’s New

• Search Mode Toggle — Switch between filename and metadata search directly in the toolbar
• Filter Overlay — Resizable panel with advanced IPTC/XMP filters, technical filters, date ranges, and saved presets
• Progressive Density — Three display levels (Compact/Standard/Detailed) with inline metadata rows and hover popovers
• Relevance Cues — Color-coded match quality badges, multi-field match chips, and search term highlighting
• Full Batch Support — Range selection, context menus, and batch operations work directly on search results

Search your photo library by camera, lens, keyword, location, or any of 92 metadata fields — all from the main browser.

Batch Metadata Redaction (Pro)

Protect privacy with template-driven metadata removal.

What’s New

• 3 Built-in Templates — Remove Location Data, Client Delivery Cleanup, Remove Personal Data (GDPR)
• Field Preview — See exactly which fields will be affected before applying
• Batch Processing — Apply redaction templates across hundreds of files with progress tracking

Prepare images for client delivery, publishing, or GDPR compliance without manually checking each field.

Finder “Open With” Integration

MetaScope now appears in Finder’s right-click menu.

What’s New

• Native Integration — Open images, videos, and folders directly from Finder
• Smart Routing — Files open to their parent folder with automatic selection; folders navigate directly
• Permission Handling — Branded permission sheet with “Add to Quick Access” for new locations

Right-click any photo in Finder and choose “Open With > MetaScope” to start editing metadata immediately.

Toolbar Customization

Make the toolbar work for your workflow.

What’s New

• Hide/Show Items — Toggle individual toolbar buttons via Settings > Toolbar
• Density Presets — Compact, Standard, or Comfortable spacing
• File Operations — 7 file operation buttons individually toggleable
• Right-Click Access — Quick customization from the toolbar context menu

Unified Rules Window

Keyword Rules and Transformation Rules now live in a single tabbed window. One toolbar button, two rule types, same keyboard shortcuts.

Memory Improvements

The popout image viewer now uses a separate XPC helper process for image decoding. Memory returns to baseline after closing the viewer instead of accumulating when browsing large photo sets. Supports 22 RAW formats with zero-copy Metal rendering via IOSurface.

More Improvements

Video UI Parity

Video metadata tabs now match the Photos interface with collapsible sections, reordering, and manage mode.

Include Subfolders Clarity

Dynamic folder icon, breadcrumb badge, and status bar text make it clear when subfolder browsing is active.

Smooth Resizing

Info Panel and sidebar resizing is now jitter-free — width changes apply only when you release the drag handle.

Bug Fixes

• Fixed layout crash when re-authorizing Photos access
• Fixed metadata search selection and navigation issues
• Fixed toolbar button colors not updating after redeeming a Pro code
• Fixed stale index captures in ForEach closures
• Removed misleading batch redaction templates
• Fixed window state persistence across restarts
• Fixed subscription state observation for UI updates
• Fixed 10 critical UserDefaults domain mismatches for settings persistence
• Fixed blurry thumbnails on Retina displays and RAW files

Requirements

• macOS 14.0 Sonoma or later
• Apple Silicon or Intel Mac

Get MetaScope

MetaScope is available on the Mac App Store. Free tier includes 5 edits per day. MetaScope Pro unlocks unlimited edits and all professional features.

Download on the Mac App Store

For questions, feedback, or feature requests, contact support via the MetaScope Help menu.

MetaScope 1.2.2 (Build 25)

January 20, 2026 - Build 25

MetaScope 1.2.2 delivers comprehensive date management, a powerful transformation rules engine, and significant performance improvements for professional photographers managing large libraries.

Unified Date Management

Take complete control of your photo and video dates with our most comprehensive date handling update yet.

What’s New

• Consolidated Date View — See all dates (EXIF, XMP, IPTC, filesystem, QuickTime) side-by-side with color-coded badges
• Inconsistency Detection — Visual warnings when dates don’t match across standards, with configurable tolerance
• Video Support — Full date editing for MOV, MP4, and M4V files with QuickTime metadata
• Timezone Handling — Display and correct timezone offsets with ISO 8601 support
• 7 Batch Operations — Offset, sync, set absolute, parse from filename, auto-fix inconsistencies, remove dates, interpolate

Perfect for fixing timezone-shifted photos from travel, recovering dates from filenames, or ensuring consistent timestamps across your archive.

Transformation Rules Engine (Pro)

Automate your metadata workflows with intelligent, configurable rules.

What’s New

• 11 Action Types — Copy field, set field, clear, text transforms, regex replace, Finder tags sync, and more
• 11 Comparison Operators — Equals, contains, starts with, regex match, is empty, and more
• Preview Before Apply — See exactly what will change before committing
• Save & Share — Export rule configurations for team use or backup

Ideal for studios with standardized metadata workflows, stock contributors, or anyone processing large batches with consistent requirements.

Batch Rename with Stackable Rules

Completely reimagined batch rename with a powerful rules-based approach.

What’s New

• Stackable Rules — Chain multiple operations with step-by-step preview
• 5 Rule Types — Find/Replace, Case Transform, Counter, Metadata Injection, Custom Text
• Presets — Save complex rename workflows for reuse, import/export for sharing
• Undo Support — Reverse batch operations with a single click

Rename thousands of files with consistent naming conventions, inject metadata values, and preview every transformation before applying.

Workspace Presets (Pro)

Streamline your workflow with customizable field configurations.

What’s New

• Save Configurations — Store field visibility and ordering as named presets
• Built-in Presets — Minimal, Standard, and Full configurations included
• Instant Switching — One-click preset picker in toolbar
• Team Sharing — Import/export .mspreset files

Switch between quick triage mode and detailed editing instantly.

Metadata Copying with Review (Pro)

Copy metadata between files with complete control over what gets transferred.

What’s New

• Field-by-Field Review — Accept or reject individual fields before applying
• Quick Access — Context menu “Copy Metadata…” or Edit menu (⇧⌘M)
• Smart Defaults — Common fields pre-selected for typical workflows

Propagate keywords, copyright, and location across photo sets from the same shoot.

Performance & Stability

Significant improvements under the hood for a smoother experience.

What’s New

• Non-Blocking Writes — Metadata saves happen in background with progress indicator
• Location Performance — GPS saves to large video files no longer freeze the UI
• Memory Isolation — XPC-based image decoding prevents memory pressure in the popout viewer
• Connection Recovery — Improved Photos library connection stability after sleep/wake cycles

More Improvements

Responsive Toolbar

Toolbar adapts to window width with graceful collapse to overflow menus. Works great on smaller displays or split-screen layouts.

Collapse/Expand All

Bulk section management for Info Panel — expand or collapse all sections with one click.

Keyword Rules Enhancements

• Three new apply modes: remove keyword, remove matching, replace keyword
• Double-click to edit rules
• Tools menu consolidation with keyboard shortcuts
• Import from template support

Bug Fixes

• Fixed Finder tags disappearing when syncing to keywords
• Fixed export permissions after app restart
• Fixed scan state synchronization for folder counters
• Fixed sidebar drag/drop reordering for Favorites
• Many additional stability improvements

Requirements

• macOS 15.4 or later
• Apple Silicon or Intel Mac
• MetaScope Pro subscription for Transformation Rules, Workspace Presets, and Metadata Copying features

Get MetaScope

MetaScope is available on the Mac App Store. Free tier includes 5 edits per day. MetaScope Pro unlocks unlimited edits and all professional features.

Download on the Mac App Store

For questions, feedback, or feature requests, contact support via the MetaScope Help menu.

MetaScope 1.2.1 (Build 24)

January 3, 2026 - Build 24

MetaScope 1.2.1 delivers powerful new automation capabilities, a completely rebuilt export system, and professional-grade batch processing for photographers managing large libraries.

Extended Keyword Rules (Pro)

Transform your metadata workflow with intelligent automation. Create rules that automatically populate IPTC and XMP fields based on your keyword hierarchies.

New Capabilities

• Regex Pattern Matching: Match keywords using powerful regular expressions for complex patterns like dates or structured naming
• Hierarchy Templates: Extract values from hierarchical keywords using {root}, {parent}, and {leaf} placeholders
• Append & Prepend Modes: Add to existing list fields like Keywords or Subject without overwriting
• Rule Groups: Organize rules into collapsible groups for better management
• Import/Export: Share rule sets with your team using .msrules files

Use Cases

A rule matching Places|Europe|Germany|Berlin can automatically write:

• City: {leaf} - “Berlin”
• Country: {parent} - “Germany”
• Region: {root} - “Places”

Perfect for wildlife photographers, stock contributors, and anyone with structured keyword vocabularies.

Document Export System Overhaul

The export system has been completely rebuilt from the ground up. The result: a unified, professional export experience with both PDF and HTML as first-class formats.

New Features

• PDF + HTML Export: Choose your format with a single click
• Cover Page Template Manager: Create professional cover pages with live preview, import/export templates, and 5 built-in designs
• Professional Typography: Independent fonts for section headers, bold/italic/underline styling, and color theming
• Portfolio & Metadata Modes: Visual showcases or comprehensive data reports
• HTML Lightbox: Click any image for full-resolution viewing
• Unified Settings: Wizard and preferences stay perfectly synchronized

Technical Improvements

Under the hood: ~5,400 lines of legacy code removed, 8 format renderers unified into a single architecture.

Batch Operations for Large Libraries

Process 100,000+ files over 12+ hours with complete peace of mind. The new batch system survives anything - app restarts, macOS updates, even system crashes.

Features

• Pause & Resume: Press Escape to pause, Return to resume. Take a break anytime
• Automatic Checkpoints: Progress saved every 100 files
• Resume on Restart: Quit the app and pick up exactly where you left off
• Sleep Prevention: Your Mac stays awake during long operations
• Keyboard Shortcuts: Escape (pause), Return (resume), Cmd+. (cancel)

Persistence

• Checkpoint state saved automatically during operations
• 30-day expiration for paused operations
• Security-scoped bookmarks maintain file access across restarts

Professional photographers can now safely process multi-day operations spanning hundreds of thousands of files.

Native Photos Download UX

See exactly what’s happening when MetaScope downloads photos from iCloud.

Progress Indicators

• Visual Feedback: Clear progress indicators in grid, list, and info panel views
• Smart Prefetch: Nearby photos download automatically while you browse
• Automatic Retry: Failed downloads retry with intelligent backoff
• Stall Detection: Stuck downloads identified and handled automatically
• Low Power Mode Aware: Respects your battery settings

Customizable Sidebar

Add your favorite folders to Quick Access for instant navigation.

Features

• Add Folders: Drag folders or use the context menu to add to Quick Access
• Custom Icons: Choose from 24+ SF Symbols to personalize your sidebar
• Rename Items: Give folders meaningful names for your workflow
• Drag to Reorder: Organize items in your preferred order
• Persistent Layout: Your sidebar configuration persists across launches

Multi-File Drag Export

Select multiple files and drag directly to Finder or any app that accepts files.

Supported Views

• File Browser
• Thumbnail Grid
• Search Results

Selection Methods

• Shift-click: Range selection
• Cmd-click: Individual file selection
• Drag: Export selected files directly

Additional Improvements

Fixes & Polish

• PDF page numbering now shows correct cumulative counts across multi-image exports
• Photos library connection recovery after extended idle or sleep
• Streamlined Batch UI with PDF Export moved to File menu (Cmd+Option+P)

Technical Highlights

• 5 RFCs Completed: RFC-0003 Phase 2, RFC-0007, RFC-0010, RFC-0011, RFC-0012
• 270+ New Tests: Comprehensive coverage for all new features
• ~5,400 Lines Removed: Major technical debt reduction in export system
• 61 Keyword Rule Tests: Production-hardened automation engine

Requirements

• macOS 15.4 or later
• MetaScope Pro subscription for Extended Keyword Rules

For questions, feedback, or feature requests, contact support via the MetaScope Help menu or visit the Mac App Store listing to download the update.

MetaScope 1.2.0 (Build 23)

December 2025 - Build 23

MetaScope 1.2.0 is a foundational release that rebuilds the metadata architecture for long-term extensibility while delivering powerful new features for professional workflows.

Highlights

• Unified Template Manager: Single registry-driven template system replaces fragmented IPTC and EXIF templates with automatic migration
• MetadataFieldRegistry: 102 metadata fields (69 base + 33 struct sub-fields) across 7 categories as single source of truth for all metadata operations
• Metadata Favorites: Star frequently used fields for quick access with inline editing, group organization, and persistent preferences
• Enhanced Location Tab: Manual GPS coordinate entry, address search with autocomplete, recent locations, and reverse geocoding
• Keyword-Driven Metadata (Pro): Rule-based automatic population of IPTC/XMP fields from keywords with preview and batch application
• Finder Metadata Visibility: View macOS Finder tags and comments alongside photo metadata
• 5-Tab Info Panel: Reorganized interface with Favorites, Essentials, Editor, Location, and Advanced tabs
• Keyboard Architecture: Modernized keyboard event handling for reliable shortcuts across all windows

Unified Template Manager

The template system has been completely rebuilt around the MetadataFieldRegistry for consistent, reliable metadata operations.

Registry-Driven Architecture

• 102 Metadata Fields: Single source of truth across 7 categories (Descriptive, Creator, Rights, Location, Technical, Administrative, Workflow). 69 base fields plus 33 struct sub-fields for Location and Artwork metadata
• Canonical Namespaces: XMP-dc, XMP-photoshop, XMP-iptcCore with compatibility aliases for cross-application support
• Dynamic UI Generation: Appropriate controls rendered based on field type

Template Categories

• Metadata Templates: Full 102-field access for comprehensive metadata workflows (migrated from legacy IPTC templates)
• Technical Templates: Scoped to 10 editable technical fields (Artist, Copyright, Orientation, etc.)
• Custom Templates: User-created templates with arbitrary field selection

Automatic Migration

• Legacy Field Migration: Automatic conversion of old field IDs to current naming conventions
• Graceful Handling: Fields not yet in the registry are handled without data loss

Batch UI Consolidation

• Streamlined Tabs: Reduced from 6 to 5 tabs by consolidating legacy IPTC Templates and Technical Metadata into unified “Metadata Templates” tab
• Grid Card UI: Professional template cards with category badges and visual feedback
• Category Filter: Filter by All/Metadata/Technical/Custom
• Template Preview: See field values before applying
• Built-in Management: Delete any template, restore defaults with “Restore Built-in Templates”

Access: Window > Template Manager (Command+Option+Shift+T)

Metadata Favorites System

Create a personalized quick-access panel with your most-used metadata fields.

Features

• Star Toggle: Click star icon on any field to add to favorites
• Group Organization: Create named groups to organize favorites logically
• Drag-to-Reorder: Reorganize favorites and groups via drag gestures
• Inline Editing: Edit field values directly in the Favorites tab when Edit mode is enabled
• Dual Source Support: Works with both registry fields and raw ExifTool keys
• Persistent Storage: Favorites saved per-user and persist across sessions

Manage Mode

• Remove Fields: Remove individual favorites or entire groups
• Reorder Items: Drag to change display order
• Group Management: Create, rename, and delete groups

Enhanced Location Tab

Comprehensive GPS and location management with modern UX patterns.

Manual GPS Entry

• Coordinate Fields: Enter latitude and longitude directly with validation
• Format Flexibility: Supports decimal degrees and DMS formats
• Apply to Selection: Set coordinates for single files or entire selections

Address Search

• Autocomplete: Type addresses with intelligent suggestions
• Geocoding Integration: Convert addresses to GPS coordinates via Apple Maps
• Regional Awareness: Results prioritized by current locale

Recent Locations

• History List: Quick access to recently used locations
• Delete Individual: Remove unwanted entries from history
• Timestamp Display: See when each location was last used

Reverse Geocoding

• Coordinate Lookup: Convert GPS coordinates to human-readable addresses
• Automatic Display: Shows location name when viewing geotagged photos
• Cache Integration: Efficient lookups with persistent cache

Keyword-Driven Metadata (Pro)

Automatically populate IPTC and XMP metadata fields based on assigned keywords. Requires MetaScope Pro subscription.

Rule Engine

• Match Types: Exact match and hierarchy prefix matching (e.g., Places/Germany/Berlin)
• Template Substitution: Use {keyword} placeholder in field values
• Apply Modes: Overwrite (replace existing) or Fill if empty (preserve existing)
• Priority System: Rules execute in priority order with deterministic conflict resolution
• Persistent Rules: Rules saved and persist across sessions

Rule Editor UI

• Rule List: Enable/disable toggles with Name/Match/Field/Priority columns
• CRUD Operations: New, Duplicate, Edit, Delete with keyboard shortcuts
• Match Configuration: Choose between exact match and hierarchy prefix
• Field Mapping: Select target IPTC/XMP fields with value templates and apply mode
• Drag Reorder: Change rule priority by dragging

Preview System

• Change Preview: See proposed metadata changes before applying
• Field Highlighting: Affected fields highlighted with new values
• Mode Indication: Clear labels for overwrite vs. fill-if-empty
• Cancel/Apply: Review changes, then commit or discard

Batch Application

• Context Menu: “Apply Metadata from Keywords” on file selections
• Menu Access: Metadata > Apply Keyword Rules
• Progress Indication: Real-time progress for large selections
• Consistent Results: Running same rules repeatedly produces identical results

Finder Metadata Visibility

View macOS Finder metadata alongside photo metadata in the Essentials tab.

Displayed Information

• Finder Tags: Color-coded tag indicators matching Finder UI
• Finder Comments: User-entered comments from Get Info
• Download Source: URL for files downloaded from web
• Quarantine Info: Security attributes for downloaded files

Implementation

• Spotlight API: Primary data source for Finder metadata
• xattr Fallback: Extended attribute reading when Spotlight unavailable
• Read-Only: View Finder metadata without modification
• Essentials Tab Only: Clean integration without cluttering other views

5-Tab Info Panel Architecture

Reorganized Info Panel for improved workflow efficiency.

Tab Structure

1. Favorites: User-defined quick-access fields with inline editing
2. Essentials: Key metadata summary with Finder integration
3. Editor: Expandable metadata editing with multiline support
4. Location: GPS coordinates, address search, map integration
5. Advanced: Full EXIF/Raw data, technical details

Benefits

• Reduced Cognitive Load: Related information grouped logically
• Faster Access: Favorites tab puts most-used fields one click away
• Dedicated Location: GPS and geolocation tools in one place
• Clean Separation: Editing separate from viewing

Keyboard Architecture

Complete rebuild of keyboard event handling for reliable shortcuts across all windows.

Improvements

• Reliable Shortcuts: Command+A/C/V/X/Z work correctly in all text fields
• No Double-Handling: Eliminated duplicate paste/cut issues
• Window Isolation: Shortcuts don’t leak between windows
• Consistent Behavior: Same keyboard experience across all MetaScope windows

Affected Windows

• All auxiliary windows (Batch, Search, Templates, Export)
• Popout viewers (Image, Video)
• Settings window
• Keyword Rule Editor

Additional Improvements

Search & Compare Registry Alignment

Complete alignment of Metadata Search and Compare systems with MetadataFieldRegistry.

Search Index Enhancements:

• Expanded Filter Fields: 63 to 102 advanced filter fields with registry-driven architecture
• Schema v10 Migration: 129 total columns including 58 IPTC Extension fields
• FTS5 Index Expansion: 92 full-text searchable fields (up from 61)
• Category-Grouped Filters: Filter picker organized by category (Descriptive, Creator, Rights, Location, Technical, Administrative, Workflow)
• IPTC Extension Fields: PersonInImage, OrganisationInImageName, DigitalSourceType, ModelReleaseStatus, PropertyReleaseStatus
• PLUS Schema Support: Licensor, CopyrightOwner fields with XMP-plus namespace extraction

Index Management:

• Single File Removal: Remove individual files from search index without clearing entire database
• Clear Index Confirmation: Modal dialog prevents accidental index clearing with file count display
• Stale Entry Cleanup: Automatically detect and remove entries for files that no longer exist

Window Improvements:

• Settings Popout: Dedicated Search & Index Settings window (accessible via gear button)
• Jump-Free Presentation: Windows open at correct size without visual resize flash
• Minimum Size Enforcement: Search window and Settings window enforce minimum sizes to prevent UI clipping
• Frame Persistence: Windows remember size and position across sessions

Ingest Stability:

• Sequential Processing: Reliable ExifTool integration avoiding processing errors
• Per-File Progress: Live counter updates for every processed file

Export Improvements:

• Full Field Export Default: CSV and NDJSON export now includes all 102 indexed fields by default (previously 28 common fields)
• Registry-Driven Fields: Export columns dynamically generated from field registry plus essential file metadata

Schema Ingest Pipeline

Major expansion of searchable metadata fields with full IPTC Extension support.

• 58 IPTC Extension Fields: Complete coverage of IPTC Photo Metadata Standard fields including accessibility fields
• 129 Total Columns: Database schema expanded from 61 to 129 columns
• 92 FTS Searchable: Full-text search covers 92 text fields (up from 61)
• Struct Sub-Field Support: Location and Artwork struct sub-fields now fully indexed
• Schema v10: Additive migration with no re-index required for existing databases

Video/Image Editor Parity

Complete structural and functional alignment between video and image metadata editing.

• Video Editor Modal Restructure: 5-section layout matching Info Panel organization (Content Information, Classification, Rights & Attribution, Production Credits, Technical)
• Image Essentials Favorites: Star buttons added to all Image Essentials fields
• Multiline Video Fields: Description and Comment fields support multiline editing with 2000 character limit
• Validation Integration: All editable video fields use registry-based validation with character limits
• Consistent UX: Identical interaction patterns for image and video metadata editing

Compare Tray Improvements

• Registry-Driven Labels: Field labels use consistent naming across the application
• Single Field Removal: Hide individual fields from comparison view with hover-visible buttons
• Reset Fields: Restore all hidden fields with single button click

Export System Improvements

• Semantic Filtering: “Descriptive Metadata” export filter now uses semantic matching instead of namespace prefixes
• XMP-dc Core Fields: Export filter now includes XMP-dc core fields (Title, Creator, Description, Rights, Subject)
• UI Clarification: “IPTC Information” label renamed to “Descriptive Metadata” across all export surfaces with helpful tooltips

Photos Integration

• XPC Recovery: Comprehensive idle connection failure handling prevents Photos library disconnects
• Asset Reloading: Automatic recovery when PHAsset operations fail

Batch Operations

• Completion Toast: Moved to main window for visibility when batch window is closed
• Template Preview: See field values before applying templates
• Category Filtering: Filter unified templates by type

Multiline Metadata Fields

• Expand/Collapse: Long-form fields (Caption, Description, Usage Terms) expand for editing
• Character Counters: Live count with red warning when limits exceeded
• Scrollable Content: Automatic scrolling for lengthy content

Keyboard Navigation

• Arrow Key Fix: Restored thumbnail grid navigation
• Shift+Arrow Selection: Range selection in thumbnail view with shift+arrow keys
• Focus Tracking: Text field focus properly tracked for shortcut routing
• Menu Stability: Improved menu item state management
• Settings Toolbar Button: Quick access to Settings via gear button in main toolbar

For questions, feedback, or feature requests, contact support via the MetaScope Help menu or visit the Mac App Store listing to download the update.

MetaScope 1.1.9 (Build 22)

December 2025 - Build 22

This major release introduces powerful Pro features: Metadata Search for full-text indexing across your photo library, an Analytics Dashboard to visualize your shooting patterns, and a Compare Tray for side-by-side metadata comparison. Also includes Fuji RAF v2 improvements, video metadata editing, and NDJSON export for external analysis tools.

Highlights

• Metadata Search (Pro): Full-text search across 70+ metadata fields with 15+ filter categories, search presets, and auto-ingest
• Analytics Dashboard (Pro): Visualize your collection with ISO/aperture/focal length histograms, photos-over-time timeline, and top 10 cameras and lenses
• Compare Tray (Pro): Select multiple photos to compare metadata side-by-side with independent display settings
• Fuji RAF v2: LibRaw integration delivers better Fuji thumbnails with camera-specific quirk handling
• Video Metadata Editing: Edit Dublin Core fields (Title, Description, Creator, Rights) directly on video files
• NDJSON Export: Stream your metadata index to Elasticsearch or OpenSearch for external analysis
• ExifTool 13.42: Updated from 13.40 with latest bug fixes and format support

Metadata Search (Pro)

MetaScope 1.1.9 introduces a powerful local metadata search system that indexes your photo library for instant retrieval. Requires MetaScope Pro subscription.

Search Capabilities

• SQLite FTS5 Index: Full-text search across 70+ fields including EXIF, IPTC, and XMP metadata
• 15+ Filter Categories: Media type, date ranges, ISO, aperture, shutter speed, focal length, GPS presence, color space, orientation, flash, and more
• Value-to-Description Lookups: Human-readable descriptions for exposure program, metering mode, white balance, and scene type
• Search Presets: Save and recall frequently used filter combinations
• Auto-Ingest: Automatically index folders when opened, with configurable settings
• Folder Pruning: Removed files are automatically cleaned from the index

Analytics Dashboard (Pro)

Visualize your photography collection with interactive charts. Requires MetaScope Pro subscription.

• ISO Distribution: Histogram showing your ISO usage patterns
• Aperture Distribution: See which f-stops you favor
• Focal Length Distribution: Understand your lens usage
• Photos Over Time: Timeline showing when you shoot most
• Top 10 Cameras: Rankings by usage with percentages
• Top 10 Lenses: See your most-used glass

Compare Tray (Pro)

Select multiple photos to compare their metadata side-by-side. Requires MetaScope Pro subscription.

• Independent Display Settings: Configure which fields to show in the Compare Tray separately from the main Info Panel
• Search Integration: Works seamlessly with search results
• Folder Browsing: Also available when browsing folders in the main file browser
• Quick Comparison: Rapidly compare settings across multiple shots

NDJSON Export

Export your entire metadata index for external tools:

• Streaming export handles large libraries efficiently
• Batch pagination (1000 rows per batch) for memory safety
• Compatible with Elasticsearch and OpenSearch for advanced analysis
• Three modes: current page, all results, or entire index

Fuji RAF Provider v2

LibRaw integration improves Fuji RAF file handling:

• Camera-Specific Quirk Table: Handles X-Trans sensor variations correctly
• Cache Versioning: Ensures thumbnails update when processing algorithms improve
• Search/Compare Support: Fuji RAF files fully participate in metadata search and comparison
• Reliable Thumbnails: Consistent quality across all Fuji camera models

Video Metadata Editing

Full metadata editing support for video files:

• Dublin Core Fields: Edit Title, Description, Subject, Creator, and Rights
• QuickTime Atoms: Native writing to MOV/MP4 container metadata
• XMP Support: XMP-dc namespace fields for cross-platform compatibility
• Live UI Refresh: Changes reflect immediately via notification system

IPTC Field Parity

Complete IPTC/XMP field coverage across all editing interfaces:

Editor Modal

• All high-priority fields: Caption, Headline, Keywords, Creator, Copyright, Credit, Source
• Medium-priority fields: City, State/Province, Country, Sublocation
• Low-priority fields: Instructions, Job ID, Transmission Reference, Category

Info Panel

• Matching field coverage with the Editor Modal
• Consistent value display and validation
• XMP parity field hydration for cross-format compatibility

Templates

• Full field coverage in IPTC and EXIF template managers
• Instant preview refresh after edits
• Template application respects merge/overwrite controls

Editor & UI Improvements

Display Settings

• Display settings button added to all Info Panel contexts
• Independent display settings for Compare Tray
• Consistent settings experience across filesystem and Native Photos modes

Keyboard Navigation

• Fixed keyboard navigation in Native Photos browser
• Restored Shift+Arrow selection behavior
• Text editing shortcuts (Cmd+C/V/A) work in Batch Rename dialogs
• Search executes on Enter without losing focus

Window Management

• Editor window frame persists across sessions
• Windows clamp to screen bounds on restore
• Keyboard shortcuts properly contained to active window

Search UI Polish

• Preset system for saving filter combinations
• Context menus for quick actions
• Improved styling and visual hierarchy

Bug Fixes

• Fixed EXIF value-to-description lookups and field extraction accuracy
• Fixed IPTC template editor draft reset and missing field refresh
• Fixed export pipeline threading with proper MainActor wrapping
• Fixed Photos library bundles being incorrectly discovered during auto-ingest
• Fixed subscription sheet sizing to avoid layout recursion
• Fixed auto-ingest prune defaults not persisting across sessions
• Fixed editor window height not persisting during content swaps
• Fixed keyboard shortcuts leaking across auxiliary windows

Infrastructure

• ExifTool 13.42: Updated from 13.40 with latest camera support and bug fixes
• RFC 0002 Foundation: Metadata architecture prepared for future workspace features
• Threading Safety: Export callbacks wrapped with MainActor for UI thread safety

Known Issues

• Analytics dashboard may take a few seconds to load for very large indexes (100k+ items)
• NDJSON export progress may pause briefly during batch transitions

For questions, feedback, or feature requests, contact support via the MetaScope Help menu or visit the Mac App Store listing to download the update.

MetaScope 1.1.8 (Build 21)

November 2025 - Build 21

This release doubles down on deterministic paging for giant folders, adds granular Snapshot Boost controls, improves scoped-bookmark reliability, and restores full-quality HEIC handling alongside refreshed template manager workflows.

Highlights

• Deterministic paged browsing for massive Include Subfolders runs (Documents, Downloads, archives).
• Advanced controls for Snapshot Boost size plus a near-bottom auto-resume gap.
• Manual versus automatic resume handling with timer back-off telemetry.
• Security-scoped bookmark reliability fixes alongside appearance switching that preserves your current folder session.
• HEIC/HEIF/HIF thumbnails restored to ImageIO quality; alerts respect light/dark mode.
• IPTC + EXIF template managers update their previews instantly and share the same translucent selection highlight.

Paging & Performance

Smart Snapshot Boost

• Snapshot seeding now loads a configurable number of items (default 1,500) instead of dumping every cached result, avoiding surprise jumps while keeping first paint fast.
• Per-folder heuristics ensure windowEnd never overruns the snapshot buffer, so QA counters stay coherent.

Short Filter Auto-Advance

• When filters leave fewer than one page visible, MetaScope runs forceAdvanceVisibleWindow automatically (up to twice) so you still get a usable grid without extra scrolling.
• Debug builds emit FB_FilterShortForceAdvance signposts for trace clarity.

Manual vs. Auto Resume Split

• Resume buttons still advance the window but set a short guard (2 s) before auto resume can fire again; you must scroll to re-arm, preventing resume loops.
• Auto resume now honors a nearBottom gap (slider-controlled) so you can flick-scroll without hitting the absolute last tile.

Timed Back-Off Loop

• Auto resume uses an exponential back-off (0.8 → 1.6 → 3.2 → 5.0 seconds); FB_TimerSkip/FB_TimerBackoff signposts explain every skip.
• Highest-presented-index tracking adds precise visible ≤ windowEnd ≤ discovered counters for telemetry.

iCloud / Remote Guardrails

• File-system monitor notifications pause when backlog hits zero while iCloud downloads placeholders, preventing rebuild thrash.
• Remote-only items show a “Download Required” overlay rather than stalling grids during hydrate cycles.

Security & Appearance

Scoped Bookmark Reliability

• Every deep scan opens the parent security-scoped bookmark before touching child files, so Include Subfolders behaves on iCloud Drive, NAS volumes, and USB drives without “Operation not permitted.”
• Popouts and preview decoders now hold scoped tokens for the entire CGImage pipeline, eliminating intermittent HEIC preview errors.
• Translating child URLs back to their scoped parents fixes cases where Finder hands MetaScope a descendant path without a matching bookmark.

Light/Dark Mode Parity

• Alerts, sheets, and paged-browsing controls inherit the right appearance. Light mode no longer spawns dark alerts, and dark mode retains its accent tints.
• Switching between Light, Dark, and Auto keeps your filesystem session intact; Include Subfolders stays enabled and you are not kicked back to “Open Folder.”

Advanced Settings Additions

• Snapshot Boost Size Slider: pick 0-20K items (default 1,500; set 0 for a single page).
• Auto-Resume Near-Bottom Gap Slider: choose how close to the bottom auto resume should fire (default 200 items; set 0 to require the final tile).
• Enable Paging Diagnostics (Debug only): toggles extra signposts/counters for Instruments traces without exposing the option in release builds.

Template Managers

• IPTC + EXIF template managers now share the same translucent selection highlight in light and dark appearances.
• Editing a template refreshes the detail preview immediately, so new keywords or copyright text show up without reselection.
• Primary “Edit Template” buttons plus overflow actions always target the current selection, making the workflow predictable.

Media Handling

• HEIC/HEIF/HIF assets use ImageIO again, so thumbnails and popouts stay crisp even in dense HEIC folders.
• QuickLook “heavy container” gating is now limited to AVIF/JXL, reducing placeholder churn.

For questions, feedback, or feature requests, contact support via the MetaScope Help menu or visit the Mac App Store listing to download the update.

MetaScope 1.1.7 (Build 20)

November 2025 - Build 20

This release focuses on faster RAW browsing, a rebuilt toolbar/navigation experience, sturdier export flows, and an upgraded metadata toolchain.

Highlights

• RAW thumbnail pipeline is faster end-to-end with optional disk caching and tuned memory usage.
• Experimental LibRaw path for Fuji RAF files delivers progressive upgrades with developer logging for verification.
• Unified toolbars, window sizing persistence, and deep-link handling create a more coherent desktop experience.
• Export, popout, and Settings flows receive focused UX polish, cache controls, and updated ExifTool v13.40.
• Popout viewer adopts adaptive toolbars, full-bleed Metal rendering, and resolves CATransaction warnings during resize.

What’s Improved

Startup & Restore

• Deterministic “master” window: slot 0 now restores into the primary window before additional windows appear, preventing blank orphaned windows.
• Splash/EULA attach only to the master window during launch; subsequent windows (⌘1, etc.) skip splash entirely.
• Window restore hygiene reduces flicker and duplicate windows when multiple workspaces are saved.

Navigation, Toolbars & Layout

• Nav bar/toolbar controls share a unified 28×28 look with consistent spacing and separators.
• View toggles (List/Grid) and thumbnail size controls live in the nav bar across environments. No duplicates.
• Filesystem toolbar concludes with Filter • Refresh • Sort, removing the unneeded “More” popover in this context.
• Photos toolbar trims to Add to Album, Remove from Album, Delete, and Sort for clarity.
• Visual spacing tightened for compact widths, giving a balanced look on smaller displays.
• Batch UI disables animations during show to prevent the vertical “jump,” and remembers the last-used tab (defaults to Date Operations on first use).
• Geolocation panel stays left-aligned when switching sources; first-frame guards eliminate micro-nudges.

Maps (Geolocation)

• Snapshot-first map picker keeps a still preview with pinned header/footer, instantiating the interactive map only when needed. No more zero-size renders.
• Guarded MKMapView host uses flat/muted style, trims POIs/buildings, and disables rotate/pitch to reduce VectorKit console noise. Remaining diagnostics are benign.

Viewer & Popouts

• Orientation corrections apply consistently when zooming images with EXIF rotations (e.g., 90° CW or 180°), even as previews upgrade to full quality.
• EXIF and IPTC Template Managers are fully resizable, matching the Batch UI default window size (900×650).
• Export windows are dedicated popouts with persistent sizing and reliable “Reset Size” defaults:
  • Filesystem Export: 1045×800
  • Photos Export: 1045×800
  • Format Options: 1050×700
• Footer buttons are aligned consistently across Filesystem and Photos export windows.
• Popout toolbar adapts to compact widths, collapsing metadata earlier so navigation and zoom controls remain accessible.
• Metal preview now fills the content area with an opaque black backdrop, eliminating the cyan edge seen during resizing.
• Suppressing CAMetalLayer transactions during draws removes the lingering “deleted thread with uncommitted CATransaction” warning.

Export & Modals

• Export Wizard pickers (Choose Folder, Import Fonts) attach to the active wizard window, even when launched from layered sheets like Batch UI.
• Common modals are limited to one instance per window; Option-click opens a secondary instance when needed.
• Closing export windows no longer leaves blank views. Content cleanup now follows window lifecycle correctly.
• Picker focus priority fixes ensure Finder panels never appear behind Settings or other windows.

File Browser & Thumbnails

• RAW thumbnail pipeline skips noisy ImageIO attempts, tunes responsiveness, and budgets heavy containers (HEIC/HIF/AVIF/JXL) with ~200ms Quick Look timeouts.
• Optional disk cache (Developer ▸ Thumbnail Performance) speeds re-loads; memory cache controls expose size indicators plus clear/trim actions.
• Subfolder browsing and grid scrolling are smoother thanks to reduced redundant work in thumbnail views.
• List view start-up reliably presents the first page when Include Subfolders and filters are active via separated debounce handling.

Metadata, Settings & Developer Tools

• Metadata Editor adds a “Search values” toggle (on by default) for key-only queries on massive datasets.
• Edits are staged locally until Save, reducing publish churn while typing.
• Info Panel parity: Full dataset / Staged and All rows / Paged chips now live in the Editor with shared settings.
• Raw EXIF tab gains debounced search, Equatable rows, and consistent columns/typography with Full EXIF.
• Developer tab updates: RAW disk cache toggle renamed to “Disk Cache for RAW Thumbnails,” covering raf, dng, nef, cr3, cr2, arw, orf, rw2, gpr.
• List filtering logs are silent by default; enable Developer ▸ Enhanced Debug Logging to surface List_Filter_Compute_*.
• Append-while-scanning toggle uses AppDefaults and avoids resorting while active.
• Settings adds Advanced cache management controls for disk/memory.

Backup & Restore

• Renamed from Data Migration; no more startup prompts post-upgrade while automatic backups continue for safety.
• Welcome flow appears only on new installs or machines when a backup is detected.
• UI clarifies automatic backups, shows the most recent backup with name/date/size, and adds a one-click “Reveal in Finder”.
• Backup introspection now falls back to file metadata when manifests are missing, avoiding warnings.

Performance & Stability

• RAW browsing feels snappier with tuned caching and deferred heavy work, especially on RAF-heavy libraries.
• Batch UI map embedding avoids CATransaction console noise while keeping interactions fluid.
• Export flows retain focus and dismiss cleanly, removing cases where blank controllers lingered after closing windows.

QA: How to Test LibRaw (RAF)

1. Enable the toggle: Settings ▸ Interface ▸ Image Preview ▸ “Enable LibRaw for RAF (Experimental)”.
2. Grid behaviour: Browse RAF folders and watch for Quick Look placeholders that upgrade in the background. Logs should emit lines like “RawGrid: RAF placeholder…” followed by upgrade timing.
3. Preview behaviour: Select an RAF; adaptive mode renders quickly and upgrades quality when memory budget allows. Disable the toggle to confirm the fallback path.
4. Disk/Memory indicators: Settings ▸ Advanced ▸ Cache Management shows disk/memory usage with controls to clear or reclaim caches.
5. Regression checks: NEF and other RAW formats continue to use their existing pipelines; GPR remains Quick Look-first.

How to Update

MetaScope is available on the Mac App Store. Updates are delivered automatically, or you can visit the App Store page:

• Download: https://apps.apple.com/nl/app/metascope/id6748312854

For questions, feedback, or feature requests, contact support via the MetaScope Help menu.

MetaScope 1.1.6 (Build 18)

Highlights

• Main window resizing polish: smoother drags with lower minimum widths for browser, preview, and info panes.
• Photoshop Document (PSD) coverage: QuickLook thumbnails and viewer fallback for list and grid browsing.
• File browser UX: filter toolbar highlights the active state, optional summary chip, and balanced thumbnail grid rows.

What’s Improved

• Windowing & Layout

  • Reduced strict minimums for browser, info, and preview panes so the main window can shrink further without clipping content.
  • Smoother resize interaction with debounced geometry updates that eliminate jitter while dragging.

• File Browser & Filters

  • Filter button now goes accented when any filter is active; ViewThatFits fallback keeps controls usable on compact widths.
  • Optional filter summary chip (toggle in the menu) summarises the active mode/sidecar options with a one‑tap “Clear.”
  • Thumbnail grid rows stay centered when the last row has spare space to restore balanced left/right gutters.

• Formats & Metadata

  • PSD: QuickLook thumbnail provider and viewer fallback added so Photoshop documents appear in grids and detail panels.
  • Kind column and filter model treat PSD as “Photoshop Document (PSD)” so it participates in kind filters.
  • Portfolio and PDF exports now reuse the fast EXIF path; metadata loads without timeouts even on mixed NEF/JPEG batches, and duplicate advanced‑metadata toggles were consolidated under the Advanced tab.

• StoreKit & Licensing

  • Settings upgrade entry now calls the legacy modal, matching user expectations while SubscriptionView is polished.
  • Offer code cancellation path now reliably grants temporary Pro access so customers retain features until expiration.

• QA & Reliability

  • Verified Hide Empty Fields across Essentials, Technical, IPTC, Modern, and Video tabs.
  • Batch write regression pass executed to confirm ExifTool pipeline remains stable.

Performance & Stability (Instruments‑guided)

• Subfolder browsing: cached thumbnail filtering and debounced layout significantly reduce main‑thread layout/AttributeGraph churn. Scrolling is smoother under large libraries and when “Include subfolders” is enabled.
• Toolbar/grid: lowered view transaction cost in the browser by avoiding repeated recomputation during geometry changes; fewer mini‑hangs observed in Time Profiler.
• Portfolio/PDF export: metadata warm‑path now uses a fast ExifTool pass first; avoids spikes during the first export and keeps the UI responsive while pages are generated.
• Fixed a one‑time “Publishing changes from background threads” warning at export kickoff by isolating SwiftUI‑observed app storage to a private defaults suite and scoping defaults observers. First run is now clean without delays.
• Batch UI: eliminated the initial presentation jump by restoring geometry synchronously and deferring non‑essential mutations on first frame.
• Focused modals: replaced a problematic SwiftUI alert with a native NSAlert in Settings ▸ Data Migration so sheet interactions no longer block the event loop.

Developer Notes

• MARKETING_VERSION: 1.1.6; CURRENT_PROJECT_VERSION: 18.
• Remember to run ./post_build_fix_exiftool.sh after local builds to re‑stage the embedded ExifTool binaries.

How to Update

MetaScope is available on the Mac App Store. Updates are delivered automatically, or you can visit the App Store page:

• Download: https://apps.apple.com/nl/app/metascope/id6748312854

If you have feedback or requests for future releases, please contact support via the MetaScope Help menu.

MetaScope 1.1.5 (Build 17)

Highlights

• EXIF/IPTC Template Editors are now standalone, resizable windows with size persistence.
• Metadata Editor is now a detached, resizable window with size persistence (replaces the old modal).
• Batch Processing window is resizable and remembers its size across launches.
• Batch Edit added to list and thumbnail context menus with consistent wording and ordering.
• Open with Default App for single and multi‑selection (with a safety prompt for large opens).
• Image & Video popouts remember size and position and open at ~85% of the current display; support Reset Window Size.
• Sidebar improvements: Favorites and Recents are collapsible; added Clear Recents.
• Keyboard Shortcuts: New configurable shortcuts with conflict warnings, per‑category reset, and stable modifier order.
• File Browser Filters: Filter by media type and hide sidecars (optionally only if paired); persistent settings with toolbar/View menu controls, Apply Filters to File Operations, and an active Filtered badge.

What’s Improved

• Windows & Persistence

  • EXIF/IPTC Template Editors open in their own windows; sizes persist across launches.
  • Metadata Editor (single‑file editing) is now a separate, resizable window with size persistence.
  • Batch Processing window is resizable with size persistence.
  • EXIF/IPTC Template Managers remain windows; editor actions (New/Edit/Duplicate) open a separate editor window.
  • Editor, Batch, and Template Manager/Editor windows now remember both size and position.
  • Help window now remembers its size (ui.window.help).
  • Internal key cleanup: window size keys aligned to ui.window.* with one‑time migration from ui.modal.*.
  • Popout Image & Video Viewers (filesystem + Photos) persist width, height, and position; default sizing targets ~85% of the visible screen; enforce minimums (≥ 800×600); support Window → Reset Window Size.

• Context Menus

  • Harmonized list and thumbnail context menus: identical labels and order.
  • Added Batch Edit… to both views; opens the detached Batch window.
  • Added Open with Default App to single and multi‑select menus.
  • Added filter controls to the View menu (Show modes + Hide Sidecars) with a Clear Filters command and Filtered indicator.
  • Added Add Folder to Favorites in folder context menus (sidebar + file browser).

• Safety & UX

  • New confirmation when opening 20+ files at once; includes Don’t ask again.
  • Settings toggle (General → Behavior) to control the confirmation dialog.
  • Favorites and Recents in the sidebar are now collapsible and persist their state.
  • Added Clear Recents in menus and context menus with confirmation.

• Stability & Polish

  • Eliminated Publishing changes from within view updates warnings in Batch UI and editors.
  • Fixed arrow‑key leakage from detached windows back to the main browser.
  • Resolved occasional layout recursion when restoring window sizes.
  • Removed actor‑isolation warnings in the image viewer logging path; improved debug logging gating under Verbose settings.
  • Fixed 0 KB display in video popout; now shows actual size/bitrate where available.
  • Photos items now display file size for images and videos in Essentials.
  • Essentials tab shows relative path while Include Subfolders is enabled.
  • Window position restores synchronously when a saved origin exists to avoid one‑frame jump at open (Help, Editor, Batch, Template Managers/Editors).

Settings

• General → Behavior:

  • Confirm Before Opening Many Files: warns when launching 20+ files via Open with Default App.
  • Open Editor With Info Panel Tab: when opening the Metadata Editor, start on the Info Panel’s current tab.
  • Sync Info Panel When Editor Tab Changes: keep Info Panel and Editor tabs aligned when switching inside the Editor.

• Keyboard:

  • Customize shortcuts for core actions across the app; conflicts highlighted.
  • Per‑category reset to defaults, Esc to cancel, and stable modifier order.

Developer Notes

• MARKETING_VERSION: 1.1.5; CURRENT_PROJECT_VERSION: 17.
• Window size keys standardized under ui.window.*; migration handled in WindowSizePersistenceView.

How to Update

MetaScope is available on the Mac App Store. Updates are delivered automatically, or you can visit the App Store page:

• Download: https://apps.apple.com/nl/app/metascope/id6748312854

If you have feedback or requests for future releases, please contact support via the MetaScope Help menu.

MetaScope 1.1.4 (Build 16)

Highlights

• NEW: Hide Empty Fields (metadata panel): Quickly declutter Essentials/Technical/IPTC/Modern and video tabs by hiding blank values. Toggle from View → Metadata (⌘⇧H). Full/Raw EXIF remain comprehensive.
• FIX: EXIF Editor Reliability: Individual edits now persist more reliably on JPEG/TIFF. The editor uses a cancellation‑aware ExifTool path with a safe ImageIO fallback.

What’s Improved

• Cleaner metadata browsing in large selections; critical context (Dimensions, File Size, Date Taken, Duration, etc.) always remains visible.
• Settings persist between launches; default OFF to avoid surprises.
• Stability: Improved single‑file write behavior when saving metadata from the editor modal; added tests to cover the cancellation path and JPEG fallback.

Settings

• View → Metadata → Hide Empty Fields (default OFF). Persisted per user.

MetaScope 1.1.3 (Build 15)

Highlights

• NEW: Include Subfolders (Pro): browse nested folders in a single grid. Progressive deep‑scan streams results while you browse, with Stop/Resume, live counters (folders • files • visible • pending), backlog estimates, and snapshot‑backed fast starts.
• Snapshot Seeding + Verify Now: large folders open instantly from a disk snapshot; reconcile with disk on demand.
• Smoother browsing: first‑screen thumbnail prewarm that cancels on memory pressure or when you scroll beyond the initial window.
• Video & Photos polish: fewer preview stalls; resource fetches moved off the main queue for smoother interaction.
• PDF export reliability: exports now always include full EXIF/IPTC/XMP via a deep ExifTool extraction.

Include Subfolders (Pro)

• Progressive deep‑scan with batching and cooperative back‑pressure for large libraries.
• Stop/Resume controls with live counters and a backlog estimate to keep you informed.
• Snapshot seeding for large roots: instant first‑paint; use “Verify Now” to reconcile changes.
• Single toolbar ellipsis consolidates data actions:
  • Verify Now
  • Refresh From Disk
  • Force Full Refresh (bypass snapshot)
  • Rebuild Snapshot

Performance & Thumbnails

• First‑screen thumbnail prewarm only; automatically aborts under memory pressure or when the viewport advances.
• Memory‑pressure‑aware image loaders downshift preview quality (filesystem + Photos) to reduce allocations.

Video & Photos

• Video preview: zero forward buffer, waits‑to‑minimize‑stall, and external playback disabled on macOS to reduce route churn.
• Photos integration: moves requestImageDataAndOrientation off the main queue in resource flows; viewport‑aware preheating maintained for smooth scrolling.

Export

• PDF export forces a deep ExifTool run, ensuring complete EXIF/IPTC/XMP is embedded in generated PDFs.

How to Update

MetaScope is available on the Mac App Store. Updates are delivered automatically, or you can visit the App Store page:

• Download: https://apps.apple.com/nl/app/metascope/id6748312854

If you have feedback or requests for future releases, please contact support via the MetaScope Help menu.

What’s New in MetaScope 1.1.2 (Build 14)

A focused reliability and polish update: dependable Hasselblad 3FR portfolio export, faster EXIF exploration, small UI refinements, and a one‑time folder‑access refresh to keep prompts working as expected.

🎯 Overview

MetaScope 1.1.2 sharpens everyday workflows. Portfolio export handles Hasselblad 3FR more reliably with a high‑quality scaled decode pipeline. The Full/Raw EXIF tabs are snappier and clearer, and a one‑time folder‑access refresh on upgrade restores system prompts for protected locations when needed.

Portfolio Export: Hasselblad 3FR

• Reliable rendering via a high‑quality scaled pipeline with smart fallbacks (CIRAWFilter → ImageIO → QuickLook large render as needed).
• Extremely large RAWs take the safe, scaled path to avoid memory spikes.
• Consistent color management across the pipeline.

🧭 Faster Full/Raw EXIF Tabs

• Clearer controls with inline tips and a one‑shot Load full now.
• Deep completion runs in the background and can be canceled when navigating away.
• Paged lists keep very large tag sets responsive.

🎨 UI Polish

• Removed custom‑font weight warnings in preview (use explicit bold faces for fonts like Merriweather).

🔐 Folder Access Refresh

• On first launch after upgrading to 1.1.2, saved folder permissions are reset once to restore system prompts for protected folders (Home, Documents, Desktop).
• Advanced settings include a Reset Security‑Scoped Bookmarks button for manual recovery.

🛠️ Stability & Logging

• General reliability improvements across viewers and background tasks.
• More useful logging when investigating edge cases.

✅ Requirements

• macOS 15.4+ recommended; Photos permissions required to browse your Photos library.

MetaScope 1.1.2 (Build 14): faster EXIF workflows, dependable portfolio output, and thoughtful polish for professional metadata editing on macOS.

What’s New in MetaScope 1.1.1 (Build 13)

This is the first public 1.1 release. It consolidates the native Photos workflow, the unified video experience, professional viewer polish, and stability updates for macOS 26, plus an embedded ExifTool 13.36 refresh.

🎯 Overview

MetaScope 1.1.1 delivers native Apple Photos integration, a single video experience across Files and Photos, and a refined GPU viewer with predictable progressive quality. It also includes macOS 26 reliability fixes and the latest embedded ExifTool.

📸 Native Photos Integration

• Browse Photos albums and assets alongside the filesystem.
• Multi-tab Info Panel: Summary, Dates, Camera, Location, Resources, Adjustments, Technical, Video.
• Inline preview and pop-out viewer for Photos images and videos.
• PHAssetResource export with progress + network handling.
• Fast metadata prefetching and caching keep tabs responsive on large libraries.

🎬 Unified Video Preview & Pop-out

• Consistent player and zoom across Files and Photos.
• Shortcuts: J/K/L seek & play, [ ] playback rate, + / -, ⌘+ / ⌘- / ⌘0.
• Pinch to zoom, ⌥/⌘+Scroll, double-click Fit <-> 100%.
• Photos: iCloud download progress UI with Cancel/Retry.

🖼️ Image Viewer Reliability & Defaults

• Sparkles (full-resolution) reliably loads Full and resets correctly when you move to the next image.
• Auto-Full at 100%: ON by default; the first time you reach 100%, Full loads automatically.
• Auto-Upgrade at Fit: OFF by default; Fit stays quick and memory-predictable.
• Debug overlay reports tex=pending until the first Metal upload, then shows exact texture size; overlay stays in sync with the presented frame.
• Photos items now show a true file size when available; otherwise display ’-’.

🔧 Improvements

• ExifTool 13.36 embedded for broader camera coverage and improved stability/timeouts.
• Subscription Sheet polished for macOS 26 (footer actions remain visible in taller sheets).
• Small Preview progressive stepping unified with pop-out rules for consistent behavior.
• Verbose Logging for previews is now gated by a setting (quieter default console).
• PDF Exports use timestamped default filenames to prevent accidental overwrite.
• External Drives use persistent security-scoped bookmarks for reliable access.

🛠️ Fixes

• Photos on macOS 26: Launch crash eliminated (updated privacy/TCC flow).
• Keyboard focus: EXIF editor Spacebar no longer leaks to pop-out.
• Zoom UI: Zoom menu and toolbar +/- buttons respond instantly for image and video viewers.
• Protected Folders: Selecting Documents/Desktop now prompts for access via system panel and saves a bookmark for future sessions.

✅ Requirements

• macOS 15.4+ recommended, Photos permissions required to browse the Photos library.
• Large RAW/video previews may require additional disk and GPU memory.

MetaScope 1.1.1 (Build 13): native Photos, unified video, and a rock-solid viewer for professional metadata workflows on macOS.

What’s New in MetaScope 1.0.3 (Build 11)

🎯 Overview

Build 11 delivers a comprehensive enhancement focused on professional file management, external drive reliability, and seamless user experience. This update introduces complete keyboard shortcuts, context menu integration, automatic file monitoring, and resolves critical external drive connectivity issues.

✨ Major New Features

🖱️ Complete Context Menu System

Professional right-click context menus now available throughout the interface:

File Browser Context Menu:

• Edit EXIF Data - Direct access to metadata editing
• Get Info - Reveal file information in Finder
• Copy - Standard file copy operation
• Delete - Move files to Trash
• Rename - Quick file renaming
• View Image - Open in full-screen pop-out viewer

Professional Integration:

• Seamless access to all core MetaScope functions
• Consistent with macOS design patterns
• Keyboard shortcut indicators in menu items

⌨️ Complete Keyboard Shortcuts Implementation

Professional keyboard shortcuts now fully integrated with the macOS menu system:

Navigation Shortcuts:

• ⌘R - Refresh Directory
• ⌘↑ - Go Up One Folder (menu-defined)
• ⌘⇧N - New Folder

File Operations:

• Enter - Rename Selected File
• ⌘C/⌘V/⌘D - Copy/Paste/Duplicate (enhanced)
• Delete - Move to Trash

View Controls:

• ⌘- - Smaller Thumbnails
• ⌘+ - Larger Thumbnails

🔄 Automatic File System Monitoring

Intelligent monitoring system keeps MetaScope synchronized with external changes:

FSEvents Integration:

• Real-time detection of file and folder changes
• Automatic directory refresh when files are added/removed/renamed
• External application changes automatically reflected
• Background monitoring with minimal performance impact

🖼️ Enhanced Pop-out Image Viewer Access

Multiple ways to access the professional Metal-accelerated image viewer:

Spacebar Activation:

• Press Space on any selected image for instant pop-out viewing
• Works in both file browser and thumbnail views
• Maintains keyboard focus for seamless navigation

Professional Features:

• 5-tier progressive quality system
• Deferred zoom mechanism for pixel-perfect accuracy
• Advanced color space management
• Memory-optimized loading

🔧 Critical Fixes

💾 External Drive Reliability Revolution

Complete overhaul of external drive handling resolves connectivity issues:

Security-Scoped Resource Management:

• Persistent bookmark system maintains access after drive reconnect
• Automatic restoration of file preview and pop-out viewers
• Enhanced security-scoped operations for all file management
• Proper entitlements with com.apple.security.files.bookmarks.app-scope

File Operations Enhancement:

• All file operations (copy, paste, delete, rename) now work reliably on external drives
• Automatic reestablishment of security permissions
• Graceful handling of drive disconnection/reconnection
• Enhanced error recovery and user feedback

📄 PDF Export Filename Enhancement

Professional filename patterns with complete timestamp support:

Enhanced Default Pattern:

• Now includes both date AND time components
• Format: MetaScope_Export_YYYY-MM-DD_HH-mm-ss.pdf
• Ensures unique filenames for multiple daily exports
• Consistent with professional workflows

🔐 Production Security Hardening

Developer features properly secured for production release:

Settings Interface Cleanup:

• Developer tab completely hidden in production builds
• Debug features secured behind build configurations
• Professional settings interface maintained
• Enhanced security for App Store distribution

🚀 Technical Enhancements

📁 Unified File Operations Architecture

Complete reorganization of file management with professional undo/redo support:

FileOperationsService Enhancement:

• Centralized file operations with consistent behavior
• Complete undo/redo tracking for all operations
• Enhanced security-scoped access patterns
• Standardized error handling and user feedback

🔄 Modern Tab Synchronization

Complete alignment between info panel and modal editor:

Data Synchronization:

• Real-time updates between viewing and editing interfaces
• Consistent metadata display across all contexts
• Enhanced refresh mechanisms
• Improved user experience consistency

⚡ Performance Optimizations

Enhanced system responsiveness and reliability:

Quality of Service Improvements:

• Resolved QoS priority inversion warnings in modal dialogs
• Enhanced background task management
• Improved UI responsiveness during file operations
• Optimized memory usage patterns

🎨 User Interface Polish

🔘 Context Menu Integration

Professional context menus throughout the interface:

• Right-click support in both file browser and thumbnail views
• Complete feature access via context menus
• Keyboard shortcut indicators in all menu items
• Consistent with macOS design patterns

⌨️ Keyboard Shortcut Indicators

Enhanced discoverability throughout the interface:

• Tooltip hints show keyboard shortcuts for all operations
• Menu items display shortcut indicators
• Toolbar buttons include keyboard hints
• Professional accessibility standards

🎯 What’s Next

Build 11 establishes MetaScope as a fully professional file management and metadata editing solution. Key achievements include:

• Complete External Drive Reliability - Professional workflows with external media
• Full Keyboard Shortcuts Integration - Native macOS keyboard experience
• Automatic File Synchronization - Seamless updates with external changes
• Professional Context Menus - Right-click access to all core functions
• Enhanced Pop-out Viewers - Multiple access points for professional viewing

This release focuses on workflow efficiency, system reliability, and professional user experience, making MetaScope the complete solution for metadata management on macOS.

MetaScope 1.0.3 Build 11 - Professional metadata management with complete file system integration

What’s New in MetaScope 1.0.2 (Build 10)

🚨 Critical Fixes

External Drive Support Revolution

MetaScope now provides seamless external drive integration with persistent access across app restarts. This major infrastructure update resolves the “Error Loading Directory” issues many users experienced.

What’s Fixed:

• ✅ External drive favorites now load correctly after app restart
• ✅ Breadcrumb navigation works seamlessly on external drives
• ✅ Professional permission dialogs explain required access clearly
• ✅ Bookmarks persist permanently for granted directories

Sony ARW File Processing

MAJOR FIX: Eliminated 30+ second hangs when processing Sony ARW files. The app now handles large RAW metadata efficiently with concurrent processing.

What’s Fixed:

• ✅ ARW files load metadata within normal timeframes (2-5 seconds vs 30+ seconds)
• ✅ No more indefinite “Loading metadata…” states
• ✅ Improved memory management for large file processing
• ✅ Enhanced timeout mechanisms prevent app freezing

Nikon NEF File Reliability

CRITICAL FIX: Resolved metadata loading freezes specific to Nikon NEF files through robust UTF-8 handling and optimized ExifTool processing.

What’s Fixed:

• ✅ NEF files load metadata successfully without hanging
• ✅ Robust handling of binary data in RAW file metadata
• ✅ Multi-tier UTF-8 conversion prevents processing failures
• ✅ Optimized ExifTool flags for better NEF compatibility

🎨 Major Feature Enhancements

Revolutionary Modern Photography Analysis

NEW: Complete Modern tab overhaul transforms sparse feature detection into comprehensive computational photography analysis.

What’s New:

• 🆕 Color Science Analysis: ICC profile detection, color space identification, gamut analysis
• 🆕 Lens Technology Detection: Distortion correction, vignetting compensation, chromatic aberration
• 🆕 Processing Pipeline Recognition: Adobe, Capture One, DxO, Luminar software detection
• 🆕 Progressive Disclosure UI: Intelligent content revelation based on available metadata
• 🆕 Educational Empty States: “Did You Know?” sections teach modern photography concepts
• 🆕 Visual Design System: Color-coded indicators (🟢 AI/computational, 🟡 software-enhanced, ⚪ standard)

Enhanced EXIF Display System

IMPROVED: Comprehensive unification of EXIF display across Modern and Raw tabs with user-configurable options.

What’s Enhanced:

• ✨ Dual Tab System: Modern tab focuses on computational features, Raw tab shows complete ExifTool data
• ✨ Configurable Display: Choose between raw technical values or human-readable formatted data
• ✨ Font Customization: Apply user font preferences to both EXIF keys and values
• ✨ PDF Export Options: Three sorting modes (by group, by name, raw ExifTool order)
• ✨ Authentic Ordering: Raw EXIF tab matches ExifTool’s native organization system

Exiftool version update 13.34

Thumbnail Navigation Polish

FIXED: Keyboard navigation in thumbnail view now moves exactly vertically/horizontally as expected.

What’s Improved:

• ✅ Up/down arrows move one row vertically (no more diagonal movement)
• ✅ Left/right arrows move horizontally within rows
• ✅ Consistent behavior regardless of window size or thumbnail settings
• ✅ Professional grid navigation experience

⚙️ Interface & Settings Improvements

Settings Organization Enhancement

REORGANIZED: Streamlined settings interface with improved logical grouping and reduced complexity.

What’s Better:

• 📍 EXIF Display Settings: Moved from Advanced tab to Interface tab for better discoverability
• 📍 Debug Consolidation: All debug functionality now centralized in Developer tab
• 📍 Shared Components: Unified metadata filtering across batch processing and export interfaces
• 📍 Enhanced Navigation: Improved keyboard focus management with proper arrow key handling

Performance & Responsiveness

OPTIMIZED: Multiple performance improvements enhance overall app responsiveness and reliability.

What’s Faster:

• ⚡ PDF Export Sorting: Optimized performance for large datasets
• ⚡ Computational Analysis: Intelligent caching eliminates redundant parsing operations
• ⚡ UI Updates: Eliminated AttributeGraph cycles preventing UI lag
• ⚡ Template Processing: Faster template selector with visual percentage indicators

🛠️ Technical Quality Improvements

Production Polish

ENHANCED: Professional-grade code quality improvements and warning resolution.

What’s Cleaner:

• 🔧 Debug Logging: Removed verbose development output for cleaner console
• 🔧 Compiler Warnings: Resolved all Swift compiler warnings across components
• 🔧 Symbol References: Fixed non-existent SF Symbol references
• 🔧 Type Safety: Enhanced type handling throughout EXIF processing systems

Reliability Enhancements

STABILIZED: Multiple stability improvements prevent edge cases and improve error handling.

What’s More Reliable:

• 🛡️ IPTC Metadata: Fixed intermittent IPTC Date Created field disappearing
• 🛡️ Portfolio Colors: Resolved color theme application timing in advanced UI
• 🛡️ Memory Management: Enhanced cleanup routines prevent resource leaks
• 🛡️ Error Handling: Improved error messaging with clearer user guidance

🎯 Developer Experience

Code Architecture

MODERNIZED: Significant architectural improvements enhance maintainability and future development.

What’s Better:

• 🏗️ Component Unification: Shared MetadataFilterView reduces code duplication
• 🏗️ Concurrency Patterns: Proper async/await patterns with MainActor compliance
• 🏗️ Security Model: Robust security-scoped resource management
• 🏗️ State Management: Optimized SwiftUI state patterns prevent update warnings

System Requirements

• macOS 15.4+ (Sonoma)
• 200MB+ available storage for large RAW file processing
• External drive access requires user permission (one-time setup)

Upgrade Notes

This update maintains full backward compatibility with existing favorites, templates, and settings. External drive favorites will prompt for permission re-authorization (one-time) to enable the new persistent access features.

MetaScope 1.0.2 Build 10 represents a significant leap forward in reliability, performance, and user experience. With critical file processing fixes, revolutionary modern photography analysis, and comprehensive external drive support, this release establishes MetaScope as the professional-grade metadata editor for serious photographers and content creators.

MetaScope 1.0 - Complete Release Notes

The Premier Professional Metadata Editing and Image Analysis Platform for macOS

🎯 Product Overview

MetaScope 1.0 represents the culmination of advanced metadata editing capabilities, professional image viewing technology, and enterprise-grade workflow tools designed specifically for macOS. Built with Swift 5.0 and SwiftUI, MetaScope combines the power of industry-standard ExifTool processing with cutting-edge Metal-accelerated GPU rendering to deliver unparalleled performance for photographers, designers, and digital asset professionals.

Why MetaScope Matters

• 🚀 Professional-Grade Performance: Metal-accelerated GPU rendering with 70% memory reduction and 90% faster response times
• ⚡ Industry-Standard Processing: Embedded ExifTool v13.30 ensures reliability without external dependencies
• 📸 Complete RAW Support: Direct metadata editing for 50+ formats including CR3, NEF, ARW, RAF, DNG without conversion
• 🔐 Enterprise Architecture: Sandboxed security with comprehensive feature gating and subscription management

🚀 Revolutionary Image Viewing Technology

Metal-Accelerated GPU Rendering Engine

MetaScope introduces professional-grade image viewing powered by Apple’s Metal framework, delivering performance that rivals dedicated graphics applications:

• 5-Tier Progressive Quality System: Intelligent loading from thumbnail to full-resolution (6K+) automatically optimized based on zoom level

  • Thumbnail (fastest): Instant preview loading for rapid navigation
  • Standard (2K): Balanced quality for general viewing workflows
  • High (4K): Enhanced detail for closer inspection and analysis
  • Full (6K+): Maximum resolution for professional color work
  • Full-Resolution: Pixel-perfect quality for critical image analysis

• Pixel-Perfect 100% Zoom: Revolutionary deferred zoom mechanism ensures true 1:1 pixel ratio by waiting for full-resolution data before applying zoom

• Professional Pan & Zoom: Cursor-anchored zoom mathematics with smooth GPU-accelerated navigation

• Advanced Color Management: Full Display P3 color space support with automatic color profile detection across multiple monitors

• Memory Optimization: Process-wide startup logging and efficient texture management for handling massive RAW files

Superior RAW Processing

• Camera-Accurate Color Profiles: CIRAWFilter integration delivers manufacturer-accurate color rendering for NEF, CR3, ARW, and other professional RAW formats
• Enhanced NEF Support: Comprehensive Nikon RAW compatibility with advanced color consistency and metadata preservation
• Professional RAW Workflow: Direct metadata writing without XMP sidecars maintains file integrity

📸 Advanced Metadata Processing

Industry-Standard Processing Engine

• Embedded ExifTool v13.30: Professional metadata processing with guaranteed reliability and zero external dependencies
• Comprehensive Format Support: 50+ file formats including JPEG, HEIC, TIFF, PNG, PSD, CR3, NEF, ARW, RAF, DNG with professional accuracy
• Direct RAW Metadata Writing: Edit metadata directly in RAW files without conversion or XMP sidecars
• Complete IPTC & EXIF Support: Full Phase 4 IPTC implementation with comprehensive EXIF metadata handling

Professional Template Systems

• IPTC Templates: Create, save, and apply comprehensive IPTC metadata templates for consistent branding and workflow efficiency
• EXIF Templates: Professional EXIF template management with batch application and merge controls
• Cover Page Templates: 5 built-in professional templates with per-template logo support and complete CRUD operations
• Template Management: Professional 2-pane interface with search, conflict resolution, and import/export functionality
• Merge Control System: Choose between overwrite or merge modes when applying templates to preserve existing data

⚡ Enterprise Batch Operations

Mass Processing Capabilities

• Unlimited Batch Processing: Apply metadata changes to hundreds of images simultaneously with real-time progress tracking
• GPS Batch Operations: Professional coordinate validation (-90 to 90 lat, -180 to 180 lon) with geolocation batch assignment
• Template Batch Application: Apply IPTC and EXIF templates across entire image libraries with intelligent merge controls
• Batch Rename Operations: Professional file renaming with text replacement and automatic directory refresh
• Performance Estimation: Real-world calibrated algorithms predict processing time for large batches with thumbnail size awareness

Advanced Workflow Features

• Folder Processing: Directory-level metadata operations with comprehensive file type filtering
• Progress Tracking: Real-time visual feedback with detailed operation status and error handling
• Error Recovery: Comprehensive fallback systems maintain functionality under adverse conditions
• Memory Management: Advanced monitoring prevents system impact during intensive operations

📄 Professional Export & Portfolio Tools

Advanced PDF Portfolio Generation

• Professional Typography: 6 built-in typography presets with custom font import and CoreText integration
• Enterprise Font System: Variable font support with intelligent weight matching and high-quality system font equivalents
• Advanced Theme Management: Intelligent categorization with import/export functionality for brand consistency
• Watermark Integration: Professional watermarking with customizable positioning and opacity controls
• Cover Page System: Complete template management with logo support and professional layout options

Typography Excellence

• FontManager Enterprise System: Intelligent caching system with variable font support and automatic weight variant matching
• PDF Export Font Caching: Thread-safe concurrent cache reduces 100+ font lookups to 5 preloaded instances for 10x faster export
• System Font Equivalents: Embedded fonts automatically map to high-quality system alternatives (Roboto→Helvetica Neue, Montserrat→Avenir)
• Production-Ready Performance: Build-configuration-aware debug logging with memory-efficient caching

Export Capabilities

• Multiple Format Support: Professional export to PDF, JPEG, PNG, TIFF, and specialized formats
• Quality Controls: Professional-grade quality sliders with format-specific optimization
• Batch Export: Mass export operations with progress tracking and error handling
• Filename Patterns: Advanced pattern-based filename generation for organized workflows

🔧 Production Workflow Integration

Professional User Interface

• HSplit/VSplit Layout: Professional three-pane interface with draggable column resizing and persistent preferences
• Sidebar Navigation: Quick access to recent folders, favorites, and system directories
• Thumbnail Browser: Grid-based thumbnail view with comprehensive spacing controls and keyboard navigation
• Info Panel System: Tabbed metadata display with real-time updates and comprehensive EXIF/IPTC viewing

Advanced Navigation & Controls

• 15+ Keyboard Shortcuts: Professional hotkey system with dynamic menu management for power users
• Multi-Window Support: Popout viewers for images and videos with Previous/Next navigation
• Slideshow Mode: Professional presentation capabilities with timing controls
• Column Management: Individual column visibility controls with logical organization

Professional Help System

• 30+ Help Articles: Comprehensive documentation organized in 8 logical sections
• Contextual Navigation: Context-sensitive help access with ⌘? shortcut
• Professional Troubleshooting: Advanced debugging guidance for GPU acceleration and metadata processing
• Welcome Tour: Guided introduction to professional features and workflows

💰 Subscription & Monetization System

StoreKit 2 Professional Implementation

• Feature Gating: 6 premium features with granular access control and usage analytics
• Professional Subscription UI: Upgrade prompts, subscription comparison, and streamlined purchase flows
• Transaction Security: Comprehensive transaction verification and fraud protection
• Sandbox Testing: Advanced testing capabilities with debug state management

Premium Features

• Basic Editing: 5 free edits per day with unlimited access for subscribers
• Batch Processing: Mass operations for multiple files
• IPTC Templates: Professional metadata template system
• PDF Export: Professional portfolio creation capabilities
• Advanced Export: Additional format support and quality controls
• Folder Operations: Directory-level processing capabilities

Professional Access Control

• Usage Tracking: Lightweight daily usage counters with automatic reset
• Grace Periods: Comprehensive subscription state management with billing retry handling
• Debug Capabilities: Advanced testing features for development and troubleshooting
• Real-time Validation: Efficient feature access checking without blocking UI

🔐 Security & Enterprise Features

App Sandbox Architecture

• Security-Scoped Access: Sandboxed architecture with user-selected file permissions for enterprise security
• Persistent Bookmarks: Automatic bookmark creation for user-selected folders with secure access across launches
• Hardened Runtime: Enhanced security for production deployment with code signing validation
• Professional Permissions: Files (read-write), Location (GPS metadata), Apple Events (Finder integration)

External Data Management

• ExternalSettingsManager: App Store-safe persistence with automatic UserDefaults migration to Application Support directory
• Migration Packages: Comprehensive data backup system for App Store updates and team collaboration
• Template External Storage: Templates persisted outside app bundle for update persistence
• User Data Protection: All user data survives app updates with comprehensive migration support

⚙️ Technical Architecture

Performance & Reliability

• Actor-Based Caching: 200-item/100MB thumbnail cache with automatic memory pressure monitoring
• Thread-Safe Operations: Concurrent queue with barrier writes for data integrity
• Memory Leak Prevention: Advanced monitoring and automatic cleanup systems
• Swift 6 Concurrency: Future-ready async/await patterns for optimal performance

Professional Architecture Patterns

• State Management: AppState container with UIState, SelectionState, NavigationState, ColumnState
• Service Layer: Modular services for metadata processing, export, subscription management, and file operations
• Component Unification: Streamlined UI components with backward compatibility and reduced code duplication
• Metal Integration: Professional GPU-accelerated rendering with MTKView integration and SwiftUI coordination

Build System & Dependencies

• Self-Contained: Zero external dependencies with embedded ExifTool v13.30
• Universal Binary: Apple Silicon and Intel support with optimized performance for both architectures
• Build Verification: Automated testing ensures ExifTool integration reliability across updates
• Professional Debugging: Advanced logging and diagnostic tools for enterprise troubleshooting

🎊 Why Choose MetaScope 1.0

Perfect for Professional Use Cases

• 📷 Photographers: GPU acceleration handles massive RAW libraries with ease and camera-accurate color management
• 🎨 Design Teams: Consistent metadata and branding across creative assets with template systems
• 📁 Digital Asset Managers: Enterprise-scale batch processing with comprehensive format support
• 📖 Publishing Workflows: Professional portfolio generation with advanced typography and theme management
• 🏪 Stock Photography: Batch IPTC application for licensing and attribution workflows
• 📚 Archival Projects: Comprehensive metadata preservation and documentation capabilities

Technical Excellence

MetaScope 1.0 includes 200+ commits of refinements, optimizations, and revolutionary features, demonstrating unwavering commitment to delivering professional-grade tools with exceptional user experience. The Metal-accelerated image viewer alone represents a fundamental leap forward in macOS image viewing technology.

Enterprise-Ready Features

• Security Compliance: Sandboxed architecture with hardened runtime meets enterprise security requirements
• Subscription Management: Professional monetization with comprehensive feature gating and usage analytics
• External Data Persistence: App Store-safe data management ensures continuity across updates and team collaboration
• Professional Support: Comprehensive help system and documentation for enterprise deployment

📊 Technical Specifications

System Requirements

• macOS: 15.4+ (Sonoma) - Universal Binary
• Architecture: Apple Silicon (recommended) and Intel Macs
• Storage: 50MB app size with embedded ExifTool
• Memory: Optimized for efficient large file handling
• GPU: Metal-compatible for advanced image viewing (all modern Macs)

Supported Formats

• RAW: CR3, NEF, ARW, RAF, DNG, ORF, RW2, and 40+ additional formats
• Standard: JPEG, HEIC, TIFF, PNG, PSD, GIF, BMP
• Video: MOV, MP4, M4V with comprehensive metadata support
• Export: PDF, JPEG, PNG, TIFF with professional quality controls

Professional Capabilities

• Metadata Standards: Complete EXIF, IPTC (Phase 4), XMP support
• Processing Engine: ExifTool v13.30 with professional accuracy
• Export Quality: Professional typography with 6 presets and custom fonts
• Performance: Real-world calibrated batch processing with progress estimation

🚀 Getting Started

Installation & Setup

1. 📥 Download: MetaScope 1.0 from the Mac App Store
2. 🚀 Launch: Complete splash screen introduction and optional warning dismissal
3. ⚙️ Setup: Configure export location, typography preferences, and subscription features
4. 📂 Import: Open folders containing your image and video libraries
5. 💼 Professional Workflow: Begin metadata editing, batch processing, and portfolio creation

Pro Tips for Maximum Productivity

• 🎯 GPU Acceleration: Popout image viewer automatically optimizes quality based on zoom level
• 📋 Template Workflow: Create IPTC and EXIF templates for consistent metadata application
• ⚡ Batch Operations: Use folder processing for directory-level metadata management
• 🎨 Export Quality: Utilize typography presets for professional portfolio presentation
• ⌨️ Keyboard Shortcuts: Master 15+ professional shortcuts for efficient workflows

🎯 Release Information

• Version: 1.0.0 (Build 7)
• Release Date: August 2025
• Compatibility: macOS 15.4+ (Sonoma and later)
• Architecture: Universal (Apple Silicon + Intel)
• Distribution: Mac App Store
• Support: Comprehensive help system and professional documentation

MetaScope 1.0 establishes the new standard for professional metadata editing and image analysis on macOS, combining revolutionary Metal-accelerated viewing technology with enterprise-grade workflow capabilities and industry-standard metadata processing. Experience the future of professional image management.

Download MetaScope 1.0 today and transform your metadata workflow.

MetaScope - What’s New in Build 8

A comprehensive update featuring professional Metal-accelerated image viewing and significant performance improvements.

🚀 Professional Metal-Accelerated Image Viewer

GPU-Powered Performance Revolution

• Metal Rendering Engine: Complete GPU-accelerated image viewing with professional-grade performance
• 70% Memory Reduction: Optimized memory usage for handling large RAW files and high-resolution images
• 90% Faster Response: Lightning-fast pan and zoom operations for smooth professional workflows

Intelligent 5-Tier Progressive Quality System

• Smart Loading Architecture: Automatically selects optimal image quality based on your current zoom level
  • Thumbnail (fastest): Instant preview loading
  • Standard (2K): Balanced quality for general viewing
  • High (4K): Enhanced detail for closer inspection
  • Full (6K+): Maximum resolution for professional analysis
  • Full-Resolution: Pixel-perfect quality for critical work

Pixel-Perfect Accuracy

• Deferred 100% Zoom: Ensures true 1:1 pixel ratio by waiting for full-resolution data before applying zoom
• Professional Zoom Mathematics: Cursor-anchored zoom with precise percentage calculations
• Accurate Fit-to-Screen: Smart button behavior loads full resolution for proper zoom calculations

Advanced Color Management

• Display P3 Support: Full wide-gamut color space support matching Apple Preview quality
• Automatic Color Profile Detection: Intelligent color space management across multiple monitors
• RAW Color Accuracy: Enhanced NEF, CR3, and other RAW format viewing with camera-accurate color profiles

🎯 Enhanced User Interface

Optimized Settings Experience

• Compact Settings Window: Reduced dimensions from 750×850 to 650×700 for better usability
• Improved Accessibility: More efficient use of screen real estate while maintaining full functionality

Professional Layout Improvements

• Fixed Panel Jittering: Eliminated layout inconsistencies and alignment issues in info panels
• Draggable Column Resizing: Professional column width adjustment with persistent preferences
• Enhanced Split View Persistence: Your preferred panel layout is now remembered across sessions

Refined Navigation

• Comprehensive Thumbnail Spacing: Full control over thumbnail grid spacing and layout
• Fixed Shift+Arrow Selection: Improved keyboard navigation in thumbnail view
• View Menu Synchronization: Resolved checkmark display issues for consistent UI state

⚡ Performance & Stability Improvements

Optimized Thumbnail System

• Enhanced Loading Performance: Fixed performance degradation with improved concurrency patterns
• Memory Leak Prevention: Advanced caching system with automatic cleanup and pressure monitoring
• Faster Grid Navigation: Smoother scrolling and selection in large image libraries

System Integration

• Restored Location Services: GPS geolocation functionality fully operational for metadata workflows
• Enhanced ExifTool Integration: Improved build system ensures reliable metadata processing
• Swift 6 Concurrency: Updated patterns for future macOS compatibility and better performance

🔧 Professional Workflow Enhancements

Advanced Features

• Offer Code Redemption System: Complete promotional code support with temporary access fallbacks
• Smooth Image Navigation: Eliminated visual hickups when switching between images
• Consistent Zoom State: Navigation preserves your current zoom settings across image transitions

Enhanced Documentation

• Comprehensive Help System: Complete Metal viewer documentation integrated into help system
• Professional Troubleshooting: Advanced debugging guidance for GPU acceleration features
• Performance Optimization Guide: Detailed documentation for maximizing Metal viewer benefits

📱 App Store & System Compliance

Apple Design Guidelines

• Window Management Compliance: Enhanced window restoration and ⌘1 shortcut support
• Professional Menu System: Improved keyboard shortcuts and dynamic menu management
• Sandboxed Security: Maintained security-scoped resource access for user data protection

Future-Ready Architecture

• Component Cleanup: Streamlined codebase with removal of unused Metal implementation files
• Build System Optimization: Enhanced project structure and asset management
• Development Documentation: Comprehensive developer guides for system architecture

🎊 Why This Update Matters

MetaScope Build 8 represents a fundamental leap forward in professional image viewing capabilities. The new Metal-accelerated viewer provides performance that rivals dedicated graphics applications while maintaining the intuitive interface that makes MetaScope perfect for both casual users and professionals.

Key Benefits:

• Professional Photographers: GPU acceleration handles massive RAW files with ease
• Design Teams: Accurate color management ensures consistent results across workflows
• Power Users: Advanced zoom and navigation tools for detailed image analysis
• Everyone: Smoother, faster, more responsive image viewing experience

Technical Excellence:

This update includes 41+ commits of refinements, optimizations, and new features, demonstrating our commitment to delivering professional-grade tools with consumer-friendly usability.

MetaScope continues to evolve as the premier metadata editing and image viewing solution for macOS, combining professional capabilities with exceptional user experience.

📥 Download & Installation

Release Information

• Version: 1.0.1 (Build 8)
• Release Date: August 2025
• File Size: 50MB
• Compatibility: macOS 15.4+ (Sonoma)
• Architecture: Universal (Apple Silicon + Intel)
• GPU Requirements: Metal-compatible GPU (all modern Macs)