Metadata field permissions in Elvis 5

Users access the assets that are stored in Elvis by making use of any of the client applications such as the Desktop client, the Pro client or the InDesign client.

Before they can do this, they need to be given access to these clients and the stored assets. This is done by adding the users or user groups to Elvis and subsequently defining Permissions for these users or user groups. Such Permissions control access to:

1. Client applications and their features
2. Folders and assets in Elvis
3. Metadata fields

This article describes how to control access to metadata fields.

Note: See the full process demonstrated in this short video:

Viewing and editing metadata

Access to metadata fields is split into permission for viewing these fields and permission for editing these fields.

This is done in 2 separate steps: first you define which metadata fields a user can see and edit and next you define for which assets editing these metadata fields is allowed.

Controlling which metadata fields a user can see and edit

View and Edit rights are assigned to users and user groups as part of assigning Permissions. This is done in the Manage Permissions tab of the Desktop client.

Note: The settings made here apply to all assets that the user or user group has got access to. A typical workflow is therefore to set up various groups and assign specific settings to each group. A photographers group for example would need access to all Dimension fields whereas such fields are of no interest to a copy writer.

Step 1. Choose System > Manage Permissions.

Step 2. Use the search options to search for users and/or user groups.

Step 3. Select the user or user group to which you want to assign View and Edit rights for metadata fields.

Step 4. Choose the Metadata fields tab.

Step 5. Select the check box for each field for which View and Edit rights need to be given and click Save.

Controlling for which assets metadata fields can be edited

Now that Edit rights are set for specific fields (see above), the next step is to specify which assets can be edited this way.

This is done when assigning a Rule to a user or user group and enabling the 'Edit metadata' permission of that Rule,

Such rules basically define access to a group of assets, such as those in a specific folder. By enabling the 'Edit metadata' option of that rule, you are basically saying: "for these assets allow the user to edit metadata fields, but only for the fields that have been selected in the Metadata fields tab".

Example: A user is given permission to view and edit the Rating field. Next, a Rule is assigned to the user that provides access to the Demo Zone folder. Within the Rule, the permission to edit metadata fields is enabled. As a result the user can edit the Rating field, but only for the assets within the Demo Zone folder.

Assigning Rules is described in Controlling user access to folders and assets in Elvis 5.