Cumulus can map and copy the metadata found inside your assets to appropriate fields inside your Cumulus catalogs. So, for example, the contents of the “Notes” field in the asset can be copied to the “Notes” field in the catalog.
You can also define field links of your own, in case you want to override default mappings, or create new ones. This is especially helpful when you want certain fields in your catalog to serve the same purpose for different asset types.
EXAMPLE: Author & Writer
Say you work with video in both QuickTime and Windows Media formats. QuickTime includes a standard metadata field for video that's called “Writer.” Windows Media, on the other hand, includes a field called “Author.” You could have fields in your catalogs for both, but then you'd have to include both when searching for that information. A more convenient way to go about this would be to choose one of those field names for your Cumulus catalog and use field linking to map the contents of the other field to that field. That way QuickTime “Writer” and Windows Media “Author” metadata are stored in the same catalog field, making searching a breeze.
Asset metadata fields can also be field-linked to generate Cumulus categories. This is handy if your assets contain metadata keywords that you want translated into Cumulus categories. Cumulus can even generate category trees that emulate the folder structure the asset was found in. If your current folder structures are based on hierarchies that enhance your workflow, this option offers a great way to get instant category trees that will be familiar to users.