DFS 8.1.0 - 4 Accessing metadata through API

Owned by Martin Ulisse
Last updated: Nov 20, 2017
3 min read

When working with metadata through the API, the recommendation is to use the API rather than working with the item directly.
The API returns a well-defined data model of type AssetMetadata which contains the following properties and methods:

Property name

Type

Stampvalue

Description

Name

String

{stampvalue-asset:name}

The title of the asset.

Description

String

{stampvalue-asset:description}

The description of the asset.

AssetId

Int

{stampvalue-asset:assetid}

This is a unique id descending from the DAM Center.

AssetTypeId

Int

{stampvalue-asset:assettypeid}

This is a unique id, representing what type the asset is. E.g. The assettype for images is 4 and the assettype for videos is 1. This id can be mapped to an item using this location:system/modules/Digizuite/[silo id]/AssetTypeRoot

AssetTypeName

String

{stampvalue-asset:assettypename}

The name of the asset type.

AssetSiloIdString{stampvalue-asset:assetsiloid}The Sitecore itemId of the silo in which the asset is located.
AssetSiloNameString{stampvalue-asset:assetsiloname}The Sitecore item name of the silo in which the asset is located.

ImportedBy

String

{stampvalue-asset:importedby}

The name of the user who uploaded the asset.

CreatedDateTime

DateTime

{stampvalue-asset:createddatetime}

The upload date.

ChangedDateTimeDateTime{stampvalue-asset:changeddatetime}The change date.
FilesizeLong{stampvalue-asset:filesize}The file size of the original file in bytes.
FilesizeAbbreviatedString{stampvalue-asset:filesizeabbreviated}A more readable version of the file size ex. 606.34 KB
ExtensionString{stampvalue-asset:extension}The extension of the original file.

VideoLength

String

{stampvalue-asset:videolength}

If the asset is of type video, then this is the length of the video.

VideoWidthInt{stampvalue-asset:videowidth}The width of the original file.
VideoHeightInt{stampvalue-asset:videoheight}The height of the original file.
VideoFpsFloat{stampvalue-asset:videofps}The frames per seconds of the original file.
ImageWidthInt{stampvalue-asset:imagewidth}The width of the original file.
ImageHeightInt{stampvalue-asset:imageheight}The height of the original file.
ImageDpiInt{stampvalue-asset:imagedpi}The dpi of the original file.
ThumbSmallString{stampvalue-asset:thumbsmall}Url to a specific image quality.
ThumbString{stampvalue-asset:thumb}Url to a specific image quality.
PreviewString{stampvalue-asset:preview}Url to a specific image quality.
WebPreviewString{stampvalue-asset:webpreview}Url to a specific image quality.
RawUrlString{stampvalue-asset:rawurl}Url to the source file. This will download the source file. 

DynamicMetadata

IDictionary<string, string>

{stampvalue-asset:[enter metafieldId]}

This dictionary contains all the dynamic metafields from the DAM Center. The key is the MetafieldId of the metafield. All metafields can be found either in DAM Center or in this location: Sitecore:system/modules/Digizuite/[silo id]/MetaGroupRoot.

If you use the stampvalue, it would look like this: {stampvalue-asset:54322}

Method name

Description

Example of return value

GetMediaUrl()

Returns the media URL for the source file.

/media/512ffeba519249ff866095d7a25846ec/1-source

GetMediaUrl(string mediaFormatId, int resizeWidth = 0, int resizeHeight = 0, bool keepAspectRatio = true, bool allowUpScale = false))Returns a media URL for the specified quality (mediaFormatId). This gives the opportunity resize the image. By default the keepAspectRatio is true and allowUpScale is false./media/512ffeba519249ff866095d7a25846ec/1-50044/resize/100x0/options/keepaspectratio

GetDownloadUrl()

Returns the download URL for the source file.

/media/512ffeba519249ff866095d7a25846ec/1-source/options/download

GetDownloadUrl(string mediaFormatId)Returns the download URL for the specified quality (mediaFormatId)./media/512ffeba519249ff866095d7a25846ec/1-50044/options/download

GetDigizuiteStreamingUrl(string mediaFormatId)

Returns the direct streaming URL to Digizuite. Use this for streams, for instance video or images. Please note that using this bypasses the Sitecore cache. Furthermore, the link contains an access token, which expires after some period of time, where the default is 24 hours. Therefore do NOT make the URL static on your pages, since the access token will expire.

https://[DIGIZUITE URL]/Dmm3BWSV3/assetstream.aspx?assetid=23&mediaformatid=50052&destinationid=10010&accesskey=f0b020bc-81e3-4824-82e3-2e6c1d8f714c

Note about mediaFormatId. The valid ids are located at the following path: Sitecore → System → Modules → Digizuite → MetadaraRoot_0 → FormatRoot. It is the complete list of formats available in the Sitecore solution. A format contains different fields for instance MediaFormatId which is the id used in the methods described above.

To see an example of how metadata looks for a specific asset, an admin page has been created. Here all the metadata for a specific asset item can be previewed. It is available on the following path: /sitecore/admin/dfs/GetMetadata.aspx?id=[Item ID]

Below is an example of how it looks:

4.1 How to retrieve metadata from an item placed in the silo bucket

In order to retrieve the metadata for the silo item,  call the following pipeline: DFS.GetAssetMetadata
The GetAssetMetadataArgs takes AssetItemId which is of type Sitecore.Data.ID and ContextLanguage which is of type Sitecore.Globalization.Language.

See example below

var renderArgs = new GetAssetMetadataArgs { AssetItemId = item.ID, ContextLanguage = Sitecore.Context.Language };
CorePipeline.Run(PipelineNames.GetAssetMetadata, renderArgs);
if (renderArgs.AssetMetadata == null)
{
	return;
}
var name = renderArgs.AssetMetadata.Name;

4.2 How to retrieve metadata for the field type Asset

AssetField assetField = Sitecore.Context.Item.Fields["Asset"]; 
var name = assetField.AssetMetadata.Name; 
AssetlinkField assetLinkField = Sitecore.Context.Item.Fields["AssetLink"]; 
var name = assetLinkField.AssetMetadata.Name;

4.4 How to retrieve metadata for the field type AssetList

AssetlistField assetList = Sitecore.Context.Item.Fields["AssetList"];
if (assetList != null)
{
	foreach (var asset in assetList.Assets)
		{
		// To request the rendering html for the asset you call the
		// RenderAsset method. It returns an RenderFieldResult object
		var renderResultItem = asset.RenderAsset(); 
		var title = asset.AssetMetadata.Name;
		var id = asset.AssetMetadata.AssetId;
		var assetTypeId = asset.AssetMetadata.AssetTypeId;
		var assetTypeName = asset.AssetMetadata.AssetTypeName; 


		// Get dynamic metadata
		var someDynamicMetadata = asset.AssetMetadata["50343"];
	}
}

4.5 Update asset metadata not supported from code

Updating an items metadata is not supported from code. Use the editor in the DAM Explorer or Asset browser.