In the TM metadataworksheet of the Metadata Editor, choosing the relevant option from the Edit > Insert Metadata Sets menu will insert the minimum TM metadata elements that are advised for a particular form of dataset.
An important first step, if the datset is local, is to specify the file for the Metadata Editor. Clicking in the Value cell of tm.Local.VectorLayerFileName.Local will invoke a dropdown of all the tabular datasets in the directory where the current .tmm file has been saved.
When entering values for TM Metadata that refer to a tabular dataset such as an ArcGIS Shapefile or .dbf file (see TM Metadata for tabular/GIS data for examples of this scenario), the Metadata Editor will examine the tabular data and, in some TM elements (esp those beginning with tm.MainTable.Fields.) offer a dropdown list of the field or column names, e.g.:
Note: For this feature to work, the dataset must be local and users must have already specified the dataset in the tm.Local.VectorLayerFileName.Local field. For datasets that are remote, and cannot be downloaded for the metadata creation process, the dropdowns will not appear and users must enter the field names manually. However, it is advisable to create metadata for files that are local wherever possible.
For some TimeMap metadata elements, an ellipsis will appear when you click on the Value cell. Use this to browse for the appropriate file (the default directory is the same directory as the current .tmm file)
Users may disregard the ellipsis and enter a filename manually. If the file does not exist, this will result in an error message but the Metadata Editor will keep the Value regardless. Generally speaking, entering a filename for a file that does not exist should not interfere with the proper functioning of TimeMap software.
