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Bulk Import with Metadata

Metadata previously exported from Flywheel using Bulk Export can also be imported back into Flywheel.

If metadata sidecar files exists in the source data, the metadata will automatically be imported into Flywheel along with their adjacent files. This behavior is always enabled purely based on the existence of the sidecar file.

Metadata with Mapping Rules

Metadata contained in the metadata sidecar file may be used in Bulk Import mapping rules. This allows for user-defined mapping behavior using additional information that may not normally be found in the DICOM headers or file path.

Manually Creating Metadata Files

The metadata sidecar file is complex and should not be manually created for use with Bulk Import. It is best to only use metadata sidecar files generated by Bulk Export.

For more details about the metadata sidecar file, its contents (including an example), and where it is placed, see the article on Bulk Export with Metadata.

Manifest Files

Metadata can also be supplied in a manifest file: a CSV or TSV file, created by hand or by a script, that lists source files and the metadata values for each one. Unlike sidecar files, a manifest is not stored with the source data. It is supplied when the import starts.

When more than one source provides a value for the same field, Flywheel applies them in the following order, and later sources replace earlier ones:

  1. Values derived from the file path, DICOM headers, and mapping rules
  2. Values from the metadata sidecar file
  3. Values from the manifest file