Photo Renaming by EXIF

[Thom]

Now that LA Wing is catching its breath after the recent flooding mission, we are looking to fill some small gaps in our processes.

One issue we have faced is the desire from NHQ/1stAF/AFNORTH for us to rename our image files in the WMIRS/AFNORTH standard format, or very close.

So far we haven't found a tool which will allow us to automatically rename hundreds of images based on the EXIF data in the images to the WMIRS format. We can rename them automatically, but our tools won't allow us to match the WMIRS format.

Of course, our customer is perfectly happy with our output filename format, but we would still like to be able to put out the standard format if needed in the future.

So, what is everyone else using to rename their images?

BTW, we are NOT uploading all of our imagery to WMIRS due to the volume. Without going into details, we are up to several thousand images from the last 3 weeks, working with a skeleton IT/Mission Base staff, so thorough automation is the only way we are keeping up.

Thanks!

Thom

[JeffDG]

Have you looked at RoboGeo?
http://www.robogeo.com/home/

In fact, they have CAP specific info here:  http://www.robogeo.com/home/cap.asp

[Eclipse]

I use a a deprecated abandoned-ware tool called SuperJPG to manage my pics, it's ancient, but can mass rename photos in any format needed.

It can also sync dates to EXIF dates, however I don't think it can mass rename based on other EXIF info.

PM for details interested.

[Thom]

Have you looked at RoboGeo?
http://www.robogeo.com/home/

In fact, they have CAP specific info here:  http://www.robogeo.com/home/cap.asp

We are using RoboGeo for the majority of our processing and stamping duties.

Unfortunately, RoboGeo is completely unable to generate the WMIRS/AFNORTH filename format using its renaming capability.

Right now, we rename using RoboGeo, and that meets the customer's needs, but it doesn't come close to the WMIRS style.

In particular, the military style date group, e.g. 08JUN11 seems to be extremely uncommon in file renaming utilities.

Thanks, though!


Thom

[Eclipse]

What is the actual file naming convention?

[JeffDG]

Good question.

Reading http://www.capmembers.com/emergency_services/operations_support/afnorth_imagery_requirements.cfm

I don't see a specification for file name, only that the date and time need to be in the photo...I know RoboGeo does that, in the proper format.

[Eclipse]

Good question.

Reading http://www.capmembers.com/emergency_services/operations_support/afnorth_imagery_requirements.cfm

I don't see a specification for file name, only that the date and time need to be in the photo...I know RoboGeo does that, in the proper format.

Good point, I know NESA uses a tool to stamp them as well.  I hadn't heard about a file name convention.

[Thom]

Good question.

Reading http://www.capmembers.com/emergency_services/operations_support/afnorth_imagery_requirements.cfm

I don't see a specification for file name, only that the date and time need to be in the photo...I know RoboGeo does that, in the proper format.

The initial request for the AFNORTH naming convention came from CAP-USAF...I wonder if they weren't extending the stamping standard to filenames without it being a real requirement.

The format they want is just the standard stamping elements run together as a filename.

Since our customer is happy I would be fine with telling NHQ/CAP-USAF we are meeting all the documented requirements, though I would still like a tool that conveniently renames using the military date groups, e.g. 08JUN11.

Thanks!


Thom

[Eclipse]

If you're just talking about say:

08JUN11_11-M-1234_##.jpg

My tool will do that.

[Thom]

If you're just talking about say:

08JUN11_11-M-1234_##.jpg

My tool will do that.

I'd like to avoid a multi-step process, in the interest of making this more usable for those who aren't fulltime IT/photo folks, thinking of future missions.

What we start with is DSC0001.JPG, and all of the other information, date, time, location, coordinates, etc. are pulled automagically from the EXIF data and used to rename the images like this:

LA_A185_-_2011_06_08_1135Z_-_N031.933_W091.293_-_Morgan City #6 Pump Station-001.JPG

The only seed info we give it is the Wing and Sortie number, all of the rest is pulled directly from the images EXIF data.

I'm thinking I could go back and use your tool to change the 2011_06_08 part to 08JUN11, but that would require a separate step.

If I'm misunderstanding you about the tool's capabilities, please let me know...

BTW, we left out the mission number because the customer doesn't care, and we already know, and we shouldn't (normally) be mixing images from one mission with those from another. The Sortie number, plus our Wing identifier were considered good enough.


Thanks!

Thom

[Eclipse]

You can mass rename the files to anything you want, but not using EXIF. 

It would just be "select", the right click, rename, "whatever", with the "#" being the variable for image number.

After you can select them again and resync the file date to the exif date if that is important.

[vento]

PaintShop Pro always had (still has) a feature called "Batch Process" and it will do exactly that. It used to be shareware but it is now part of Coral.

[N Harmon]

So far we haven't found a tool which will allow us to automatically rename hundreds of images based on the EXIF data in the images to the WMIRS format. We can rename them automatically, but our tools won't allow us to match the WMIRS format.

This will do it:   http://www.sno.phy.queensu.ca/~phil/exiftool/

[N Harmon]

RoboGEO, by the way, uses exiftool for a lot of its functions. You can see the executable in the RoboGEO directory.

Before my wing standardized on RoboGEO we were working on a solution that would automate aerial photography processing using free software. The proof-of-concept I came up with is still up on my website. The next step was to write a graphical wrapper, but since moving to RoboGEO I have switched to other things.

[Thom]

So far we haven't found a tool which will allow us to automatically rename hundreds of images based on the EXIF data in the images to the WMIRS format. We can rename them automatically, but our tools won't allow us to match the WMIRS format.

This will do it:   http://www.sno.phy.queensu.ca/~phil/exiftool/

Yeah, but HOW...

I'm not a command-line averse, GUI-fed, modern-day wannabe geek, but even I get a little queasy looking at the options for ExifTool...

I was half expecting somebody to pony up a batch file with ExifTool invoked with about 3 lines of options to accomplish the task...

And, in fact, I did have to figure out how to use ExifTool to strip out incorrect GPS info...at one point we were using the still cameras from the GIIEP system kits (another long, very unfulfilling story there...) and they were geocoding the photos with bad info, and RoboGeo was refusing to recode those images. ExifTool, with the right options, easily removes the GPS encoding EXIF parameters from images and lets RoboGeo get on with its thing.

That said, I guess I ought to bite the bullet and spend some more time with ExifTool this weekend and figure out how to make it do what I need.


Thanks!

Thom

[N Harmon]

I was half expecting somebody to pony up a batch file with ExifTool invoked with about 3 lines of options to accomplish the task...

What exactly are you trying to name the files as, and what EXIF tag are you basing the name off of?

[robogeo]

I'm the author of RoboGEO and if you'll tell me what you want, I'll be glad to implement it.   I can usually get stuff done and recompiled into the distribution archive within a day or two.  Just let me know.

Tim Helton

[EmergencyManager6]

I'm the author of RoboGEO and if you'll tell me what you want, I'll be glad to implement it.   I can usually get stuff done and recompiled into the distribution archive within a day or two.  Just let me know.

Tim Helton

Tim,

I just want to say THANK YOU for all the hard work you have already done to create such a great application!  Thanks!

[robogeo]

Per some excellent suggestions from Thom, I just released a RoboGEO update:

1. I'm now including the CAP logo in the main distribution archive and with the new ability to dynamically resize it to a fixed percetage of the image's height, you no longer have to consider it in your workflow.  It's just there and there's no more juggling it around to make sure it's the right size, making sure it exists in the corrent folder, or anything like that.

2. I added numerous additional time-based renaming options - one for each component of the EXIF date (year, month ... second), both local and UTC.  At least as far as time goes, you can now pretty much rename files to anything by misxing/matching the items that you need.

3. Instead of the location data being stamped in the footer on top of the raster data, the program now has an option (turned on with /cap) that will increase the image's canvas height so that the stamp can be placed on the newly exposed empty area, i.e. none of the image data will be obscured.

4. The old /cap used a fixed font size for the footer text which worked great with the smaller images of years ago. With much bigger images today and considering that they must always scale when displayed (or printed), this was changed so that the font is now dynamically sized so that it's a fixed percentage of the image height.  The fixed percentage is configurable and defaults to 3.25%.  The end result is the font size looks the same regardless of how much the image is resized or scaled.

5. I updated the main CAP help page at http://www.robogeo.com/home/cap.asp and, among other things, I documented all of the configuration items associated with the /cap switch.  RoboGEO has the ability to save configuration files and you can load them either from a local file or from a URL.  These configuration files (local or URL) can also be passed on the command like, just like the /cap command line switch.  The upshot of this is that if a local commander wanted to implement custom settings, he could do so and then store them on the web for those below him to load - there would only be 1 configuration file to change and it could be changed at will.

6. If a tracklog is ever loaded when you change UtcTimeBias or CameraOffset, the program will prompt you for updating the tracklog timestamps.  This allows you to use multiple cameras (which may have clocks set to different times and/or timezones) without having to reload the tracklog each time.

7. Added an 'Edit Titles' option under the 'Edit' pull-down menu.  This loads the 'Title Maker', whish is a very powerful tool for writing image titles when you have a lot of images.

There were a few other minor things, but that's about it. If there are any more suggestions, let me know.

More info is at http://www.robogeo.com/home/whatsnew.asp

Tim Helton

[Al Sayre]

Thank you Tim, this is customer service at its finest!   :clap: :clap: :clap: