Google Maps problem

[dorn]

I use the ExifTool to geocode my Insta360 spherical pictures for the Google Street View and it always worked however since now it does not work anymore.
When I add a photo without coordinates then it's not a problem but when I add latitude/longitude with the ExifTool then Google Maps generates the preview but does not show the full photo.
What can be a reason?

I can provide my file, non-geotagged version is here:
https://ibb.co/jgKXYGm

[Phil Harvey]

Do you have an older photo that still shows properly in Google Maps?  Try comparing this with one that doesn't work to see if there are differences.

- Phil

[dorn]

What is the best way to compare them?

[Phil Harvey]

Compare the output of this command:

exiftool -a -u -G1 FILE

- Phil

[dorn]

I am lost. They show the same keys, just different values (like different time or position). Everything is the same, I don't why the damned Google does not understand it any more.

[Phil Harvey]

Did you confirm that it still works for the older file?

- Phil

[dorn]

Yes, I just uploaded my old photo to Google Street View and it shows it but it does not show the new photo. It's some kind of mystery.

[Phil Harvey]

Could you send me both files so I can take a look?  My email is philharvey66 at gmail.com

- Phil

[dorn]

OK! I have sent 3 files in 2 messages.
Thanks!

[Phil Harvey]

I can't see anything obvious, but you should be able to run some tests to narrow this down.

From the files you sent:

a.jpg is an old one - geotagged by Geosetter and accepted by Google
b.jpg - NOT geotagged and accepted by Google
c.jpg - geotagged b.jpg NOT accepted by Google

Try this first:

exiftool -tagsfromfile a.jpg -exif -iptc -xmp c.jpg -o d.jpg

Then tell me if d.jpg is accepted.

If it is, then try the XMP and EXIF separately:

exiftool -tagsfromfile a.jpg -xmp c.jpg -o e.jpg

exiftool -tagsfromfile a.jpg -exif c.jpg -o f.jpg

If either of these is accepted, try copying the tags individually to see if either of these works:

exiftool -xmp:all= -tagsfromfile a.jpg -xmp:all c.jpg -o g.jpg

exiftool -exif:all= -tagsfromfile a.jpg -exif:all c.jpg -o h.jpg

This should at least help us narrow down the difference.  If either g.jpg or h.jpg works, then we can start copying individual tags one at a time until we find the one(s) that cause the problem.

- Phil

[dorn]

No. d.jpg shows the same blank screen 

[dorn]

So I have solved my problem in a brutal way.

1. First I used ExifCleaner to wipe my Exif out.
2. Then I restored only photosphere tags in Exif:
exiftool -XMP-GPano:FullPanoHeightPixels="3040" -XMP-GPano:FullPanoWidthPixels="6080" -XMP-GPano:ProjectionType="equirectangular" -XMP-GPano:UsePanoramaViewer="True" photo.jpg
3. Then I added only latitude/longitude with the ExifTool.

After these brutal changes Google Street View was able to show a panorama for the photo.

P.S. After uploading these panoramas I reviewed my old photospheres in Google Street View. Some of them cannot be rendered anymore, some of them contain my name but show photos from another photographers, some of them lost coordinates so it seems something is very wrong at Google. So my conclusion - it is a Google problem.
And even their last version of Street View app for Android is very buggy.

[Phil Harvey]

We knew this was a Google problem to begin with.  The question was:  What is triggering this failure of their viewer?  If you knew this you could work around it.  At least now you have a brutal work-around.

- Phil

[dorn]

I have checked it with other browsers and even with some other computers. The rendering of my old photos was broken in some unpredictable way. One photo looks OK while the next photo (photographed just a couple of steps away so the same tags with slightly different latitude/longitude) cannot be rendered any more. Some kind of mystery.
I will ask Google support what's going on with their Google maps.