ExifTool GUI - ver. 4 vs. ver. 3

[tomczak]

Hi Bogdan,

I just realized that you've moved here.  Here are a few questions re. the new version 4:

1. 'Add Tag to Custom View' does not seem to work from All view.  For instance, I couldn't figure out how to add ICC_Profile:ColourProfile tag to Custom with right click.  Finally I went to .ini file and added it by hand - which works as before

2. I'm missing 'Default Values' - it was convenient to have e.g. copyright, the date and the author set without having to retype it.  Is there a way of doing it in the new version?

3. In the old version, I could control what is being shown in the List of files. For instance, I listed the ICC profile tag from exif (as tagged by the camera) and the ICC actual ColourProfile in the ICC List - this way I could quickly check if the final images are prepared for shipping and if I didn't mess up the colour profiles.  Same with copyright and author (I wanted to make sure if all the images have the right info}.  Is there a way of doing it in the new version?

4. I can't find 'Import ICC/ICM file' any longer, especially its conditional version (tagging with different ICC profile depending on the exif ICC tag set by camera).  I found it v. useful when, for instance, the JPGs from Canon 350D have a mixture of sRGB and AdobeRGB exif tags (depending on the camera settings), but since they don't have the actual ICC profiles embedded in them, I embedded ICC profiles with the GUI as appropriate.  The only way I figured how to do that in the new version is to Import Metadata into a single file, and than choose ICC, but I can only do it on a single file and have to manually check exif to know which profile to embed.

Cheers and thanks.

mt

[BogdanH]

Hi,

1. About not being possible to add tags from ALL into Custom view:
I've done that with purpose. Well, the reason for this limitation is somehow "weak".. thus, in next update, there will be no limitation in this regard.

2. Default Author and Copyright values will be back as well. However, I can't recall what for default DateTime value should be good.. I mean, in what case would we decide for all files to have all the same DateTime values?

3+4. To my knowledge, ICC data is (and should be) added into file only when photo is edited by some image editor and then saved (if user decides to include ICC as well) -which should guarantee file contains ICC data which has been used in work (that is, there can't be any mess about ICC). At least, that's what happens when using Canon DPP software.
If you're interested on particular ICC tags to be shown , then let me know and I'll see what I can do.

Bogdan

[tomczak]

Many thanks, Bogdan,

Re. 2) I used the same date for all files that were ready to ship to an editors/buyers if I felt that actual date and time would compromise the subject confidentiality.  It's minor, doesn't happen too often and can be done by hand anyway.

Re. 3&4) Consider this: if I shoot JPGs using Canon 350D (or extract embedded JPGs from .CR2 files), there is a choice of setting the ICC colour profile in-camera: sRGB or AdobeRGB.  I used to set it to AdobeRGB, and then switched to sRGB because my workflow changed.  Now I have a mixture of both, but they are not tagged with ICC profiles - they only have an EXIF:ColorSpace tag that indicates which setting was used.  If I open any of them in a colour-managed application, it doesn't know how to interpret the colours (or more likely will assume that the space is sRGB, thus distorting the colours if the JPG is in AdobeRGB).  Being able to embed the proper ICC profile (automatically and conditionally on the EXIF tag), solved the problem and was a life saver.

Similarly, being able to list the ICC profiles for multiple files was an excellent check before shipping the files to the printer/editors: often there are at least 3 ICC colour spaces I work with - for instance I could be sending 2 versions of the file to the editor/printer: one with the actual printing press ICC profile obtained from the printer, the other in sRGB for their web display - and then I keep archive copy in AdobeRGB (and I also use it as a working colour space). 

I almost always mixed something up, especially when working on multiple versions of several images processed over a few days...  With one look at the list I could fix the colour profile easily.

Thanks again!

[BogdanH]

Hi,

Thanks for explanation. To be honest (and not an expert!), I'm not sure if you're doing these ICC things the right way... but if you're happy with results, then it's ok I suppose.
Anyway, I'm working hard on ICC solution and it seems promising for now. I hope it will cover your needs.

Bogdan
PS: I don't plan to implement metadata manipulation in subdirectories -sorry to disappoint you.

Added:
New ExifToolGUI v4.08 is available for downloading.
Btw. I'm somehow proud on how I implemented that ICC stuff -thanks for documentation, Phil 

[tomczak]

Many thanks, Bogdan!

Cheers.

mt

[Phil Harvey]

-thanks for documentation, Phil 

You're welcome!  It is nice to know that someone actually reads it...

- Phil

[tomczak]

There is one more feature that I just discovered I'm missing from the old version: extracting embedded preview JPGs from multiple RAW files (i.e. all selected).

The reason I found it so useful was that this allowed me to shot only RAW (rather than RAW+JPEG) since I could always extract the in-camera processed JPEG from RAW files, but I typically have to do them for several files at once.  Depending on the mode and the camera the embedded Jepeg preview can be full size or 1/4 of it (area wise), but it's still v. useful thing to have along with the RAW.

Cheers.

mt

[BogdanH]

I understand... I will try to bring back multi-file jpg extraction.

Bogdan

[tomczak]

Bogdan, many thanks for v.4.9 and implementing suggestions.

Would extracting embedded JPGs from multiple RAW be still be a functionality that may be added to GUI in the future? 

Cheers!

mt

[BogdanH]

Hi,
I admit, I forgot about this.. sorry. Now, it's in my next To-Do. Thank you for reminding me.

Bogdan

[Phoenix]

Hi Bogdan,

what I miss is the "preserve DateModified of files" option from the old version.

Kind regards,
Tom

[BogdanH]

Hi Tom,

Reason to abandon this option was a fact, that most image editors/tools don't preserve DateModified anyway. Atually that's why this info exist in first place: to be updated when file modification occur.
However, if helps, menu option Various>File:DateModified=Exif:DateTime... is still available.

Bogdan

[coz]

Bogdan,

The preserve date modified is useful and some programs, such as Lightroom, do not modify the original files.

It is especially useful to add metadata to RAW files (before importing them into Lightroom) without subsequently having to run File Modified=Date Created.  It saves a lot of time.

Thanks,
Chris

[tomczak]

Thanks for implementing the 'memory' in ExifTool Direct!  This may be stupid, but in the previous version (the one without memory), there was a little 'cheat sheet' every time the function was called:

Examples:
-Exif:Artist="Your Name"
-Exif:ISO=200
-Exif:Copyright<Exif:Artist

This was priceless for me, since it reminded mi right away how ExifTool commands are structured (and that they start with a dash and that text need to be in double quotes etc).  Thanks.

mt

[BogdanH]

Yes, I know what you mean. For the same reason I've made (well, only) two predefined examples, which can be later modified/deleted by user.
I believe there's still some space left for one button in Exiftool direct panel... I will made few permanent basic  examples, so user can "refresh" it's memory.

Bogdan