Restoring Metadata from other Imagse

[foto3d]

Hi,

I'm having frustration finding a GUI-based EXIF tool for a PC (most use Phil's fine EXIF engine) that still exists and works and restores EXIF, Color Profile and IPTC data (at least Title, Captions and Keywords).  Many sites linked no longer exist.

I'm starting a 3D stock image site, and the whole world is enamoured with a generally wonderful free tool called StereoPhoto Maker.  Wonderful and fully featured, *except* that it strips off every last bit of metadata leaving images without any.  If anyone has ever contributed stock, you know that the information is muy importante.

I'm finding bits and pieces- EXIF and IPTC, but Color Profile ignored.  Yes, the camera sets the profile, but it seems most everyone ignores it and it gets stripped out or not copied.  I found one tool that copies EXIF and Color Profile, but not IPTC.  I can't just seem to get them all in one tool.

Geotagger does geotagging, EXIF and IPTC, but no color space.
ExifyMe ignores color space
PhotoME doesn't take input from another JPG.  It has to be exported from a JPG to a template then imported- far too many steps for a workflow.
OPanda PowerEXIF ignores color space

EXIF Copier- website gone
EXIF Dropper- Wordpress blog with no useful information

The other tools seem to do other things, not restore data.

We are rolling workflows out to our contributors, and if things are too difficult, they won't do it and we'll not get as many images as we otherwise coould.

So far, the only option we have is to open the original image in Photoshop, if the photographer has it, and paste the 3D image into it (while doubling the canvas size to accommodate it), then flatten and Save As...  Or command line every single image, which is hard core for many photographers that are not used to such things.

Any ideas?

Thanks,
Jeff

[BogdanH]

Hi Jeff,

Try with ExifToolGUI:
https://exiftool.org/forum/index.php/topic,2750.0.html
-maybe it will do what you want:
https://exiftool.org/gui/#m_exp_imp

Bogdan

[foto3d]

Hi Bogdan,

Thanks!  It took a few minutes to realize the (-k) in the toolname needed to come off     It works now.

It seems to get the data, but a perhaps finer point question about color profile.  In the original image with the original data, it shows two different color space entries:

• exif:ColorSpace=1;
• photoshop:ICCProfile =sRGB;

Of course in the 3D processed image that was without any metadata, I only saw this:

• exif:ColorSpace=65535;

When I did the restore, I see the following in the restored file:

• exif:ColorSpace=65535;
• photoshop:ICCProfile =sRGB;

There was extra bits to the ICC profile descriptor, but that sums it up that it was sRGB.  So EXIFTool sets the ICC profile but does not set the ColorSpace?  I suppose we could check for either/or and if we see sRGB in one of the two places, we should be fine.

Let me know if I'm on the right track here.  W.r.t. color space, at this level of detail, I'm still learning.

Much thanks!
Jeff

[BogdanH]

Hi Jeff,

Exif ColorSpace value 65535 (FFFF hex) means "Uncalibrated", which can be understand as "unknown". You can change ColorSpace value to 1, to get "sRGB" (http://www.exiftool.org/TagNames/EXIF.html )
ExifTool doesn't automatically set Exif ColorSpace value depending on other color related values -you must do that manually.

Bogdan

[foto3d]

Hi Bogdan,

Thanks- I think I am getting the picture.  We face the problem that our photographers all used that free tool that mangles the data and strips all of it out, yet as a photo agency, we need it to be restored.  We would prefer a known good color profile to be re-embedded, which the CMD-line tool can do (I saw that in another thread).  So I think for now, we are going to recommend either Photoshop (open original and 3D images, paste one into the other after enlarging the canvas to fit, then save under new name) or exiftool DOS command to do these tasks, which includes embedding the actual ICC profile.

Then once the photographers realize how much extra work this is, they'll hopefully switch with newer photos to using our approved 3D processing application that actually does preserve everything.

Jeff