Image ingester bugs on Exif DateTime expansion

[Massimo Novi]

Hi,

I am evaluating the 3.x release of II but I noticed some strane behaviour on @exif.DateTimeOriginal (and all the date expansions). I don't know if other users found the same issues:

1) Macros on exif time doesn't work as Catalog Sets tags. If I insert {@exif.DateTimeOriginal, 1, 4} in the Catalog Sets hierarchy the macro is not expanded in the field (nor in the File Info of Photoshop). Other macros as {QF.Job} work.

2) Sometimes the {@exif.DateTimeOriginal, 1, 4} generates a "0000" folder. It happened with Olympus ORF files (EXIF data was ok).

3) Is there any way to reset to 1 the sequence automatically at any ingest? I use the sequence to number files but I don't need a continuous counter.

4) ORF files are not previewed with Thumbnails. It too bad! NEF are OK but ORF are leaved behind?

5) The check/uncheck to select files to download is ok but it would be better if selecting a date or a range of dates would automatically select the corrispondent images on the right.

I hope the macro bugs will be solved or a workaround found before official release.

Massimo Novi

[ianw]

Massimo,

I can't help you, but you do need to give a bit more information so that someone can.  The most important questions will be:

• Are you Windows or Mac?
• Which version of which O/S are you on?
• Which Olympus camera do you have?

Both II2 and II3 have worked for me with E1, E510 and E3 ORF files.  I would guess you maybe have an E420 or E520 and that the version of ExifTool, which is included and used by II, is not one that yet supports your camera.

I can't help with the macros!

Ian

[Massimo Novi]

Ian,

The O.S. is Windows XP with SP3. Olympus C5050Z camera (great!).

I think the ExifTool version is the latest included with IIP 3.2.0.4. Thumbnails ORF probably can be a problem yet. You see them with the E3 or a generic icon?

Massimo

[ianw]

Massimo,

I'm also on XP with SP3.  Not sure of the exact version of IIP3 I'm using (at work so away from my own computer) but if not the latest one then it's not far off.

I do see E3 thumbnails without any problems.  E1 images also work.  I mentioned ExifTool as I believe this is used to extract the thumbnail out of the ORF file.  This means that some of the functionality of IIP is at the mercy of the ExifTool.  Almost a year ago I had problems with II2 when trying to add GPS data to E3 images, which was then a new camera.  It turned out that ExifTool had not been updated to work for this camera - ORF files differ from one camera model to another.  The problem was fixed by putting the latest ExifTool executable into the II program file directory to replace the version that was there.  Marc then issued an updated version of II2 that had the latest version of ExifTool.  However the C5050Z is not a new camera.  It may be that ExifTool really doesn't support the ORF files from this camera or it could be something unrelated.  It may be that Marc asks you to supply him a sample image for investigation.  I think you now need to wait for Marc to come online and respond.

Ian

[Massimo Novi]

Thank You for You answer Ian,

I downloaded the latest ExifTools and I will make some tests later this day to see if C5050 ORF can be extracted.

I hope that Marc can respond to this issue and to the macro problem.

Massimo

[Marc Rochkind]

Massimo--

1. If EXIF macros don't work in Catalog Sets, this isn't easily fixable. Sorry.

2. Are you sure that when {@exif.DateTimeOriginal, 1, 4} generates zeros that DateTimeOriginal is in the EXIF data? There is also DateTimeDigitized and a couple of other date/times. You might try DateTimeAny (see User's Manual for details).

3. Sorry, no way to reset the number automatically.

4. Some ORF files certainly work. Send me a sample ORF file that does not, and I will try to fix the problem.

5. You're probably right about this, but I don't think I'll have time to make this enhancement.

--Marc

[Massimo Novi]

Marc,

Thank You for Your answers. I will re-test with DateTimeAny macro for 0000 folder but I think I already tested it and it seems it's not working too. I will include some screenshots to show the strange parsed text on the UI.

I will send tomorrow a C5050Z ORF file on ImageIngester@basepath.com for You to test. Thank You again!

Massimo

[Massimo Novi]

Hi Marc,

I sent to You an ORF file to test (FileFactory link).

Regarding the Catalog sets macro problem I noticed that the simple macro {@exif.DateTimeOriginal} works but {@exif.DateTimeOriginal,1,4} does not (it can't be parsed). I tested wit DateTimeAny also and the behaviour is the same. The submacro character extraction does not work on Catalog Sets hierarchy. It can be fixed?

I am been unable to reproduce the 0000 folder bug. If it will reappear I will inform You.

I noticed another strange issue: if I "reimport" some RAW that already had XMP sidecar files in the same folder, the resulting XMP sidecar on the destination folder does not contains the Mediapro fields like Catalog sets, event, and the other related fields. This does not happens (Mediapro fileds are correctly generated) when I import RAW files that not have XMP files in the same directory. Are XMP files (old and new) merged somehow?

Thank You for Your help!

Massimo

[Marc Rochkind]

Massimo--

XMPs are not merged. If the source file already has an XMP, a new one is not created, and the existing one is not written to. It is carried along, however.

--Marc

[Massimo Novi]

Thank You Marc,

Any news about the ORF problem? I installed the CODEC from Olympus and it works on EM 2 on previews but IIP remains blank on thumbnails (it doesn't use CODEC probably).

I hope the macro issue on Catalogs hierarchy dates subchar extraction could be solved before the release of 3.x of IIP.

Massimo

[Marc Rochkind]

Massimo--

It will be a week or two at least before I can get to the ORF problem. I'm not sure the macro issue will be solved... I'll see where it is on the priority list.

--Marc

[PhilHarvey]

Hi Massimo and Marc,

I would like to look at this too, and a C5050Z sample ORF would be very useful (I don't have one for that camera).

If you could make the ORF available to me, that would be great.  My email is phil at owl.phy.queensu.ca.

Thanks.

- Phil Harvey

[Marc Rochkind]

Nice to have you here, Phil!

--Marc

[Massimo Novi]

Hi Phil

I sent You the ORF download link sent to Marc so You can test.

Hi Marc

Any news on the thumbnail issue?

Massimo

[PhilHarvey]

Hi Marc and Massimo,

Thanks for the sample Massimo.  I've run exiftool on it and everything seems to work OK.  It extracts the date/times and the thumbnail image properly, and I can't see anything else unusual.  There is no larger PreviewImage in this ORF as in images from E-series cameras, but none of my other C-series ORF samples contain a PreviewImage either, so this looks normal.  However, it does contain the standard 160x120 pixel ThumbnailImage.

- Phil