Geocoding Pictures

[+imajeep]

I posted a question here a couple of weeks ago about geocoding pictures--adding location data to photographs for display in Flickr or Google Earth. Since then, I've been playing with a new piece of Google software, GPicSync, that is pretty cool (and free ).

 

Basically, the software geocodes pictures from a GPX tracklog file. You can add audio commentary to any picture from a your camera's built-in feature, or from a digital audio recorder (I'm using a $50 Olympus recorder). The software can simply geocode the pictures, or it can bundle up the tracklog, the pictures, and the audio into a KMZ file for display in Google Earth or Google Maps. The software's home page has some example files to show what it does.

 

Obviously, its not the only software out there that does this sort of thing, but IMO it's well done, and you can't beat the price!

[BRTango]

I posted a question here a couple of weeks ago about geocoding pictures--adding location data to photographs for display in Flickr or Google Earth. Since then, I've been playing with a new piece of Google software, GPicSync, that is pretty cool (and free ).

 

Basically, the software geocodes pictures from a GPX tracklog file. You can add audio commentary to any picture from a your camera's built-in feature, or from a digital audio recorder (I'm using a $50 Olympus recorder). The software can simply geocode the pictures, or it can bundle up the tracklog, the pictures, and the audio into a KMZ file for display in Google Earth or Google Maps. The software's home page has some example files to show what it does.

 

Obviously, its not the only software out there that does this sort of thing, but IMO it's well done, and you can't beat the price!

 

After seeing your previous post about this, I got really curious. I tried GPicSync and while it coded my pictures... I had a heck of a time getting the synch to read the camera time/date and the GPS time/date the same. It consistently had them 4 hours off, even though they were sync'd down to the second.

 

After playing around with it, I was finally able to get it to sync the pics, but it put them in reverse order on the GPS track. So looking at the hike I did, nothing matched up.

 

I looked into a few other things, and while it does cost money ($25) Jet Photo Studio did the job with no complications on the first try. The interface is much more advanced (of course GPicSynch is still in beta and is free so that's understandable.)

[+imajeep]

After seeing your previous post about this, I got really curious. I tried GPicSync and while it coded my pictures... I had a heck of a time getting the synch to read the camera time/date and the GPS time/date the same. It consistently had them 4 hours off, even though they were sync'd down to the second.

 

After playing around with it, I was finally able to get it to sync the pics, but it put them in reverse order on the GPS track. So looking at the hike I did, nothing matched up.

 

I looked into a few other things, and while it does cost money ($25) Jet Photo Studio did the job with no complications on the first try. The interface is much more advanced (of course GPicSynch is still in beta and is free so that's understandable.)

 

Hmm--hadn't seet Jet Photo Studio. Thanks for the tip.

 

As to syncing in GPicSync--I had some trouble initially. My camera was synched to the second with my GPS, but my times were five hours off! I learned that although my GPS displays local time, it records UTC to the track log. I reset my camera to UTC, and sync works fine.

 

The program subsequently added a 'Local time offset" box for people who want to keep their camera on local time. Turn off the 'Require same date' option if you use that though, or late evening pictures won't sync.

 

I'll check out Jet. Also, RoboGEO is very popular and quite good.

[+Knight2000]

We have been using PhotoMapper for a coupla weeks. Similar. You load the tracks and pics and it codes them if desired. You can also view in google earth. It was free too. So far according to google earth the pictures are usually pretty close to our location. Maybe off by 50 feet. If you can sync the times, then it should work pretty well.

 

It doesnt code the info on the picture though. Which is kinda what i was hoping for. But it is kinda neat.

[drstan00]

Cool, I've never seen that program before. I've been tagging them manually for a while now. Thanks for the tips about time too, I'll have to give it a shot.

[TeamCypherX]

I've been using JetPhoto. It does the job. I didn't want to spend the money but the only programs that I found did a decent job were JetPhoto and RoboGEO and they both cost money. I shoot RAW+JPG on my Nikon so I just throw the jpg's into jetphoto and geocode them and then if I want better looking pictures I have a second copy to work with. At least I know where it was I took the shots.

[+Kit Fox]

I've been using JetPhoto. It does the job. I didn't want to spend the money but the only programs that I found did a decent job were JetPhoto and RoboGEO and they both cost money. I shoot RAW+JPG on my Nikon so I just throw the jpg's into jetphoto and geocode them and then if I want better looking pictures I have a second copy to work with. At least I know where it was I took the shots.

 

The Nikon D200 has GPS connectivity which will code the metadata with the coordinates.

 

 

To me, I don't really see the usefulness of knowing the exact location of everyone of my photographs. On a recent trip to a military jet crash, I took about 60 pictures. It would take a long time out of my trip just to document the coords for each photo. Why do others geocode their pictures?

Edited June 2, 2007 by Kit Fox

[drstan00]

To me, I don't really see the usefulness of knowing the exact location of everyone of my photographs. On a recent trip to a military jet crash, I took about 60 pictures. It would take a long time out of my trip just to document the coords for each photo. Why do others geocode their pitcures?

 

I like to export the pictures in KML format to show on Google Maps. It's a neat way of showing people an area since they can check out the map at the same time. Kind of a virtual tour.

 

As far as taking a long time out of the trip to document the coordinates, as I understand it some of these pieces of software just require you to sync up your camera and GPS clock. I'm not sure you really have to do anything until you get back to your computer.

 

Thanks for the info about the Nikon, I know a few photo hobbyists that would be very interested in that.

[BRTango]

After seeing your previous post about this, I got really curious. I tried GPicSync and while it coded my pictures... I had a heck of a time getting the synch to read the camera time/date and the GPS time/date the same. It consistently had them 4 hours off, even though they were sync'd down to the second.

 

After playing around with it, I was finally able to get it to sync the pics, but it put them in reverse order on the GPS track. So looking at the hike I did, nothing matched up.

 

I looked into a few other things, and while it does cost money ($25) Jet Photo Studio did the job with no complications on the first try. The interface is much more advanced (of course GPicSynch is still in beta and is free so that's understandable.)

 

Hmm--hadn't seet Jet Photo Studio. Thanks for the tip.

 

As to syncing in GPicSync--I had some trouble initially. My camera was synched to the second with my GPS, but my times were five hours off! I learned that although my GPS displays local time, it records UTC to the track log. I reset my camera to UTC, and sync works fine.

 

The program subsequently added a 'Local time offset" box for people who want to keep their camera on local time. Turn off the 'Require same date' option if you use that though, or late evening pictures won't sync.

 

I'll check out Jet. Also, RoboGEO is very popular and quite good.

 

Ah... that must have been my problem. I'll check that out when I get home.