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The exiftool command below 'works' in that the data gets written to the file (see grep below). However, Finder, Photos and Adobe Lightroom don't recognize that the image has a position. Why not?

I took all of these values from an image that was taken with iphone and stamped 'correctly' - and that file shows position data in all of the programs above. There are seemingly hundreds of other exif attributes, so I'm not sure what's missing or invalid.

exiftool \
  -GPSLongitude="110 deg 12' 12.40\" E" \
  -GPSLatitude="7 deg 36' 28.92\" S" \
  -GPSLatitudeRef="South" \
  -GPSLongitudeRef="East" \
  -GPSDateStamp="2019:06:04" \
  -GPSTimeStamp="08:09:53" \
  -GPSStatus="Measurement Active" \
  -GPSMeasureMode="3-Dimensional Measurement" \
  -GPSMapDatum="WGS-84" \
  -GPSDifferential="No Correction" \
  screenshot1.png
1 image files updated

exiftool screenshot1.png | grep GPS
GPS Version ID                  : 2.3.0.0
GPS Latitude Ref                : South
GPS Longitude Ref               : East
GPS Time Stamp                  : 08:09:53
GPS Status                      : Measurement Active
GPS Measure Mode                : 3-Dimensional Measurement
GPS Map Datum                   : WGS-84
GPS Date Stamp                  : 2019:06:04
GPS Differential                : No Correction
GPS Date/Time                   : 2019:06:04 08:09:53Z
GPS Latitude                    : 7 deg 36' 28.92" S
GPS Longitude                   : 110 deg 12' 12.40" E
GPS Position                    : 7 deg 36' 28.92" S, 110 deg 12' 12.40" E
jsharpe
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1 Answers1

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The problem in this case is that you are using a PNG file. Software support for metadata in PNG files is lacking in most cases. If you convert it to another format, for example, TIFF, which would be a lossless conversion, then you would probably have better results.

Additionally, you might also try adding the data to the XMP group, which might give you better results with Lightroom (though probably not with the others) as XMP is an Adobe creation. Change your commands so that they have an XMP: prefix (i.e. XMP:GPSLongitude, XMP:GPSLatitude). Additionally, you would have to use XMP:GPSDateTime instead of the separate GPSDateStamp and GPSTimeStamp tags and drop the Ref tags (GPSLatitudeRef,GPSLongitudeRef, though keep GPSAltitudeRef if you have it) as XMP tags include the reference direction directly in the tag.

StarGeek
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  • My quick test using Adobe Bridge shows that the current version of Bridge will read XMP:GPS tags in PNG files, but not the EXIF:GPS tags, which is where your first command will write them. Additional tip, rather than grep exiftool output, you can use a wildcard to list just the gps tags. Also, it is helpful to add `-a` so exiftool will show all the output, as it will suppress duplicate tags by default and add `-G1` to include the group name where the tags are actually saved. For example `exiftool -G1 -a -gps* DIR` – StarGeek Jun 06 '19 at 16:37
  • interesting detail with the -G1 and -a flags. I noticed that a 'correctly' generated file has data set in the `[GPS]` and `[Composite]` groups: `[GPS] GPS Latitude : 8 deg 30' 47.07"` and `[Composite] GPS Latitude : 8 deg 30' 47.07" S` – jsharpe Jun 13 '19 at 11:23
  • if I write the lat/lng with the XMP prefix, some things get written to the `[Composite]` group, and some to the [XMP-exif] group which is probably not what I want given that "correct" solution seems to be int he `[GPS]` group -- any idea how to write to that? – jsharpe Jun 13 '19 at 11:25
  • The Composite tags are not [embedded data](https://sno.phy.queensu.ca/~phil/exiftool/TagNames/Composite.html). Those are tags that exiftool creates by collecting data from other tags. In this case, they would be derived from the XMP tags. You can safely ignore them. Exiftool will, by default write the data to the GPS group. Your original command does this. – StarGeek Jun 13 '19 at 17:16
  • The trouble is that, as I said, software support of metadata in PNG files is does not exist for the most part. You will not be able to view the data in Finder and Photos unless the devs update the software. LR should be able to read the data if you write it to the XMP tags. – StarGeek Jun 13 '19 at 17:18