GPS coordinates from categories / search by GPS area

[PierreC]

Hello
I would appreciate some pointers within the community topics / docs in order to perform the following :
-I started my amateur collection of digitalphotos in 2000. Back then I was using a number of digital cameras without GPS tagging. So I created in iMatch categories a "Location category" with 3 levels (sometimes using only the first...) COUNTRY>CITY>PLACE
Then came the iphones (I will make the pros shout...) and my pics since 2011 havr the GPS taggs.

So my questions :
1-I want to GPS tag the old photos by going thru each of my COUNTRY>CITY 2 levels, get the correspoonding GPS coordinates, and enter them in the GPS meta data fields of the photo ==> Any advise on hw to do it efficiently would help a lot!

2-Once done, how would you advise to perform photos searches based on GPS coordinates areas? I imagine it would take an app, on which I could select visually a range of GPS coordinates and get as a result the corresponding photos

Thanks a lot

Pierre

[Mario]

Do you have ever used the Map Panel in IMatch?

The Map Panel

This panel allows you to apply GPS coordinates to files, to perform reverse geo-coding, to find images by GPS coordinates, find images in an area etc.
One your files have GPS data, you can also use the GPS Filter in the Filter Panel.

[PierreC]

Thanks Mario, will give it a try.
As I have probably 2 dozens of Country catergories, and then an average of 10 cities/places combination per coutnry, would you have advise that I go manual = for each of the 240 locations, I find the GPS coordinates, and then enter them as metadata in the meta data panel for the pictures which correspond to this one location?

Thanks
Pierre

[Mario]

240 files is nothing.
Open the map panel, select the file and click the spot on the map. This will set GPS coordinates for the file.
If you enable and configure reverse-geocind, this will also set location data like country, city, location etc. automatically.

[PierreC]

Just tried it (select the file, click on the map)... I love it, thanks!

[Mario]

Tip: If there are several images for the same position, you can select them all and set the coordinates with one click.

[PierreC]

Thanks, really great! I have now to set up the Google API to use the reverse geocoding (need to dig into how to restrict the API key which is brand new domain for me...)
Pierre

[Jingo]

Also, don't forget you can setup Metadata Templates for places you want to mark all the time and then add that to your Favorite.  As an example, I have a MT as a favorite for my cats... since they are always in my house, the MT adds a keyword for the cat and sets up the GPS data for the location "home" I have setup in the MAP Locations... One stop shopping!  If I just want to add HOME to a bunch of photos, I have that as a MT in the Favorites as well. 

Powerful MAP panel stuff... along with Metadata Templates and Favorites - you can do an awful lot!

[PierreC]

Thank you both, will also set up the template

Yesterday,  did try to set up the Google Map API... but finally stopped, and now reverted to
-OPENSTREETMap in the preference of the map panel
-Geonames in the Edit /Preferences / Geo & Map - I added the username of my freshly created account (I tried the username and the email, same result)

Now :
-I can search photos based on permiters I draw on the map of openstreet
-I can select a group of photos which are taken in the same place, open the map panel (now openstreet), place the position of the place, apply it, and then save the metadata ==> All set (that is the scenario for my old pictures without GPS but for which I used y categories)

What I am still not able to do :
-Once in the map panel, if I search (Find Location), while Seach with Geonames.org is selected,  then whatever I enter in the field, it does not go there, it stays where it is
-If I select a pic with GPS data, I click on Reverse Geocode, then press lookup, I get "Imatch could not establish a connection with the geocoding services GeoNames> The server may be unavailable or too busy..."

Any idea of what I do wrong? Should I open a specific port on my router?

Thanks
Pierre

[PierreC]

Some more tests and some help from Mario :
-I had not activated the free web services on Geonames.org : once logged in, you click on your user name (top right) and you will see if your Free Webservices are activated.

I did activate them and now I can also :
-look for any place based on its name
-Reverse geocode any photo

I will look in a second step how to do all this with Google and let you know

[Mario]

Make sure your Google account is linked to a credit card or other payment method.
Google allows map access and reverse geocoding only for accounts with a payment method. Even if you never exceed your monthly free quota.

[PierreC]

Hello to all

I have just finished SUCCESSFULLY setting up the Google services for iMatch map functions, following Mario's advises :
-make sure your project in the Google Console has a payment enabled (it won't trigger costs, up to 300 USD usage, and is blocked above except formal approval from you)
-Add the 3 APIs as per the link here https://www.photools.com/imatch/api-keys-explained/
-Create the API Key
-Paste it in the Edit / Preferences / Geo andn Maps / Google Maps API Key, and set Provider Search to Google, Geoservice Google, and I have also enabled Auto reverse Geo coding

Now, I select a pic which has no GPS data, I go to the Map Panel (where I have selected Google Maps as the map - I took the Hybrid view), it opens Google Maps, I search the place, I position the marker, and set this, and the selected pics get the GPS data and the reverse Reverse Geocoded metadata filled. I just have to click on the pen in the File window, and this gets written to the pic files

Really great. Thanks

My next point will be how to secure the API usage of Google, and here, a bit of help owuld be appreciated


Keep safe.

[Mario]

What do you mean by secure?

Google gives you a credit of 300US$ for one year.
Then you'll have to pay if you use more of their services than covered with your monthly free quota (currently 1,000 map lookups, when I recall correctly).
Just keep your API key secret, don't share it and don't post it anywhere.

You cannot "lock" the key further unless your PC has a static IP address. Then you could lock the API key to this IP address.
Since IMatch is no "app" you cannot lock the key to an app. This is something designed for Android apps, not for Windows software like IMatch.

All the mechanisms are not designed for 'individual' use.
Usually I would create an app and API key. Then lock it to my server. Then route all IMatch Map Panel operations through my server to Google.
Only I would need an API key and users would never have to deal with this.
But then I also would have to pay for the Google mapping and reverse geocoding for all IMatch users. Which could end badly for me.

And, it would cause massive legal and privacy issues.
In order to allow you access to these services, I would need to know you (user name and license key).
The GPS coordinates of all files you view on the map panel and the location (when you do reverse geocode) would be routed over my server.
This is all valuable and private data. It is covered by the GDPR for good reasons.

Adobe does this in Lr. When you have the subscription.
Only as long as your subscription is active and you pay every month.
And Adobe has much deeper pockets than me, large law and procurement departments etc.

And they lock you into Google.
I don't want this.

I support Google Maps, Bing Maps, OpenStreetMap and HERE Maps in IMatch.
And Google, GeoNames.org  and HERE for reverse geo-coding.
This gives you choices and you stay in control over which of these companies get your data.
Or if you send your data at all. The mapping in Lr is probably always active and exchanging data with Google.