Modifyable Timeline attribute for adding non images to the timeline

[Frank]

Imatch is focused on image management and also very good in none image documents.
But some none image like MOV videos produces metadata which cannot be changed with any tool on the market.
In the case of MOV I have discussed it with Phil. There is currently no way of changeing.
http://u88.n24.queensu.ca/exiftool/forum/index.php/topic,5545.0.html
Therfore I would like Imatch to look in a userdefied attribute  (even any metadata out of the file) which will be used for adding it to the timeline.
This can also be done like the specific behaviour of the metadata 2 (configure file formats).
If no metadata is found than the file should not be added to the timeline and the user has to repairs it. It is better not to add things wrong instead of not adding it.
Than it can be fixed later manually.

[Richard]

Hi Frank,

Did you read Mario's response to my request? https://www.photools.com/community/index.php?topic=1601.0

[Frank]

Hi Richard,
I have read the post, but I have an other request. I am looking for something which allows me to control on which date a document is created and added for that date to the timeline.
Currently as an example: If I have a wrong date and time in my MOV Videos I am not able to change it and these are added to the wrong date in the timeline. My MOV Videos containing exif information and thes are used by imatch. Unfortunakity these can not be changed to the correct date.

Therefore I am looking for something where I can do modification on any fileformat an use this attribut for displaying into the timeline.

regards
Frank

[Mario]

For MOV files IMatch uses the QuickTime date attributes to position the file on the time line.
You tried to modify the EXIF date and time for your MOV files, which is not possible. Modifying the proper QuickTime date and time info works, and this will also re-position your MOV files in the time line.

[Frank]

Hi Mario,
unfortunality it does not work. see also attached export of the attributes. The file is still in the wroong timeline 23.December 2013

regards
Frank

[attachment deleted by admin]

[Frank]

Hi Mario,
the exif information came from canon and there is no way of modifying.
regards
Frank

[Mario]

the exif information came from canon and there is no way of modifying.

Exactly. Non-standard. The Apple QuickTime MOV file format does not support EXIF data. This is what Phil also mentioned and why ExifTool does not support updating or adding EXIF data to MOV files.

The problem with your files is that they contain an EXIF record (which they should not). But this forces IMatch to use the EXIF create date in your files as "the" date for the file. And since you cannot change EXIF data in ExifTool and thus IMatch, you're stuck.

For regular MOV files, which do not contain EXIF records, IMatch works as follows:

It always checks for EXIF data first. This fails for MOV files. At least it should, except for your files which contain proprietary EXIF data added by Canon.

IMatch then looks at the file format, in this time MOV. For QuickTime files, IMatch then looks for a usable date in the Media Header Create or Modified Date. If nothing is found, it looks in the Movie Created or Movie Modified Date.

For standard MOV files, this works great. If a MOV file has no QuickTime metadata or no date info at all, IMatch also checks Composite date and time tags (in some cases ExifTool miraculously comes up with usable date in these tags). If this also fails, IMatch falls back to using XMP created or modified date tags.

In the case IMatch uses "native" (non-EXIF) date and time information, it also checks for the XMP CreateDate and Digitized date and time. This allows a user to override the native date and time information with XMP data - and this also controls the "Date and Time" IMatch shows, and where the file is located in the time line.

In short: If you can somehow remove the EXIF data from your MOV files, IMatch will use the embedded date and time data. And you can also update this with ExifTool.

[Frank]

Hi Mario,
thats why I wrote the feature request. This is something NON Standard but it cames from canon and I suppose that I am not the only imatch user using canon.

Thats why I suppose to let the user allow which attribute will be taken for the timeline like I mentioned in the feature request.

regards
Frank

[Mario]

As I wrote in my reply to one of your other posts, a configurable time-line is on my to-do list.

As for Canon putting non-Standard EXIF data into Apple QuickTime movie files, that's another thing. I don't think we should try to support any proprietary and vendor-specific "extension" of well-established standards. Maybe Apple puts out a new version of QuickTime to support Canon's proprietary extensions - or not.

Instead of forcing EXIF data into MOV files Canon should have just used XMP metadata.

[herman]

Hi Frank,

Sorry for breaking in into your conversation

I noticed on Phil's board that you are using a G12.

This may be a long shot, but I have a G11.
I can't imagine these PowerShots are very different.

My G11 produces a .THM file for every .MOV
As far as I can tell the .MOV contains just QuickTime information, no EXIF data, all Canon specific metadata is stuffed in the .THM file.

Now it may depend on your metadata2 settings and your per-file settings for the .MOV extension.
And we may have a bug here as well, as we are still in beta.

I have been playing around here with a G11 .MOV and associated .THM
I can change the data/time of the .THM as well as the date/time of the .MOV
In order to do so I just use the "Date Digitized" and "Date Created" fields in the "Default" Metadata panel.
I don't know if the .MOV and .THM are supposed to be synchronised, i.e. if the date/time should be changed in both files when you change it in one of them. I never touched this before.

If our PowerShots produce similar .MOV and .THM files I suggest you have a close look at your metadata2 settings and the per-file settings.

[Mario]

I have one of his G12 MOV files here. It contains EXIF data.

[herman]

Thanks.

That means I can stop trying to figure out what could be going on with my G11 .MOV files.
With the correct settings it seems to work here, probably because of the .THM.

[Frank]

Hi Mario,
as you mentioned

of your other posts, a configurable time-line is on my to-do list

Does this mean that it will work than?
Frank

[Mario]

Probably. It would work now if you just could get rid of the proprietary non-standard EXIF data in your MOV files.

I could add a work-around (skipping the check for EXIF date and time for MOV files). But then other users would most likely immediately complain because for their MOV files the EXIF time stamp is what they want to see in IMatch...

[Photon]

A wish (xmas is over):

• I would like to let IMatch read all meta-data during import and then never again.
  
• After this import IMatch shall keep all meta-data only in its database and xmp sidecars.
  
• Then the user can correct and change this metadata.
  
• Optionally media file metadata could be overwritten by Imatch data (if user likes this, if files are not read-only and if IMatch likes to support specific file format).
  

The basic issue with this idealistic wish are users, who like to modify metadata in files with external tools. I do not belong to this group, because IMatch is for me always the meta data master. My media files are only the initial slaves to provide as much as possible initial meta-data.

[Mario]

I would like to let IMatch read all meta-data during import and then never again.

That's what IMatch does. Unless the files are modified by other applications, or you write-back metadata (which includes a read-back to get all the metadata ExifTool produces during the write-back into the database).

If you disable background-write back and never perform a manual write-back, IMatch does not change the files on disk.