Using ExifTool for Quicktime files

[dcb]

With several IOS devices in the family, I frequently have several movie files for each lot of new media ingested into IMatch. These files are missing some information in the Metadata panel which is present for all images. Well, it's not really missing. It's just not in the same metadata fields so to be consistent I have to move it around a bit.

Due to a current bug with the way IMatch handles Quicktime fields (they seem to float from image to image) that prevents the Metadata templates from correctly identifying and formatting dates, I had to find a workaround. ExifTool (F9,E) is able to do what I needed to get the data into the right fields.

Code Select Expand

-overwrite_original_in_place
-model<quicktime:model
-make=<quicktime:make
-mwg:CreateDate<quicktime:createdate
-mwg:DateTimeOriginal<quicktime:createdate
{Files}

The lines work as follows:

Code Select Expand

-overwrite_original_in_place

Apply the metadata to a copy of the original file and then copy the update over the top of the original.

Code Select Expand

-model<quicktime:model
-make=<quicktime:make

These two lines take the make and model from the Quicktime information and insert them into the equivalent standard XMP fields. By doing this, the movies turn up in my "make and model" dynamic category. Otherwise they are not consistently filed. In every case make is "Apple" and the model is "iPhone 5s", "iPad", etc.

Code Select Expand

-mwg:CreateDate<quicktime:createdate
-mwg:DateTimeOriginal<quicktime:createdate


Something similar here for dates. IMatch does file the movie correctly in the Timeline but I also like to have the standard XMP fields set.  The mwg prefix means apply to all relevant creation and original dates across all metadata types. It says "use the Metadata Working Group" standards.

Code Select Expand

{Files}

This last line simply means for all selected files.


I hope this serves as an example of what you can do without resorting to scripting. To have this capability within IMatch is one of the reasons I'm such a fan.

[Mario]

As an alternative, instead of directly using ExifTool, you can also use a Metadata Template for such purposes.

Metadata Templates allow you to copy data between tags easily. You select the target tag (e.g. XMP Make) and then specify the data to copy into this tag via IMatch variables (e.g. the variable for the corresponding QuickTime metadata). This even allows you to format/clean the data using variable formatting functions, combine/merge data from multiple tags into one target tag etc.

Plus, Metadata Templates work on the database, so this is much faster and you can control if and when the metadata is written back.

[dcb]

As an alternative, instead of directly using ExifTool, you can also use a Metadata Template for such purposes.

Metadata Templates allow you to copy data between tags easily. You select the target tag (e.g. XMP Make) and then specify the data to copy into this tag via IMatch variables (e.g. the variable for the corresponding QuickTime metadata). This even allows you to format/clean the data using variable formatting functions, combine/merge data from multiple tags into one target tag etc.

Plus, Metadata Templates work on the database, so this is much faster and you can control if and when the metadata is written back.

Mario's absolutely correct (after all it's his software) and that's what I'd recommend. The case above is a workaround for a current bug but also a useful demonstration of using ExifTool.

[Mario]

Bug?
I used a Metadata Template this morning to combine metadata from several proprietary maker notes into standard XMP tags before writing-back and shipping the files. Worked like a charm. Which bug # do you refer to?

[dcb]

Bug?
I used a Metadata Template this morning to combine metadata from several proprietary maker notes into standard XMP tags before writing-back and shipping the files. Worked like a charm. Which bug # do you refer to?

https://www.photools.com/community/index.php?topic=1483