2019.8.4 Paste Attributes & Data

[jch2103]

It appears that the fix for Paste Attributes & Data bug was only partly successful for GPS.

I have two test nef images, one without (_DSC2097.NEF) and one with GPS coordinates (_DSC2098.NEF) (coordinates created with an external GPS module). When I use Copy/Paste Attributes & Data using the paste GPS data options, only the GPS Data Block option (for image _DSC2097-3.NEF in the attached log) appears to work successfully. I.e., 'GPS Coordinates' (_DSC2097-1.NEF), 'GPS Shown/Dest Coordinates' (_DSC2097-2) and 'XMP GPS Date' (_DSC2097-4.NEF) (which I didn't expect to work as no .xmp sidecar files were yet created) don't add any GPS data to the target file. 

Let me know if you need more information. Log file attached in case it shows anything.

[Mario]

The Copy Attributes dialog works now exactly as before. It was just a glitch in a resource file.

There is so much that can go wrong when you copy data that way.
Which groups do you enable in the dialog? Usually XMP is all you need.
if no XMP files are yet created, ExifTool may be unable to proceed successfully. Make sure that files are written back before you attempt to copy data that way.
There are also dependencies between native GPS and XMP GPS data.

As I said, so much can go wrong if you copy data around between RAW files...

Show output of ExifTool panel so we can see which tags are copied by ExifTool.

[jch2103]

Perhaps this is an edge case, but...

If one has two raw files (nef in this case) and one wants to copy GPS data from one to the other:
- Unless one has caused IM to generate XMP files (i.e., the files have been ingested into IM but no metadata has been added) the copy/paste attributes will fail in the case of 'GPS Coordinates', 'GPS Shown/Dest Coordinates' and 'XMP GPS Data'.

Warning: No writable tags set from D:\John\Pictures\Nikon Z6\2019_0824\_DSC2098.NEF
Warning: Nothing to write - D:/John/Pictures/Nikon Z6/2019_0824/_DSC2097-4.xmp
Warning: Error opening file - D:/John/Pictures/Nikon Z6/2019_0824/_DSC2097-4.xmp
Warning: Nothing to write - D:/John/Pictures/Nikon Z6/2019_0824/_DSC2097-4.xmp

- However, the copy/paste attributes will succeed for 'GPS Data Block'.

-overwrite_original_in_place
-m
-charset
FILENAME=UTF8
-charset
ExifTool={PTETCHARSET}
-tagsfromfile
D:\John\Pictures\Nikon Z6\2019_0824\_DSC2098.NEF
-gps:all
D:\John\Pictures\Nikon Z6\2019_0824\_DSC2097-4.NEF
-execute
-execute9999

    1 image files updated

I would suggest the following addition to the Help:
Feedback for help topic: 'paste_attributes.htm'
My feedback:
GPS Data
[Suggested addition for this section, after existing text.]
In the special case of copying GPS data from one raw file (e.g., .nef) to another where no .xmp files yet exist, you should use the GPS Data Bloc set in this dialog.

This may be too specialized a case, but it may help someone dealing with raw files without .xmp files. Actually, it's a bit more complicated than that: I forced creation of an .xmp for the target file by adding location data to a .nef target image (Country, State, City), but the XMP GPS Data command still failed (because there still wasn't a .xmp file for the source image). Much too complicated to explain all these nuances in the Help given other things that could complicate copying metadata, but the above Help suggestion may cover some situations.

[Mario]

As far as I can tell, the source file is first written (when it has pending write-backs). This produces the XMP file.
Then the data is copied as per user#s selection.

What have you done to the source file before issuing the copy attributes? Which tags were modified?
Or, were no tags modified at all and hence no XMP file exists and none was produced, because you did not make any change at all to the source NEF? This is unlikely, because XMP data is created as soon as IMatch imports a NEF, by mapping the existing EXIF/GPS/... data into XMP.

[jch2103]

What have you done to the source file before issuing the copy attributes? Which tags were modified?
Or, were no tags modified at all and hence no XMP file exists and none was produced, because you did not make any change at all to the source NEF? This is unlikely, because XMP data is created as soon as IMatch imports a NEF, by mapping the existing EXIF/GPS/... data into XMP.

In this situation, I hadn't done anything to the nef files at all except ingest them into IM (they were just test photos to make sure my external GPS was still working OK despite the rollover of the GPS time epoch - I'd seen a report that users of a different external GPS had run into issues, although mine is OK). One of the images didn't have GPS data because I hadn't given the unit time to get a fix. But neither of the two images got a .xmp sidecar file in IMatch. That matches what I'm seeing for other nef images I've ingested recently where I haven't yet added any metadata (they did all have GPS coordinates when I ingested them, via SnapBridge).
Here's a link to the two photos if you're interested: https://1drv.ms/u/s!AtlBwiIf8wQz4HMvTSRbmup8qLIv?e=GjLAIg

By the way, on a totally unrelated matter, Phil has updated ExifTool to provide focus distances for Z lenses on the Nikon Z6/Z7: http://u88.n24.queensu.ca/exiftool/forum/index.php/topic,10400.msg54828.html#msg54828
Not important to most users, but might be useful to some of us in the future whenever your next ExifTool update arrives in IM (no rush).

[Mario]

Phil is updating ExifTool all the time. I always grab and test the latest version when I ship a new IMatch version.
But since I've recently had to spend a week of work to make IMatch and ExifTool compatible again (after a breaking change introduced in ExifTool 11.55) I'm very careful. Do not update ExifTool yourself.

Please write a bug report about your issue and include links to this and to your files.
I will look into this for the next IMatch release, which is due in 6 to 8 weeks.

Until then, there is an easy work-around. Just make a change to your NEF file metadata (rating/label/copyright etc.) so there is a pending write-back and an XMP file is created.

[jch2103]

Do not update ExifTool yourself.

Please write a bug report about your issue and include links to this and to your files.
I will look into this for the next IMatch release, which is due in 6 to 8 weeks.

Until then, there is an easy work-around. Just make a change to your NEF file metadata (rating/label/copyright etc.) so there is a pending write-back and an XMP file is created.

1. I don't update ExifTool myself. If I need to use the latest version, I'd do this separately outside IMatch.
2. Bug report submitted.
3. Normally the first thing I do after I ingest raw files is add NEF metadata. This was an unusual situation while I was doing some special tests of a GPS accessory.