Order/sort by EXIF time?

[Sandbox_Wizard]

I've looked through the boards, but haven't been able to find anything on this.  Is there a way to sort pictures by the time they were taken (EXIF data), rather than when they were uploaded?

[Sandbox_Wizard]

I'm looking at implementing this and thought I'd bounce my idea off those interested to get some feedback before starting.

As I see it there should be three parts to this:

1. A script, to be run once, that will go through the database and pull the EXIF date/time from each picture already in the gallery and place that date into the ctime field for that picture.

2. Add a setting to the config to choose whether to use the current/upload date or the EXIF date for ctime when uploading new images.  If set to EXIF then add code to pull the EXIF date (if it exists, otherwise the current date will be used) into ctime when adding pictures.

3. Add a field to the edit description to show ctime.  This allows you to see what coppermine is using to sort your pictures by and to make changes if there wasn't any EXIF info to use.  For example, if I upload some scanned negatives I'd like to be able to set the date/time they were taken rather than using the current time, but there isn't any EXIF info (unless I added it through another program).

Does that make sense?  Any suggestions?

[Joachim Müller]

Doesn't sound bad, although this will require code changes at various places. The option to go through the whole database and update the ctime with the EXIF dates should be an option in util.php imo. Looking forward to see your mod.

[Sandbox_Wizard]

That's true, but I haven't come up with a way around that.  If someone is starting a brand new gallery they'd be able to skip the part about updating existing photos.  And adding the ability to edit ctime in the photo description is optional, if you're comfortable doing it you can always edit ctime through phpmyadmin or something similar for those pictures where there isn't EXIF info to pull on upload.

I like the idea of adding the updating of the current files to util.php.  Thanks

[joost203]

I'm looking for exactly this feature !

Looking forward to it.

-- joost

[groan]

any updates to this mod or addition?
this is very important when doing a family-type album where chronology is important.
it's not just a gallery of nice pics, but a story from beginning to end.

sort by date taken should be a default.

[Sandbox_Wizard]

I'm still working on it.  I've got it working so that new pictures added put the EXIF date/time into the database, but am still working on the bit to change the date/time for existing pictures.

[groan]

you sir, are a god (if you get it working...for now you are just a demi-god)

[mstralka]

Sandbox_Wizard, are you going to handle the situation where a picture does not have an EXIF date stamp?  I know that if I use some photo editing programs and save a JPG, it removes the EXIF datestamp.  Will it just assign a NULL value to this field or will it try to guess the EXIF date based on the photos around it? 
This will be a great feature, thanks for your work

[Tarique Sani]

@Sandbox_Wizard : It might be of interest to you that from version 1.4 onwards the format for storing EXIF will change slightly. The entire EXIF data will be stored instead of just selective storage

[groan]

@Sandbox_Wizard : It might be of interest to you that from version 1.4 onwards the format for storing EXIF will change slightly. The entire EXIF data will be stored instead of just selective storage

Doh!
Don't mess him up! get this process to him ASAP!
We need this!

[Tarique Sani]

The new EXIF manager is in the devel CVS

[Sandbox_Wizard]

Sandbox_Wizard, are you going to handle the situation where a picture does not have an EXIF date stamp?  I know that if I use some photo editing programs and save a JPG, it removes the EXIF datestamp.  Will it just assign a NULL value to this field or will it try to guess the EXIF date based on the photos around it? 

From my initial posting: "pull the EXIF date (if it exists, otherwise the current date will be used)"  Perhaps in the future something could be added to try and guess the date from similarly named photos, but for now I'll be happy to get it working with the current time for such pictures and have the ability to edit the date when editing the picture description.

Thanks Tarique, I'll check out the new EXIF manager.

[groan]

it would also be good if you could enter a date or edit the exif data to change the date if the image did not have one. then you could make that adjustment yourself.

[rknuppel]

Where is this available at?  I can't seem to find this EXIF Manager anywhere.  I'm REALLY interested in getting this to work for my photo gallery!  I will have to convert a ton of images that are already in the database though.

Let me know where I can find this.  I appreciate it.  Thanks.

Ryan

[Joachim Müller]

Where is this available at?  I can't seem to find this EXIF Manager anywhere.  I'm REALLY interested in getting this to work for my photo gallery!  I will have to convert a ton of images that are already in the database though.

Let me know where I can find this.  I appreciate it.  Thanks.

Ryan

Tarique has already answered this question:

The new EXIF manager is in the devel CVS

If you have no idea what a cvs is, take a look at http://sourceforge.net/cvs/?group_id=89658
If this is all alien to you, then you will have to wait for a packaged release. If you decide to use the new exif manager, you have to understand that it is beta software that is still under development - no support given, no questions answered, no guarantees that if works for you. You have been warned.

GauGau

[Dannisk]

To sort by EXIF time check this MOD :

http://forum.coppermine-gallery.net/index.php?topic=9360.0