PhotoTracker

Edward1,583 views

Photo Tracker is a simple application that enables photographer Geotagging photos by writing GPS data from GPS log file (in NMEA format or GPX files, such as SONY GPS-CS1 recording log, Garmin GPX) into photograph files in some formats (i.e. Nikon Raw, Canon RAW of coz JPEG). The app is completely programmed in Microsoft c# language, reading EXIF and writing GPS data functions are implemented based on wonderful Exiftool(by Phil Harvey). I didn’t do much testing on Canon RAW file like CR2, but I think it is ok because it is oringinally supported by Exiftool.

I have another hardware DIY solution for add GPS feature for Nikon DSLR with 10 pin connector.

Screenshots:

Requirement: Windows XP/2003 .NET Framework 2.0 is required for running it on Windows XP. Download .NET Framework 2.0 English Version from Microsoft (.NET 2.0 简体中文版)

Photo Tracker 2.0 Beta 4 Download (2007 Nov. 21)

Download Photo Tracker 2.0 Beta 3 Version 2.0 Beta 3

Downloaded a total of 639 times

Version history

Ver 2.0 beta 4 Nov 21, 2007

  • Fix some bugs like  failed to write photo file in case of  space in file path
  • Add photo preview feature
  • Add debug mode option

Ver 2.0 beta 3 Nov 2, 2007

  • Rewrite the application Support GPX file, will transform GPX format to NMEA format (with gpsbabel)
  • Improved files importing performance
  • Fix bugs those users reported, like Hemisphere , Time Zone and DateTime format issue

Ver 0.9.0.0 beta May 11, 2007

  • Rewrite GPS log reading algorithm Add Log Manager, user is able to add, merge, modify caption and timezone.
  • Add position verification, user is able to verify position before saving GPS data Adjust usability and appearance Retested with D70, D70s, D80, D100, D200

Ver 0.1.1.0 beta May 4, 2007

  • Enables double click a row in application to verify if the GPS location is right with google map before writing into file Additional GPS data importing information fix a bug

Ver 0.1.0.0 beta May 3, 2007

  • First alpha release… Tested on NEF files with Nikon D70, D100 and D200. Canon Raw as well

Users and positions tracking

  • I create a webpage as verification tool for Photo Tracker users.. Every verification request will be logged and marked as an icon on the map. Only coordinates, IP and time information will be logged.

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27 comments

  1. Sphinx
    05 7th, 2007 at 9:54 am

    多謝版主分享~!!
    十分需要~~!!!!
    感謝萬分~~!!

  2. Edward
    05 7th, 2007 at 12:26 pm

    不客气，正在修改bug，增加一些新的功能

    1 合并GPS记录文件
    2 增加文件处理进度条
    3 增加可调整时间差功能（相机的时间与GPS记录仪的时间可能存在差异）

  3. Sphinx
    05 7th, 2007 at 6:16 pm

    Edward兄,期待你新的版本~!!
    感謝你的努力~!!!

  4. SONY GPS-CS1 for Nikon Raw/NEF at Thinking About Not Thinking
    05 11th, 2007 at 4:56 pm

    […] Photo Tracker […]

  5. CHLIU
    05 12th, 2007 at 10:04 pm

    Thanks for your tool. Below is some comment:

    1. I try the latest version Ver 0.9.0.0 beta May 11, 2007 but it cannot write the GPS info into JPG/NEF file. The other beta is fine.

    2. And I’m using the PPC with GPS software such as GPSDashs or GPSTunner to record the NMEA log file. I know your program is design for Sony GPS-CS1. But I think the NMEA log file from other GPS program is suitable for your tool. So I did a test, the result is the date format on the log file need to amend,

    e.g.
    $GPRMC,021222.000,A,2216.5492,N,11410.8641,E,0.24,359.60,120507,,*0F
    need to change the date format to YYMMDD, from 120507 to 070512
    $GPRMC,021222.000,A,2216.5492,N,11410.8641,E,0.24,359.60,070512,,*0F

    So I would like to suggest a new function in your program to accept the different date format.

    Regards,
    CHLIU

  6. CHLIU
    05 12th, 2007 at 10:08 pm

    Sorry, I make a mistake in the previous message. The 0.9.0.0 is working fine. I forget to check the output folder.

    Regards,
    CH

  7. Edward
    05 13th, 2007 at 4:08 pm

    HI Chliu: Does is work well with the log file from your PPC? The application exactly reads and then parses $GPRMC sentence to pick up position coordinates data. Your suggestion is appreciated.

    Edward

  8. Kinson
    05 14th, 2007 at 10:25 am

    多謝作者,很好用的軟件.
    除了NMEA 格式外,能否加入GPX 格式的import 功能?
    thanks

  9. Edward
    05 14th, 2007 at 11:53 am

    Hi, Kinson: GPX is GPS exchange format, the XML based strudture is more complicated than NMEA format. I amn’t very familiar with GPS data parsing and handling, currently won’t spend much time on GPX format support. But there’s a easy way for you to convert GPX to NMEA format. Then you can use Photo Tracker to process GPS data easily. Please have a look of gpsbabel, or download it.

  10. CHLIU
    05 14th, 2007 at 12:00 pm

    >>>HI Chliu: Does is work well with the log file from your PPC?

    yes, it work. But I need to amend the date field on the log file by notepad as below.

    Original record
    $GPRMC,021222.000,A,2216.5492,N,11410.8641,E,0.24,359.60,120507,,*0F

    -> need to change the date format to YYMMDD, from 120507 to 070512

    Amended record
    $GPRMC,021222.000,A,2216.5492,N,11410.8641,E,0.24,359.60,070512,,*0F

    If you need to log file for testing, please let’s me know.

    Regards,
    CH

  11. Edward
    05 14th, 2007 at 1:21 pm

    CH, it’s strange. Actually in my GPS log, the RMC sentence structure and format are as same as your original file. You mean you have to amend from ddMMyy to yyMMdd?

    http://www.gpsinformation.org/dale/nmea.htm#RMC

  12. CHLIU
    05 14th, 2007 at 2:27 pm

    Dear Edward,

    The issue was identified, it is due to Windows regional setting. In HK, most of the PC will use the date format is d/M/yyyy. But I think in China is yyyy/M/d. So the software will interpret the date 7/5/2012 instead of 2007/5/12.

    Is it possible to check the system date format before import the log into the PhotoTracker?

    And the PhotoTracker only accept the file with extension “log” only. Is it possible to allow in to read extension NMEA or etc?

    Regards,
    CH

  13. Mike Phillips
    05 16th, 2007 at 2:40 pm

    Hi Edward

    I have just downloaded your application which I think is a stunning tool.

    However I am having problems “matching” my log to my photos.

    When I look at The Photos Detail my date/time data is 2007:04:30 16:17:49

    When I convert My GPX to NMEA in Babel and “change” the date format to yymmdd the entry on the log file looks like this:

    $GPRMC,161749,V,2428.367,S,02823.800,E,0.00,0.00,070430,,*16
    $GPGGA,161749,2428.367,S,02823.800,E,0,00,0.0,0.000,M,0.0,M,,*6F

    I then go into log manager (who shows the time as 06:17:49 PM and change the Time Zone to 00 so that the time in Log Manager now reads
    30/04/2007 04:17:49 pm.

    However when I press Match it says No Match.

    Please could you advise me on what I am doing incorrectly.

    Kindest Regards

    Mike Phillips

  14. Edward
    05 16th, 2007 at 4:24 pm

    Hi Mike:

    In log manager, are you sure if there is ‘PM’ after date time in log manager? Where did you get the date/time details of photo? What’s your photo type? NEF? If possible, could you please send me the screen shots of main form and log manager by email at edwangsh@gmail.com?

    thanks,
    Edward

  15. Day 289-292，追踪鱼的足迹～ at 小鱼的成长日记
    05 21st, 2007 at 4:57 am

    […] 前一阵搞了个GPS：SONY的 GPS-CS1，是一个给数码照片加入GPS信息的小东西，可以记录照片的准确拍摄地点，对于外出旅游是很有用的，最终可以在地图上显示出整个行程，但是，倒霉的SONY只支持他自己的相机，于是我们的CTO（Blog）出手编了一个小软件：Photo Tracker，可以把CS1的log文件转换成标准的GPS信息，再写到任何相机拍摄的jpg文件里（现在还支持Nikon的NEF文件），你需要做的就是出门带着它然后打开，其他什么也不用做，也没有跟相机的连线，很是好用、很是方便，于是乎我现在出门都带着这个GPS，于是乎鱼的照片就有了GPS信息～ […]

  16. Leifur Hakonarson
    05 29th, 2007 at 11:33 pm

    Edward,

    The tool I currently use, “Location Stamper” from Microsoft (well, from “wwmx.org” which I THINK belongs to Microsoft), has an excellent graphical user interface, reads GPX files generated by my Garmin GPS (and a lot of other GPS units) but can’t write to NEF files.

    It really is a pity that you don’t intend to support GPX because the new Garmins (anything with a little “x” at the end) are a million times better at logging tracks than anything else out there.

    Basically you just stick a 2-GB microSD in them, set the log interval to 5 seconds and then carry the thing around with you. Assuming you are active 10 hours a day it’ll take a few WEEKS before the microSD fills up (each day goes in a separate file, as in “20070529.GPX”).

    My other option would be to use Downloader Pro, which I use to download/rename files from my D80 - but that program creates sidecars to the NEFs for the GPS data :-(

    Will you have another think about GPX support? :-)

    Regards,

    Leifur

  17. Ray
    06 11th, 2007 at 9:33 am

    I was trying your program and had no luck with it. I used GPS Image tracker and was able to match 13 of the photos I took with my Nikon. When I used the same images and the same log file, with the correct offset -5 GMT for MA, USA Eastern Daylight Savings, using your program, I got no matches.

    The times are exact in both programs, and your File Manager shows the correctly adjusted times for the Sony GPS CS1.

    I took some screen shots if you want to see them.

    Any suggestions?

  18. Edward
    06 11th, 2007 at 3:50 pm

    Hi Ray: I guess it is due to Daylight savings. Try to use no daylight option. Of course, please send screen shots to edwangsh@gmail.com.

  19. Tobias
    06 14th, 2007 at 9:21 am

    Dear Edvard,

    I have the same problem as CH. My system date format is different to what you expect. Have you done anything about that in the meantime? Or what do you suggest as workaround?

  20. Patrick
    07 2nd, 2007 at 10:43 pm

    Hi Edward,
    I have been playing around with Photo Tracker. Great software — thank you! I think there is a bug when dealing with pictures taken in the southern hemisphere. I got it to work fine with pictures taken in the northern hemisphere but when I tag photos from the south it appears it does not enter the latitude in the exif.
    Let me know if you need any additional details.
    Best,
    Patrick

  21. TerraNaut
    11 3rd, 2007 at 7:48 pm

    A very useful application. I do have a small problem with it. When I use my logfile from the Sony GPS Dongle (GPS-CS1KA) the year is 1931 and the date is all wrong.

    It looks like the date format is YYMMDD in the program, but the GPS-logfile is DDMMYY

    I have tried to replace the dateformat in the logfile (insted of DDMMYY to YYMMDD) but without any luck.

    Do you have any idea what to do? I’m using an updated XP-box?

  22. Edward
    11 5th, 2007 at 2:21 pm

    Hi, TerraNaut can you please send your log file to me at edwangsh@gmail.com. In my system, the GPRMC sentence is like below:
    $GPRMC,064202,A,0846.0415,S,11513.3003,E,000.5,097.7,041007,,,A*6C
    The 041007 (DDMMYY) is Oct. 4 2007. I was in Bali island at that time. For the log file, in my desktop. The application shows:
    C:\PT\PhotoTracker1.1\logs\WG20071003234904.log 2007-10-3 23:49 2007-10-4 5:21 2007-10-4 7:49 2007-10-4 13:21

    I guess it because of our System Culture Information is different, so I add some code to try to resolving this issue. Please download again the application (beta 2). Try again.

  23. Jochem
    11 10th, 2007 at 3:53 am

    Dear Edward,

    I just tried you great application. I have two feature requests which would make life easier for users.

    1. The possibility to make the matching algorithm more lenient. I sometimes have some holes in my GPS data, and a more lenient match would still make it possible to give a match.

    2. A camera-time-error field would make it possible to do the correct matching, even if the camera clock is off by a few minutes. (Although changing the timestamp of the photos by a few minutes in Lightroom is probably a better method.)

    Thanks for the app!
    Jochem

  24. Edward
    11 10th, 2007 at 9:43 am

    To Jochem, thanks for your good suggestions. I’d like to add them in next week. :)

  25. Karl Masreliez
    04 2nd, 2008 at 8:53 pm

    Dear Edward,

    Thank you for Photo Tracker! I have just started using it, and I notice that when saving the updated image files (NEF), upper-case letters in the file name are turned into lower-case letters. Is there a way to avoid that?

    Thanks!

    Karl

  26. Edward
    04 3rd, 2008 at 9:43 am

    Thanks Karl. I’d like to make some changes per your requests. But I can’t guarantee what time I could finish. Anyway I will publish new version here once it done.

  27. Gary
    04 8th, 2008 at 6:04 pm

    Hi - app looks very handy, have it been tried with the D300 yet?

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