Microsoft Digital Image Suite --> iPhoto

Dave

In a nutshell: can the MS software write these tags to the Exif data?

Regards

TD

Are the images in Folders? Or can they be exported to folders?

Regards

TD

Yes, Microsoft Digital Image Suite, and Vista's Photo Gallery, write captions, ratings, and Keywords to the photo's EXIF data...

But to my knowledge, iPhoto will NOT import this data even though it is in the EXIF.

This is what is keeping me from using iPhoto... I have 10K+ photos all tagged with captions and Keywords in Vista's Photo Gallery. I cannot start over with iPhoto and I have no way to move this data on the initial import.

I was REALLY hoping that iPhoto 08 would offer this... As I was with iPhoto 06... Adobe added this functionality to their organizer... Apple can be quite pig-headed when it comes to adding features.

Why would they want to force someone to start completely over when they start using iPhoto? Why would they completely ignore this info (Keywords and captions) especially when it is stored in a STANDARD location in the EXIF of each photo?

Mike

Have you actually tried? Also, are you sure that they're writing to the Exif and not to XMP sidecar files? In fact, we sometimes see folks on here wondering how they can import XMP data written by Vista's photo gallery app.

AFAIK iPhoto will read and write to Exif.

Regards

TD

Well,

I get my iMac on Wednesday this week unless there is a delay with FedEx. I will test it out for sure. In past versions of iPhoto, the keywords were not written to or imported from the EXIF.

As the originator of this thread stated, he tried to import the pictures and the keywords did not import.

I am POSITIVE that MS Digital Image Suite and Vista Photo Gallery save your Keywords and Captions, etc to the EXIF. It is the reason that I am using these apps... There are no additional files used to store this info...

In playing around at the Apple Store with iPhoto 08, it seems that the App will read and write the "Date Taken" back to the original file's Exif, but that is about it... Am I wrong here? I would love to be, because I too want to use iPhoto... But not if I have to add all my keywords over again to the 10K+ photos I already have.

I get my iMac on Wednesday this week unless there is a delay with FedEx. I will test it out for sure. In past versions of iPhoto, the keywords were not written to or imported from the EXIF.

This is changed in v7. In the Export dialogue you can write Title and Keywords to the Exif data. It will also read same.

As to the MS apps, as I never use them I wouldnt know. My comment is based on queries I see on here where folks have been asking about XMP.

For managing keywords with iPhoto, I recommend Keyword Manager

Regards

TD

OK, I have done alot of reasearch on this topic today and I think there is a solution. I don't get my iMac until Wednesday so I cannot verify ANY of this until I do. But here goes:


- Windows XP and Vista use XMP for putting Keywords on Photos

- iPhoto will (?) import keywords if they are embedded in the IPTC

- iPhoto will add Keywords and Captions, when you export a photo, to the IPTC of each photo

So... There is a free program out there called ExifTool by Phill Harvey. There is a version for both Mac and PC. It will convert XMP info into IPTC info so iPhoto can then import it.

So, it seems that there is a solution (although untested) to this issue.

You can get all of you XP/Vista keywords into iPhoto and then if need be, you can export your photos out of iPhoto and have all the keywords maintained with the photo in the IPTC.

Can someone verify this?

I will be testing this extensively when I get my new iMac and I will post an update here if no one else chimes in with a confirmation.

I HOPE IT WORKS!

Good luck with the research, and please do post back with the results.

Regards

TD

ps. BTW so XP uses the XMP instead of the Exif?

I am POSITIVE that MS Digital Image Suite and Vista Photo Gallery save your Keywords and Captions, etc to the EXIF. It is the reason that I am using these apps... There are no additional files used to store this info...

and

Windows XP and Vista use XMP for putting Keywords on Photos

Terence Devlin wrote:

ps. BTW so XP uses the XMP instead of the Exif?

I believe that XP uses the IPTC spec and Vista and Adobe use the newer XMP spec. Not sure but I think both are varients on the EXIF and are part of the actual photo/jpg.

I will post back with the results of my testing.

(Still no update from FEDEX. Last word was that the iMac left california. It is going across country to VA.)

If MDIS can write the captions, keyword and other metadata to the original file you might be able to get that data into iPhoto this way.

1 - have MDIS write that data to the files.
2 - move the folders of files to your Mac.
3 - run the demo version of iView MediaPro and import the folder of images.
4 - use the Action->Sync Annotations menu option to write the annotation back to the file.
5 - import that folder into iPhoto and see if the data gets read.

iPhoto 08 will now read the keyword, title and caption/description fields when importing photos. First try import some after Step 2. It just might read the data and you won't have to go thru thru the other hoops of 3, 4 and 5.

Do you Twango?

TIP: For insurance against the iPhoto database corruption that many users have experienced I recommend making a backup copy of the Library6.iPhoto database file and keep it current. If problems crop up where iPhoto suddenly can't see any photos or thinks there are no photos in the library, replacing the working Library6.iPhoto file with the backup will often get the library back. By keeping it current I mean backup after each import and/or any serious editing or work on books, slideshows, calendars, cards, etc. That insures that if a problem pops up and you do need to replace the database file, you'll retain all those efforts. It doesn't take long to make the backup and it's good insurance.
I've created an Automator workflow application (requires Tiger), iPhoto dB File Backup, that will copy the selected Library6.iPhoto file from your iPhoto Library folder to the Pictures folder, replacing any previous version of it. It's compatible with iPhoto 08 libraries and Leopard. iPhoto does not have to be closed to run the application, just idle. You can download it at Toad's Cellar. Be sure to read the Read Me pdf file.

Old Toad wrote:
If MDIS can write the captions, keyword and other metadata to the original file you might be able to get that data into iPhoto this way.

1 - have MDIS write that data to the files.
2 - move the folders of files to your Mac.
3 - run the demo version of iView MediaPro and import the folder of images.
4 - use the Action->Sync Annotations menu option to write the annotation back to the file.
5 - import that folder into iPhoto and see if the data gets read.

iPhoto 08 will now read the keyword, title and caption/description fields when importing photos.

Toad:

This worked! (At least for 90% of my photos)

I am now, folder by folder, importing my photos into iPhoto and creating Events to keep them organized.

I noticed that on ~ 10% of the photos, nothing was retained. No keywords, no Titles, and even the rotation was wrong. (This lead to my other question about searching for photos with no keywords.)

So, when I have ALL of my photos imported, I am going to try to rename the keywords to something better suited to iPhoto. *(I am assuming I can RENAME a keyword and have all photos tagged with that keyword reflect the change?)*

i.e.

In Vista, I could have nested keywords, so when imported into iPhoto, they look like this:

People/Relatives/Smith/Barney

I would like to rename this keyword to just "Barney".

Doable?

Yes you can re-keyword your photos in iPhoto. The keywords will not be written to the file until you export that file to the desktop and select the option to include title and keyword.

There is a 3rd party Keyword Manager 1.4.1 that can next keywords in iPhoto (but not in the file itself). You can give it a try.

Windows and Image Suite us custom EXIF tags not recognized by other libraries. I have had the same issues. Late last night I wrote a script to copy the Windows-specific tags to IPTC tags so iPhoto will recognize them and import them. Hope this helps,

http://code.google.com/p/xptoiptc/