How do I add timelapse metadata?

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Level 1

18 points

How do I add timelapse metadata?

I can create a timelapse QuickTime using QT7's "Open Image Sequence" feature, but I would like a way to readily answer the question "What time was that frame taken?" for any moment within the QuickTime. I have gone to the trouble of naming all my source image jpegs in the format "YYYY-MM-DD-HHMMSS.jpg" to reference the original date and time that the jpeg was photographed, but how do I get the QuickTime movie derived from these jpegs to reference back to this information? Is there a way of adding metadata for each frame of the QuickTime? Can I park on a frame on the QuickTime and hit a button to reveal the source jpeg name?

Posted on Aug 16, 2012 8:49 AM

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Answer 1

mns579

Level 4

1,170 points

Aug 16, 2012 11:58 AM in response to ckahn

A QT movie made with Open Image Sequence doesn't retain metadata information from the input files. But there may be another approach.

First, see this similar discussion: https://discussions.apple.com/thread/3649550.

As the last post in the thread notes, GraphicConverter can overlay the filenames and combine the image sequence into a movie.

File > Export Slideshow to Movie … > Save (click "Show names" in options and adjust timings as needed).

But the filenames are burned into the movie. They will always be visible. I doubt that you'll find a simple on/off toggle method to accomplish your ends.

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Answer 2

ckahn Author

Level 1

18 points

Aug 16, 2012 3:27 PM in response to mns579

One way would be to use subtitles:

I can create a text file like so:

{QTtext}{font: Arial}{justify: center}{size: 50} {timescale: 30}{width: 2592}{height: 0}{keyedText:on}{timeStamps:relative}

[00:00:00.00] 2012-03-15-084632

[00:00:00.01] 2012-03-15-084732

[00:00:00.01] 2012-03-15-084832

[00:00:00.01] etc....

(The width is based on the width of a jpeg created with the iPhone 4 camera.)

I open the text file with Quicktime 7, select all, copy and then "Edit / Add to Movie" on the timelapse video QT.

This adds a text overlay burn of the filenames over each frame of the timelapse footage. (Or the first 3 frames for this test.)

Looking at the Resources tab of the Properties pane of the video track of the QuickTime, I can see that the jpegs are all listed there. And I can double click on any of them to load the jpeg into its own QT window. So the information is there, it just isn't connected in any direct way -- unless forced with this subtitle method.

Other than video, audio, text and timecode -- what other types of tracks are available in a Quicktime? Or is that a question for another thread?

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