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Automatically geocode pictures from your camera and a GPS track log.
  
  
  
    
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Updated Oct 13, 2007 by francois.schnell
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GettingStarted  

Getting started with GPicSync

1) Set your GPSr and camera

Two possibilities here.

a) Universal way

If you didn't change its setting, your GPSr records the track log with the GMT time (Greenwich Meridian Time) also know as UTC (Universal Time Co-ordinated). Set the time of your camera to GMT. You can see the actual GMT time at the bottom of this webpage (be precise at the second level):

http://wwp.greenwichmeantime.com/

Setting your camera to GMT is practical since you won't have problems for summer/winter time or when you travel through time zones. Also set the camera date if necessary.

b) Local way

Set the local time of the camera precisely to the same local time indicated by the GPSr. Also set the camera date if necessary.

2) Go outside and shoot

Take your GPSr with you and make sure that it is recording a track log. Keep your GPSr ON during all the time you take pictures.

3) Come back home and sync

Put the pictures you want to geolocalize in a folder. With the software of your choice (for example EasyGPS on Windows) retrieve the track log as a .gpx file (a list of GPX capable software). Put the .gpx file preferably in the folder containing the pictures. You can also use a NMEA track (give a .txt extension) instead of the GPX file.

Install GPicSync from Sourceforge:

Launch GPicSync, then:

You should now see a line per picture with the file name found and the localization that has been written in the EXIF part of the picture (each geolocalization takes 1 to 3 seconds to process).

There's also an indication of the time difference between the nearest trackpoint and the picture (you should see a few seconds difference). If this difference is important (above a hundred seconds) there's probably something wrong in your time setting. In particular check that you've indicated the right UTC offset (and maybe add an hour if you are in a summer daylight saving zone).

By default GPicSync doesn't Geocode photos if the time difference is above 300 seconds but you can adjust this threshold in the interface ("Geocode only if time difference is less than (seconds)="). This could be useful on some GPS if you make a pause and the GPS stops recording because you don't move anymore.

You can directly verify your photos in Google Earth (just click the "View in Google Eath" button at the end of the process).

By default a backup of you pictures is made in your pictures folder.

If there's no location showing:

If you forgot to set the local time for your camera you can take this into account in "Options" -> "Locale time correction".

4) Use your geolocalized pictures

You can directly view your pictures and track log in Google Earth by clicking on "View in Google Earth" button at the end of synchronization. A doc.kml file has been created in your pictures folder so you can also directly launch Google Earth by double clicking on it.

You may want to export your geolocalized pictures in a single kmz file for sharing or to put on a server ("Tools"->"KMZ Generator").

You can also use your pictures with any software or website which can read the latitude/longitude informations. For example:

a) Flickr

In the setting of your account you must first authorize the use of this information ("Your Account">"Privacy & Permissions">"Import EXIF location data: Yes").

When you upload your pictures you will see a "map" link near each picture to open Yahoo Maps which will point to the location.

If you've checked "add geonames and geotags" your pictures will also have the following keywords metadata:

When you upload your pictures to Flickr the tags will appear in the tags section of the photo.

You mustn't allow Flickr Uloadr tool to resize your pictures before uploading (your geonames/geotags won't be kept, If needed you could resize them before with Picasa for example).

By default there is also an HTML summarize which is written in the IPTC caption of the picture. The summarize shows the latitude/longitude and the nearest Geoname and country with a link to the Geonames map. Flickr will show the summarize in the description of your picture. If you don't want this use change the geonames options in the interface.

If you prefer to see your Flickr pictures on google maps you can use this neat geocoding bookmarklet which will point to the location in loc.alize.us webiste which uses google maps.

b) Picasa / Google Earth

If you select your pictures with picasa you can ask to show them on Google Earth (in Picasa : something like "Tools">"Geolocalize">"Display in Google Earth").

c) Google Maps

To create your own Google Maps check this tutorial.

d) Audio and Video localization

You can also automatically associate audio or video files to geolocalized pictures in Google Earth and Google Maps (a link will appear below the picture).

For this you must put your audio or video file in your pictures directory and give them the same name as the picture.

5) Configuration file and optional tools

A configuration file is available to set main preferences as default (like the UTCOffset, Google Map base URL, Geonames, etc). You can edit it and save it from "Options" -> "Configuration file". The "Quit and save settings" button of GPicSync will also write in this file.

A certain number of tools are available in "Tools" -> "Options".

WARNING: GPicSync is beta software. Please report any bug or problem and remember there's no guarantee : don't use it for critical missions and always check on maps if the results are correct.


Comment by UliMrose, Feb 01, 2008

Can I enter GPS data of my own to a picture, so I could tag older pictures taken before tracking directly. I.e. I took a picture last year of the marketplace in Brusssel and I pick the coordinated from the map and add them to the picture? Can I change/correct GPS data of a picture in the same way? Thanks Uli ulrichm@verizon.net

Comment by francois.schnell, Feb 01, 2008

Yes UliMrose? you can.

Go to the "tools" menu and select "exif writer". Enter latitude / longitude and then select one or many photos. It will write manually the location in the picture(s) EXIF.

Comment by vicsiu, Feb 07, 2008

Can gpicsync auto-rotate the thumbnails?

Comment by francois.schnell, Feb 09, 2008

Hi vicsiu. No it can't yet. For my part I use Picasa first, I select and maybe retouch the pictures I want, then export my selection (so Picasa is doing the autorotate automatically for me).

Comment by lijun.hxcc, Feb 16, 2008

ok

Comment by george.mantaring, Feb 18, 2008

I'm curious - what does GPicSync look up to determine the Geoname it will use to describe a particular latitude/Longitude? It seems to work pretty well, but I recently came back from a trip to a foreign country and have discovered that some of the locations it has looked up have only partially correct names. Can anyone help answer this question?

Thanks :)

Comment by francois.schnell, Feb 21, 2008

George, GPicSync uses the Geonames webservice (it is a Free Creative Commons-BY collaborative database).

Assuming your picture is at lat=48.123456 and long=7.123456, GPicSync will query the websevice like this:

http://ws.geonames.org/findNearbyPlaceName?lat=48.123456&lng=7.123456&style=full

You can copy/paste the URL above in your browser and you will see it returns informations in an XML format.

Depending of the initial databases sources the informations are not always precise (especially the case in Europe where most geographical informations are not in the public domain). So what you can do before geocoding is to look at the region you've been to and eventually correct some geonames. It is very easy to do.

For example for the given lat/long (or use the search box on the geonames website): http://www.geonames.org/maps/google_48.123_7.123.html

You will see a google map you can edit. You can click on an existing geonames on the map and see the options you have: move, history, etc On the left of the map there are small icons where you can add new geonames. Geonames.org is a great project, a kind of wikipedia for geographical names.

Comment by shejun.coer, Apr 27, 2008

The GPS I use is Holux M241. The GPX file is as below: <?xml version="1.0"?> <gpx version="1.0" creator="Holux Utility" xmlns:xsi="http://www.w3.org/2001/XMLSchema-instance" xmlns="http://www.topografix.com/GPX/1/0" xsi:schemaLocation="http://www.topografix.com/GPX/1/0 http://www.topografix.com/GPX/1/0/gpx.xsd"> <wpt lat="30.310816" lon="120.080971"> <time>2008-04-26T00:51:38Z</time> <ele>149.22</ele> <name><![CDATA0?]></name> </wpt> <wpt lat="30.310869" lon="120.080879"> <time>2008-04-26T00:51:43Z</time> <ele>148.04</ele> <name><![CDATA1?]></name> </wpt> ......

However, when I use GPS Inspector to analyse the GPX file, the message is showed as below, Number of valid track points found : 0

Why? Jun

Comment by francois.schnell, Apr 27, 2008

This is because GPicSync searches the trackpoints (trkpt) not the waypoints (wpt) in a GPX: http://code.google.com/p/gpicsync/wiki/TroubleShooting

Waypoints are normally used for POI (point of interested),map features or routes not for tracklogs.

I had a quick look at this: http://scilib.typepad.com/techreviews/2008/01/holux-m-241-gps.html

Maybe you could transform the GPX in NMEA (with the holux software or GPS babel) and retry (GPicSync reads NMEA). If you want you can send me francois.schnell[@gmail.com] an holux tracklog and two pictures for tests. I'll see if I can make some modifications in future versions of GPicSync. Thanks.

Comment by arthurmdx, May 01, 2008

I try to sync with about 100 pictures, and GPicSync marks GPS info in all pictures. However, the KML that GPicSync created shows only first few pictures on Google Earth.

Do I miss some steps?

Comment by francois.schnell, May 01, 2008

It should be fine in Google Earth (just google maps actually shows only something like the 50 first pictures). Could you send me the log file and the doc.kml in your pictures folder (francois.schnell [@ gmail DOT com]).

Comment by fab...@ms16.hinet.net, May 14, 2008

I found I can't add Geotags into the pix which are edited by PhotoImpact? X3, is it normal?

Comment by francois.schnell, May 14, 2008

It could be the case 2 in the TroubleShooting page: http://code.google.com/p/gpicsync/wiki/TroubleShooting Could you try this latest test version: http://francois.schnell.free.fr/gpicsync/temp/latest-build/ It will try to geotag even in case of minor warnings reported by Exiftool (let the backup option checked). Thanks to keep me informed.

Comment by fab...@ms16.hinet.net, May 15, 2008

I try the newest version and errors ocurred. I can't sync any pix anymore. Should I mail you the log file?

Comment by francois.schnell, May 15, 2008

Yes please send me the log file and if possible a picture+gpx to francois.schnell gmail dot com?. Thanks.

Comment by fab...@ms16.hinet.net, May 15, 2008

OK, I will send you th log file and a picture+gpx.

Comment by Finn00, May 31, 2008

I use Mobile tracker on my blackberry (using the blackberry GPS) http://www.skylab-mobilesystems.com/en/products/mobiletracker.html

While this program does write a GPX or a KMZ file i have historically only written kmz files.

Any way to use this program to geo tag my old pics using a kmz file? thanks FB

Comment by hksarivan, Jun 21, 2008

Hi, can you also add the "GPSTimeStamp" and "GPSDateStamp" Exif tag at next version? Because I use Nikon D300 which can show the GPS UTC time at photo datail. Thanks.

Comment by hikerjim, Jun 25, 2008

I'm a little new to the whole geo-tagging photo's, but not new to GPS's and I did some testing with my Garmin 305 and Canon 40D. I took quite a few pictures with my Forerunner on, but GPicSyn doesn't pic the pictures up. I've viewed the track log in both Mapsource and in EasyGPS, and looking at the track log properties, the there are track logs at 3:24:48 and 3:24:58 and, for example 1 picture was taken at 3:24pm. I've also used the EXIF reader and it has Date/Time Original : 2008:06:11 15:24:53. Is there something else I'm missing? Thanks for any help.

Jim

PS: Just learning this before my big Alaska trip, but learning before the trip :-)


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