Introduction
EXIFinfo is a small application which gives access to the non-graphic data stored in the EXIF files produced by digital cameras. EXIF files appear as normal JPEGs, but also contain information about the camera settings used for the photograph - exposure time, focal length, aperture, whether the flash was used, and much more. EXIFinfo reads a directory of images and converts all this information (including so-called "MakerNotes") into various formats, including:
- informative web pages in many styles, with thumbnails linked to the main images
- text files containing varying levels of information
- a CSV file ready for inclusion in a database
- a DDF file for importing into the EasiWriter or Impression families
- caption information for the excellent image browsing program Thump
Samples
You can see a sample web page generated by EXIFinfo here. This is only one of many output formats available.
About EXIFinfo
EXIFinfo should run on RISC OS 3.10 or higher (including version 5), and is compatible with both 26- and 32-bit systems. No additional resources are required.
Each output format is completely configurable, and you can define new ones. Full technical documentation is available, which includes a StrongEd mode for editing the configuration files.
The program normally runs as a Wimp application, but it also has a command line interface and can be called from external programs.
Warnings
EXIFinfo is not useful for ordinary JPEGs, or images of any other kind. This includes digicam files which have been processed in any way -- most RISC OS applications destroy the EXIF data. Keep your originals! We recommend locking the image files.
This is a beta version, and contains bugs -- some known, many doubtless to be discovered. You use it at your own risk!
Feedback is needed. If you come across any problems, or if the program doesn't quite do what you want, please let us know.
There is extensive help available. We've spent some time and effort over the documentation, and urge you to look at it if you want to write your own output formats. And if you do, send them in and we'll include them in future releases.
*** IMPORTANT NOTE ***
It has come to light that Photodesk's PhotoLink serial download program corrupts image files by overwriting all the EXIF data and thumbnails with zeros. (Apparently their PhotoShow program is fine.) We know of no other transfer software, on any platform, that behaves in this unfortunate manner. Unfortunately nothing can be done about it -- once the information is gone, it's gone. All we can suggest is that you use other transfer methods, or (recommended) invest in one of Surftec's card-readers.
Hints and tips
- You can make EXIFinfo start up with your favourite output format selected. Choose the format from the menu, click on Edit, and find the line that starts
#!formatname=. Now just put a space after the = and save the file. Next time you run EXIFinfo this format will be selected at start-up.
- When EXIFinfo is used for making web pages, note that file and directory names including spaces may cause linking problems when the program is used over a network. RISC OS networking software converts the spaces to hard spaces, with the result that HTML links may no longer work. Unfortunately there is no way to determine whether a filename contains a real hard space, or one converted from a 'soft' space. So the only advice we can give is to avoid using spaces in PC filenames.
Downloads
The RISC OS application EXIFinfo is free to download for personal use from here, but you use it at your own risk. We can accept no responsibility for loss or damage caused by the program. We repeat: keep your original images safe!
EXIFinfo and all associated files are copyright: © Chris Terran / Lee Montgomerie / Vermilion Sands 2002/2003. EXIFinfo may not be distributed or made available in any form unless express permission in writing is given by the copyright holder.
| EXIFinfo version 0.59beta3 (7 Feb 2003) | >>> | program and basic documentation
[112Kb zip file] | |
| EXIFinfo reference manual 1.10 (12 Feb 2003) | >>> | essential documentation for writing your own scripts and calling exifinfo from external programs
supplied in html and easiwriter formats
includes a stronged mode file
[89Kb zip file] | |
Program history
Version 0.59beta3 [7 Feb 2003]
- Made 26/32-bit neutral; EXIFinfo should now run on all RISC OS versions from 3.10 to 5.02.
- Now callable from command line:
Syntax: *exifinfo <infile> <outfile> <scriptfile> [options*]
Options are -v (verbose), -r (run on completion), -uN value (set uservar)
- Rationalised file handling code
- Solid drags enabled
- Bug fix: Div0 error in Nikon image tag
- Bug fix: Corrected click-type of Go button
- Bug fix: Div0 error on empty directory
Version 0.56beta [19 Oct 2002]
- MakerNote information is now available for the following makes of camera: Canon, Casio, Fuji, Nikon, Olympus and Sanyo. If you have any information on others (particularly Sony and Minolta) we'd be very grateful.
- You can now process a single image
- You can change the {} characters which surround tags. This makes it easier to write scripts which generate RTF and DDF files (text with styles), which use {} braces for their own purposes. A simple example script is included, which can be loaded into EasiWriter/Impression etc.
- Hourglass + percentage progress indicator
- The Help file has been split into two (Usage and Reference). The Reference section covers how to write scripts for the program, and is a separate download.
- User library extended
- Added #!Runnable and #!RunOnCompletion directives
- Added Options file
- Added #!FileDateFormat and #!EXIFDateFormat directives
- Added {!eval expression}
- Menu selection now ticked, and stays open with Adjust
- Various bug fixes and improvements
Version 0.54beta [8 Oct 2002]
- Added {!eval expr}
- Menu selection now ticked, and stays open with Adjust
- Added FujiFilm and Sanyo MakerNotes
- Added extra Olympus MakerNote tags (E10 should work now)
- Format file version now at 2.20
- Small update to StrongEd modefile
Version 0.53beta [6 Oct 2002]
- Manufacturer-specific information ("MakerNotes") is now supported for Nikon, Olympus and Casio cameras. Others will follow shortly
- A new HTML output format, including MakerNote data
- Scripting conditionals ({!if ...}) are now *much* more flexible
- GPS data is now supported. This is fairly rudimentary at present, as we haven't been able to find any images which include it! If you know where to get some examples, please let us know
- StrongEd mode file updated
- Various minor bug fixes and many low-level coding improvements
Version 0.51beta [27 Sep 2002]
- Added new medium-info HTML output formats
- Tidied display of rational numbers (for exposure times etc) — now reduced where possible
- A few extra EXIF tags added
- Added {!Date} and #!DateFormat
- Added {!Inc Usern} and {!Dec Usern}
- Various tag outputs improved
- Added 'Show warnings' option (for debugging use only!)
- Error handling should be a bit better
Version 0.50beta [21 Sep 2002]
- Now allows editing of output name and dragging to Filer windows
- Added new HTML formats: 1-4 column tabular output, absolute/relative links
- Added {!OutputLeafName} and {!OutputPath} tags
- Added {!User0}...{!User9} tags
- Added #!Usern=value directives; can also do {!Usern=expr}
- Added simple conditionals with {!if expr}....{!else}....{!endif} construct
- Added user-defined function capability (in Formats.UserLib)
- Added various new thumbnail tags (Sony cameras should now work OK)
- Formats menu now sorted alphabetically
- Tag information in help file now listed alphabetically
- Shift-dragging a file uses the parent directory as the source
- Bug fix: output destination icon now accepts pathnames up to 255 characters
- Bug fix: Help button was specifying the EasiWriter file
- Default value of #!ThumbnailFileName changed to {!OutputPath}.thumbs.{!LeafName}
- Various small speed-ups
- (Slightly) better error handling. Still not good enough...
Version 0.42beta [11 Sep 2002]
- Fix: Closes non-EXIF JPEGs correctly
Version 0.41beta [10 Sep 2002]
- Added various new tags
The program should now be able to cope with more cameras
- Extended flash info
- Fix: Allow numerals in tag names
- Fix: Added {!FileDate} (forgot it!)
- Added check for oversized format files
- Added run-on-completion option
Version 0.40beta [9 Sep 2002]
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