Irfanview JPG Comments

[Terry Pinnell]

I use the excellent IrfanView as my main browser and first stage
editor. I've started using the JPG Comments (Image > Information >
Comment) for notes on my photos ('View from hotel room' etc). But I
expect that when I come to work with these comments later, such as to
make a family slide show, I may find it rather restricted.

Can any more experienced users give me any pointers, and/or recommend
any freeware that can supplement IV in this area please? For example,
it doesn't seem possible to get the comments displayed on slideshows
within IV? Or search on keywords within them? etc...

 

[Michael Laplante]

Can any more experienced users give me any pointers, and/or recommend
any freeware that can supplement IV in this area please? For example,
it doesn't seem possible to get the comments displayed on slideshows
within IV? Or search on keywords within them? etc...

IV will display embedded JPG comments in slideshow (full screen) mode.

Options | Properties | Fullscreen.
At the bottom, you can set the options for display. $C will display embedded
comments.

You can also set the font, colour and other display properties for the
comments here.

IV can also export to an HTML slideshow that will also display these same
comments.

Can't search on keywords though. For that you have to go to something like
FotoAlbum or MyAlbum.

ML

 

[DAN]

I use the excellent IrfanView as my main browser and first stage
editor. I've started using the JPG Comments (Image > Information >
Comment) for notes on my photos ('View from hotel room' etc). But I
expect that when I come to work with these comments later, such as to
make a family slide show, I may find it rather restricted.

Can any more experienced users give me any pointers, and/or recommend
any freeware that can supplement IV in this area please? For example,
it doesn't seem possible to get the comments displayed on slideshows
within IV? Or search on keywords within them? etc...

Use the IPTC fields, that's what they are for.
And they are a public standard.

Irfanview supports them via a free plug-in.

Irfanview can display the IPTC fields (the JPG comments too) when in full screen
mode.

Properties / Viewing / Show text. My string is "$D$F $X - $C $I120"

HTH
DAN

 

[spoon2001]

Use the IPTC fields, that's what they are for.
And they are a public standard.

Irfanview supports them via a free plug-in.

Irfanview can display the IPTC fields (the JPG comments too) when in
full screen mode.

Properties / Viewing / Show text. My string is "$D$F $X - $C $I120"

HTH
DAN

On my version 3.97, it's Options / Properties / Fullscreen / Show Text.

Personally I am confused about the best way to enter and display image
metadata - whether to use JPG Comments, IPTC fields, or XMP.

It certainly seems like there should be a standard for embedding metadata
inside graphics files - rather than in some external database - so that the
metadata goes whereever the image goes. It should even include voice
annotations. Image manipulation programs should leave the metadata intact.
Image viewing programs should all offer ways to display the metadata ...
even as an overlay over the image. I have read a bit about XMP (extensible
metadata platform)... started by Adobe ... not sure whether about how it
relates to IPTC, supposedly it is better. Not sure what programs support
XMP ... Also not sure whether "image album" programs store image metadata
inside the graphics files themselves, or in some external database. This
should all be settled by now!

 

[Michael Laplante]

It certainly seems like there should be a standard for embedding metadata
inside graphics files - rather than in some external database - so that
the metadata goes whereever the image goes.

I agree. Here, here. . .

XMP ... Also not sure whether "image album" programs store image metadata
inside the graphics files themselves, or in some external database. This
should all be settled by now!

I can tell you that MyAlbum and FotoAlbum both keep their comments in an
external database. However, MyAlbum (not sure about Foto) have the ability
to import JPG data into their databases.

M

 

[Simone Murdock]

Use the IPTC fields, that's what they are for.
And they are a public standard.
Irfanview supports them via a free plug-in.

You can use Picasa (www.picasa.com):
"...Write captions that stay with the picture.
Picasa makes captions the way journalists do – using the IPTC standard.
That means your captions are saved within their pictures and stay with
them, whether you export as a web page or make a CD presentation. Picasa
captions are fully editable and searchable, and you choose whether to
display them or not. ..."

Then, you can find (by an easy incremental search dialog) the images
with a specific caption.

Simon
_______________________________________________________
"Try not! Do, or do not. There is no try."
by Yoda, Jedi Master (from anonymous poster)
( remove/togli 'FalselinK' to reply/per rispondere )

 

[Terry Pinnell]

IV will display embedded JPG comments in slideshow (full screen) mode.

Options | Properties | Fullscreen.
At the bottom, you can set the options for display. $C will display embedded
comments.

You can also set the font, colour and other display properties for the
comments here.

That sounds just the job. Now, if only I could get it to work <g>.

Following your steps literally, I still got my old text settings in a
slideshow (filename, date). Then I realised that there was *another*
Show Text dialog in File | Slideshow. That was not reflecting the
changes I'd made in Options | Properties | Full Screen (i.e. the
addition of $C). So I changed it in the Slideshow dialog - and was
very surprised that that didn't work either! I definitely have a
comment in place ... but IV slideshow doesn't display it.

Anyone else able to confirm please?

IV can also export to an HTML slideshow that will also display these same
comments.

Can't search on keywords though. For that you have to go to something like
FotoAlbum or MyAlbum.

Very helpful post, thank you. Will pursue those ideas too, but would
like to get the Comments working first if possible.

 

[Terry Pinnell]

On my version 3.97, it's Options / Properties / Fullscreen / Show Text.

Personally I am confused about the best way to enter and display image
metadata - whether to use JPG Comments, IPTC fields, or XMP.

It certainly seems like there should be a standard for embedding metadata
inside graphics files - rather than in some external database - so that the
metadata goes whereever the image goes. It should even include voice
annotations. Image manipulation programs should leave the metadata intact.
Image viewing programs should all offer ways to display the metadata ...
even as an overlay over the image. I have read a bit about XMP (extensible
metadata platform)... started by Adobe ... not sure whether about how it
relates to IPTC, supposedly it is better. Not sure what programs support
XMP ... Also not sure whether "image album" programs store image metadata
inside the graphics files themselves, or in some external database. This
should all be settled by now!

My sentiments too!

 

[Terry Pinnell]

You can use Picasa (www.picasa.com):
"...Write captions that stay with the picture.
Picasa makes captions the way journalists do – using the IPTC standard.
That means your captions are saved within their pictures and stay with
them, whether you export as a web page or make a CD presentation. Picasa
captions are fully editable and searchable, and you choose whether to
display them or not. ..."

Then, you can find (by an easy incremental search dialog) the images
with a specific caption.

Simon

Thanks. I do have Picassa, and I rated it highly when I first
installed it. (Apart from its having no support for my conventional,
'hierarchical' file structure, instead insisting on a radical new
approach I recall.) I have had it on my To Do list for ages (i.e. to
return to it and do it justice). Somehow never seem to get around to
it.

But then, IV is so neat, compact and fast - I *would* like to achieve
this functionality with that of at all possible.

 

[Susan Bugher]

news:[email protected]...

I can tell you that MyAlbum and FotoAlbum both keep their comments in an
external database. However, MyAlbum (not sure about Foto) have the ability
to import JPG data into their databases.

I'm not sure about FotoAlbum as my (ancient) digital camera doesn't use EXIF data. You can view EXIF data but I don't think you can import it (other than the date - that's done automatically). FotoAlbum does recognize my camera's dates - one of only 2 apps I've found that can do that.

FotoAlbum's database can be saved in a proprietary format OR as an .XML file.

<q from the help file>
Save as XML: If checked, then the Index File "fototime.xml" will be saved as standard XML that is viewable. The default (unchecked) is to save this file in a special binary format which is faster and slightly smaller.
</q>

Susan
--
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[Rili]

I have just discovered how cool the Faststone image viewer is!

http://www.faststone.org/FSViewerDetail.htm

I downloaded the beta version and it now (I don't think it use to)
displays some menus in full screen mode when you move the mouse to the
edge of the screen. When you move to the right hand side of the screen
it brings up a menu that allows you to edit jpg comments and this window
stays up as you move through photos in full screen allowing you to
easily add jpg comments!

Now I can easily add embedded comments to each photo quickly and easily!
I then use irfanview to view them later on as it displays the tag at the
top of the screen in full screen mode ($C as well as other tags).

Next I use copernic desktop search to index the photos as it indexes jpg
comments so now I can do fast sub second searches on all of the comments
in my photos and unlike google desktop search it is extremely quick and
easy to use. You can also tell it to only index set directories as I
only use it to index jpg photos!

So, by using irfanview, faststone and copernic desktop search I have
finally come across an acceptable solution to describing, indexing and
searching my photos.

 

[Michael Laplante]

That sounds just the job. Now, if only I could get it to work <g>.

Following your steps literally, I still got my old text settings in a
slideshow (filename, date). Then I realised that there was *another*
Show Text dialog in File | Slideshow. That was not reflecting the
changes I'd made in Options | Properties | Full Screen (i.e. the
addition of $C). So I changed it in the Slideshow dialog - and was
very surprised that that didn't work either! I definitely have a
comment in place ... but IV slideshow doesn't display it.

Okay, I re-played around and discovered that IV won't immediately show the
comments
if you set it to show comments ($C) via the File | Slideshow option box
(lower-right hand corner).

You have to close the program, restart and then play the slideshow -- which
should still be set up and
ready to go, if you haven't changed anything.

As, for the Options | Properties | Full Screen route, that sets it up to
show comments whenever you
are browsing through a directory. Test it with some photos that you know to
have embedded comments.
It should work. Mine does and I'm using v3.97.

Remember, you have to be in full screen mode.

M

 

[Thore]

I have just discovered how cool the Faststone image viewer is!

http://www.faststone.org/FSViewerDetail.htm

Me too, but I ran into problems a month ago with a newer version
(don't rem the version, but 2.something)

It simply stopped when I was doing some small batch conversions.
Then I reinstalled the older one ( Version 2.17 Beta 07.20) and that is
working fine....nice program, with a great watermark-function I use all
the time before the pictures is put on-line.

Maybe I try the latest version one day... I ran into the program a year
ago or so, when I was searching for a red-eye red. utility, and saw,
that FSViewer had it all...

--
Venlig hilsen / Best regards
Thore Sorensen - DK2700 Brønshøj / DK2620 Albertslund

(Erstat evt. AT med @ i mailadressen hvis du mailer direkte)
Min hobbyside: www.RacePhoto.dk

 

[Terry Pinnell]

Okay, I re-played around and discovered that IV won't immediately show the
comments
if you set it to show comments ($C) via the File | Slideshow option box
(lower-right hand corner).

You have to close the program, restart and then play the slideshow -- which
should still be set up and
ready to go, if you haven't changed anything.

As, for the Options | Properties | Full Screen route, that sets it up to
show comments whenever you
are browsing through a directory. Test it with some photos that you know to
have embedded comments.
It should work. Mine does and I'm using v3.97.

Remember, you have to be in full screen mode.

Thanks for taking the trouble. But still doesn't work here! I had
already closed and re-opened IV several times. Just tried again. Open
IV to a blank window. $C is in the box. I click Play, and the
slideshow starts, full screen ... but with no titles.

Add $F to the Show Text box. Close IV. Open it again. File | Slideshow
| Play. Slideshow starts - with filename as title, no JPG comment.

This with 3.97.

Strange why yours works and mine doesn't!

Anyone else? Maybe we can isolate a common cause...

 

[Michael Laplante]

Thanks for taking the trouble. But still doesn't work here! I had
already closed and re-opened IV several times. Just tried again. Open
IV to a blank window. $C is in the box. I click Play, and the
slideshow starts, full screen ... but with no titles.

Okay, that is weird.

I started playing around a little more and discovered some curious things.

If I open IV and then 'File | Slideshow | Play' with the settings from a
previous slideshow, the comments DON'T show up. In otherwords, IV is
starting from its parent directory in 'Program Files', calling up the files
from a different directory and not showing the included comments.

However, if I go to the directory where the images are stored, right-click
and choose 'Open with IV' (I have XP SR 2) and full screen the images, the
comments appear. Furthermore, if I then choose to run the slideshow (just to
clarify, I'm now opening IV via file association in the folder where the
slideshow pictures reside), the comments also appear.

If I go to a different directory, open IV via 'Open with Irfanview' then run
the slideshow (now I'm opening IV via file association in a different folder
than the slideshow images), the comments still appear.

In summary, it seems if you first open IV on its own, then try to run a
slideshow, comments don't appear. However, if you open it via 'Open with
Irfanview' slideshows work fine. On my previous Win98SE system, I typically
opened IV by using the 'SendTo' folder in which I had a shortcut pointing to
IV. Essentially this does the same thing as the 'Open with Irfanview' in XP.
That's probably why I've never encountered this glitch before.

Experiment and let us know how it works with you. I will cc this issue to
the author of IV.

M

 

[Terry Pinnell]

Okay, that is weird.

I started playing around a little more and discovered some curious things.

If I open IV and then 'File | Slideshow | Play' with the settings from a
previous slideshow, the comments DON'T show up. In otherwords, IV is
starting from its parent directory in 'Program Files', calling up the files
from a different directory and not showing the included comments.

However, if I go to the directory where the images are stored, right-click
and choose 'Open with IV' (I have XP SR 2) and full screen the images, the
comments appear. Furthermore, if I then choose to run the slideshow (just to
clarify, I'm now opening IV via file association in the folder where the
slideshow pictures reside), the comments also appear.

If I go to a different directory, open IV via 'Open with Irfanview' then run
the slideshow (now I'm opening IV via file association in a different folder
than the slideshow images), the comments still appear.

In summary, it seems if you first open IV on its own, then try to run a
slideshow, comments don't appear. However, if you open it via 'Open with
Irfanview' slideshows work fine. On my previous Win98SE system, I typically
opened IV by using the 'SendTo' folder in which I had a shortcut pointing to
IV. Essentially this does the same thing as the 'Open with Irfanview' in XP.
That's probably why I've never encountered this glitch before.

Experiment and let us know how it works with you. I will cc this issue to
the author of IV.

Many thanks - I can reproduce your results exactly here!

Hopefully Irfan can fix this...

 

[Terry Pinnell]

Okay, that is weird.

I started playing around a little more and discovered some curious things.

If I open IV and then 'File | Slideshow | Play' with the settings from a
previous slideshow, the comments DON'T show up. In otherwords, IV is
starting from its parent directory in 'Program Files', calling up the files
from a different directory and not showing the included comments.

However, if I go to the directory where the images are stored, right-click
and choose 'Open with IV' (I have XP SR 2) and full screen the images, the
comments appear. Furthermore, if I then choose to run the slideshow (just to
clarify, I'm now opening IV via file association in the folder where the
slideshow pictures reside), the comments also appear.

If I go to a different directory, open IV via 'Open with Irfanview' then run
the slideshow (now I'm opening IV via file association in a different folder
than the slideshow images), the comments still appear.

In summary, it seems if you first open IV on its own, then try to run a
slideshow, comments don't appear. However, if you open it via 'Open with
Irfanview' slideshows work fine. On my previous Win98SE system, I typically
opened IV by using the 'SendTo' folder in which I had a shortcut pointing to
IV. Essentially this does the same thing as the 'Open with Irfanview' in XP.
That's probably why I've never encountered this glitch before.

Experiment and let us know how it works with you. I will cc this issue to
the author of IV.

I emailed him too. Delighted to see it now fixed!