How to use GPS outside IMatch?

[Mees Dekker]

I use GPS a lot and it works magnificently in IMatch (mappanel) in both directions. Show files (with GPS data) on the map or add GPS-location to files that don't have GPS. Also reverse geocoding is used very often. 

However: when I send a file (with GPS data) to somebody else, who is not an Imatch user, it is rather difficult to display the position of such a file on a map (like Google Maps or OSM). How to find the GPS-data and if you succeed in finding them, you need to type these data for each individual file into Google Maps.

Is there an easy/automatic way to solve this problem, so that these files can be shown on a website that has Google maps embedded?

[Mario]

IMatch writes GPS coordinates (shown/created) into XMP record and synchronizes them into the standard EXIF metadata record.
For example, an image of the in Barcelona with both a location created and location shown (created in the Map Panel) and filled IPTCExt Location Created/Shown metadata (filled with GeoNames.org) shows this metadata in the ExifTool Command Processor:

Code Select Expand

[GPS]           GPS Version ID                  : 2 3 0 0
[GPS]           GPS Latitude Ref                : N
[GPS]           GPS Latitude                    : 41.402569
[GPS]           GPS Longitude Ref               : E
[GPS]           GPS Longitude                   : 2.173269
[GPS]           GPS Altitude Ref                : 0
[GPS]           GPS Altitude                    : 41
[GPS]           GPS Time Stamp                  : 08:59:27
[GPS]           GPS Img Direction Ref           : T
[GPS]           GPS Img Direction               : 355.0978348
[GPS]           GPS Dest Latitude Ref           : N
[GPS]           GPS Dest Latitude               : 41.404388
[GPS]           GPS Dest Longitude Ref          : E
[GPS]           GPS Dest Longitude              : 2.173061
[GPS]           GPS Dest Distance Ref           : K
[GPS]           GPS Dest Distance               : 0.2028787188
[GPS]           GPS Date Stamp                  : 2025:08:04
[XMP-x]         XMP Toolkit                     : Image::ExifTool 13.33
[XMP-iptcCore]  Country Code                    : ESP
[XMP-iptcCore]  Location                        : Sagrada Família
[XMP-iptcExt]   Location Created                : [{City=Barcelona,CountryCode=ESP,CountryName=Spain,GPSAltitude=41,GPSLatitude=41.402569,GPSLongitude=2.173269,ProvinceState=Catalonia,Sublocation=Carrer de Provença }]
[XMP-iptcExt]   Location Created City           : Barcelona
[XMP-iptcExt]   Location Created Country Code   : ESP
[XMP-iptcExt]   Location Created Country Name   : Spain
[XMP-iptcExt]   Location Created Province State : Catalonia
[XMP-iptcExt]   Location Created Sublocation    : Carrer de Provença
[XMP-iptcExt]   Location Created GPS Altitude   : 41
[XMP-iptcExt]   Location Created GPS Latitude   : 41.402569
[XMP-iptcExt]   Location Created GPS Longitude  : 2.173269
[XMP-iptcExt]   Location Shown                  : [{City=Barcelona,CountryCode=ESP,CountryName=Spain,GPSAltitude=41,GPSLatitude=41.404388,GPSLongitude=2.173061,ProvinceState=Catalonia,Sublocation=Sagrada Família}]
[XMP-iptcExt]   Location Shown City             : Barcelona
[XMP-iptcExt]   Location Shown Country Code     : ESP
[XMP-iptcExt]   Location Shown Country Name     : Spain
[XMP-iptcExt]   Location Shown Province State   : Catalonia
[XMP-iptcExt]   Location Shown Sublocation      : Sagrada Família
[XMP-iptcExt]   Location Shown GPS Altitude     : 41
[XMP-iptcExt]   Location Shown GPS Latitude     : 41.404388
[XMP-iptcExt]   Location Shown GPS Longitude    : 2.173061
[XMP-dc]        Description                     : The Sagrada Familia, a renowned basilica in Barcelona, Spain, stands prominently against a backdrop of a blue sky. The image showcases the intricate architectural details of the building, surrounded by trees and foliage.
[XMP-dc]        Subject                         : [Sagrada Familia,Barcelona,Spain,architecture,church,Gaudí,landmark,tourism,travel,sky,sunny,Plants and Flowers,Trees,basilica,daytime,Building,House]
[XMP-exif]      Date/Time Original              : 2012:05:22 05:24:47+01:00
This makes the GPS coordinates and location data available for all software and services which handle GPS data (e.g. if you open the image in Lr, the map shows the location).

I don't know which software the other person is using. What you could do is to provide the other person with an easy way to see the coordinates, e.g. in the title. For example, these variables:

{File.MD.gpslatitude|value:raw},{File.MD.gpslongitude|value:raw}

produce a coordinate pair you can directly copy & paste into the search box in Google Maps to find a location.
If you use e.g. a Metadata Template to fill the title from this variable, you can see it e.g. in Windows Explorer properties:

You cannot view this attachment.

You can also copy & paste the coordinates from this property, e.g. into the search box in Google Maps, Google Earth or OpenstreetMap.

Note: Windows Explorer also shows the GPS coordinates IMatch has embedded, but there is no way to copy them, unfortunately.

Another way, especially if it's for many images, would by the use the Copy Data app with a variable like this:

{File.NameExt}[tab]{File.MD.gpslatitude|value:raw},{File.MD.gpslongitude|value:raw}

You cannot view this attachment.

This copies the file name and a coordinate pair for each selected file into the Windows clipboard.
You can save it into a text file and send it together with the images. No other software required,
To lookup a file in Google Maps or elsewhere, others can just use the coordinate pair for the image from the text file.

[axel.hennig]

Is there an easy/automatic way to solve this problem, so that these files can be shown on a website that has Google maps embedded?

I think there are several ways how to solve this:

• Suggestion proposed by Mario (see above).
• IMatch Anywhere
• IMatch App: nanogallery2 generator
• Special Photo-viewer (should be freeware I guess). I prefer XnViewMP
• Website which offers the functionality you would like to have (haven't found one, but didn't search that long)

Personally, I would go with XnViewMP, because it has exiftool included (view Metadata) and also Google Maps.

[Mees Dekker]

Thanks for all these useful suggestions. I'll give a try. Btw: the other user is an Apple-man, so IMatch is nothing for him.

And IMA requires that I give access to my NAS. That is a "no go" for me.

[Mario]

Try XNView https://www.xnview.com/en/xnview/
It's free for personal use, runs on Macs and has Google Maps built in (in the "Information" Panel).
When you browse a folder with images written metadata by IMatch, you can see the images on the map. Should do the trick. If it must be OSM, Google Maps or Earth, use the title or Copy Data app trick.

[jch2103]

The problem with XNView is that it needs some kind of pre-configuration setup for non-techie users. The price is right, and it's very capable, but as with any very capable product, it can be somewhat overwhelming at first encounter. I've looked into it to recommend to folks who need a free but capable product that can show/edit image metadata, but so far I haven't found the best way to do this. 

[Jingo]

I too often use XNView MP to get some things done quickly... like embedding XMP metadata from filenames for auto-captioning in Indesign... but I don't recall needing to do anything to get the software to run and show metadata.

I have thumbnails with metadata display at the top and preview window, categories, metadata and properties/exif/XMP panels at the bottom of the window with GPS showing Google Maps.  

It's pretty clean and easy to see the metadata for each photo.

[jch2103]

I agree it's pretty easy to get XNView installed and running. I'm thinking about how to set it up for photographers who don't have much existing knowledge about metadata.

[axel.hennig]

You can run XnView in portable mode. Meaning you can set it up in a way you think works best for the ones you would like to share your images with and then "share" the whole "XnView folder" with them. Since it is "portable", your friends should see it in the same way as you did.

[Jingo]

You can run XnView in portable mode. 

Yes.. forgot about portable mode which is actually how I run it!  Great suggestion...!