IPTC Data in JPEG and other Image Files

[Axel Nastansky]

I would find it extremely useful to search the "International Press Telecommunications Council" meta data added to image files by Photoshop and image library programs. This meta data is similar to EXIF but it allows users to add information regarding the content of the image.

More info:
http://www.iptc.org
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/IPTC

This would be a killer feature for the millions of digital photographers out there and the trillions of digital images waiting to be indexed in a useful way. Currently the only way to organize images is to use folders similar to the folders in email programs or to trust your images to one of the many cumbersome databases available. It makes so much more sense to store the keyword information directly with (in) the image and search on the file system with a program such as X1.

If you can tell me how to index the IPTC data now I will buy X1 immediately!

[noel]

Hi Axel,

Not yet - X1 doesn't have the ability to index meta data. It is a popular feature request. We will add your vote to support this.

[Axel Nastansky]

Noel,

thanks for your quick response.

How come it says " JPEG (including EXIF) No specific version" under supported file formats? That gave me the impression that at least EXIF data would be indexed. I couldn't get that to work however, even when I added .jpg to the indexed file extensions.

[noel]

Hi Axel,

Sorry - that list is confusing. It will need to be fixed so that it does not mention EXIF.

X1 does not extract the EXIF data. A general rule is:

What you see in the preview is what will be indexed by X1. So, images will not be indexed for any type of content.

[jm]

This topic is almost on the developer's radar but more understanding from the X1 product positioning viewpoint might be required to push it over the line.

Music indexing is generally better implemented by software products than is the case for images. EXIF is well established with most digital cameras, scanners, and even display devices supporting it.
EXIF is so well entrenched in firmware that there must be hundreds of millions of devices out there generating EXIF data which ultimately flows to a PC somewhere. eg. Mobile phone pictures usually contain the basic fields in "general information" such as date, time, camera make, camera model = phone model.

The more serious picture management tools eg Microsoft Digital Image Suite, and Zoner Photo Studio which I happen to use, can both edit, batch edit, index, search and filter certain sections of EXIF (2.2 Standard) data, of which there are about 20 items.
However, these tools can't find an image based on EXIF info. particularly if it is stored somewhat randomly, eg. in email, whereas X1 could.
The well structured "keywords" and "description" "general information" data would probably cover 99% of the average user search requirements.

So why not go for it before Google Desktop gets its act together?

Given Google's initial efforts, X1 is ahead for the moment but then again they might read this post and try harder?

[Axel Nastansky]

I agree with the previous poster - given the ubiquitousness of EXIF it is a shame it doesn't get indexed. I should be mentioned that some photo organizing software can find images based on meta data - Adobe Bridge for example.

[gt13]

This request appeared in the forum in october 2004.
Now there exists at least one plug-in for Google Desktop Search able to index IPTC and XMP data in images.
Will one day X1 be able to do it ?
Gerard

[Kenward]

What's the plugin?

Is it an iFilter?

If so, X1 may work with it.

[gt13]

Here are 2 softwares that claim to bring IPTC data to Google Desktop Search:

Keypict Photo Search:
http://www.keypict.com/photosearch.html

PixVue: a screen copy of its help file
http://tayeb.fr/photo/classement/PixVue ... Search.png
and a link to the program:
http://tayeb.fr/photo/classement/PixVue/PixVue.html

Gerard