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TrFile_GetMetaData |
Gets metadata out of an image, movie or pdf. Metadata can be inserted by for example Photoshop and can contain a description of the image, copyright information, camera information, etc.
Syntax
TrFile_GetMetaData ( switches ; source )
Parameters
| switches | these determine the metadata that is returned |
| source | the path to the file, or container data |
Switches
Switches can be one or more of the following:
| -GetIPTC | get the IPTC metadata (Photoshop’s File Info) |
| -GetXMP | get XMP metadata (Adobe’s Extensible Metadata Platform ) |
| -GetExif | get the Exif metadata (a standard for digital cameras) |
| -GetRawExif | get the Exif metadata (a standard for digital cameras), in a more original form |
| -GetGPS | get the GPS (Global Positioning System) metadata, with the image coordinates |
| -GetJPEGComment | get the JPEG comment metadata of a JPEG file |
| -GetImageURL | get the URL metadata (Photoshop’s File Info extension) |
| -GetImageDescription | get a description like width, height and depth, resolution, codec name etc. |
To specify the encoding you can use:
| -SourceMacCharSet | the IPTC data has Mac encoded characters |
| -SourceWinCharSet | the IPTC data has Windows encoded characters |
| -SourceUTF8CharSet | the IPTC data will be read as UTF-8 encoded |
| -DontUseAutoUTF8Detection | disable the automatic detection of UTF-8 encoding |
For movies these switches can be used:
| -IsValidMovie | returns 1 (true) if this is a valid movie or 0 (false) otherwise |
| -GetMovieDescription | get a description like width, height and depth, timecode, frames per second, codec name etc. |
You can add this switch in combination with the switch “-GetMovieDescription”:
| -AddFrameCount | the frame count of the movie is added to the result. Note that it might take a while to calculate the frame count. |
For movies you can also get these single metadata values:
| -GetMovieDuration | get the duration in seconds of a movie |
| -GetTimecodeBegin | get the begin Timecode of a movie |
| -GetTimecodeEnd | get the end Timecode of a movie |
| -GetTimecodeCurrent | get the current Timecode of a movie |
| -GetMovieMetadata | get all embedded metadata, for example Artist or Description |
| -GetMovieCreationDate | gets the creation date (incl. time + timezone) of the movie |
| -GetMovieWidth | get the width of the movie |
| -GetMovieHeight | get the height of the movie |
| -GetMovieRotation | get the rotation in degrees of the movie |
| -GetMovieFrameCount | get the total number of frames in the movie |
| -GetMovieSoftware | get the name if the application that created the movie |
| -GetMovieYear | get the year of the movie |
| -GetMovieGPS | gets the GPS location data of the movie |
With an extra -Format switch you can specify how the movie GPS location is returned:
| -Format=Decimal | (default) format the GPS using decimal coordinates |
| -Format=DegMinSecs | format the GPS using latitude, longitude (in degrees, minutes and seconds) and height (in meters) |
| -Format=ISO6709 | format the GPS using according to ISO 6709 |
If there is no Timecode track or GPS or creation data an empty string is returned.
For backwards compatibility you can use this switch:
| -GetMovieDescriptionOldFormat” returns the original result of “-GetMovieDescription”, i.e. height returned first and not reflecting the rotation of the movie. |
For PDFs this switch can be used:
| -GetPDFDescription | get metadata of a PDF file, such as the document’s title, author, and creation date |
Returned Result
Data type returned
Text
Result
the requested metadata, if available.
Returned error codes can be:
| $$-2026 | userDataItemNotFound | the requested metadata is not available |
| $$-43 | fnfErr | source file not found |
| $$-50 | paramErr | parameter error |
Other errors may be returned.
Originated in
Troi File Plug-in 2.0
Compatibility
FileMaker Pro 16 to 19
Considerations
Prior to Troi File 9.0 this function was called TrFile_MetaData.
Starting with version 12.1: you can use a container (or a variable with container data) as the source.
Starting with version 9.1: you can also use -GetXMP with movies that contain XMP. Version 9.1 also added the switches -GetMovieMetadata, -GetMovieCreationDate and -GetMovieGPS.
Note that some metadata is returned in a raw form. See the example files “IPTC_XMP_Metadata” and GetEXIF” for information on how to parse this.
Exif (Exchangeable image file) metadata in an image file will contain annotation data such as the time a photo was created, aperture and shutter speed. Your digital camera needs to have put this in the file.
From v6.0: When using the switch “-GetIPTC” the plug-in can now automatically detect if the text is UTF-8 encoded (and also returns with the metadata text correctly formatted). If UTF-8 format is detected it will override the switches: “-SourceMacCharSet” and “-SourceWinCharSet”.
IPTC data in image files can also be either Mac or Windows encoded . With the switches “-SourceMacCharSet” and “-SourceWinCharSet” you can manually tell the plug-in which character encoding you expect in the image files. Alternatively you can retrieve both encodings and then see which is best. Note: If you don’t specify a CharSet switch, the plug-in uses the encoding of the platform it is running on.
Version 5.5 added getting Exif from RAW files. v4.5 added the -GetRawExif switch: this will return the Exif data in a more original form, as fractions. For example aperture will be returned as 95/32, instead of 2.96875. This makes it possible to write Exif data back in the original form, with the TrFile_SetMetaData function.
v13.0 added these swithes:
-GetMovieWidth
-GetMovieHeight
-GetMovieRotation
-GetMovieFrameCount
-GetMovieSoftware
-GetMovieYear
-IsValidMovie
-AddFrameCount
Example
Set Field [ result ; TrFile_GetMetaData ( "-GetExif " ; "C:\myData\Photo1.jpg" ) ]This will return the raw EXIF data. The data will look like this:
##EXIF 270
OLYMPUS DIGITAL CAMERA
##END 270
##EXIF 306
2011:06:09 10:50:40
##END 306
…
Example 2
Set Field [ result ; TrFile_GetMetaData ( "-GetIPTC " ; gFilePath ) ]This will return the raw IPTC data. The data will look like this:
##IPTC 120
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE–FILE–Shania Twain performs at the Country Music Association Awards show in Nashville, Tenn., …
##END 120
##IPTC 122
CJC RWP MAH
##END 122
##IPTC 105
SHANIA TWAIN
##END 105
##IPTC 40
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE. A SEPT. 22, 1999 FILE PHOTO. DIGITAL IMAGE
##END 40
…
Used in example files
GetExif.fmp12
IPTC_XMP_Metadata.fmp12
SetExif.fmp12
GetMovieMetadata.fmp12
Related functions
| TrFile_GetAsPlainText |
| TrFile_GetFileStructure |
| TrFile_SetMetaData |
Related topics
Troi File Plug-in online help (overview)
