Y
Yves Alarie
Here are more details from MS on this tool.
You can download the file (a Word Document File from MS) at the site listed
below and a copy of this file is also posted below.
http://www.microsoft.com/downloads/...B5-1D88-437C-9F54-1FB0D210B5EF&displaylang=en
Microsoft Photo Info Frequently Asked Questions
Software version: 1.0
Document revision: 1.0
January 2007
What is Microsoft Photo Info?
Microsoft Photo Info is an add-in for Microsoft Windows that allows
photographers to add, change and delete common "metadata" properties for
digital photographs. In addition, it provides enhanced "hover tips" and
additional image file sort properties in Windows Explorer (in Details view).
How does Photo Info read and write to image files?
Photo Info uses a new Windows platform technology called Windows Imaging
Component (WIC). WIC is part of the new imaging and graphics foundation
built into Windows Vista and is also available for Windows XP. WIC provides
a common interface for applications to work with image files without having
to know the details of specific image formats. New image formats are
supported through plug-ins called "codecs". In addition to the native
codecs for JPEG, TIFF, BMP, and other formats built into Windows, camera
manufacturers are providing Windows codecs for RAW file formats. Microsoft
has actively encouraged all major camera manufacturers to support Windows
codecs.
Does Photo Info always use Windows codecs?
Photo Info always uses Windows codecs for native file types such as JPEG,
TIFF and HD Photo. For NEF, CR2 or CRW files, the situation can vary: Photo
Info will always use Windows codecs if a RAW codec is found. If a codec is
not found, Photo Info uses internal code to read and write IPTC metadata
only (XMP is not supported). This feature is provided for backwards
compatibility with older applications.
Where can I find RAW codecs for Windows?
RAW codecs are available direct from camera manufacturers' Web sites, and
may also be included in software provided with future cameras. Nikon has
released version 1.0 of its codec, which can be found at the following Web
site:
http://www.nikonimglib.com/nefcodec/
For information about the availability of codecs for other RAW file types,
please see the following links:
Adobe:
http://shell.windows.com/fileassoc/0409/xml/redir.asp?EXT=dng
Canon:
http://shell.windows.com/fileassoc/0409/xml/redir.asp?EXT=cr2
http://shell.windows.com/fileassoc/0409/xml/redir.asp?EXT=crw
Fujifilm:
http://shell.windows.com/fileassoc/0409/xml/redir.asp?EXT=raf
Minolta:
http://shell.windows.com/fileassoc/0409/xml/redir.asp?EXT=mrw
Olympus:
http://shell.windows.com/fileassoc/0409/xml/redir.asp?EXT=orf
Sony:
http://shell.windows.com/fileassoc/0409/xml/redir.asp?EXT=arw
http://shell.windows.com/fileassoc/0409/xml/redir.asp?EXT=srf
After installing Nikon's NEF codec and changing metadata, I can no longer
open NEF images in Adobe Photoshop. Why?
Important note to users of the Nikon RAW Codec for Windows: Microsoft has
received reports of compatibility issues with Nikon NEF files after
installing version 1.0 of Nikon's RAW codec posted in January 2007. Tagging
the RAW files through Windows Vista or the Microsoft Photo Info tool after
the codec is installed appears to cause these files to become unreadable in
other applications, such as Adobe Photoshop. We have confirmed that these
files can still be opened with Nikon Capture.
Nikon and Microsoft are investigating the issue, and we will post an update
when we have more information. In the meantime, Microsoft suggests that you
exercise caution with your Nikon RAW files. If you plan on tagging them
using Nikon's codec, make a backup of the file first, and verify that the
tagged file continues to work with your other applications before
proceeding.
Tagging the file using Photo Info without the Nikon NEF codec installed
appears to be safe.
What versions of Windows does Photo Info run on?
Photo Info runs on 32-bit versions of Windows XP or Windows Vista operating
systems (x86). Windows XP users must have Service Pack 2 or later installed.
Additionally for Windows XP, users must have installed the Microsoft .NET
Framework Version 2.0 Redistributable Package (x86).
Does Photo Info support 64-bit or non-x86 versions of Windows?
No, not at this time.
What file types does Photo Info support?
Photo Info version 1.0 supports the following file types: JPEG, TIFF, WDP,
HDP (HD Photo), NEF, CR2, and CRW. Support for additional file types may be
included in a future update.
A note about the CRW file format: If a Canon CRW RAW codec is not installed,
Photo Info supports CRW files only when an associated THM file is present in
the same folder as the selected CRW image. (THM files contain thumbnails
generated by certain Canon cameras.) In this case, Photo Info reads and
writes IPTC metadata into the THM file. Therefore, if you move or rename
the CRW file using Windows Explorer after writing metadata with Photo Info,
please be sure to apply the same changes to the THM files; otherwise
metadata may be lost.
Does Photo Info work with all RAW files supported in Windows?
No. Photo Info version 1.0 supports Canon and Nikon RAW files (CR2, CRW and
NEF) only. Microsoft may issue an update to Photo Info in the future with
support for other RAW formats. Windows Vista is designed to support any RAW
format for which a valid codec is installed.
What metadata properties and formats does Photo Info support?
Microsoft Photo Info supports many of the properties in the Information
Interchange Model 4 specification as published by the International Press
Telecommunications Council (IPTC). Microsoft Photo Info can read and write
these properties in either the legacy IPTC IIM format (the well-known "IPTC
headers" supported in Adobe Photoshop and other programs) or in the newer
Adobe Extensible Metadata Platform (XMP) metadata format, depending upon the
file type. In addition, Photo Info can display certain Exchangeable image
file format (Exif) properties. You can also give your photos "star ratings"
that are compatible with Windows Vista and Adobe software.
Does Photo Info recompress JPEG images?
No. Photo Info uses the Windows JPEG codec to perform metadata operations on
JPEG images in a lossless manner. The full size image is not changed when
adding metadata to a JPEG image.
Why does my file size sometimes change when using Photo Info?
This can happen for a number of reasons. Often the file must be reorganized
so that space is created for the new information. Windows applications may
add a small amount of padding so that it is easier to add or change metadata
in the future; this can cause the file size to increase slightly. If an
image contains a thumbnail, Windows will re-encode the thumbnail to make
room for other metadata using a default quality level of 7. If the original
thumbnail was encoded at a higher quality level than this, the file may
become slightly smaller. However, the full size image is never changed.
Why do some TIFF files become much larger after using Photo Info?
This is a current issue with the Windows TIFF codec. If a compressed TIFF
file must be reorganized to add metadata, the TIFF codec does not always
preserve the original compression settings, causing the file size to
increase.
JPEG files from my Canon EOS 300D (Digital Rebel) become much smaller after
using Photo Info. What's going on?
This particular Canon model embeds a preview in the JPEG image stream.
Because the preview location is private, it is not preserved when the file
is reorganized. This preview may have been used in the camera during image
playback; however, it is not used by JPEG software on the PC and therefore
use of the file should not be altered. Because the file becomes smaller it
may seem that the file has been compressed; however, this is not the case.
Microsoft is currently investigating what additional camera models (if any)
this might affect.
What are "Maker Notes"?
Some camera manufacturers include an Exif "Maker Note" tag within an image
that contains information not included in standard Exif, such as additional
camera settings. The data structure is private and differs between
manufacturers, but usually contains absolute references to other data within
the image stream. This is an issue when applications add padding to an
image since the absolute addresses become invalid.
Does Photo Info delete "Maker Notes" from my images?
No. The "Maker Note" tag is not deleted, but it may be relocated in the
image stream. In the past, this would cause the "Maker Note" to become
irretrievably damaged. WIC, however, keeps track of the number of bytes the
"Maker Note" has been moved, and writes this information to a public offset
tag. Applications that are aware of this tag will be able to recover most
"Maker Note" information. Microsoft is working to inform hardware and
software developers of this new feature and encourage them to update their
tools.
Does Photo Info read the "Maker Note" information?
No, neither Microsoft Photo Info nor Windows Vista directly reads the "Maker
Note" information. However, software that does read the "Maker Note"
information may choose to save this information in XMP so that this
information can be displayed in Windows Vista. If running Windows Vista,
right-click on an image and choose Properties to view this information.
How would an application developer find and use the relocated "Maker Note"
information?
Any time the "Maker Note" is relocated by Windows, the Exif MakerNote tag
(37500) is updated automatically to reference the new location. In
addition, Windows records the offset (or difference) between the old and new
locations in the Exif OffsetSchema tag (59933). If the "Maker Note"
contains relative references, the developer can add the value in
OffsetSchema to the original references to find the correct information.
What happens if there is a conflict between metadata properties?
If the same property is stored in a file in both IPTC and XMP formats,
Microsoft Photo Info gives precedence to the XMP value. When saving changes
to a file, Microsoft Photo Info attempts to write the new values to both
IPTC and XMP formats (if the Windows codec for that file type supports
both). In this case, the property values will be synchronized. In the case
of CR2, CR2, and NEF file types, XMP metadata is not supported if a RAW
Windows codec is not installed.
How does Photo Info map IPTC properties?
For some properties, Microsoft Photo Info maps the original IPTC property
names to more commonly used terms, as used in Adobe Photoshop and other
software:
Microsoft Photo Info property
IPTC IIMv4 Tag
Title
Object Name
Author
Byline
Description
Caption
Description Writer
Writer/Editor
URL
Contact
Photo Info does not see updates to RAW images I've made in Adobe Photoshop
or Bridge. Why?
For RAW files other than DNG, Adobe software currently writes metadata to an
external "sidecar" file having a '.XMP' extension. Photo Info will only see
this metadata if a RAW codec is installed that also supports these sidecar
files. Because metadata in sidecar files is easily lost if the original file
is moved or renamed, Microsoft is encouraging camera manufacturers to
develop safe ways of writing XMP metadata directly into their file formats
(we expect most RAW Windows codecs to support this). Software programs that
use WIC will gain this feature automatically. Microsoft is encouraging Adobe
and other software developers to follow the camera manufacturers' leads once
these safe methods are defined.
Apple Aperture doesn't show IPTC metadata in TIFF images that I edited with
Photo Info (or Windows Vista). Why?
Aperture interprets a certain field in the IPTC header in a strict way that
is currently incompatible with the way that Windows encodes this
information. Microsoft is currently investigating a solution to this
problem.
When I attempt to install Photo Info, I get a confusing message and the
program is not installed. Why?
During Setup on Windows XP, Photo Info runs the Microsoft Windows Imaging
Component (WIC) installer to ensure that WIC is present on the system. If
the WIC installer fails for some reason, the following message is generated
and Photo Info Setup is cancelled:
"There is a problem with this Windows installer package. A Program run as
part of the setup did not finish as expected. Contact your support personnel
or package vendor."
This may happen for a few reasons: 1) a very old beta copy of the Microsoft
..NET Framework version 3.0 may be installed; 2) the WIC installer did not
run with Administrator privileges; 3) the Windows registry is inaccessible
for some reason. None of these cases should be common, and Microsoft is
currently investigating this further.
Should this happen, you can try installing WIC manually from the following
location:
http://www.microsoft.com/downloads/...06-6307-445B-B950-215DEF45DDD8&displaylang=en.
Once this succeeds, try the Photo Info Setup again.
© 2007 Microsoft Corporation. All rights reserved. This document is for
informational purposes only. MICROSOFT MAKES NO WARRANTIES, EXPRESS OR
IMPLIED, IN THIS SUMMARY. Microsoft and Windows are either registered
trademarks or trademarks of Microsoft Corporation in the United States
and/or other countries. The names of actual companies and products mentioned
herein may be the trademarks of their respective owners.
Document published January, 20007
You can download the file (a Word Document File from MS) at the site listed
below and a copy of this file is also posted below.
http://www.microsoft.com/downloads/...B5-1D88-437C-9F54-1FB0D210B5EF&displaylang=en
Microsoft Photo Info Frequently Asked Questions
Software version: 1.0
Document revision: 1.0
January 2007
What is Microsoft Photo Info?
Microsoft Photo Info is an add-in for Microsoft Windows that allows
photographers to add, change and delete common "metadata" properties for
digital photographs. In addition, it provides enhanced "hover tips" and
additional image file sort properties in Windows Explorer (in Details view).
How does Photo Info read and write to image files?
Photo Info uses a new Windows platform technology called Windows Imaging
Component (WIC). WIC is part of the new imaging and graphics foundation
built into Windows Vista and is also available for Windows XP. WIC provides
a common interface for applications to work with image files without having
to know the details of specific image formats. New image formats are
supported through plug-ins called "codecs". In addition to the native
codecs for JPEG, TIFF, BMP, and other formats built into Windows, camera
manufacturers are providing Windows codecs for RAW file formats. Microsoft
has actively encouraged all major camera manufacturers to support Windows
codecs.
Does Photo Info always use Windows codecs?
Photo Info always uses Windows codecs for native file types such as JPEG,
TIFF and HD Photo. For NEF, CR2 or CRW files, the situation can vary: Photo
Info will always use Windows codecs if a RAW codec is found. If a codec is
not found, Photo Info uses internal code to read and write IPTC metadata
only (XMP is not supported). This feature is provided for backwards
compatibility with older applications.
Where can I find RAW codecs for Windows?
RAW codecs are available direct from camera manufacturers' Web sites, and
may also be included in software provided with future cameras. Nikon has
released version 1.0 of its codec, which can be found at the following Web
site:
http://www.nikonimglib.com/nefcodec/
For information about the availability of codecs for other RAW file types,
please see the following links:
Adobe:
http://shell.windows.com/fileassoc/0409/xml/redir.asp?EXT=dng
Canon:
http://shell.windows.com/fileassoc/0409/xml/redir.asp?EXT=cr2
http://shell.windows.com/fileassoc/0409/xml/redir.asp?EXT=crw
Fujifilm:
http://shell.windows.com/fileassoc/0409/xml/redir.asp?EXT=raf
Minolta:
http://shell.windows.com/fileassoc/0409/xml/redir.asp?EXT=mrw
Olympus:
http://shell.windows.com/fileassoc/0409/xml/redir.asp?EXT=orf
Sony:
http://shell.windows.com/fileassoc/0409/xml/redir.asp?EXT=arw
http://shell.windows.com/fileassoc/0409/xml/redir.asp?EXT=srf
After installing Nikon's NEF codec and changing metadata, I can no longer
open NEF images in Adobe Photoshop. Why?
Important note to users of the Nikon RAW Codec for Windows: Microsoft has
received reports of compatibility issues with Nikon NEF files after
installing version 1.0 of Nikon's RAW codec posted in January 2007. Tagging
the RAW files through Windows Vista or the Microsoft Photo Info tool after
the codec is installed appears to cause these files to become unreadable in
other applications, such as Adobe Photoshop. We have confirmed that these
files can still be opened with Nikon Capture.
Nikon and Microsoft are investigating the issue, and we will post an update
when we have more information. In the meantime, Microsoft suggests that you
exercise caution with your Nikon RAW files. If you plan on tagging them
using Nikon's codec, make a backup of the file first, and verify that the
tagged file continues to work with your other applications before
proceeding.
Tagging the file using Photo Info without the Nikon NEF codec installed
appears to be safe.
What versions of Windows does Photo Info run on?
Photo Info runs on 32-bit versions of Windows XP or Windows Vista operating
systems (x86). Windows XP users must have Service Pack 2 or later installed.
Additionally for Windows XP, users must have installed the Microsoft .NET
Framework Version 2.0 Redistributable Package (x86).
Does Photo Info support 64-bit or non-x86 versions of Windows?
No, not at this time.
What file types does Photo Info support?
Photo Info version 1.0 supports the following file types: JPEG, TIFF, WDP,
HDP (HD Photo), NEF, CR2, and CRW. Support for additional file types may be
included in a future update.
A note about the CRW file format: If a Canon CRW RAW codec is not installed,
Photo Info supports CRW files only when an associated THM file is present in
the same folder as the selected CRW image. (THM files contain thumbnails
generated by certain Canon cameras.) In this case, Photo Info reads and
writes IPTC metadata into the THM file. Therefore, if you move or rename
the CRW file using Windows Explorer after writing metadata with Photo Info,
please be sure to apply the same changes to the THM files; otherwise
metadata may be lost.
Does Photo Info work with all RAW files supported in Windows?
No. Photo Info version 1.0 supports Canon and Nikon RAW files (CR2, CRW and
NEF) only. Microsoft may issue an update to Photo Info in the future with
support for other RAW formats. Windows Vista is designed to support any RAW
format for which a valid codec is installed.
What metadata properties and formats does Photo Info support?
Microsoft Photo Info supports many of the properties in the Information
Interchange Model 4 specification as published by the International Press
Telecommunications Council (IPTC). Microsoft Photo Info can read and write
these properties in either the legacy IPTC IIM format (the well-known "IPTC
headers" supported in Adobe Photoshop and other programs) or in the newer
Adobe Extensible Metadata Platform (XMP) metadata format, depending upon the
file type. In addition, Photo Info can display certain Exchangeable image
file format (Exif) properties. You can also give your photos "star ratings"
that are compatible with Windows Vista and Adobe software.
Does Photo Info recompress JPEG images?
No. Photo Info uses the Windows JPEG codec to perform metadata operations on
JPEG images in a lossless manner. The full size image is not changed when
adding metadata to a JPEG image.
Why does my file size sometimes change when using Photo Info?
This can happen for a number of reasons. Often the file must be reorganized
so that space is created for the new information. Windows applications may
add a small amount of padding so that it is easier to add or change metadata
in the future; this can cause the file size to increase slightly. If an
image contains a thumbnail, Windows will re-encode the thumbnail to make
room for other metadata using a default quality level of 7. If the original
thumbnail was encoded at a higher quality level than this, the file may
become slightly smaller. However, the full size image is never changed.
Why do some TIFF files become much larger after using Photo Info?
This is a current issue with the Windows TIFF codec. If a compressed TIFF
file must be reorganized to add metadata, the TIFF codec does not always
preserve the original compression settings, causing the file size to
increase.
JPEG files from my Canon EOS 300D (Digital Rebel) become much smaller after
using Photo Info. What's going on?
This particular Canon model embeds a preview in the JPEG image stream.
Because the preview location is private, it is not preserved when the file
is reorganized. This preview may have been used in the camera during image
playback; however, it is not used by JPEG software on the PC and therefore
use of the file should not be altered. Because the file becomes smaller it
may seem that the file has been compressed; however, this is not the case.
Microsoft is currently investigating what additional camera models (if any)
this might affect.
What are "Maker Notes"?
Some camera manufacturers include an Exif "Maker Note" tag within an image
that contains information not included in standard Exif, such as additional
camera settings. The data structure is private and differs between
manufacturers, but usually contains absolute references to other data within
the image stream. This is an issue when applications add padding to an
image since the absolute addresses become invalid.
Does Photo Info delete "Maker Notes" from my images?
No. The "Maker Note" tag is not deleted, but it may be relocated in the
image stream. In the past, this would cause the "Maker Note" to become
irretrievably damaged. WIC, however, keeps track of the number of bytes the
"Maker Note" has been moved, and writes this information to a public offset
tag. Applications that are aware of this tag will be able to recover most
"Maker Note" information. Microsoft is working to inform hardware and
software developers of this new feature and encourage them to update their
tools.
Does Photo Info read the "Maker Note" information?
No, neither Microsoft Photo Info nor Windows Vista directly reads the "Maker
Note" information. However, software that does read the "Maker Note"
information may choose to save this information in XMP so that this
information can be displayed in Windows Vista. If running Windows Vista,
right-click on an image and choose Properties to view this information.
How would an application developer find and use the relocated "Maker Note"
information?
Any time the "Maker Note" is relocated by Windows, the Exif MakerNote tag
(37500) is updated automatically to reference the new location. In
addition, Windows records the offset (or difference) between the old and new
locations in the Exif OffsetSchema tag (59933). If the "Maker Note"
contains relative references, the developer can add the value in
OffsetSchema to the original references to find the correct information.
What happens if there is a conflict between metadata properties?
If the same property is stored in a file in both IPTC and XMP formats,
Microsoft Photo Info gives precedence to the XMP value. When saving changes
to a file, Microsoft Photo Info attempts to write the new values to both
IPTC and XMP formats (if the Windows codec for that file type supports
both). In this case, the property values will be synchronized. In the case
of CR2, CR2, and NEF file types, XMP metadata is not supported if a RAW
Windows codec is not installed.
How does Photo Info map IPTC properties?
For some properties, Microsoft Photo Info maps the original IPTC property
names to more commonly used terms, as used in Adobe Photoshop and other
software:
Microsoft Photo Info property
IPTC IIMv4 Tag
Title
Object Name
Author
Byline
Description
Caption
Description Writer
Writer/Editor
URL
Contact
Photo Info does not see updates to RAW images I've made in Adobe Photoshop
or Bridge. Why?
For RAW files other than DNG, Adobe software currently writes metadata to an
external "sidecar" file having a '.XMP' extension. Photo Info will only see
this metadata if a RAW codec is installed that also supports these sidecar
files. Because metadata in sidecar files is easily lost if the original file
is moved or renamed, Microsoft is encouraging camera manufacturers to
develop safe ways of writing XMP metadata directly into their file formats
(we expect most RAW Windows codecs to support this). Software programs that
use WIC will gain this feature automatically. Microsoft is encouraging Adobe
and other software developers to follow the camera manufacturers' leads once
these safe methods are defined.
Apple Aperture doesn't show IPTC metadata in TIFF images that I edited with
Photo Info (or Windows Vista). Why?
Aperture interprets a certain field in the IPTC header in a strict way that
is currently incompatible with the way that Windows encodes this
information. Microsoft is currently investigating a solution to this
problem.
When I attempt to install Photo Info, I get a confusing message and the
program is not installed. Why?
During Setup on Windows XP, Photo Info runs the Microsoft Windows Imaging
Component (WIC) installer to ensure that WIC is present on the system. If
the WIC installer fails for some reason, the following message is generated
and Photo Info Setup is cancelled:
"There is a problem with this Windows installer package. A Program run as
part of the setup did not finish as expected. Contact your support personnel
or package vendor."
This may happen for a few reasons: 1) a very old beta copy of the Microsoft
..NET Framework version 3.0 may be installed; 2) the WIC installer did not
run with Administrator privileges; 3) the Windows registry is inaccessible
for some reason. None of these cases should be common, and Microsoft is
currently investigating this further.
Should this happen, you can try installing WIC manually from the following
location:
http://www.microsoft.com/downloads/...06-6307-445B-B950-215DEF45DDD8&displaylang=en.
Once this succeeds, try the Photo Info Setup again.
© 2007 Microsoft Corporation. All rights reserved. This document is for
informational purposes only. MICROSOFT MAKES NO WARRANTIES, EXPRESS OR
IMPLIED, IN THIS SUMMARY. Microsoft and Windows are either registered
trademarks or trademarks of Microsoft Corporation in the United States
and/or other countries. The names of actual companies and products mentioned
herein may be the trademarks of their respective owners.
Document published January, 20007