Will’s Similiblog

a screencast, illustrating geotagging in Aperture using the Maperture plugin, upload to a Gallery2 installation using Ubermind’s Gallery Export plugin for Aperture, and display using the Gallery2 Map module:

 

 Podcast Video [00:07:31m]: Play Now | Play in Popup | Download

… see fix, in the 1st comment to this post …

I’ve run across a critical glitch in the Aperture/geotagging workflow, which appears to be an Aperture bug - (see e.g. http://aperture-assistant.com/post/151#comments as well - I’ve been searching the web for any possible remedies for this, and find none at present) -

After geotagging in Aperture, the exported image - either with export version to a directory in preparation for upload, or with export via Ubermind’s Gallery Export for Aperture, directly to my Gallery2 installation - is exported without the geotag (latitude, longitude) metadata.  The getag metadata is there in the version within Aperture; it can be viewed in the metadata panel, and it works with the right-click menu show on map… link; but it apparently is stripped during export.

GPS metadata is included with the image if I export the Master, rather than the Version from Aperture.

The images in my Gallery2 installation which display geotag metadata, are ones which I tagged using the Gallery2 Map module (see below), after upload; those I exported from Aperture sadly had their geotags stripped on export.

Screenshots of the Gallery2 Map module geotagging interface:

A screencast (no audio) of the Gallery2 Maps module in operation, showing the GoogleMaps integration within the module -

 

 Podcast Video [00:00:47m]: Play Now | Play in Popup | Download

Just discovered GeoTagging - perhaps a bit late on the uptake, but at least I get to come in when the tools are good …

I’m using
Aperture (on a Mac)
Maperture plugin for Aperture

Menalto Gallery2 with the Map module installed

On the tagging end -
I’ve been playing with the Maperture plugin for Aperture (Mac), which integrates nicely with Aperture & provides a pop-up interface to edit EXIF GeoTags on individual photos or groups of photos, using a GoogleMaps interface.  Here’s a link the Maperture video tutorial.  The plugin is currently a free download in alpha from Übermind.  (Thanks D’Arcy, for your post on this!)
(I’m also using the Übermind Gallery2 export plugin for Aperture, to upload photos directly from Aperture to my Gallery2 installation - very nice; can direct individual or batch uploads to existing albums, even create new albums for uploads.  Don’t let the beta status throw you - I’ve found no glitches & it does exactly what it should do).

On the display end -
I’ve been posting my photos to a Menalto Gallery2 site (v.2.2.5) (here - http://gallery.similibus.org), and installed the Gallery2 Map module.  This will pull GeoTags from the EXIF data on uploaded photos, and also permits GeoTagging of individual photos already uploaded to the gallery via a GoogleMaps interface.  I had a bit of trouble initially with the Map module - seemed to install fine, but didn’t work - I uninstalled/reinstalled it twice & it’s been working fine since that 2nd reinstall.

The GoogleMaps display provided by the Gallery2 Maps module can be set to display and restrict its focus to only the tagged items in the currently displayed album; see the Map Module settings (GoogleMaps link on the System Settings page of Gallery2) for configuration options.

The Gallery2 Maps module also provides for export of the GeoTagged photos to GoogleEarth (screencast without sound):

 

 Podcast Video [00:00:46m]: Play Now | Play in Popup | Download

The examples here are from a hike Mary & I did this July (’08) in the Slovenjan Alps, on & above the Fužina Planina; an album of photos from this trip (some GeoTagged, some not yet) can be seen at http://gallery.similibus.org/v/travel/july08/slovenja/.

Just had to escape the heat again today, & took the dogs up to the Salmon River trail this afternoon - & perhaps just to mark the occasion in a can’t-go-back-now way, took my first trail run of many years. We did ~5 miles round trip, from the bridge crossing on the Salmon River Road to the wilderness area gate & back. I felt pretty good about myself, tho Rosie ran circles around me the whole way. Mollie (my 8 year-old golden) kept looking at me strangely wondering what was up.

The river is incredibly full - the heat is resulting in heavy snowmelt. The gauge is out on the Salmon, but the Sandy where it enters is running 5160 cfs.

This pic, of the footbridge across a small stream coming in at about the 2.2-mile mark

Am away from home, no wireless nodes nearby, & needed connectivity -
so just picked up a Sierra 881u wireless modem (AT&T service) for my MacBook. The OS X driver does not come packaged, but is available for download from http://www.sierrawireless.com/support/support_and_downloads.aspx?id=4,13,1,2.  Two driver options on that page - I used the “Driver for Apple native support”.  btw - how do you download the driver when you need the driver to connect??? - reminds me of those old Windows error messages, “If unable to connect to the internet, visit http://…” …).  Anyhow, with the help of another machine and my thumbdrive, I’m all set up.

Works great.  I’d hate to have to upgrade my Moodle installation with it, but it’s plenty fast for email & general browsing.  I’ll be giving it a good workout in the couple of weeks ahead, likely needing to do some distance work with my classes (am helping provide hospice care for my momma, but that’s another thread, perhaps a novel …)

oh - the modem hogs space over the 2 usb ports on my MacBook.  So I picked up a little Belkin gizmo,  a “flexible usb cable adapter” - a short little articulated usb port extension that cantalevers the modem over the keyboard, freeing up space over the 2nd usb port so I can still use my thumbdrive &c.  Looks cool too.

Found this old pic of Caleb & me canoeing, on Google (no, I actually wasn’t googling myself …). I’d used this in the bio on my first-ever website - probably about 15 years ago, ’cause the little kid sitting in the duffle is now a good head taller than I am. & my beard is now a much nicer shade of gray.

The pic is on Junior Lake (pronounced june-ya), in Washington County, Maine. Caleb remembers the trip well - reminded me that this is where he caught an enormous smallmouth bass - must’ve been 21-22″ - which I lost while trying to net.

I do miss those lakes.

… tho I do admit it can feel that way.

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It’s my Bacchetta recumbent, & I’m totally in love with it. My 57-year-old neck was having troubles with standard touring-bike posture, & is now happy as a pig in poop. And talk about hill-climbing - push the tush back in the seat & crank.