ExifTool Custom Columns

[brimwats]

I have a few, and have tried them all with double slashes

• C:\exiftool\exiftool.exe
• C:\Users\bri\scoop\apps\Exiftool\current\exiftool.exe
• C:\Program Files\XnViewMP\AddOn\exiftool.exe

edit: think I figured it out; was using the buttons in the original post but it seems that they also have a line that needs updating!

edit2: it is working now. for those people that come in the future and are mystified; check that both the buttons and the ColumnExifTool.js.txt have the correct path. so in my case, my exiftool paths are above & in the js.txt I've made it:

// -- Adjust to your system. Copy the path to exiftool.exe with 'Edit - Copy Other - Copy Full Pathnames (Double Backslashes)'
var exeExifTool = fsu.Resolve('C:\\exiftool\\exiftool.exe');

// -- Adjust to your preferences. Use double backslashes.
var cacheFolder = fsu.Resolve('/profile\\ExifToolCache');

[brimwats]

thanks! I'm not sure if it was different, but i changed it to var cacheFolder = fsu.Resolve('/profile\\ExifToolCache'); ; still fails bc of missing exiftool.

edit: ahh, I see the issue maybe; I was using your buttons above "Generate Exiftool Helper Files" so I could try to see what I was doing wrong, but I see that the buttons also have a var exeExifTool = fsu.Resolve('/bin\\exiftool\\exiftool.exe'); which I'd guess has to be resolved as well

[lxp]

@brimwats

which I'd guess has to be resolved as well

Yes.

A good opportunity to update the helper button to reflect the new syntax. See the next post.

[lxp]

Update of the helper button Generate Helper Files. You will probably need to adjust the path to exiftool.exe (2023-03-14).

Button as XML

<?xml version="1.0"?>
<button backcol="none" display="both" textcol="none">
	<label>Generate Helper Files</label>
	<tip>Generates .txt helper files for selected files</tip>
	<icon1>#newcommand</icon1>
	<function type="script">
		<instruction>@script JScript</instruction>
		<instruction>// 2023-03-14</instruction>
		<instruction />
		<instruction>function OnClick(clickData) {</instruction>
		<instruction>    var cmd = clickData.func.command;</instruction>
		<instruction>    var tab = clickData.func.sourcetab;</instruction>
		<instruction>    var dlg = clickData.func.Dlg();</instruction>
		<instruction>    var wsh = new ActiveXObject(&apos;WScript.Shell&apos;);</instruction>
		<instruction>    var fso = new ActiveXObject(&apos;Scripting.FileSystemObject&apos;);</instruction>
		<instruction>    var fsu = DOpus.FSUtil();</instruction>
		<instruction>    var exeExifTool = fsu.Resolve(&apos;/bin\\exiftool\\exiftool.exe&apos;);</instruction>
		<instruction />
		<instruction>    cmd.deselect = false;</instruction>
		<instruction />
		<instruction>    if (!fsu.Exists(exeExifTool)) {</instruction>
		<instruction>        dlg.Request(&apos;exiftool.exe not found!&apos;, &apos;OK&apos;);</instruction>
		<instruction>        return;</instruction>
		<instruction>    }</instruction>
		<instruction />
		<instruction>    cmd.RunCommand(&apos;Set UTILITY=otherlog&apos;);</instruction>
		<instruction>    DOpus.ClearOutput();</instruction>
		<instruction>    DOpus.Output(&apos;Enumerating...\n&apos;);</instruction>
		<instruction />
		<instruction>    for (var e = new Enumerator(tab.selected_files); !e.atEnd(); e.moveNext()) {</instruction>
		<instruction>        var item = e.item();</instruction>
		<instruction>        DOpus.Output(item);</instruction>
		<instruction />
		<instruction>        var fileTags = fsu.GetItem(item + &apos;-Tags.txt&apos;);</instruction>
		<instruction />
		<instruction>        var cmdLine = &apos;&quot;&apos; + exeExifTool + &apos;&quot; -short -duplicates -unknown -groupNames -tab -textOut! &quot;%0f&apos; + fileTags + &apos;&quot; &quot;&apos; + item + &apos;&quot;&apos;;</instruction>
		<instruction>        wsh.Run(cmdLine, 0, true);</instruction>
		<instruction />
		<instruction>        var tfColDefs = fso.CreateTextFile(item + &apos;-ColDefs.txt&apos;);</instruction>
		<instruction>        var tfColCmds = fso.CreateTextFile(item + &apos;-ColCmds.txt&apos;);</instruction>
		<instruction />
		<instruction>        var tf = fso.OpenTextFile(fileTags, 1);</instruction>
		<instruction>        while (!tf.AtEndOfStream) {</instruction>
		<instruction>            var line = tf.ReadLine().split(&apos;\t&apos;);</instruction>
		<instruction>            var group = line[0];</instruction>
		<instruction>            var tag = line[1];</instruction>
		<instruction>            var value = line[2];</instruction>
		<instruction>            var str = &apos;exifColumns.push_back(GetColumnMap(\&apos;&apos; + group + &apos;\&apos;, \&apos;&apos; + tag + &apos;\&apos;, \&apos;\&apos;, \&apos;\&apos;, \&apos;\&apos;, \&apos;\&apos;, \&apos;\&apos;, \&apos;\&apos;));&apos;;</instruction>
		<instruction>            while (str.length &lt; 140) str += &apos; &apos;;</instruction>
		<instruction>            str += &apos;// &apos; + value;</instruction>
		<instruction>            tfColDefs.WriteLine(str);</instruction>
		<instruction>            tfColCmds.WriteLine(&apos;Set COLUMNSTOGGLE=&quot;scp:ExifTool/&apos; + group + &apos;-&apos; + tag + &apos;(!,a,0)&quot;&apos;);</instruction>
		<instruction>        }</instruction>
		<instruction>        tf.Close();</instruction>
		<instruction />
		<instruction>        tfColDefs.Close();</instruction>
		<instruction>        tfColCmds.Close();</instruction>
		<instruction>    }</instruction>
		<instruction>    DOpus.Output(&apos;\n... done&apos;);</instruction>
		<instruction>}</instruction>
	</function>
</button>

[David]

I worked several hours learning to use this script today.
I'm still on the original version you posted, but I'll get it up to date soon.
I would have done this much sooner had I known what I know now.
One thing I would want to change is to have the Field of View displayed in radians rather than degrees and as a fraction of pi with a fixed reducible denominator.
Well, I need start learning Jscript.
Thanks very much !

[lxp]

I'll get it up to date soon.

Yes, you should, because...

I would want to change is to have the Field of View displayed in radians rather than degrees and as a fraction of pi with a fixed reducible denominator.

... the current version from February lets you easily do this, starting line 382.

If you get stuck, just whistle

[MegMac]

I love ExifTool Custom Columns, but I still don't know what 'Helper Files' are. Please explain.

[lxp]

There's not much to them. At which point did you get stuck?

[HansMeiser1]

Here, it just prints "Enumerating ..." writes the -Tags file and ... nothing more.
Also, I don't have the possibility to select some exif-made columns, unless I am missing something.

Thanks for your effort, btw.

[bssmith]

Seriously cool, @lxp. Great work and well documented. Thanks so much!

[lxp]

Update 2024-01-11

• Ready for Opus v13
• Easier to install and configure. Just save two files to your config.
• All buttons converted to commands
• Ready-to-run Toolbar
• Faster
• More predefined columns

How to update an existing installation

If you have column definitions you want to keep, replace

push_back(DefineColumn(

with

push_back(GetColumnMap(

then copy the lines to the new script.

Remove the old script from the /scripts folder.

All old script buttons have been replaced with commands and can be removed.

Everything else should work as before.

[David]

Great upgrade !
Thankyou, your efforts are appreciated.

I had no trouble at all getting my normal photo columns working.
The new script did them out of the box. All I had to do was change the ExifTool.exe path and with the new configuration button, double \s were no longer needed.

I know I'll make some changes and also revisit my old buttons I used with the older versions of this script. But it made my morning that it worked so well out of the box !

[David]

I have found a problem with how ExifToolColumns caches data.

The version I was using is the revision dated 2022-09-04.
Here is a screenshot of photo columns.

Everything looks great.

Something happened to how data is cached.
Here is a screenshot of the new version dated 2024-01-12 .

Perhaps something has happened to the data type ?
Edit: Removed zip attachment

[Renaldostheold]

Excellent work, @lxp. I discovered that my Samsung S23 Ultra video files have an extra QuickTime metadata field:

exifColumns.push_back(GetColumnMap('QuickTime', 'Subtitle', '', '', '', '', '', ''));

DOPUS picks it up in the Metadata pane, but not in the Rename function.

I added the line, above, to your script and I can now use it to rename files.

Thanks

[lxp]

@David

Perhaps something has happened to the data type ?

Yes. The cache is now written using the printConv option. From ExifTool's help:

-n (--printConv)
Disable print conversion for all tags. By default, extracted values
are converted to a more human-readable format, but the -n option
disables this conversion, revealing the machine-readable values.

If you prefer the previous style, remove the option from the script (line 194):

Replace

argFile.Write('--printConv\n' +

with

argFile.Write('' +

I'll add this to the configuration in the next version

[lxp]

@Renaldostheold

extra QuickTime metadata field

I'll add this for the next version

[David]

Thanks !
I had it changed to my liking in five minutes.
Good thing, it was a blizzard here last night.
Now I have to clear a foot of snow and make paths for my dog.

[MegMac]

Thank you lxp.
I feel like I must be missing something obvious, but where are the 2 files to download?

[lxp]

Check out the all-new first posting

[MegMac]

Got it thanks. I had looked there saw the date of 2021 at upper right of that post.