camera serial, variables and IPTC

[kerim]

Dear all,
I'm trying to make photo mechanic recognize my cameras/or other photographers whom i'm editing through serial numbers on picture daya
and put assigned informations to IPTC fileds.
Can you give me a user guide for this ...
Bests,
Kerim

[Kirk Baker]

Kerim,

I'm trying to make photo mechanic recognize my cameras/or other photographers whom i'm editing through serial numbers on picture daya
and put assigned informations to IPTC fileds.

Put:

{snum}

in any IPTC field and apply it.  {snum} will be replaced with the serial number of the camera that took the photo.

-Kirk

[kerim]

thanks a lot, maybe i need to be a bit more specified, but anyway it's the start point for me shows as it's possible.
for example:
i want to prepare a set (let's call it)
when i plug the card, whit the camera serial number, IPTC wil be filled with
information which is already prepared and set.
for example:
101018817278
byline
credit
city
country
category
supp category
will be filled automaticly
and each time will be possible to makes a change on iptc info

[Kirk Baker]

Kerim,

thanks a lot, maybe i need to be a bit more specified, but anyway it's the start point for me shows as it's possible.
for example:
i want to prepare a set (let's call it)
when i plug the card, whit the camera serial number, IPTC wil be filled with
information which is already prepared and set.
for example:
101018817278
byline
credit
city
country
category
supp category
will be filled automaticly
and each time will be possible to makes a change on iptc info

Fill in the information in the IPTC Stationery Pad which is accessible from the Ingest dialog before you download your cards.  Use {variables} like {snum} where appropriate.  If you want custom data on a per camera basis, you can use Code Replacement in conjunction with the {snum} variable to customize the output.

See page 62 of the Photo Mechanic manual.  You can get the PDF manual here:

http://www.camerabits.com/site/downloads.html

HTH,

-Kirk

[kerim]

thanks a lot kirk,
i checked it, actually i got the idea but i'm still struggled with for example
when i put {snum} and related with that {snum} i want to add credit or title...
each time it's coming with serial number but what i'm trying to is to make PM recognize serial number and put related information which i assigned in code replacement.
i guess some colleagues found the way to do it.
thanks a lot for starting point, i'm trying to figure out a workflow system for myself but if you have a solution for this, you'll help me with a big step.
cheers,
kerim

[FVlcek]

If I understand you correctly, you want to have other fields of the IPTC info filled according to the shooter (serial number).

If I remember correctly you could use multiple code replacement with variables.

You would do something like
in your CR text file:
// serial   -   photographer  - city           -    copyright (the // at the start denotes this is just a comment line)
123456           John Doe         Los Angeles    John Doe, Los Angeles Newspaper    
987654           Jane Doe         New York       Jane Doe, New York Newspaper

(remember that the fields in the CR file need to be separated by TABs!)

And in the IPTC stationery, you would use \{snum}#2\ for Photographer field, \{snum}#3\ for City field, and \{snum}#4\ for Copyright field.
The \ character is your Code replacement delimiter character (as set in CR settings), the #2 in the CR tells it to use SECOND field from the CR text file. Et cetera.

It is actually in the pdf manual, you just have to put the info from two sections on CR togerther ;-)

In the whole, the code replacement feature is really great for all of this and more. With the additions of support for variables and multiple replacements, you can work wonders with it.

[kerim]

Hi Frantisek,
Thank you very very much.
I'll try it immediately,
I love code replacement (CR) option, specially when I cover sports also, I like snapshots for different assignments in same day.
But to have an opportunity to fill directly, like you helped me very much, it will make easier
specially when editing couple of shooter same time.
in this et-up which you sent me, serial number will not appear but will be used as data to address the other iptc isn't it.
i'll try and see now actually.
thank you again

[kerim]

Hello Frantisek,
Very helpful, thank you very much.
It's worked, now I can assign all serial numbers of different cameras with needed info.
Thanks again.

[FVlcek]

Glad to have been of help

[MrMyckster]

I re read the variable information.
What I would like to be able to do is add the {snum} to the beginning of the file number at ingest.
Why?
Have you ever used two cameras at an event when the time is just a tad off? Or if shooting with another photographer is another possibility.
What happens is you can have two file numbers that are exactly the same if you switch from from one camera to the other just using the (date)-(time) format.
It also helps to identify what camera sensor is dirty or camera body characteristics.
Thanks for bringing this up.
-Michael

[FVlcek]

That's easily doable AFAIK. Just check Rename in the ingest dialog, with something like {snum}_{datesort}_{timesort} for the rename string, or whatever your prefered format is. You can also append the original filename or frame number to the rename string as easily, just check all the variables. Actually, myself I would put the serial at the end of the string. Makes less messy filenames and sorts correctly if the two cameras happen to be in synch timewise. And datesort/timesort variables always prepend the numbers with zeros (010112 for Jan the 1st 2012) so you can have same file length - important for further renames using another powerful feature - variables with x;-y field for truncating/editing the output on the fly, e.g. rename filename _DSC1234.jpg with {filenamebase;0,-4} becomes 1234.jpg if I remember the formating correctly - again, all in the manual)

[vAfotoriporter]

I re read the variable information.
What I would like to be able to do is add the {snum} to the beginning of the file number at ingest.
Why?
Have you ever used two cameras at an event when the time is just a tad off? Or if shooting with another photographer is another possibility.
What happens is you can have two file numbers that are exactly the same if you switch from from one camera to the other just using the (date)-(time) format.
It also helps to identify what camera sensor is dirty or camera body characteristics.
Thanks for bringing this up.
-Michael

As I experienced the code replacement with the default / (or reverse I never know) delimiter doesn't work as the OS considers it invalid character in filenames.

My workaround is to use + as the code replacement delimiter (you can change it in the Code Replacement setup dialog). This way it can be used with filenames without a problem.

I use multiple cameras (not just two some times) and I prefer putting a camera body identifying letter to the end of the filename not to the begining. This way my files are not sorted by camera in the filename sort but the filename allways identifies my camera. But it is up to the user just like how one wants to sort the files.
Don't forget to match the clocks of the cameras to have a good time sort with pics from different bodies....especially when shooting them synced like with remote cameras.
,-))