HoudahGeo

One-stop Geocoding for the Mac - See your photos in Google Earth

HoudahGeo Product Features
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Top Customer Issues


  • General Questions
  • Known issues

    Pentax PEF files


    EXIF tagged PEF files fail to display correctly in HoudahGeo as well as in many other applications. They will however open in Pentax's software or Adobe Photoshop. This bug is fixed in Mac OS X 10.5.4.

    Canon CRW/CIFF files


    Canon CRW/CIFF files do not support GPS related IPTC of XMP tags. Thus these files cannot directly be written to. You may however create XMP sidecar files. The newer CR2 file format however is fully supported.

    Lightroom libraries


    The pre-loading of Lightroom libraries is rather slow. Performance degrades dramatically as the size of your Lightroom library grows. Please consider turning this feature off. It is only needed for HoudahGeo to be able to export the latest versions of your images to Google Earth, Flickr or Locr. It is NOT needed for successful geotagging.

    DNG files


    Adobe's DNG converter supposes that both the computer and the camera share the same time zone. The computer time zone information is embedded in the DNG at the time of the conversion. From then on camera time zone settings are ignored as the information attached to the image takes precedence. Always make sure computer and camera time zones match when converting from RAW to DNG.

    Google Earth 4.3: Fails to show images


    There is a bug in the current beta of Google Earth 4.3. It fails to correctly display KMZ files. The Windows version is not affected.

    The first placemark description balloon to be opened displays correctly. Further placemarks no longer load images. Returning to the first placemark, it is still displayed correctly.

    Workarounds:

    1. This bug affects KMZ files only. Rename your *.kmz file to *.zip and decompress it. Now you can open the HoudahGeo.kml file located within the newly created folder. You may also use HoudahGeo to create KML files with no base URL.

    2. Upgrade to Google Earth 5.0 (beta) and use that version for viewing KMZ files.


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  • I don't own a GPS. Can I still use HoudahGeo?
    Yes!

    You actually have four options:

    • ▪ You may use your iPhone 3G or later to take reference photos. These are geocoded and my be used to geocode photos taken within the same time frame.
    • ▪ Images may be geocoded using the map interface built into HoudahGeo. Just drag the map marker to the appropriate location.
    • ▪ Geocode using Google Earth! This is the ultimate level of convenience (short of using a GPS). HoudahGeo gives you a floating window shown above the Google Earth interface. Navigate your images using the arrow buttons: no need to switch back and forth between HoudahGeo and Google Earth!
    • ▪ You can also enter the latitude, longitude and altitude information manually for each image.
    • ▪ Use a track logging application like Trails to turn your iPhone into a GPS track logger.


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  • Does HoudahGeo support RAW files?
    HoudahGeo supports JPEG as well as many RAW image file formats.

    HoudahGeo may read all the same file formats as Apple's iPhoto and Aperture.

    For writing EXIF, XMP & IPTC tags, HoudahGeo relies on Phil Harvey's excellent ExifTool. You may check this list for file formats ExifTool can write to.
    Please use the demo version of HoudahGeo to try with actual files from your camera.

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  • Can you help me get started?
    Sure. There is a quick start guide included with the built-in Help.

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  • What are the requirements?
    HoudahGeo requires Mac OS X Tiger 10.4.9, a digital camera and optionally a GPS device.

    Internet access and Google Earth are needed for some tasks.

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  • Will there be a Windows version?
    HoudahGeo is a Mac program at heart. Houdah Software specializes in quality software for Mac and iPhone. Consequently no Windows version is planned.

    Let this be another good excuse for switching to the Mac. Not that you needed any.

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  • Can you recommend me a GPS device?
    GPS devices come in a wide variety conceived for many different uses. It is a good idea to assess your needs and buy the receiver that matches those.

    For the use with HoudahGeo, you need a device that has a track logging feature. This is available in most handheld receivers. Car navigation devices however usually do not have this ability.

    You should also make sure that the device has the ability to export GPX or NMEA track log files. This may be done using software provided with the device or with third party software like HoudahGPS or LoadMyTracks.

    • Our latest favorite is the Wintec WBT-202. It features a removable battery as well as a removable microSD memory card. You may thus head off for long trips without bringing your computer along. Just pack additional memory card. Where no power is available you may also bring additional batteries. The Wintec WBT-202 mounts as a removable disk. On this drive you will find track log files in the TES format. These are natively supported by HoudahGeo.

    • The older Wintec WBT-201 is smaller and cheaper, but lacks removable memory.. HoudahGeo supports connection to the Wintec WBT-201 using both USB and Bluetooth.

    Device settings may be configured using the vendor's Windows application or using the open source GTK-Rays-2 tool.

    • We can also recommend the Qstarz BT-Q1300. The Qstarz BT-Q1300 comes with the latest generation GPS chipset from MTK with 66 channels tracking for fast acquisition and reacquisition.

    • The GlobalSat DG100, the i-Blue 747 and many other devices are also based on the MTK chipset. MTK-based devices exist with a variety of USB chipsets. Some of these chipsets require drivers for them to be visible to GPSBabel, HoudahGPS or HoudahGeo.

    • HoudahGeo users also report success with the driverless Amod AGL3080. This device mounts on your desktop much like a USB pen drive. You just need to point HoudahGeo to the track log files on the drive.

    • Nikon users looking for a device which supports viewing direction should investigate the Solmeta Geotagger N2 available from GPS-Camera.eu. This device has the camera write geotags directly to the image file as they are recorded. This will save you some work in HoudahGeo. You will still be using HoudahGeo to publish to Google Earth, upload to Flickr, …

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  • Specific Questions
  • What is geocoding?
    Many people use the terms geocoding, geotagging and gereferencing interchangeably. Within HoudahGeo we refer to the process as geocoding.

    If you were to distinguish the 3 terms, you might consider the following definitions:

    • georeferencing: act of assigning a geographical location to a photo (steps 1 & 2 in the HoudahGeo workflow)
    • geocoding: encoding geographical data within an image file (EXIF/XMP export)
    • geotagging: attaching geographical data as tags to a file (done as part of Flickr upload)

    HoudahGeo has got all bases covered. It is your one-stop georeferencing, geocoding and geotagging solution for the Mac. Moreover it exports to Google Earth. This process falls out of scope for the above three terms.

    In the context of photography, many also use the term geophoto to refer to photo geotagging.

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  • What is GPX?
    GPX (the GPS Exchange Format) is a light-weight XML data format for the interchange of GPS data (waypoints, routes, and tracks) between applications and Web services on the Internet.

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  • What is NMEA?
    NMEA 0183 (or NMEA for short) is a standard protocol, used by GPS receivers to transmit data. It has been defined by the US based National Marine Electronics Association for communication between marine electronic devices. In the context of HoudahGeo it is used as an alternative to the more widely used GPX format.

    The popular Sony GPS-CS1KA device is the most prominent example of devices which use NMEA rather than GPX to store track information. HoudahGeo supports both formats and thus works fine with devices from many manufacturers including Garmin, Magellan and Sony.

    The Sony GPS-CS1KA is however said to have trouble mounting on PPC Macs. This is appears to be a bug in Mac OS X which does not affect Intel Macs. On PPC Macs you might have better luck accessing the track logs using a third party tool, like LoadMyTracks, which does not appear to rely on the system's ability to mount the device as a drive.

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  • What is EXIF?
    EXIF (Exchangeable Image File Format) is a file format which allows for the storage of metadata (such as the GPS coordinates) within an image file. Many digital cameras store images as EXIF format JPEG files.

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  • What is XMP?
    The Adobe Extensible Metadata Platform (XMP) is a standard for processing and storing standardized and proprietary metadata. XMP data may either be embedded in a file or come as XMP sidecar file.

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  • Is HoudahGeo's EXIF / XMP / IPTC writing lossless?
    Yes. When metadata is written to files, none of the image data or quality is lost.

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  • When should coordinates be negative?
    Latitude values that are south of the equator are negative. Longitude values that are west of Greenwich England are negative. Consequently locations in South America have both a negative latitude and negative longitude.

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  • How do I ensure the camera's clock is accurate?
    1. Decide on a time zone you will use over the course of the project. Typically this is either your home time zone or a time zone you travel to.
    2. Set you GPS device to display time in the chosen time zone.
    3. Start setting the time on you digital camera.
    4a. If your camera allows for setting seconds to zero, do so when the clock on the GPS device jumps to the next minute.
    4b. Otherwise set the time on the camera to the next full minute. Save the newly set time at the very moment actual time on the GPS device catches up.

    In order to be able to geocode images from a GPS track log, it is important that the camera clock is accurate. It is even more important that the camera clock is not modified over the course of a project.

    Once you start working within HoudahGeo, you should check the camera's clock against the GPS clock. You can now specify the exact clock error.

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  • GPS device connection
  • How do I use HoudahGeo to download tracks from my GPS device?
    From the "Geocode" menu select "Load GPS Data from GPS device".

    First, you need to select the type of your device (Garmin, Magellan, Wintec...). Next, select the port used to connect to your device. A device name is also required. However, HoudahGeo provides sensible defaults. You will probably not need to modify this value. Situations where you need to select an alternate value include:

    • Use of a serial-to-USB from a brand other than KeySpan or simultaneous use of several such converters
    • Use of custom serial device name during pairing of a Bluetooth device
    • Use of a native serial port (e.g. on a PCI card)
    • Devices which are assigned a name as they are connected

    Note: Serial devices connect using a serial-to-usb converter may show up either as USB or serial device. Please check both options.

    Now click the "OK" button.

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  • Why is the "OK" button disabled?
    The "OK" button is enabled only when there is a reasonable chance for the device to be available. E.g. the device name should match the name of a known device.

    For USB devices with a "usb:" device name, the "OK" button is enabled only once the device is plugged in.

    Note: Some devices mount as removable drives. Much like USB memory sticks. (This applies to the newer Garmin devices, the Wintec WBT-202, …)
    You will find track log files on that drive. Thus no direct connection is needed between HoudahGeo and the track logger. You may import these into HoudahGeo from the "Load GPS data from file" toolbar button.


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  • How do I set up a device for Bluetooth connection?
    First, make sure Bluetooth is enabled both on your computer and on the GPS device.

    Using "System Preferences", you will need to pair the device with your computer before first use. In the pairing process, you will get the opportunity to specify a serial device name. It is recommended you use the suggested default value.

    You may now address the device in HoudahGeo by the above specified name.


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  • How do I set up my Wintec WBT-201 for USB connection?
    In order to use the USB connection of your Wintec WBT-201 (aka. G-Rays2), you need to install an appropriate driver. You may get that driver from Silicon Labs. The Wintec device will be known to HoudahGPS by the name of "SLAB_USBtoUART".

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  • How do I set up my MTK-based device for USB connection?
    The MTK name refers to the GPS chipset used in these devices. DIfferent brands of MTK-based devices use different USB chipsets. Set-up depends on the USB chipset used. Some devices need no driver: The Qstarz BT-Q1300 shows up as usbmodemXXX where XXX varies.

    Other devices need Mac drivers to operate. You will need to find the appropriate drivers for your device. Actually, some of these devices use the exact same chipset as the Wintec WBT-201. For these you need to follow the instructions detailed above.

    Note: Some devices may need Bluetooth to be switched on for the USB connection to operate.


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  • How do I connect to a device using a serial-to-usb converter?
    Serial-to-usb converters require the installation of a driver provided by the converter's manufacturer. The driver decides of the name by which HoudahGeo will see the device. E.g. for the KeySpan converters the name to use is "KeySerial1".

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  • How do I use my Wintec WBT-202 with HoudahGeo?
    The Wintec WBT-202 (aka. G-Rays2+) mounts as removable disk much like a USB memory stick. On that drive you will find *.tes files. You may import these into HoudahGeo from the "Load GPS data from file" toolbar button.

    Switch to Mass Storage Device (MSD) Mode:

    • Turn on the WBT-202
    • Connect the unit to any USB port on you Mac
    • Press the Power button until the GPS and Bluetooth LEDs go out.
    • The WBT-202 is now in MSD mode. The orange Micro-SD LED is on

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  • Troubleshooting
  • Why does HoudahGeo export only 5 images?
    Did you purchase and load a license file or activation code? In demo mode all export functions are limited to 5 images per project.

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  • Why can't iPhoto/Aperture see my EXIF tags?
    Photo library applications cache metadata of managed photos. You need to trigger the reloading of metadata. In iPhoto, this feature is named “Rescan for Location”. In Aperture, you will use “Reload Metadata from EXIF”. Integration with Lightroom requires Lightroom to store metadata in XMP sidecar files. Once HoudahGeo has updated the sidecar, you will instruct Lightroom to "Reload Metadata from File".

    HoudahGeo 2.3 can notify iPhoto'09 about changes to geotags. You may thus geotag photos already managed by iPhoto'09.
    HoudahGeo 2.5 can notify Aperture 3 about changes to geotags. You may thus geotag photos already managed by Aperture 3.


    HoudahGeo is able to detect photos managed by iPhoto'09 / Aperture 3 and offers to notify iPhoto of changes upon writing EXIF tags. For this feature to work, you must:

    • Use the latest version of iPhoto'09 / Aperture 3
    • Have iPhoto library pre-loading enabled in HoudahGeo
    • Choose to tag masters/originals
    • Not have HoudahGeo create copies
    • Have HoudahGeo set to ignore XMP sidecars


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  • Why couldn't some of my images be processed?

    Do your photos have EXIF time stamps?


    A photo must have a valid EXIF time stamp in order to georeference it from a GPX track log. If it has one, it will display in the main image list. Remedy: Either manually enter a timestamp or geocode manually using Google Maps.

    Was the camera clock set correctly?


    HoudahGeo relies on the camera clock working consistently over the course of a project. If your camera clock was consistently off by a certain number of seconds, you may input this clock error when importing the first image into the project.

    Remedy: If the clock error has changed over the course of the project you will need to manually edit the timestamps.

    Was the time zone configured correctly?


    HoudahGeo inquires about the camera time zone when importing the first image into the project. You need to provide accurate information. Typically this is either your home time zone or the time zone you travelled to.

    Remedy: Start a new project and enter the correct information.

    Do the photo times fall within the time frame of the track log?


    In order to geocode a photo, its timestamp must fall between the time of two consecutive track points in a given track log segment. Photos taken outside the time span covered by the track log can thus not be geocoded. If you expect the photo to fall within the correct time frame, you may want to double check the camera time zone and clock error settings.
    Remedy: Either anually enter coordinates or geocode manually using Google Maps or Google Earth.

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  • Can I customize the geocoding algorithm?
    The automatic geocoding algorithm comes pre-configured with sensible settings that should suffice for common uses of HoudahGeo.

    HoudahGeo copies the below settings into your project documents. The settings may then be adjusted on a per project basis by selecting “Geocode from Tracks & Waypoints” from the “Geocode” menu..

    The following should be read only by advanced users.

    For special needs, you might however want to fine-tune those settings. Currently this can only be done on the command line in Terminal.app. Please quit HoudahGeo before proceeding.

    Available settings are:

    - gobbingLimit: Number of minutes by which to extend the search for tracks matching a given photo. This defaults to 5 minutes. A photo is considered to match up with a track if it falls within the track's time span of 5 minutes within the beginning or end of that time span.

    - mergingLimit: GPS devices may start new tracks when turned on or after losing GPS signal. Strictly speaking we cannot geocode a photo that falls between two tracks. HoudahGeo however decided to merge two tracks if the time elapsed between the first track's end and the other track's beginning is less than 5 minutes.

    - matchingLimit: HoudahGeo determines the location where a photo was taken by matching it up with two track points: one preceding and one following the time the photo was taken. If the closest point's timestamp is more that 10 minutes before or after the photo was taken, HoudahGeo considers there is no match and does not geocode the photo. A value of 0 disables this check.


    On the command line you may set one of these preferences by entering a command similar to the following:


    defaults write com.houdah.HoudahGeo gobbingLimit 5


    You may revert to the default settings by issuing the following commands:


    defaults remove com.houdah.HoudahGeo gobbingLimit
    defaults remove com.houdah.HoudahGeo mergingLimit
    defaults remove com.houdah.HoudahGeo matchingLimit

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  • What is a track with no time information?
    You may see a warning message upon importing track logs that states that one, several or all of the tracks imported lack time information. That is they are made of a series of points for which the coordinates are known, but the time when they were recorded is not.

    On Garmin devices this happens if you "save" a track. It is then stripped of time information and becomes useless to HoudahGeo.

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  • Why doesn't Flickr see GPS coordinates?
    In order to fully benefit from uploading geocoded images to Flickr, you need to enable the "Import EXIF location data" option in your Flickr privacy settings.

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  • Why doesn't my GPS device record any track logs?
    Before the first use of use a new GPS device, switch it on and leave it in a place with a clear view of the sky. Let it sit for about 20 minutes. On later uses, it should be able to get a much quicker GPS fix.

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  • There's no altitude information. Why is that?
    Not all GPS devices record altitude.

    You may however enter altitude values manually. Altitude values may also be retrieved as part of the reverse geocoding process.

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System Requirements

HoudahGeo requires Mac OS X 10.4 Tiger or or later.
It is fully compatible with Mac OS X 10.6 Snow Leopard.

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