Index

# Write EXIF/XMP/IPTC tags

The last of the 3 steps of geocoding is materialized by the green toolbar tab. This is where you export geocoded images.
EXIF+XMP+IPTC tags allow for geocoding information to be stored invisibly right within the image files. HoudahGeo supports JPEG photos as well as a wide variety of RAW formats. Metadata is written without altering the image quality. For other file types HoudahGeo first needs to create a copy in the JPEG file format.

## Selected images only

Only images previously selected in the main window will be processed.

## Geocoded images only

Only images with latitude and longitude values will be processed.

## Tag masters / original

HoudahGeo integrates seamlessly with iPhoto and Aperture. While for the most part you will be working on modified versions (color-corrected, adjusted, cropped, ...) copies of your photos, you may want HoudahGeo to write metadata to original master images. HoudahGeo is capable of detecting images managed by iPhoto and Aperture. With this option checked, it will access master files for those images.
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”. Acces to Aperture master files and iPhoto originals is possible only when pre-loading of those libraries is enabled.
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 is able to detect photos managed by iPhoto'09 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

- Have iPhoto library pre-loading enabled in HoudahGeo

- Choose to tag masters/originals

- Not have HoudahGeo create copies

- Not have HoudahGeo create XMP sidecars

Also, there should not be any existing XMP sidecars.

## Create copies

In the name of usual caution, HoudahGeo defaults to creating copies of your photos to write metadata too. You will be prompted for a location where to save modified copies of the files. If you already have backup copies, you may want to disable this option and let HoudahGeo modify the existing image files.
HoudahGeo relies on the third party exiftool utility to write metadata. HoudahGeo is compatible with all the same file types as exiftool.

## Always write XMP sidecar

Rather than embedding the metadata into the image files, you may choose to have HoudahGeo write to XMP sidecar files. Thus your original images remain safe and untouched. This also allows for attaching XMP metadata to file formats which don't support embedding.
HoudahGeo will automatically write to XMP sidecars if they are found. With this option checked, HoudahGeo will create missing sidecars. Otherwise HoudahGeo will write to the image files themselves.

## Choose metadata to write

You may choose which metadata you want HoudahGeo to write.
HoudahGeo may write comments you entered to the Spotlight comment field visible in the Finder file info panel. This comment is indexed by Spotlight and may be searched for using Spotlight or HoudahSpot.