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Tag: macOS

Geotag photos for the Apple Photos application

This post no longer applies to Apple Photos 2.0 under macOS 10.12 Sierra. HoudahGeo 5.1 can now add location information to photos in the Photos library.

The most common workflow for geotagging photos with HoudahGeo is:

  1. Import photos into iPhoto or Aperture
  2. Geocode the photos using HoudahGeo
  3. Write geotags to the original image files
  4. Notify iPhoto or Aperture of the newly added geotags

The new Apple Photos application lacks the programmatic interface needed for HoudahGeo to notify it of changes made to geotags.

Until this issue is resolved, we recommend that you geotag your photos before importing them into the Photos library.

Continue reading Geotag photos for the Apple Photos application

Find similar files using Find by Example

HoudahSpot gets you to your files quickly by helping you narrow down your search until only the relevant files are left over.

Find by Example lets you refine a search using a prototype file: a file that has something in common with the files you are looking for. Drag and drop a file from Finder or from the search results onto a search criterion. It will update to match that file. You just told HoudahSpot:

I want files like this one.

Continue reading Find similar files using Find by Example

Search the current Finder or Path Finder folder

HoudahSpot 4.0 comes with a “droplet” that you can install in the Finder toolbar. This small application can be found from HoudahSpot > Preferences > Advanced. Follow the instructions found there to install Search.app as a Finder toolbar item.

Finder toolbar item
HoudahSpot search item installed in the Finder toolbar

When clicked, Search.app opens a new HoudahSpot window set to search the folder shown in the current Finder window. You can also drag and drop folders onto the toolbar item to open a new HoudahSpot window configured to search these folders.

If you use CocoaTech’s Path Finder, you should download and install the Search PF.app droplet to initiate HoudahSpot searches from the Path Finder toolbar. Continue reading Search the current Finder or Path Finder folder

Inspect files and folders using HoudahSpot

The HoudahSpot Info pane shows a wealth of information about the currently selected search result. It starts with the basic attributes of the file or folder:

  • name
  • kind
  • total size of files and folders
  • extension
  • creation and modification dates
  • path
  • comments
  • Finder tags

More importantly though, HoudahSpot shows the most relevant properties based on the type of the selected file. E.g. for audio files, the Info pane shows duration and bit rate. Continue reading Inspect files and folders using HoudahSpot

Use existing templates with HoudahSpot 4.0

HoudahSpot 4.0 has been reimagined from the ground up. Every aspect of the application has been reevaluated. The result is a file search tool that is more powerful, streamlined and easier to use. On the downside,  HoudahSpot 4.0 cannot read saved searches created by previous versions of HoudahSpot.

The HoudahSpot Migration Tool can help convert HoudahSpot 3.x saved searches and templates for use with HoudahSpot 4.0. Continue reading Use existing templates with HoudahSpot 4.0

Templates for recurring searches

This post refers to HoudahSpot 3. The same general ideas still apply. HoudahSpot 4 does not differentiate “live templates” and “ready templates”. For more info on using templates in HoudahSpot 4 , see “Save Queries for Recurring Searches“.

HoudahSpot searches can be saved as documents. These persist all aspects of your customized search: query, locations, columns, sort order, etc. Continue reading Templates for recurring searches

View your photos in Google Earth

Geocoding photos serves two main purposes:

  • Geotags provide extra information that can be used to catalog and find photos. Years from now, you may not remember when you took the photo you are looking for. But you will remember roughly where you took it
  • Geotags add to the “story” of a photo. With the photo pinned to a map, you can see the exact spot where it was taken. Add a GPS track log to see how you got there

One way to view and show geotagged photos is to create a Google Earth file with both the photos and the GPS track log. Now you have a bird’s eye view of your trip and the spots where you stopped to take photos.

Kenya Safari Continue reading View your photos in Google Earth

Custom keyboard shortcuts on Mac OS X

UPDATE: There finally is a better solution. Introducing CustomShortcuts.

On Mac OS X it is easy to set custom keyboard shortcuts for just about any menu item. Still this great feature is often overlooked.

  • Don’t like one of the default keyboard shortcuts in HoudahSpot?
  • Find yourself using the same HoudahGeo menu item over and over again?
  • Do you want to switch the Mail.app From: account without having to reach for the mouse?

Learn how to set up custom keyboard shortcuts for menu items in any Mac OS X application.

Continue reading Custom keyboard shortcuts on Mac OS X

Copy File Search Results as Tab Delimited Text

This post refers to HoudahSpot 3. The same general ideas apply to HoudahSpot 4.

HoudahSpot makes it easy to create detailed queries to find the exact files you are looking for. You can preview found files, open them, etc. Continue reading Copy File Search Results as Tab Delimited Text

Automatic geocoding: Camera clock setup

Digital cameras record the exact time each photo was taken. HoudahGeo relies on this information to match photos to a GPS tracklog. Unfortunately, most digital cameras fail to specify which time zone the recorded time is expressed in. I.e for a photo taken at noon, HoudahGeo cannot tell if it was noon in Los Angeles, or in Luxembourg, etc.

HoudahGeo thus needs a little help to make sense of the camera timestamps. Getting camera clock setup right is essential for automatic geocoding to work.

Continue reading Automatic geocoding: Camera clock setup