Image metadata library and tools
Exiv2 Overview
Exiv2 is a C++ library and a command line utility to manage image metadata. Exiv2 is available as free software and with a commercial license, and is used in a growing number of projects.
- full read and write access to the
Exif,
IPTC and
XMP metadata
of an image through Exiv2 keys and standard C++ iterators
(Examples: read Exif; add, modify, delete Exif; read IPTC; set IPTC; set XMP) - a smart IPTC implementation that does not affect data that programs like Photoshop store in the same image segment
- Exif MakerNote support:
- MakerNote tags can be accessed just like any other Exif metadata
- a sophisticated write algorithm avoids corrupting the MakerNote:
1) the MakerNote is not re-located if possible at all, and
2) MakerNote Ifd offsets are re-calculated if the MakerNote needs to be moved (for known Ifd MakerNotes)
- extract and delete methods for Exif thumbnails (both, JPEG and TIFF thumbnails)
- set methods for Exif thumbnails (JPEG only, TIFF thumbnails can be set from individual tags)
- complete API documentation (by Doxygen)
Exiv2 is also a command line utility to
- print the Exif metadata of JPEG, TIFF and several RAW image formats as summary info, interpreted values, or the plain data for each tag (a sample is here)
- print IPTC and XMP metadata
- print, set and delete the JPEG comment of JPEG images
- set, add and delete Exif, IPTC and XMP metadata of JPEG images
- adjust the Exif timestamp (that's how it all started...)
- rename Exif image files according to the Exif timestamp
- extract, insert and delete Exif, IPTC and XMP metadata and JPEG comments
- extract, insert and delete the thumbnail image embedded in the Exif metadata
- fix the Exif ISO setting of picture taken with Nikon cameras
Future plans include
- Exif, IPTC <-> XMP conversions
- write support for TIFF-like images
- support for additional image formats
- more MakerNotes