Compass Direction - Mapillary Tools 0.5.3

Contributing and equipment
#1

Hello,

I would like to have the compass direction entered into the exif files of my photos with the Mapillarytools.

I use the following command:
python mapillary_tools process --advanced --import_path c:/m --user_name sonyboya6t --interpolate_directions

Unfortunately the corresponding field is still empty after processing the images.

What am I doing wrong?

C:\Python27\Scripts>python mapillary_tools process --advanced --import_path c:/m --user_name sonyboya6t --interpolate_directions
Running user_process for 25 images, skipping 0 images.
Sub process ended
Running import_meta_data_process for 25 images, skipping 0 images.
Sub process ended
Running geotag_process for 25 images, skipping 0 images.
Sub process ended
Running sequence_process for 25 images, skipping 0 images.
Sub process ended
Running upload_params_process for 25 images, skipping 0 images.
Sub process ended
Running mapillary_image_description for 25 images, skipping 0 images.
Sub process ended
Process done.
No post processing action specified.

Thanks

#2

Is the direction in the original image? Some devices dont have it available (ie GoPro)

#3

The camera has no GPS. I record the geodata of the trail with a Solmeta GMAX data logger. The GMAX also records compass data. But these are terribly inaccurate.
So far I have used Geosetter to copy the geodata to the exif file of the photos. Then I used Geosetter to drag the viewing direction with the mouse image by image into the right direction. Very exhausting.

The pictures I edited with Mapillary_Tools today were not provided with compass data by me or Geosetter. (Check mark in the corresponding function of Geosetter removed.) Only the GPS coordinates were entered into the Exif file.

But I have also added compass data to the images with Geosetter. These inaccurate compass values are in this case unchanged in the exif file after processing with Mapillary_Tools.

#4

I wonder if you tried the --overwrite_all_EXIF_tags option?

My understanding is that by default the tools dont write GPS EXIF data, except for the custom tag. You might be only seeing the the tags written previously

I also note that the last time I processed a video locally (mid last year) the resultant image had neither the direction or altitude GPS tags. A year before only the altitude tag was missing.

#5

I had not entered this option.

Now I have done this and it works.

The viewing direction is aligned as intended, from one image to the next image.
Only the viewing direction of a specific photo is set to 0 degrees for unknown reason. Also on the second try.

It is also important not to have entered a viewing direction in the exif file of the photo. The field must be empty. If there is data in this field, it will not be overwritten. The original viewing direction is retained.

I will edit some more tracks and then report again.

Thanks for this tip.

#6

0 direction may be a “duplicate” that wouldn’t be uploaded to the server. That can be checked in the log area subdirectory.

If experimenting with that try the --keep_duplicates or --duplicate_distance xx switch as well.

#7

My research so far has brought the following to light:

The above command works in that it writes the corrected compass values to the json files.

These values are also transferred to the mapillary map.

However, the Exif values (direction) of the photos are not overwritten. Only if the value for the view direction was empty, the Mapillarytools writes the correct value into the Exif field.

I had always checked the result of the Mapillary tools with Geosetter. Thus, I thought the images processed by Mapillary tools were wrong in terms of compass values/viewing direction and thus not suitable for Mapillary map.

So the problem with the Exif data is not solved, but I am still satisfied, because I have correct values for the viewing direction of the images in the map.

Nevertheless, if someone has an idea how to write correct values into the Exif field, I would like to try this idea.

The command I used:

python mapillary_tools process --advanced --import_path c:/m --user_name sonyboya6t --overwrite_EXIF_direction_tag --keep_duplicates --interpolate_directions

Inspiration from
https://forum.mapillary.com/t/mapillary-tools-not-working/3090/2