Fetch latitude and longitude from image file name when uploading multiple observations

Platform(s): website

Description of need: I often want to upload multiple images from my camera, which does not have a built-in GPS, so the coordinates are not embedded into the files. I can easily batch-rename the files locally so the image file names have the coordinates (something like “IMG_6767.jpg” being renamed to “Araneidae Araneus venatrix lat -8.1756 long -37.1457 IMG_6767.jpg”). I know the website will pick the organism name from such a file and populate the “identification” field with “Araneus venatrix”. It would be useful if it could pick up the coordinates to populate the latitude/longitude fields as well.

Feature request details:
It would work similarly to how the website already picks the taxon name from the image file name. It could pick the coordinates from any one of a structured syntax:

Araneidae Araneus venatrix lat -8.1756 long -37.1457 IMG_6767.jpg

Araneidae Araneus venatrix LATITUDE -8.1756 LONGITUDE -37.1457 IMG_6767.jpg

Araneidae Araneus venatrix S8.1756 W37.1457 IMG_6767.jpg

this seems undesirable. although filenames can technically contain multiple periods, it’s still probably not a good idea to encourage folks to use multiple periods.

if you have the skills to batch rename files, it seems like you should also have the skills to add appropriate GPS coordinates to the file metadata as opposed to the filenames. there already exist several ways to capture a GPS track and then use some sort of program to update your images with coordinates using the track.

Lightroom can do it for you. After, iNat will automatically read gps coordinate within picture(s)

I’d suggest using a metadata editor and adding the lat/long there rather than in the file name. Adding it to the file name like you’re doing and in the format you’re doing can cause problems with certain software.

There are a lot of free metadata editors:

  • DigiKam (allows for bulk editing)
  • Metadata++
  • ExifTool
    etc…

I would also recommend adding the coordinates to the images’ EXIF metadata. For this, Exiftool seems to me to be the most effective tool, and is used by many other image editors (DigiKam, etc.).

Here is an example command:
exiftool -GPSLatitude=-8.1756 -GPSLongitude=-37.1457 -GPSLatitudeRef=S -GPSLongitudeRef=W "IMG_6767.jpg"

Ok, this makes a lot of sense and would solve my problem. Thank you very much, and everyone else that responded.