PhotoGPSEditor and PhotoInfoEditor, zoom button and markers

A very common question (complaint?) received at MMISoftware about PhotoGPSEditor and PhotoInfoEditor is: “Why do I have to add a marker to a map, and why is the zoom button not on the map?”, and the answer is…

There is a boring technical reason why the program works like this.

PhotoGPSEditor and PhotoInfoEditor need to collect information from the map, they basically need latitude and longitude information, as well as map zoom level so map views (zoom level and position) can be preserved when changing photos. At present, as far as I can see, there is no way to capture a user clicks on a Google Map zoom button or on the map position button (or from dragging and dropping the map). The only way the latitude and longitude data can be captured is by positioning a marker (when dragged and dropped it sends latitude and longitude to the program), and to capture zoom data (which is stored with a photo so when you return to it in the list it is at the correct zoom level) a zoom button is needed, and this has to be part of the program, again, so data can be captured.

So now you know….

Update 18 Mar 2007 17:19:25: See a later post for some more details on how the problem has been solved and the ‘program zoom’ button has been consigned to history… (read the post).

PhotoInfoEditor and PhotoGPSEditor are freeware programs from MMISoftware – continued development can be supported by making donations (PhotoInfoEditor Donation | PhotoGPSEditor Donation), or purchases at the MMISoftware GPS and camera stores.

Both programs are available for download: