How useful is the map module in Darktable?

[u/kypdurron5]

Endless videos and Google searches later, it seems I cannot do what I want to do in Darktable map mode.

What I want to do is very basic: use geotag data to select a range of photos for editing, tagging, star rating, viewing, etc.

Now, ideally Darktable would work like any other photo organizing app where it would read GPS coordinates and automatically resolve those to searchable fields for Country, City, Region, etc. But it seems Darktable cannot do that. The next best thing would be to go to the map view, pick a location, and select all the photos in that location to make searchable tags. However, it seems that is also impossible under Darktable. The only work-around is making a "location circle" for every single city I've ever taken pictures in, and that is just far too tedious although I have done some of that.

Geotag data is incredibly useful (usually) because it's the only "tag" you get automatically and with precision accuracy out of a camera body. However, in Darktable is seems like geotag data is only minimally useful if at all. You can certainly use the map module to add geotag data to untagged photos by dragging them onto the map; but then what? How is that useful if I can't actually find and select photos by the geotag?

Am I just missing something? Do you find the Map module useful for something? On one forum someone mentioned a LUA script to reverse-lookup geotag data but I can't find any resource for that. Is there any way to easily accomplish what I'm trying to do- make use of geotag data for selecting photos? Thanks!

[u/whoops_not_a_mistake]

You can add places to metadata, then select those places in the Collections module.

To add a place to metadata:

1. Go to the Maps view.

2. Search for a place in the Find Location module, then select a place from the search results. You should see the place outlined in red on the map.

3. In the Locations module, make sure the button to the left of the New Location button is set to Polygon. Click a few times to toggle through the options. The polygon is the one that isn't the circle or the square.

4. With the place you selected in step 2 still active, click the New location button in the Locations module, then type a name for the place, then hit enter.

If there are images that are geotagged in a region you've added, you should see the count next to the location name. If not, drag an image onto the map to test it out.

You can have sublocations as well, so you can make hierarchies like Country > State > City if that's what you want. You can edit a location after you've added it, so if you want hierarchy, then determine that beforehand and add places accordingly.

To filter images by location:

1. Go to Lighttable view.

2. In the Collections module select Metadata > Geo tagging.

3. Expand the arrow for Tagged. You should see the names of the places you added.

4. Select one of the named places. This should narrow you selection on the light table.

5. If you want more than one tag, click the downward pointing arrow icon next to the place name and select Add More Images. A new box appears below it. Select Metadata > geotag, then select the name of the place you want.

[u/kypdurron5 → u/whoops_not_a_mistake]

Yeah, that’s pretty much what I’ve been doing. With the added step of then adding tags. But do you see how many steps that is for a world traveler to document every city a picture was taken in? It’s insanity, when the pictures are right there; I should just be able to select them in some way directly and tag. Or, there should be some way to resolve GPS coordinates to searchable locations without going through all these steps. Just wanted to make sure I’m not missing something.

Thanks for the tip on the polygon; a little faster than manually drawing circles! Doesn’t work in every situation (traveling outside the city area, some regions, etc.), but it’s a better way.

As an aside, the map goes either all black or all white every so often and I have to restart, so that’s a little frustrating as well.

[u/whoops_not_a_mistake → u/kypdurron5]

But do you see how many steps that is for a world traveler to document every city a picture was taken in?

OK what do you want me to do about it? You asked if it was possible, I gave you step by step instruction.

It’s insanity, when the pictures are right there;

OK then don't do it.

I should just be able to select them in some way directly and tag. Or, there should be some way to resolve GPS coordinates to searchable locations without going through all these steps. Just wanted to make sure I’m not missing something.

OK well it is open source, so make a PR to make it better for you an everyone.

Doesn’t work in every situation (traveling outside the city area, some regions, etc.),

Then do the county. Anything that is in Open Street Maps you should be able to find.

As an aside, the map goes either all black or all white every so often and I have to restart, so that’s a little frustrating as well

You should report a bug. This never happens to me.

[u/akgt94]

Bruce Williams YouTube has a decent tutorial

Tags and geotags and gps coordinates are three unrelated things. It seems clumsy. I tend not to use geotags. Gps coordinates and map mode really just help me manually add regular tags

[u/kypdurron5 → u/akgt94]

Yeah that was the first video I watched to troubleshoot and he noted the exact issue I’m having. Not being able to just select pictures but going through all the steps of adding locations for every single city.

Manually adding tags is all I’m trying to do. I just want some easy way to select pictures off the map and tag them, but that’s not an option. Other programs resolve the GPS to names automatically.

[u/frnxt]

I generally tend to use Digikam when I want to catalogue my photos — I feel Darktable is awesome at editing/retouching but the current UI feels clunky in comparison to Digikam for anything related to library management.

[u/whoops_not_a_mistake]

Also the lua script only looks up the name of the place, it doesn't add tags or anything like that.

[u/kypdurron5 → u/whoops_not_a_mistake]

Do you have a link? I can’t seem to find it. I’d be interested to see if I can learn to modify the scripting myself and maybe add tagging. I think that would be really valuable.

[u/whoops_not_a_mistake → u/kypdurron5]

its called geo toolbox or something like that. its in the official lua repo