topic Re: Attached photos rotating when feature service is exported in ArcGIS Online Questions

Attached photos rotating when feature service is exported

StephanieLeusink — Tue, 16 Jun 2015 18:00:17 GMT

I have a feature service in ArcGIS Online that has point features with photos attached (collected using the Collector app on an iPad). When viewed in ArcGIS Online, the orientation of the photos matches that from when the photo was taken (some horizontal, some vertical). However, when I export the feature service to a file geodatabase, save it on my desktop, and view them through ArcGIS Desktop 10.2, all of the vertical photos are rotated 90 degrees and are now sideways. Is there any way to keep this from happening? Or is it a bug in the export process?

Re: Attached photos rotating when feature service is exported

TomSellsted — Tue, 16 Jun 2015 18:14:10 GMT

Stephanie,

Images taken with devices like phones store metadata about the image taken. They can contain lots of information like the GPS location and the images orientation. Here is a post I wrote about running into this problem.

Proper Image Rotation from Mobile Uploads

This is not a bug. It is intentional. When a device takes an image, they want to be immediately ready to take the next image. If the device has to spend resources reorienting the image, it slows the whole process down. Instead it just stores the information.

I hope this helps!

Regards,

Tom

Re: Attached photos rotating when feature service is exported

StephanieLeusink — Tue, 16 Jun 2015 18:39:37 GMT

Thanks!

I took a look into the EXIF data of my photos, and they don't have the GPS location (that is a known issue with photos taken directly through the Collector app), but they did have the orientation. Turns out my problem is that I was viewing the photos with Microsoft Picture Manager, which doesn't know how to handle the orientation data. When I viewed the exported photos through another program, they were oriented correctly.

Re: Attached photos rotating when feature service is exported

TomSellsted — Tue, 16 Jun 2015 18:46:46 GMT

You are welcome! I am sure as time goes by, more apps will be developed that examine the EXIF information an properly orient each image. Until then we will have to figure out good ways to view them!

Regards,

Tom