Help. I am receiving error 999999 when I try GeoTagged photo to points. Confused

[RyanAnderson5]

I am receiving 999999 error when I am trying to use the geotagged photos to point.  I link up to a folder containing my geotagged photos, but I keep receiving the error.  What am I doing wrong?

Am I setting up the folder wrong?  Its on the desktop, but it shouldn't matter where the folder is right?  The pictures are in Jpeg format with the exif data.  I should just point and click right?

Any reference to GeoTagging photos to points would be appreciated as well.

Dr. M

[CaryGreenwood]

I am having the same issue.  Removing all sub-folders does not improve things.  I have attempted to use a shapefile and geodatabase as the output type but neither works.

My image files are rather large, averaging around 2MB.

Any ESRI help is appreciated.

Cary

[MatthewPayne]

Hi Ryan,

Here is some direct documentation for the GeoTagged Photos to Points tool:

ArcGIS Resources: GeoTagged Photos to Points
http://resources.arcgis.com/en/help/main/10.1/index.html#//001700000165000000

One thing to check would be your license level of ArcGIS for Desktop.  The functionality of the tool is limited if you have a Basic (ArcView) license. 

The location of the folder of photos should not matter, unless there are any permission type issues going on.  Also, sub-folders are OK because the tool is recursive.  A 999999 error is a generic error so this may be tough to narrow down.  Will any of the images send through the forum so that others can test the same files?

Matt

[CaryGreenwood]

Matt,

I ran the tool on both a Basic (ArcView) license and with an Advanced (ArcInfo) license without any success.  I ran it on a folder of many photos and a folder of one photo, neither worked. Same error.

I have attached a single photo file from the group I am working with.  It has an XY location according to Windows Explorer.

Thanks for any updates on why this tool does not function.

Regards,

Cary

[MatthewPayne]

This specific image on my end produces an empty output...as in I do not get the 999999 error, yet no point is actually created.  Furthermore, I do not see the XY location information in Windows Explorer.  What happens with other photos?  Are you able to repro this behavior with every photo (or group of photos) you try to use the tool on?  The issue may stem from the particular camera you have been using.

Matt

[CaryGreenwood]

Matt,

You can access the original file with the XY locations through the hyperlink in the text.

Best,

Cary

[MatthewPayne]

Cary,

I was actually able to get this to run successfully.  Please see my attached three screenshots.  Make sure your parameters and folder structure match up.  The file is by itself inside a folder that resides directly on my desktop.

Matt

[AndrewMilanes]

I get the same error when the output location is an SDE database connection.  It works fine when the output is the default file gdb.  I can access the SDE database fine.  I was able to import the created feature class in the default gdb into my SDE database.

[GerryGabrisch]

Here are a couple of scripts that have not given me any problems, are not constrained by license levels, and they look through the root folder and any sub-folders.  You will need to download a couple of python libraries but it is all spelled out in the readme.
The read me, Python code, and the ESRI toolbox  are here:

ftp://lnnr.lummi-nsn.gov/GIS_Scripts/CreateShapefilePointsFromGeotaggedPhotos/

[CWalz]

Matt, I've tried using the same set up as in your screen shots and I am still getting the 99999 error.  Are there any constraints on the number of photos? Or the size? I have 40 jpgs, all in the 50-100k size. They all have lat-longs. I've tried with the input folder in various spots including the desktop.

Does it matter where your output GeoDatabase lies? Mine is on an external hard drive, but I've tried just letting it go to the default gdb (as in your example) and it still throws the same error.

I'm using 10.2, and I've attached a photo.