Problem in writing metadata to image

Question

I am using AvFoundation to take still image and adding gps info to metadata and saving to a photo album using Asset library but gps info is not saving at all.

here

Answer 1

There are several answers above and elsewhere on SO that give most of what you want. Here is the working code I generated from all of these sources, and it seems to work just fine.

This is all done within the captureStillImageAsynchronouslyFromConnection block. My thanks to all the various contributors:

    [stillCapture
 captureStillImageAsynchronouslyFromConnection: stillConnection
 completionHandler:
 ^(CMSampleBufferRef imageSampleBuffer, NSError *error) {
     if (error) {
         NSLog(@"snap capture error %@", [error localizedDescription]);
         return;
     }

     NSData *jpegData = [AVCaptureStillImageOutput jpegStillImageNSDataRepresentation:imageSampleBuffer];

     CFDictionaryRef attachments = CMCopyDictionaryOfAttachments(kCFAllocatorDefault, imageSampleBuffer, kCMAttachmentMode_ShouldPropagate);
     CFMutableDictionaryRef mutableAttachments = CFDictionaryCreateMutableCopy(NULL, 0, attachments);

     // Create GPS Dictionary
     NSMutableDictionary *gps = [NSMutableDictionary dictionary];

     CLLocation *location = ;

     // GPS tag version
     [gps setObject:@"2.2.0.0" forKey:(NSString *)kCGImagePropertyGPSVersion];

     // Time and date must be provided as strings, not as an NSDate object
     NSDateFormatter *formatter = [[NSDateFormatter alloc] init];
     [formatter setDateFormat:@"HH:mm:ss.SSSSSS"];
     [formatter setTimeZone:[NSTimeZone timeZoneWithAbbreviation:@"UTC"]];
     [gps setObject:[formatter stringFromDate:location.timestamp] forKey:(NSString *)kCGImagePropertyGPSTimeStamp];

     // Latitude
     [gps setObject: (location.coordinate.latitude < 0) ? @"S" : @"N"
             forKey:(NSString *)kCGImagePropertyGPSLatitudeRef];
     [gps setObject:[NSNumber numberWithDouble:fabs(location.coordinate.latitude)]
             forKey:(NSString *)kCGImagePropertyGPSLatitude];

     // Longitude
     [gps setObject: (location.coordinate.longitude < 0) ? @"W" : @"E"
             forKey:(NSString *)kCGImagePropertyGPSLongitudeRef];
     [gps setObject:[NSNumber numberWithDouble:fabs(location.coordinate.longitude)]
             forKey:(NSString *)kCGImagePropertyGPSLongitude];

     // Altitude
     if (!isnan(location.altitude)){
         // NB: many get this wrong, it is an int, not a string:
         [gps setObject:[NSNumber numberWithInt: location.altitude >= 0 ? 0 : 1]
                 forKey:(NSString *)kCGImagePropertyGPSAltitudeRef];
         [gps setObject:[NSNumber numberWithDouble:fabs(location.altitude)]
                 forKey:(NSString *)kCGImagePropertyGPSAltitude];
     }

     // Speed, must be converted from m/s to km/h
     if (location.speed >= 0){
         [gps setObject:@"K" forKey:(NSString *)kCGImagePropertyGPSSpeedRef];
         [gps setObject:[NSNumber numberWithDouble:location.speed*3.6] forKey:(NSString *)kCGImagePropertyGPSSpeed];
     }

     // Heading
     if (location.course >= 0){
         [gps setObject:@"T" forKey:(NSString *)kCGImagePropertyGPSTrackRef];
         [gps setObject:[NSNumber numberWithDouble:location.course] forKey:(NSString *)kCGImagePropertyGPSTrack];
     }

     CFDictionarySetValue(mutableAttachments, kCGImagePropertyGPSDictionary, CFBridgingRetain(gps));

//         NSDictionary *ma = (__bridge NSDictionary *)(mutableAttachments);
//         NSLog(@"photo attachments: %@", ma);

     [ROOTVC.library
      writeImageDataToSavedPhotosAlbum:jpegData
      metadata:(__bridge id)mutableAttachments
      completionBlock:^(NSURL *assetURL, NSError *error) {
          if (error) {
              NSLog(@"XXX save to assets failed: %@", [error localizedDescription]);
          } else {
              [self processAsset:assetURL inGroup:ROOTVC.venue forMessage:savingMessage];
          }
      }];

     if (mutableAttachments)
         CFRelease(mutableAttachments);
     if (attachments)
         CFRelease(attachments);
 }];

As always, I worry if I am getting the releases right. Here's a jhead(1) of the result:

File name    : 20131001_082119/photo.jpeg
File size    : 82876 bytes
File date    : 2013:10:01 08:21:19
Resolution   : 480 x 360
Orientation  : rotate 90
Flash used   : No
Focal length :  4.1mm  (35mm equivalent: 30mm)
Exposure time: 0.0083 s  (1/120)
Aperture     : f/2.2
ISO equiv.   : 6400
Whitebalance : Auto
Metering Mode: pattern
Exposure     : program (auto)
GPS Latitude : N 40d 43m 22.32s
GPS Longitude: W 74d 34m 39.15s
GPS Altitude :  117.92m