Exif Fixer:

Solve the ‘Missing Metadata’ Problem

The Fragility of Digital Metadata

In the world of immersive photography, the image you see is only part of the picture. The other part is invisible data: metadata. When we shoot a 360-degree panorama, the camera embeds specific tags (EXIF and XMP data) that tell software: "This is a spherical projection, not a flat rectangle," and other obscure but technically important items.

The problem is that this metadata is incredibly fragile. A simple workflow step – like saving from Photoshop, optimizing to reduce file size, editing in any mobile app, or even emailing the photo – will scrub these tags from the file.

The result? You upload a stunning 360-degree scene to Facebook, Flickr or Google Photos, but instead of an interactive VR scene, the platform renders it as a flat, distorted strip. The image isn't broken, but its 'identity card' is missing.

A Utility for Creatives

Since its release, the tool has become a staple utility for photographers who find editing software strips the required metadata or who use non-standard workflows; graphic designers creating 360 art from scratch (where no camera metadata ever existed), drone pilots whose stitching software fails to tag files correctly.

It is available as both a standalone desktop application for batch processing and a lightweight web app for fixing files on the fly, even from mobile devices.

Injecting XMP for VR Compatibility

I developed Exif Fixer to bridge the gap between post-production tools and publishing platforms. It acts as a specialized injector that restores the necessary XMP (Extensible Metadata Platform) namespaces required by major platforms, complete with the precise image-specific values.

Unlike standard EXIF editors which handle basic data like "Date Taken" or "Camera Model," Exif Fixer specifically calculates the geometry of the image. It analyzes the pixel dimensions to determine the aspect ratio (typically 2:1 for full spheres) and mathematically derives the multiple data elements that should be there.

Automating the Math

Manually calculating and inserting these tags is technically possible but deeply tedious. You would need to work out the precise pixel scales, offsets and other attributes and manually write these as XML code into the file header. Exif Fixer automates this entirely. In just a couple of clicks it:

1. Scans the image to detect if it is a full sphere or a partial panorama
2. Calculates the required projection and related metadata
3. Injects the code non-destructively into the file header