EXIF Data in TrueContext

Exchangeable Image File Format (EXIF) data stores information about a photo or image. Each time you take a photo on a mobile device, the camera automatically saves information like the date, time, and location. You can view EXIF data in the photo properties or with specialized apps and online tools.

This topic describes how the TrueContext Mobile App captures EXIF data and what you can do to preserve that data. It also lists common types of EXIF data that most cameras capture.

Available on all tiers:

Essentials
Advanced
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Contents

Capture EXIF data

For organizations that have strict compliance requirements, EXIF data provides evidence of the time and location that photos were taken. These photos can then be used to document required activities and prove compliance.

In TrueContext, field technicians take or attach photos to answer Image and File Upload questions. When the field technician submits the record, any available EXIF data is included with each image file. Data collected varies by camera type, but most cameras capture some common key-value pairs like the DateTime, GPSLatitude, and GPSLongitude.

Note:

  • Make sure EXIF data is enabled on your camera. Some cameras don’t use EXIF data.

  • Sketch Pad questions do not support EXIF data. When a field technician sketches on a background image, the system saves the drawing as a new file. This new file does not retain the original EXIF data from the background image.

  • In-Memory forms do not support EXIF data.

  • We recommend that you test the form on the devices your team will use in the field before deploying to production.

Stamp EXIF data on images

You can set up Image questions to stamp data directly onto images in a submitted record. This includes Image Properties, which use EXIF image metadata captured by the device camera.

Tip:If your company submits EXIF data for regulatory purposes, stamped data might be insufficient. You can view EXIF data in the photo properties or with specialized apps and online tools.

The Image Properties section. You can stamp the Date and Geo Location on an image.

  • Date: Stamp the image with the date and time the photo was taken.

  • Geo Location: Stamp the image with the GPS coordinates where the photo was taken.

  • Custom Tag: Specify an EXIF property to stamp on the image.

    Note:Custom tags work when all field technicians on your team use the same device model and collect the same EXIF metadata. If your team uses different devices, the custom tag stamp might not work reliably.

Preserve EXIF data

Some mobile device settings and actions can lead to a loss of EXIF data. If your company requires EXIF data for compliance purposes, you should:

  • Enable location services on your camera app.

  • Avoid editing photos in apps that do not retain EXIF data.

  • Set up sharing settings to include location data.

  • Answer questions with original photos, not screenshots of photos.

Note:On some devices, users can edit photo properties from their photo gallery, which might compromise EXIF data. To prevent this, a Form Designer can set up an Image question to Allow camera only. This forces the field technician to take a new photo to answer the Image question.

Common key-value pairs

Though EXIF data follows a standard structure, specific values and formatting might vary between devices. For example, different cameras record date and time values in different formats. The value examples in the following table might not match how your device records them.

Key Value Example Description
DateTime 2023:07:15 12:34:56 The date and time the photo was taken.
Make Canon The brand of the camera or device.
Model Canon EOS 80D The model of the camera or device.
ExposureTime 1/200 How long the camera shutter was open in fractions of a second.
FNumber 2.8 The aperture size used for the photo.
ISO 100 The International Organization for Standardization (ISO) setting. This affects brightness and sensitivity.
FocalLength 35.0 mm The focal length of the lens.
GPSLatitude 37.7749° The latitude where the photo was taken.
GPSLongitude -122.4194° The longitude where the photo was taken.