Accessing the Comments Field

[bob99]

I've searched a bit and didn't seem to find anything on this.
Is there any way of externally accessing the comments field in SC for each screen capture?  I would like to be able to do something similar to Milesahead's TipOff or Propertypage discussed here: http://www.donationcoder.com/forum/index.php?topic=28529.0

After I've finished taking a series of captures I would like to be able to see/print a list of the screenshot filenames along with the comments that I type in SC.  Right now I'm trying Milesahead's programs along with SC but it's a lot more steps/mouse movement & clicks than I'd like.  ie: monitor the program I'm taking captures of, taking the capture, bring up TipOff or PropertyPage, select the comment tab, type the comment, save and go back and start over.  It gets to be a juggling act.

Or is there an easier way I'm not seeing?

Thanks,

[mouser]

Can you elaborate a little bit on what you'd like to do.. i'm not sure exactly what you want.

It does give me an idea though.. I wonder if it might be useful to add a feature that would print out all images in the thumbnail panel, side by side with their comments, or something like that.  Sounds like a bit of work though..

[bob99]

I wonder if it might be useful to add a feature that would print out all images in the thumbnail panel, side by side with their comments, or something like that.

That is what I am looking for.  A way to obtain a list of the capture filename and any comments that were added in the comment field after the capture was taken.
For example...

      Filename                                             Comment Field
capture 1 - 11-13-11.png           This is a comment I've typed for screen capture 1
capture 2 - 11-13-11.png           This is a comment I've typed for screen capture 2
and so on...

Others may prefer an images and comments printout, I am just looking for is a listing of filename and comments.  (May be just as much work??)  I'd like to do it without launching a 3rd program to do it and lessening the number of programs open and key/mouse strokes per capture.  Having the list in text or csv format would be nice.  Or even Treepad format like Milesahead's programs above would be ok. 

Another way of asking is, whenever I bring up an old capture where I've included a comment, the comment is still there.  Where and how is the comment stored and is it currently accessible?

Thanks

[mouser]

Where and how is the comment stored and is it currently accessible?

comments are stored in embedded image comments -- so other tools that can show embedded image comments should be able to see them.

[bob99]

I found them. 
On the same line and before the typed comment phrase (or even if the comment field is blank) is [SCM]actwin,0,0,0,0;
Wondering what it means?  Tried a couple of web searches and haven't been able to come up with anything. 

Thanks for the help!

[mouser]

thats extra info for screenshot captor -- so it can keep track of where the last selection was on that image.. i should probably make it not add that if there is no selection..

[bob99]

Mouser,

A follow-up from my old original posts.

This has been an on again / off again need and now it's back on again.
I've been checking a couple of different programs to see if there is a way I can export the filename and comment I type into SSC into a text or csv format I can use elsewhere. A catalog of such.
So I could end up with something like this.


I've figured out where in the metadata file the comment (description or caption) is stored, depending on whether it's saved as png or jpg. Studying on how to get it out now.
Screenshots using ExifToolGUI.




Can anything be added that will prevent the [SCM]actwin,0,0,0,0; from being saved with in the metadata description? From your earlier answer you are using this data as a marker for one of SSC's features.
I can't remember at the moment which one it was, but one of the programs I tested wouldn't display the metadata until I deleted the brackets ([ ]").

[bob99]

I've found that with most of the image viewer/metadata editors I've checked, they seem to play nicer, or just easier to deal with in jpg than png.  At least as far as the metadata editing or exporting is concerned.

A little bit of a bump on by last question above.
I may have figured out a way to do what I want but need to add steps to edit out the [SCM]actwin... info ahead my image description/caption-abstract (name depends on which metadata field and program used.)

I noticed when using the Objects>Add Caption to Picture from the Toolbar, and %filememo%, the [SCM]actwin... isn't displayed. Any way of doing the same with the field being saved in the metadata?

Thanks,

[mouser]

so, is it the [ and ] characters that are bothering your tool? can you check if other characters like {} and <> bother it? if not, maybe i'll just change to use those.

[bob99]

Did a quick test. Made changes to the Exif IFD0 ImageDescription field.  Replaced the [  ] with {  }, then <  >, and (  ). Checked each time with XnView and ExifTool and all still displayed.
Since it is SSC is also saving the same way in the IPTC Caption-Abstract field I'll try the same tests there and let you know.
May just have to live with it.

Thx.

[bob99]

Mouser,

I've been playing with some other different other ways to do want I want and leaving the metadata alone.
I saw Edit > Copy Text to Clipboard before but never tried it to see what it really did.  And darned if it doesn't place my screenshot comments in the clipboard just like I want, without the [SCM]actwin,0,0,0,0;.
So after I take my screenshot I go and Edit > Copy Image then Edit > Copy Text and last Edit > Copy File Path to the clipboard for each shot and then paste it wherever I want from CHS.

Could each of these be done automatically with Post Capture Commandline Tools to Run field in Post-Capture Options? If so could you or someone please provide a little help on what I should put there? 

Thanks,

[bob99]

Gentle Bump

Does anyone know if what I'm wanting to try is possible with the post capture command line feature?
I'd give it a try, but don't know what to put as the command line parameters.

Thanks very much.

[mouser]

Can anything be added that will prevent the [SCM]actwin,0,0,0,0; from being saved with in the metadata description?

bob, i have improved this in the latest beta.

• [Feature] New option to tell SC not to save active window internal meta data to file comment meta data; useful if you are using images with an application that extracts and uses file comment meta data.
• [Change] The internal file comment that specifies last active window region is now written at END of file comment meta data, and is only written if its non-empty.

So, the last change there should solve your problem -- SC will no longer write the unnesc. [SCM] 0,0,0,0 line to the file.  And you can turn off it ever writing the [SCM] meta data info about the last active window if you want to do so even in the cases where there is an active window region within the screenshot.

[bob99]

With this and the new captions features that should cover the bases.
I looked through the configuration but didn't see any options that looked like number 1 above. Where did I miss it?