Presentation delivered at NSConference 2009, Hatfield, UK.

1. Integrating with the
Photography Ecosystem
on Mac OS X

5. The Ecosystem

6. The Ecosystem
Image Capture

7. The Ecosystem
Image IO
Image Capture

8. The Ecosystem
Image Kit Quicktime Core Image
Image IO
Image Capture

9. The Ecosystem
iPhoto Aperture Your App!
Image Kit Quicktime Core Image
Image IO
Image Capture

10. Today
iPhoto Aperture Your App!
Image Kit Quicktime Core Image
Image IO
Image Capture

11. No Private APIs
Photo: Trey Ratcliff/Flickr

13. RAW

14. Photo: Flickr user Svet

15. • Sensor data + decision data
Photo: Flickr user Svet

16. • Sensor data + decision data
• No processing in-camera
Photo: Flickr user Svet

17. • Sensor data + decision data
• No processing in-camera
• No compression
Photo: Flickr user Svet

18. • Sensor data + decision data
• No processing in-camera
• No compression
• Big Files
Photo: Flickr user Svet

19. • Sensor data + decision data
• No processing in-camera
• No compression
• Big Files
• Every camera needs specific
support
Photo: Flickr user Svet

20. Photographers who
spend money on their
craft shoot RAW.

21. Photographers who will
buy your application
shoot RAW.

22. Do not assume you can
pretend that RAW
doesn’t exist.

23. That said, you do not
want to be on the
treadmill of directly
supporting RAW
formats.

24. Even Apple struggles
with that.

25. Let Lightroom,
Aperture or iPhoto
handle it

26. Photography Workflow
Ingest Metadata Edit Output

27. Workflow
• Image Capture
•
Ingest Aperture
• Lightroom
• iPhoto

28. Workflow
Ingest Metadata Edit Output

29. Workflow
• Title
•
Metadata Captions
• Copyright
• Keywords

30. Metadata is a lot of
effort: respect that
Metadata
effort.

31. GPS Metadata
workflow still
Metadata
sucks.

32. Temporary
Metadata
problem.

33. One day, all cameras
will write geodata
Metadata
to EXIF.

35. Workflow
Ingest Metadata Edit Output

36. Workflow
• Photoshop: pixel editing
•
Edit iPhoto: Master + single Version
• Aperture: Master + Versions model

37. Master File
(usually RAW)

38. Default
Core
Image
Recipe
Master File
(usually RAW)

39. Default Exposure
Core Core
Image Image
Recipe Recipe
Master File
(usually RAW)

40. Default Exposure B &W
Core Core Core
Image Image Image
Recipe Recipe Recipe
Master File
(usually RAW)

41. Default Exposure B &W Crop
Core Core Core Core
Image Image Image Image
Recipe Recipe Recipe Recipe
Master File
(usually RAW)

42. {CI Recipe}
{CI Recipe}

43. {Image Record}
{CI Recipe}
{CI Recipe}

44. {Image Record}
{CI Recipe}
{CI Recipe}

45. What exists and when?
• Master file exists, but may be offline.
• A JPEG preview may exist.
• CI recipes exist in Aperture DB.

46. Preview generation is a
preference

47. Workflow
Ingest Metadata Edit Output

48. Workflow
Output

49. Workflow
• Version Export to disk
Output

50. Workflow
• Version Export to disk
• Media Browser
Output

51. Workflow
• Version Export to disk
• Media Browser
Output
• Drag & Drop previews out of Aperture

52. Workflow
• Version Export to disk
• Media Browser
Output
• Drag & Drop previews out of Aperture
• Export plugins

53. Media Browser

54. Media Browser
• No API for Apple’s Media
Browser

55. Media Browser
• No API for Apple’s Media
Browser
• Check out Karelia’s iMedia
Browser
• karelia.com/imedia

56. Preview Fingerprint

57. Preview Fingerprint
Aperture writes its internal ID to the IPTC
Special Instructions in previews.

58. Preview Fingerprint
Aperture writes its internal ID to the IPTC
Special Instructions in previews.
mRG3bpEnT0GOSJ9qNuxk+g

59. Preview Fingerprint
Aperture writes its internal ID to the IPTC
Special Instructions in previews.
mRG3bpEnT0GOSJ9qNuxk+g
You can access versions by ID through
AppleScript

60. The Ecosystem
iPhoto Aperture Your App!
Image Kit Quicktime Core Image
Image IO
Image Capture

61. Image IO
iPhoto Aperture Your App!
Image Kit Quicktime Core Image
Image IO
Image Capture

62. Your interface to RAW

63. Your interface to EXIF
and IPTC

64. Your interface to
thumbnail generation

65. Part of
ApplicationServices
framework

66. CGImageSource

67. CGImageSource
• CGImageSourceCreateWithURL()

68. CGImageSource
• CGImageSourceCreateWithURL()
• CGImageSourceCopyPropertiesAtIndex()

69. CGImageSource
• CGImageSourceCreateWithURL()
• CGImageSourceCopyPropertiesAtIndex()
• CGImageSourceCreateImageAtIndex()

70. CGImageSource
• CGImageSourceCreateWithURL()
• CGImageSourceCopyPropertiesAtIndex()
• CGImageSourceCreateImageAtIndex()
• CGImageSourceCreateThumbnailAtIndex()

71. CGImageSourceCopyPropertiesAtIndex()
• Returns a dictionary of key/value pairs
representing image metadata.
• EXIF, IPTC, Manufacturer-specific fields
• Keys are defined in CGImageProperties.h

72. High-level dictionaries
kCGImageProperty{*}Dictionary
• •
TIFF MakerCanon
• •
GIF MakerNikon
• •
JFIF MakerMinolta
• •
Exif MakerFuji
• •
PNG MakerOlympus
• •
IPTC MakerPentax
• •
GPS 8BIM
• •
Raw DNG
• •
CIFF ExifAux

73. EXIF Keys
• kCGImagePropertyExifExposureTime
• kCGImagePropertyExifFNumber
• kCGImagePropertyExifExposureProgram
• kCGImagePropertyExifFocalLength
• kCGImagePropertyExifISOSpeedRatings
• ...etc...

74. GPS Keys
• kCGImagePropertyGPSLatitude
• kCGImagePropertyGPSLongitude
• kCGImagePropertyGPSAltitude
• kCGImagePropertyGPSTimeStamp
• kCGImagePropertyGPSDOP
• ...etc...

75. #1 ImageIO Gotcha:
nothing is guaranteed.

76. Do not assume the
existence of any key in
this dictionary.

77. After all, cameras come
from hardware
manufacturers and they
never support anything
entirely correctly.

78. CGImageSourceCreateImageAtIndex()
• Creates a CGImageRef from an image in
the file.
• Most image files have one image, but there
is support for multiple representations.
• CGImageSourceGetCount() tells you how
many there are.

79. CGImageSourceCreateThumbnailAtIndex()
• Creates a thumbnail from an index
• Control thumbnail size with the options
dictionary:
• kCGImageSourceThumbnailMaxPixelSize

80. #2 ImageIO Gotcha:
can’t write RAW files.

81. This is not your
nibware geotagging API.

82. The Ecosystem
iPhoto Aperture Your App!
Image Kit Quicktime Core Image
Image IO
Image Capture

83. Image Kit
iPhoto Aperture Your App!
Image Kit Quicktime Core Image
Image IO
Image Capture

84. Image Kit: iPhoto in a box

85. Image Kit: iPhoto in a box
IKImageBrowserView
IKImageView
IKSlideshow
IKImageEditPanel

86. IKImageBrowserView

87. IKImageBrowserView

88. IKImageBrowserView
provides:

89. IKImageBrowserView
provides:
• Fast, scalable, memory-efficient thumbnail
view.

90. IKImageBrowserView
provides:
• Fast, scalable, memory-efficient thumbnail
view.
• Zooming

91. IKImageBrowserView
provides:
• Fast, scalable, memory-efficient thumbnail
view.
• Zooming
• Selection

92. IKImageBrowserView
provides:
• Fast, scalable, memory-efficient thumbnail
view.
• Zooming
• Selection
• Grouping (iPhoto-style and Aperture-style)

93. IKGroupDisclosureStyle
iPhoto: Thumbnails

94. IKGroupDisclosureStyle
iPhoto: Thumbnails

95. IKGroupDisclosureStyle
iPhoto: Thumbnails

96. IKGroupBezelStyle
Aperture: Stacks

97. IKGroupBezelStyle
Aperture: Stacks

98. IKGroupBezelStyle
Aperture: Stacks

99. IKImageBrowserDataSource

100. IKImageBrowserDataSource
• Required:

101. IKImageBrowserDataSource
• Required:
• -numberOfItemsInImageBrowser:

102. IKImageBrowserDataSource
• Required:
• -numberOfItemsInImageBrowser:
• -imageBrowser:itemAtIndex:

103. IKImageBrowserDataSource
• Required:
• -numberOfItemsInImageBrowser:
• -imageBrowser:itemAtIndex:
• Returned item must implement
IKImageBrowserItem protocol

104. IKImageBrowserItem
• Required:
• - (NSString *) imageUID
• - (NSString *) imageRepresentationType
• Constants for supported types
• - (id) imageRepresentation

105. IKImageBrowser{*}RepresentationType
• •
Path QTMovie
• •
NSURL QTMoviePath
• •
NSImage QCComposition
• •
CGImage QCCompositionPath
• •
CGImageSource QuickLookPath
• •
NSData IconRefPath
• •
NSBitmapImage IconRef

106. IKImageBrowserDataSource

107. IKImageBrowserDataSource
• Optional:

108. IKImageBrowserDataSource
• Optional:
• -numberOfGroupsInImageBrowser:

109. IKImageBrowserDataSource
• Optional:
• -numberOfGroupsInImageBrowser:
• -(NSDictionary *)imageBrowser:groupAtIndex:

110. IKImageBrowserDataSource
• Optional:
• -numberOfGroupsInImageBrowser:
• -(NSDictionary *)imageBrowser:groupAtIndex:
• IKImageBrowserGroupStyle

111. IKImageBrowserDataSource
• Optional:
• -numberOfGroupsInImageBrowser:
• -(NSDictionary *)imageBrowser:groupAtIndex:
• IKImageBrowserGroupStyle
• IKImageBrowserGroupBackgroundColorKey

112. IKImageBrowserDataSource
• Optional:
• -numberOfGroupsInImageBrowser:
• -(NSDictionary *)imageBrowser:groupAtIndex:
• IKImageBrowserGroupStyle
• IKImageBrowserGroupBackgroundColorKey
• IKImageBrowserGroupTitleKey

113. IKImageBrowserDataSource
• Optional:
• -numberOfGroupsInImageBrowser:
• -(NSDictionary *)imageBrowser:groupAtIndex:
• IKImageBrowserGroupStyle
• IKImageBrowserGroupBackgroundColorKey
• IKImageBrowserGroupTitleKey
• IKImageBrowserGroupRangeKey

115. NSMakeRange(0,4)

116. NSMakeRange(0,4)
NSMakeRange(4,2)

117. NSMakeRange(0,4)
NSMakeRange(4,2) NSMakeRange(6,2)

118. NSMakeRange(0,4)
NSMakeRange(4,2) NSMakeRange(6,2)
NSMakeRange(8,3)

119. Two Gotchas

120. Two Gotchas
• Constants for
IKImageBrowserGroupStyleKey are defined
in an enum, so pack them in NSNumber.

121. Two Gotchas
• Constants for
IKImageBrowserGroupStyleKey are defined
in an enum, so pack them in NSNumber.
• IKImageBrowserGroupRangeKey’s value
should be an NSRange packed into an
NSValue.

122. IKImageView
• Rotate
• Zoom
• Crop
• Drag & Drop
• Quite hard to customise for additional
functionality

126. IKImageEditPanel

127. IKImageEditPanel

128. IKImageEditPanel

129. IKImageEditPanel

130. IKSlideshow

131. IKSlideshow
• Think: Quick Look slideshow in Finder.

132. IKSlideshow
• Think: Quick Look slideshow in Finder.
• IKSlideshowDataSource:

133. IKSlideshow
• Think: Quick Look slideshow in Finder.
• IKSlideshowDataSource:
• -numberOfSlideshowItems

134. IKSlideshow
• Think: Quick Look slideshow in Finder.
• IKSlideshowDataSource:
• -numberOfSlideshowItems
• -slideshowItemAtIndex:

135. IKSlideshow
• Think: Quick Look slideshow in Finder.
• IKSlideshowDataSource:
• -numberOfSlideshowItems
• -slideshowItemAtIndex:
• -nameOfSlideshowItemAtIndex:

136. IKSlideshow
• Think: Quick Look slideshow in Finder.
• IKSlideshowDataSource:
• -numberOfSlideshowItems
• -slideshowItemAtIndex:
• -nameOfSlideshowItemAtIndex:
• -canExportSlideshowItemAtIndex:
toApplication:

137. IKSlideshow items

138. IKSlideshow items
• No interface to implement, just return:

139. IKSlideshow items
• No interface to implement, just return:
• NSImage

140. IKSlideshow items
• No interface to implement, just return:
• NSImage
• NSString (a path)

141. IKSlideshow items
• No interface to implement, just return:
• NSImage
• NSString (a path)
• NSURL

142. IKSlideshow items
• No interface to implement, just return:
• NSImage
• NSString (a path)
• NSURL
• NSFileWrapper

143. IKSlideshow items
• No interface to implement, just return:
• NSImage
• NSString (a path)
• NSURL
• NSFileWrapper
• CGImageRef

144. IKSlideshow items
• No interface to implement, just return:
• NSImage
• NSString (a path)
• NSURL
• NSFileWrapper
• CGImageRef
• PDFPage

145. The Ecosystem
iPhoto Aperture Your App!
Image Kit Quicktime Core Image
Image IO
Image Capture

146. Aperture
iPhoto Aperture Your App!
Image Kit Quicktime Core Image
Image IO
Image Capture

147. Export Plugins

148. Export Plugins
• Primary method of getting data from
Aperture and iPhoto.

149. Export Plugins
• Primary method of getting data from
Aperture and iPhoto.
• ObjC API-level access to Aperture

150. Export Plugins
• Primary method of getting data from
Aperture and iPhoto.
• ObjC API-level access to Aperture
• Focus on Aperture, mostly also valid for
iPhoto

151. Export Plugins
• Primary method of getting data from
Aperture and iPhoto.
• ObjC API-level access to Aperture
• Focus on Aperture, mostly also valid for
iPhoto
• SDKs for both apps from
connect.apple.com

152. Process
Select Export Plugin UI Rendering Post-Export

153. Rendering
MyPlugin ApertureExportManager
-exportManagerShouldBeginExport
-shouldBeginExport
-exportManagerWillBeginExportToPath:
-exportManagerShouldExportImageAtIndex:

154. Rendering
MyPlugin ApertureExportManager
exportManagerShouldWriteImageData:
toRelativePath:forImageAtIndex:
exportManagerDidWriteImageDataToRelativePath:
forImageAtIndex:
-exportManagerDidFinishExport

155. Process: Post-Export
Post-Export

156. Process: Post-Export
• Upload the images to the web
• FlickrExport does all its upload
work in
exportManagerDidFinishExport
Post-Export

157. Process: Post-Export
• Upload the images to the web
• FlickrExport does all its upload
work in
exportManagerDidFinishExport
Post-Export
• AppleScript another application to
ingest them

158. Process: Post-Export
• Upload the images to the web
• FlickrExport does all its upload
work in
exportManagerDidFinishExport
Post-Export
• AppleScript another application to
ingest them
• Burn a disc

159. Process: Post-Export
• Upload the images to the web
• FlickrExport does all its upload
work in
exportManagerDidFinishExport
Post-Export
• AppleScript another application to
ingest them
• Burn a disc
• Add metadata back to Aperture

160. Aperture Metadata
• - addKeywords:toImageAtIndex:
• - addHierarchicalKeywords:toImageAtIndex:
• - addCustomMetadataKeyValues:
toImageAtIndex:

161. Hierarchical Keywords
Events > Conferences > C4[2] > Craig Hockenberry

162. addKeywords:
toImageAtIndex:

163. addKeywords:
toImageAtIndex:
• Be careful: all keywords become top-level
keywords in Aperture’s hierarchy,

164. addKeywords:
toImageAtIndex:
• Be careful: all keywords become top-level
keywords in Aperture’s hierarchy,
• Mess

165. addKeywords:
toImageAtIndex:
• Be careful: all keywords become top-level
keywords in Aperture’s hierarchy,
• Mess
• Remember: photographers == picky
curmudgeons obsessed with organisation

166. -addHierarchicalKeywords:
toImageAtIndex:
NSArray *kwdOne = [NSArray arrayWithObjects:
@”Foo”,
@”Bar”,
@”Baz”,
nil];
NSArray *allKeywds = [NSArray arrayWithObject:
kwdOne];

167. -addHierarchicalKeywords:
toImageAtIndex:
NSArray *kwdOne = [NSArray arrayWithObjects:
@”Foo”, Leaf Keyword
@”Bar”,
@”Baz”,
nil];
NSArray *allKeywds = [NSArray arrayWithObject:
kwdOne];

168. -addHierarchicalKeywords:
toImageAtIndex:
NSArray *kwdOne = [NSArray arrayWithObjects:
@”Foo”, Leaf Keyword
@”Bar”, Parent
@”Baz”,
nil];
NSArray *allKeywds = [NSArray arrayWithObject:
kwdOne];

169. -addHierarchicalKeywords:
toImageAtIndex:
NSArray *kwdOne = [NSArray arrayWithObjects:
@”Foo”, Leaf Keyword
@”Bar”, Parent
@”Baz”, Parent
nil];
NSArray *allKeywds = [NSArray arrayWithObject:
kwdOne];

170. addCustomMetadataKeyValues:
toImageAtIndex:
• Arbitrary dictionary of key/value pairs
• Must be NSStrings
• Appear in Aperture’s metadata inspector
• Can be used in Smart Album criteria

171. FlickrExport Example
• FlickrExport writes back:
• Flickr ID
• Flickr URL
• Knowing the Flickr ID of a version in
Aperture lets FlickrExport do replacement
on a re-export

172. Custom metadata
Custom
Value
Key

173. [“Flickr ID” length] != 0

174. rating >= 3 &&
[“Flickr ID” length] == 0

175. iPhoto Limitations
• Can’t add metadata back to iPhoto
• Can’t create new keywords
• API has different method names, but
conceptually almost identical

176. Thank You
• fraser@speirs.org
• @fraserspeirs
• http://speirs.org
• http://connectedflow.com