Google Photos VR180 XMP Metadata Test

Link to Google Support forum

Cardboard Camera VR Photo Format

Hi! These are some manually generated VR180 JPG files to show some problems that Google Photos has parsing XMP metadata. These had been tested in a Google Pixel 2 XL with Android 9 and Google Photos 4.8.0.229411315.

There are included 3 JPG files, the metadata is the same for all of them. The formatting for the basic XMP XML Metadata are different although all of them are equivalent (see Expected behavior). However, even being equivalent, they are handled in different ways.

The basic and extended XMP contents are also included for easier inspection as separated files test?-basic-xmp.bin and test?-ext-xmp.bin. The extended XMP used is the same for all of them.

test1.jpg

The basic XMP consists of 3 <rdf:Description> elements and the property values for GPano, GImage and xmpNote are subelements. GPano elements ARE NOT in the first <rdf:Description> element.

PROBLEM: Google Photos shows the same image for both eyes and the perspective is incorrect, you are able to see the left and right sides of the photo at the same time.

Basic XMP Content

<x:xmpmeta xmlns:x='adobe:ns:meta/'>
<rdf:RDF xmlns:rdf='http://www.w3.org/1999/02/22-rdf-syntax-ns#'>

 <rdf:Description rdf:about=''
  xmlns:xmpNote='http://ns.adobe.com/xmp/note/'>
  <xmpNote:HasExtendedXMP>06A56CB0A1A7FAFDA459CA3FAA14B474</xmpNote:HasExtendedXMP>
 </rdf:Description>

 <rdf:Description rdf:about=''
  xmlns:GImage='http://ns.google.com/photos/1.0/image/'>
  <GImage:Mime>image/jpeg</GImage:Mime>
 </rdf:Description>

 <rdf:Description rdf:about=''
  xmlns:GPano='http://ns.google.com/photos/1.0/panorama/'>
  <GPano:CroppedAreaImageHeightPixels>3000</GPano:CroppedAreaImageHeightPixels>
  <GPano:CroppedAreaImageWidthPixels>3000</GPano:CroppedAreaImageWidthPixels>
  <GPano:CroppedAreaLeftPixels>750</GPano:CroppedAreaLeftPixels>
  <GPano:CroppedAreaTopPixels>0</GPano:CroppedAreaTopPixels>
  <GPano:FullPanoHeightPixels>3000</GPano:FullPanoHeightPixels>
  <GPano:FullPanoWidthPixels>6000</GPano:FullPanoWidthPixels>
  <GPano:ProjectionType>equirectangular</GPano:ProjectionType>
 </rdf:Description>
</rdf:RDF>
</x:xmpmeta>

test2.jpg

As in test1.jpg, the basic XMP consists of 3 <rdf:Description> elements and the property values for GPano, GImage and xmpNote are subelements. GPano values are in the first <rdf:Description> element.

The perspective in this case seems to be correct, you are unable to see right and left sides at the same time.

PROBLEM: Google Photos shows the same image for both eyes.

Basic XMP Content

<x:xmpmeta xmlns:x='adobe:ns:meta/'>
<rdf:RDF xmlns:rdf='http://www.w3.org/1999/02/22-rdf-syntax-ns#'>

 <rdf:Description rdf:about=''
  xmlns:GPano='http://ns.google.com/photos/1.0/panorama/'>
  <GPano:CroppedAreaImageHeightPixels>3000</GPano:CroppedAreaImageHeightPixels>
  <GPano:CroppedAreaImageWidthPixels>3000</GPano:CroppedAreaImageWidthPixels>
  <GPano:CroppedAreaLeftPixels>750</GPano:CroppedAreaLeftPixels>
  <GPano:CroppedAreaTopPixels>0</GPano:CroppedAreaTopPixels>
  <GPano:FullPanoHeightPixels>3000</GPano:FullPanoHeightPixels>
  <GPano:FullPanoWidthPixels>6000</GPano:FullPanoWidthPixels>
  <GPano:ProjectionType>equirectangular</GPano:ProjectionType>
 </rdf:Description>

 <rdf:Description rdf:about=''
  xmlns:xmpNote='http://ns.adobe.com/xmp/note/'>
  <xmpNote:HasExtendedXMP>06A56CB0A1A7FAFDA459CA3FAA14B474</xmpNote:HasExtendedXMP>
 </rdf:Description>

 <rdf:Description rdf:about=''
  xmlns:GImage='http://ns.google.com/photos/1.0/image/'>
  <GImage:Mime>image/jpeg</GImage:Mime>
 </rdf:Description>

</rdf:RDF>
</x:xmpmeta>

test3.jpg

The basic XMP consists of just one rdf:Description element. The property values for GPano, GImage and xmpNote are serialized as attributes of the <rdf:Description> element, not as subelements. This form of serialization is optional, not mandatory (see Expected Behavior).

This case works perfectly.

Basic XMP Content

<x:xmpmeta xmlns:x='adobe:ns:meta/'>
<rdf:RDF xmlns:rdf='http://www.w3.org/1999/02/22-rdf-syntax-ns#'>
 <rdf:Description rdf:about=''
  xmlns:GPano='http://ns.google.com/photos/1.0/panorama/'
  xmlns:xmpNote='http://ns.adobe.com/xmp/note/'
  xmlns:GImage='http://ns.google.com/photos/1.0/image/'
  GPano:CroppedAreaImageHeightPixels='3000'
  GPano:CroppedAreaImageWidthPixels='3000'
  GPano:CroppedAreaLeftPixels='750'
  GPano:CroppedAreaTopPixels='0'
  GPano:FullPanoHeightPixels='3000'
  GPano:FullPanoWidthPixels='6000'
  GPano:ProjectionType='equirectangular'
  xmpNote:HasExtendedXMP='06A56CB0A1A7FAFDA459CA3FAA14B474'
  GImage:Mime='image/jpeg' />
</rdf:RDF>
</x:xmpmeta>

Expected behavior

The three files should be 100% equivalent and all of them should be displayed exactly in the same way in the Google Photos application.

As stated in XMP Specification Part 1

Section 7.4: rdf:RDFand rdf:Descriptionelements

The rdf:RDF element content shall consist of only zero or more rdf:Description elements.

The element content of top-level rdf:Description elements shall consist of zero or more XML elements for XMP properties. XMP properties may be arbitrarily apportioned among the rdf:Description elements.

The recommended approach is to have either a single rdf:Description element containing all XMP properties or a separate rdf:Description element for each XMP property namespace.

Section 7.9.2.2: rdf:Descriptionwith property attributes

Property and structure field elements that have normal (non-URI) simple, unqualified values may be replaced with attributes in the rdf:Description element.

Properties as attributes are optional, not mandatory.