Version history

Keep informed of the more significant new features, changes, and bug fixes over the last few versions of Timelapse.

Version 2.3.2.2: Image recognition integrated!

1. Image recognition

Recognition is now possible with just a few clicks. Using the Timelapse recognition menu, you can now easily download the EcoAssist / Megadetector image recognizer to your computer (with caveats for locked-down machines), run the recognizer on any folder, and import the recognition file to see all recognized entities. Over time, EcoAssist will include new wildlife models to allow true species classification for your geographic ecosystem. See the Timelapse Image Recognition Guide for details. Thanks to Peter van Lunteren for his efforts in making EcoAssist Timelapse-friendly.

2. CamtrapDP metadata standard supported.

Camtrap DP is an open standard advocated for uploading and sharing camera trap data (see publication and specifications). Using the TemplateEditor, you can now create a Camtrap DP template. After filling in your data with Timelapse, you can export it as a Camtrap DP-compliant set of files that can be uploaded to a Camtrap DP repository.

3. New Timelapse web site

  • New Timelapse website redone and reorganized for a nicer user experience. You are looking at it!
  • Help menu links now point to this new site

4. Other notable changes

  • Template editor now allows for (limited) changes to a data type e.g., from Choice to Note.
  • Deleting files: Now retains the folder structure when backing up deletions within the Delete folder.
  • Backup files: will only delete backups older than 2 weeks, allowing for data recovery in case of crashes.
  • Propagate from last non-empty value dialog: can now hide it by selecting ‘Don’t show again’
  • Select on Multichoice: allows you to search by including or excluding a choice term.
  • Duplicate record now has two versions, one that copies the original’s values, and the other that uses default values.
  • Timelapse icon has changed to a stylized camera trap
  • Timelapse manuals and web site updated to reflect most changes

5. Various bug fixes and performance tweaks

  • Bugs in CSV export, merging, display of duplicate records in custom select, etc. 

Version 2.3.2.0: Metadata standards + expanded data field types!

1. Folder levels, Folder data and Metadata standards for richer data

You can optionally associate data with your folders via folder levels and folder data. Collectively, this creates a hierarchical data structure that adds considerable richness to the data you can associate with your image set. For example, if you organize your image set as (say) Project/Station/Deployment sub–folders, you can define fill-in metadata fields for those folder levels as Project (e.g., Project name, Objectives…), Station (e.g., Latitude, Longitude…), and Deployment (e.g., Issues noted when servicing the camera…), and finally the usual tags associated with the images themselves.

Using the template editor, you can create your own in-house metadata standard, which Timelapse then displays as fill-in fields. Alternately, several government and institutional metadata standards will be included as boilerplates, which you can use as is, or which you can modify to serve your own purposes. Following a metadata standard allows government agencies, institutions, and researchers to share camera trap data in a meaningful way.

Defining a folder-level Timelapse metadata standard is optional. If you don’t do it, Timelapse will work as it normally does. If you do use it, you will have to structure your folder hierarchy to correspond with your folder levels. See the Timelapse Metadata Guide for details.

2. New data field types now available with input checking

  • When creating a template, you can now create additional specialized data fields:
    • MultiLine accepting longer multi-line text in a drop-down box,
    • Alphanumeric  accepting letters, numbers, _ and – only,
    • Various number formats, including Integer, Integer positive, Decimal, and Decimal positive,
    • MultiChoice menus, where 0, 1 or multiple items can be selected
    • Various date / time formats, including DateTime, Date, and Time.

3. Other notable changes

  • Folder data tab (a tab displaying your folder-levels for the current image and the data fields associated with that level)
  • File | Export all data to .csv files to export folder data as described above to csv files
  • Edit | Populate one or more Date/Time fields with Date/Time metadata
  • Edit | Populate a field with globally unique ids
  • Edit | Analyze folder structure (to see if it conforms with folder-level definitions)
  • Window menu changed to reflect a few alterations on how window arrangement can be configured
  • Template Editor various changes that allow you to create new types of data fields, and to specify folder levels and its associated folder data fields