Exif AI is a powerful CLI tool designed to write AI-generated image descriptions and/or tags directly into the metadata of image files. This tool leverages advanced AI models to analyze image content and generate descriptive metadata, enhancing the accessibility and searchability of your images.
You can run Exif AI directly using npx without installing it globally:
npx exif-ai -i example.jpeg -a ollamaIf you have installed Exif AI globally, you can run it directly from the command line:
exif-ai -i example.jpeg -a ollamaRequired options:
-a, --api-provider <value>Name of the AI provider to use (ollamafor Ollama orzhipufor ZhipuAI).
Optional options:
-T, --tasks <tasks...>: List of tasks to perform ('description' and/or 'tag').-i, --input <file>Path to the input image file.-p, --description-prompt <text>: Custom prompt for the AI provider to generate description. Defaults to a generic image description prompt.--tag-prompt <text>: Custom prompt for the AI provider to generate tags. Defaults to a generic image tagging prompt.-m, --model <name>: Specify the AI model to use, if supported by the provider.-t, --description-tags <tags...>: List of EXIF tags to write the description to. Defaults to common description tags.--tag-tags <tags...>: List of EXIF tags to write the tags to. Defaults to common tags.-v, --verbose: Enable verbose output for debugging.-d, --dry-run: Preview AI-generated content without writing to the image file.--exif-tool-write-args <args...>: Additional ExifTool arguments for writing metadata.--provider-args <args...>: Additional arguments for the AI provider.-w, --watch <path>: Watch directory for new files to process.--avoid-overwrite: Avoid overwriting if EXIF tags already exist in the file.--ext <extensions...>: File extensions to watch. Only files with this extensions will be processed.
Example usage:
exif-ai -i example.jpg -a ollama -p "Describe this landscape photo."To use Exif AI as a library in your project, import it and use the provided functions:
import { execute } from "exif-ai";
const options = {
path: "example.jpeg", // Path to the input image file
provider: "ollama", // AI provider to use (e.g., 'ollama', 'zhipu')
model: "moondream", // Optional: Specific AI model to use (if supported by the provider)
descriptionTags: [
"XPComment",
"Description",
"ImageDescription",
"Caption-Abstract",
], // Optional: EXIF tags to write the description to
tagTags: ["Subject", "TagsList", "Keywords"], // Optional: EXIF tags to write the tags to
descriptionPrompt: "请使用中文描述这个图片。", //
8000
Optional: Custom prompt for the AI provider to generate description
tagPrompt:
"Tag this image based on subject, object, event, place. Output format: <tag1>, <tag2>, <tag3>, <tag4>, <tag5>, ..., <tagN>", // Optional: Custom prompt for the AI provider to generate tags
verbose: false, // Optional: Enable verbose logging for debugging
dry: false, // Optional: Perform a dry run without writing to the file
writeArgs: [], // Optional: Additional arguments for EXIF write task
providerArgs: [], // Optional: Additional arguments for the AI provider
avoidOverwrite: true, // Optional: Avoid overwriting existing tags
};
execute(options)
.then(() => {
console.log("Image description has been written to EXIF metadata.");
})
.catch((error) => {
console.error("An error occurred:", error);
});To install Exif AI globally, use the following command:
npm install -g exif-aiExif AI relies on API providers to generate image descriptions. Currently, we support two providers: ZhipuAI and Ollama.
- ZhipuAI: A leading AI service provider. Requires an API key.
- Ollama: A local AI service that runs on your machine, eliminating the need for an API key.
You can also develop your own custom provider by implementing the provider interface. This allows you to integrate with other AI services or customize the description generation process.
To use ZhipuAI, you need to set the API key. You can do this by setting an environment variable:
export ZHIPUAI_API_KEY=your_zhipuai_api_keyOllama runs locally and does not require an API key. Ensure that Ollama is installed and properly configured on your machine. Refer to the Ollama GitHub repository for installation and setup instructions.
- Node.js >=18
- pnpm
First, clone the Exif AI repository to your local machine:
git clone https://github.com/tychenjiajun/exif-ai.git
cd exif-aiNext, install the required dependencies using pnpm.
pnpm installpnpm run buildpnpm run watch