GenMeta - User Guides

This document provides comprehensive guides on how to use GenMeta, an Electron-based desktop application that generates metadata for images using AI.

Table of Contents

• Getting Started
• Basic Usage
• API Key Configuration
• Advanced Settings
• Batch Processing
• Exporting and Saving
• Troubleshooting

Getting Started

Installation

1. Download the appropriate installer for your operating system from the Releases page:

   • Windows: .exe installer
   • macOS: .dmg file
   • Linux: .AppImage file

2. Install the application:

   • Windows: Run the installer and follow the wizard
   • macOS: Open the DMG and drag to Applications folder
   • Linux: Make the AppImage executable (chmod +x GenMeta-x.x.x.AppImage) and run it

3. Launch GenMeta from your applications menu or desktop shortcut

Basic Usage

Processing Your First Images

1. Click the Browse button in the top navigation bar
2. Select a directory containing the images you want to process
3. Once selected, you'll see the count of compatible images found
4. Click the Generate button to begin processing
5. A progress bar will appear showing the status of the operation

Understanding the Results

After processing, the results will display:

• Summary statistics (Total, Successful, Failed)
• Individual image cards showing:
  • Image thumbnail
  • Generated title and description
  • Keywords
  • Status (Success/Error)

API Key Configuration

GenMeta uses Google's Gemini AI to generate metadata. You need to set up your API key:

1. Click the Settings button in the top right
2. Enter your Gemini API key
3. Click Save

Obtaining a Gemini API Key

1. Visit Google AI Studio
2. Create or sign in to your Google account
3. Navigate to the API keys section
4. Create a new API key
5. Copy the key and paste it into GenMeta's settings

Advanced Settings

Customizing Metadata Generation

In the Settings dialog, you can customize:

1. Title Length: Adjust the slider to set preferred title length (40-200 characters)
2. Description Length: Adjust the slider to set preferred description length
3. Keywords Count: Control how many keywords are generated per image

Output Preferences

You can configure:

• Output directory for processed files
• Whether to overwrite existing metadata
• CSV export settings

Batch Processing

Processing Large Collections

GenMeta handles batch processing efficiently:

1. Select a directory with multiple images
2. Click Generate
3. The application will process images sequentially with progress tracking
4. You can cancel processing at any time by clicking the Cancel button

Performance Considerations

• Processing time depends on image count and internet connection speed
• The application uses concurrency limiting to avoid API rate limits
• For very large collections (100+ images), consider processing in smaller batches

Exporting and Saving

Saving Metadata to Images

1. After processing, review the generated metadata
2. Make any necessary edits by clicking on fields
3. Click Save All Changes to write metadata to the image files

Exporting to CSV

1. After processing, click the Export CSV button
2. Choose a location to save the CSV file
3. All metadata (title, description, keywords) will be included in the export

Adding Common Keywords

To add a keyword to all processed images:

1. Click the Add Keyword button
2. Enter the keyword in the dialog
3. The keyword will be added to all successful results

Troubleshooting

Common Issues

API Key Issues

• Ensure your API key is valid and hasn't expired
• Check your internet connection
• Verify the API key is entered correctly with no extra spaces

Processing Errors

• Unsupported file formats: Ensure images are in JPG, PNG, or other standard formats
• Corrupt images: Try reprocessing problem files individually
• API rate limiting: Wait a few minutes and try again with fewer images

Application Crashes

• Update to the latest version of the application
• Restart the application
• Check system resources (memory, disk space)

Getting Help

If you encounter issues not covered in this guide:

1. Check the GitHub repository for known issues
2. Open a new issue with detailed information about your problem
3. Include logs if possible (found in the app's data directory)

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For more information and updates, visit the GenMeta GitHub repository.