Setting "datetimeoriginal" from filename

[Bernie]

I have a lot of fotos in several folders. Some of them don't have the "DateTimeOriginal" tag. So when I load them up to OneDrive it's a mess because they have some invented dates then.
Therefore I wan't to correct all missing "DateTimeOriginal" tags.
In the filename there is a date which I can use and like to copy into the "DateTimeOriginal" tag.

I tried it with two example files
  000603 000 Beer.jpg     doesn't contain tag
  000611 003 Beer.jpg     contains tag
The first 6 digits are the date: "YYMMDD".

I went through the forum and tried several comands but none of them worked for me.

I'm working with Windows 10 and when I check the example files with:
exiftool -time:all -g1 -a -s *.jpg

I get
======== 000603 000 Beer.jpg
---- System ----
FileModifyDate                  : 2000:06:03 09:59:58+02:00
FileAccessDate                  : 2022:09:14 16:08:37+02:00
FileCreateDate                  : 2022:09:14 11:19:36+02:00
======== 000611 003 Beer.jpg
---- System ----
FileModifyDate                  : 2000:06:11 19:51:26+02:00
FileAccessDate                  : 2022:09:14 16:08:37+02:00
FileCreateDate                  : 2022:09:14 11:19:36+02:00
---- IFD0 ----
ModifyDate                      : 2000:06:11 18:51:27
---- ExifIFD ----
DateTimeOriginal                : 2000:06:11 18:51:27
CreateDate                      : 2000:06:11 18:51:27
    2 image files read

Then I want to copy the date with
exiftool -if "not $DateTimeOriginal" "-DateTimeOriginal<20:${filename;$_=substr($_,0,2)}:01:01 12:00:00" *.jpg

And get the warning

Warning: No writable tags set from 000603 000 Beer.jpg
    1 files failed condition
    0 image files updated
    1 image files unchanged

Does anyone could help on where my error is? After some hours reading and trying I don't know how to come further...   

[Phil Harvey]

Hi Bernie,

exiftool -if "not $DateTimeOriginal" "-DateTimeOriginal<20:${filename;$_=substr($_,0,2)}:01:01 12:00:00" *.jpg

You have an extra colon.  Also, this will set the month:day to 01:01.  Maybe try this:

Code Select Expand

exiftool -if "not $DateTimeOriginal" "-DateTimeOriginal<20${filename;$_=substr($_,0,6)} 12:00:00" -ext jpg .
This should take the YYMMDD from the filename.  FAQ 5 may help you see why this works.  Also, I've changed it to use the -ext option instead of wildcards in the file name (see common mistake number 2).

- Phil

[Bernie]

Hi Phil,
thanks a lot! And of course it works now
Incredible to be so close to the solution...

Now I try to increase the TIME by about 10 min.
Tried to figure out from here how to do it:
Batch changing EXIF date/time

But somehow it doesn't work for my needs.   

[Phil Harvey]

What command did you use, and how didn't it work?  What exactly are you trying to do?

- Phil

[Bernie]

Good morning Phil,
today it works.
It increases the seconds by one, instead of increasing the minutes. Not exactly what I wanted, but it works for me. 
Why? I don't now. Perhaps because today I'm running under Linux? No idea.

I added a subdirectory and some more files to have a more realistic test environment.
The Beer-files are the one without timestamp. The Wine-files have one.

I'm using the command:
exiftool -if 'not $DateTimeOriginal' '-DateTimeOriginal<20${filename;$_=substr($_,0,6)} 12:-datetimeoriginal+<0:${filesequence}:00' -r -ext jpg .

Before the modification with exiftools the result looks like this:

======== ./000603 000 Beer.jpg
---- System ----
FileModifyDate                  : 2000:06:03 09:59:58+02:00
FileAccessDate                  : 2022:09:14 19:15:50+02:00
FileInodeChangeDate             : 2022:09:15 08:39:33+02:00
======== ./000611 003 Wine.jpg
---- System ----
FileModifyDate                  : 2000:06:11 19:51:26+02:00
FileAccessDate                  : 2022:09:14 19:15:50+02:00
FileInodeChangeDate             : 2022:09:15 08:19:38+02:00
---- IFD0 ----
ModifyDate                      : 2000:06:11 18:51:27
---- ExifIFD ----
DateTimeOriginal                : 2000:06:11 18:51:27
CreateDate                      : 2000:06:11 18:51:27
======== ./Subfolder/000603 001 Beer.jpg
---- System ----
FileModifyDate                  : 2000:06:03 09:59:32+02:00
FileAccessDate                  : 2022:09:14 19:16:22+02:00
FileInodeChangeDate             : 2022:09:15 08:39:53+02:00
======== ./Subfolder/000611 001 Wine.jpg
---- System ----
FileModifyDate                  : 2022:09:14 08:13:27+02:00
FileAccessDate                  : 2022:09:14 19:16:22+02:00
FileInodeChangeDate             : 2022:09:15 08:19:00+02:00
---- IFD0 ----
ModifyDate                      : 2000:06:11 18:50:41
---- ExifIFD ----
DateTimeOriginal                : 2000:06:11 18:50:41
CreateDate                      : 2000:06:11 18:50:41
SubSecTimeOriginal              : 00
SubSecTimeDigitized             : 00
---- XMP-xmp ----
CreateDate                      : 2000:06:11 18:50:41
---- Composite ----
SubSecCreateDate                : 2000:06:11 18:50:41.00
SubSecDateTimeOriginal          : 2000:06:11 18:50:41.00
======== ./Subfolder/000611 002 Wine.jpg
---- System ----
FileModifyDate                  : 2000:06:11 19:50:56+02:00
FileAccessDate                  : 2022:09:14 19:16:22+02:00
FileInodeChangeDate             : 2022:09:15 08:19:08+02:00
---- IFD0 ----
ModifyDate                      : 2000:06:11 18:50:58
---- ExifIFD ----
DateTimeOriginal                : 2000:06:11 18:50:58
CreateDate                      : 2000:06:11 18:50:58
    2 directories scanned
    5 image files read


After modification the seconds of the Beer-files are increased. It counts the Wine-files also but that is no problem for me:
======== ./000603 000 Beer.jpg
---- System ----
FileModifyDate                  : 2022:09:15 08:40:26+02:00
FileAccessDate                  : 2022:09:15 08:40:31+02:00
FileInodeChangeDate             : 2022:09:15 08:40:26+02:00
---- ExifIFD ----
DateTimeOriginal                : 2000:06:03 12:00:01
======== ./000611 003 Wine.jpg
---- System ----
FileModifyDate                  : 2000:06:11 19:51:26+02:00
FileAccessDate                  : 2022:09:14 19:15:50+02:00
FileInodeChangeDate             : 2022:09:15 08:19:38+02:00
---- IFD0 ----
ModifyDate                      : 2000:06:11 18:51:27
---- ExifIFD ----
DateTimeOriginal                : 2000:06:11 18:51:27
CreateDate                      : 2000:06:11 18:51:27
======== ./Subfolder/000603 001 Beer.jpg
---- System ----
FileModifyDate                  : 2022:09:15 08:40:27+02:00
FileAccessDate                  : 2022:09:15 08:40:27+02:00
FileInodeChangeDate             : 2022:09:15 08:40:27+02:00
---- ExifIFD ----
DateTimeOriginal                : 2000:06:03 12:00:04
======== ./Subfolder/000611 001 Wine.jpg
---- System ----
FileModifyDate                  : 2022:09:14 08:13:27+02:00
FileAccessDate                  : 2022:09:14 19:16:22+02:00
FileInodeChangeDate             : 2022:09:15 08:19:00+02:00
---- IFD0 ----
ModifyDate                      : 2000:06:11 18:50:41
---- ExifIFD ----
DateTimeOriginal                : 2000:06:11 18:50:41
CreateDate                      : 2000:06:11 18:50:41
SubSecTimeOriginal              : 00
SubSecTimeDigitized             : 00
---- XMP-xmp ----
CreateDate                      : 2000:06:11 18:50:41
---- Composite ----
SubSecCreateDate                : 2000:06:11 18:50:41.00
SubSecDateTimeOriginal          : 2000:06:11 18:50:41.00
======== ./Subfolder/000611 002 Wine.jpg
---- System ----
FileModifyDate                  : 2000:06:11 19:50:56+02:00
FileAccessDate                  : 2022:09:14 19:16:22+02:00
FileInodeChangeDate             : 2022:09:15 08:19:08+02:00
---- IFD0 ----
ModifyDate                      : 2000:06:11 18:50:58
---- ExifIFD ----
DateTimeOriginal                : 2000:06:11 18:50:58
CreateDate                      : 2000:06:11 18:50:58
    2 directories scanned
    5 image files read


Thanks a lot for your support and have a nice day!

[Bernie]

hmmm. Doesn't work like I expected.
When there are more than 60 pictures to edit I get an error because numbers higher than 60 can't be entered as seconds.
I have to think about something else which increases minutes and seconds...

[StarGeek]

You have to use a two step procedure.  One command to set the base time, then another command to shift by seconds.

See this post.