Date/Time tag for animation mp4 files

[jbionic]

Hi there,

I've tried to tag my animation mp4 files and found that the MGW:DateTimeOriginal tag I've been using for my other image files doesn't work for animation files.

The way the MGW:DateTimeOriginal tag is filled is by running the following batch
exiftool -wm cg  -Overwrite_Original  "-DateTimeOriginal<FileCreateDate" "Folder_Name"\*.*

- so effectively the system Date/Time are captured into the MGW:DateTimeOriginal.

I've noticed that the program I use for tagging (FastPhotoTagger) offers the EXIF:DateTimeOriginal tag.
However I don't know
1) how to change the above batch command in order to capture the system Date/Time into the EXIF:DateTimeOriginal tag
2) whether the EXIF:DateTimeOriginal tag is gonna work for animation mp4 file.

So far I've only learnt how to insert keywords into my animation files by using XMP-dc:Description available in FastPhotoTagger. As for dates/time the way to do the same seems more obscure
https://exiftool.org/TagNames/XMP.html#exif

Can anybody enlighten me on how to put Date/Time stamp into my animation mp4 files?

Thanks in advance.

[Phil Harvey]

For MP4 files you should be writing the CreateDate tag (QuickTime:CreateDate).

The MWG specification doesn't apply to video metadata.

- Phil

[jbionic]

For MP4 files you should be writing the CreateDate tag (QuickTime:CreateDate).

The MWG specification doesn't apply to video metadata.

- Phil

Thanks, Phil. I've been advised to apply the MWG keywords tag to see how it works with animation mp4 files, and the tag seems fine for capturing keywords.

However as fas as QuickTime:CreateDate tag is concerned, can anybody advise me on how to modify the original batch command (exiftool -wm cg  -Overwrite_Original  "-DateTimeOriginal<FileCreateDate" "Folder_Name"\*.*) in order to capture that particular QuickTime:CreateDate tag from system date/time?? I am afraid I am not so much familiar with exiftool's syntax operators yet in order to understand the subtleties of "-wg" and "cg" wording in the above command. 

PS. Btw apart from mp4 files I also have a few animation GIF files which also require a Date/Time tag to be present. Will it be the same tag as for mp4. or shall I use any other?

[Phil Harvey]

can anybody advise me on how to modify the original batch command (exiftool -wm cg  -Overwrite_Original  "-DateTimeOriginal<FileCreateDate" "Folder_Name"\*.*) in order to capture that particular QuickTime:CreateDate.

exiftool -wm cg -Overwrite_Original "-CreateDate<FileCreateDate" "Folder_Name"\*.*

Regarding GIF files, for those you should probably write XMP:DateCreated (or MWG:DateTimeOriginal -- this would also write the XMP:DateCreated tag).

- Phil

[jbionic]

Thanks, Phil.

I've tried both CreateDate and QuickTime:CreateDate in FastPhotoTagger (see below screenshot). But the result is that upon applying the above command you shared I always get returned the same 0 value in my newly created tag field "0000:00:00 00:00:00".

Is there any attribution to XMP/MWG/IPTC I shall add perhaps as prefix?

Regarding the animated GIF files, I've already tried applying the MWG:DateTimeOriginal tag and IT DOESN'T WORK. I attach the below animation I've recorded and shared via Google Photos as evidence to demonstrate that the MWG:DateTimeOriginal tag doesn't work for GIF
https://photos.app.goo.gl/bj3QSR3bzuueqrTo8

[Phil Harvey]

I can't help with FastPhotoTagger or Google Photos, so I think my job is done here.

- Phil

[jbionic]

Now just in case someone else is gonna come across the same issue, the correct batch command to use for MP4 would be
 exiftool  -Overwrite_Original "-CreateDate<FileCreateDate" "Folder_Name"\*.*

- so the "-wm cg" part must be omitted. This hint was shared with me by FastPhotoTagger's creator, and now after testing it I can confirm that my MP4 files have finally got tagged with the right (system) dates/times.

However the problem with system date-tagging of animated GIFs files still remains, no matter which batch command I apply.   

[wywh]

so the "-wm cg" part must be omitted

Or use "-wm w" (Write existing tags) so the existing "QuickTime:CreateDate" can be modified but no extra 'XMP-xmp:CreateDate' etc are created. I use that because I dislike generating extra duplicate date tags.

Or instead "-CreateDate" use shortcut "-AllDates" so also "QuickTime:ModifyDate" is modified.

Or add "-P" to preserve file modification date/time (on the Mac it seems to preserve also the file creation date).

- Matti

[StarGeek]

Or instead "-CreateDate" use shortcut "-AllDates" so also "QuickTime:ModifyDate" is modified.

You can also prepend a group to the AllDates shortcut to limit the scope, e.g. Quicktime:AllDates/XMP:AllDates

[jbionic]

Thanks. Yes, I can confirm that for GIF files the following command will work fine
exiftool -Overwrite_Original  "-DateCreated<FileCreateDate" *.*

- while the result of the above command will write the system date/time into the DateCreated tag, not the MWG: DateTimeOriginal tag. The latter one remains empty.

In other words, both MP4 and GIF require 2 different tags (CreateDate and DateCreated, respectively) to capture the system dates/time, so none of them will be the same as MWG: DateTimeOriginal tag.