where does renamer get its DATE

[rgdudley]

I have been trying to rename a bunch of files that had the date set on the date they were imported rather than the date taken.  I want to use renamer to reset the file names (now IMGxxxx) to one that incorporated the date taken.  

I have tried using timewiz to reset the dates first, but it tells me the dates are already set at date taken. 

So which date does renamer use to write into the YYYYMMDD format, and how can I change that date in TimeWiz?

[thrinn]

Mario answered this question in this post: File Renamer - Source of Date and Time Information in the Processing Instruction

Note that you can always use a "Text and Variables" step instead of the predefined "Date in xxx format" steps where you can freely choose any available date, using the right variable. For example, a "Text and Variables" step with

Code Select Expand

{File.DateTime.Local|format:YYYYMMDD}will produce the same name as the corresponding predefined Date step.

[Mario]

See also How IMatch uses Date and Time Information for the sources IMatch uses for the global File.DateTime, what UTC, Original and Local means ans when you want to use what.

Dealing with date, time and time-zone offsets is, unfortunately, quite difficult. I've got some gray hairs from all that

Usually. File.DateTime (what is also used in File Windows, Renamer, the DateTime variable etc. is what you want). This is also what IMatch displays in the Metadata Panel.

If this is not the date you want, we would need more information.