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Aperture 3 - Date & Time Change Question

fridgeymonster3

fridgeymonster3

macrumors 6502
Original poster
Jan 28, 2008
493
14
Philadelphia
I'm struggling with the Date & Time Change function of Aperture 3. I select the photos I want to change the date on, go to Metadata -> Adjust Date & Time and then I select the date I want. Now, when I look at each photo, the EXIF date and time match what I chose. However, when I go to view all of my projects (Library -> Projects & sort by Calendar date), the damn project shows up under the old, wrong date and year!! Does editing the EXIF data of all the photos in a project still not change the project date and effect how Aperture 3 sorts them in your Library. IF anyone could help me rectify this that would be greatly appreciated. Thanks!

****Specific Situation (continue to reading if interested)****

I have a project with 10 photos that are dated 8-3-2003. That is incorrect, so I changed the date and time on all of them to show 5-15-2002 at 8:30 PM. However, the project still shows up under "2003" in the Library -> Project section. I want this project to be under 2002, since that is when the photos are from, not 2003. HELP!! :mad:
 
Date and time support is messed up throughout Aperture. There are no daylight savings time time zones, for example. I change the time on a GPS track, and it the change doesn't stick. I wouldn't be surprised if the problem you're seeing is related.
 
So, I'm assuming people don't really know a fix for my problem? How about other software you use to change the metadata date on a picture file (Tiff or JPEG). Anyone use Photoshop or Bridge to change the date? Other software? General suggestions?
 
Possible Workaround for Date Time Change

I looked up the forum and had the same problem, found no answer anywhere, but I think I have a work-around; It seems weird, but it works for me, so here goes: First, fix the dates of all the photos as you would have done with iPhoto. Then go to the entire event/project (in Aperture) right click and delete the project. Then go to the Aperture's trash bin find the project you just deleted, right/option click it and select "Put Back" for the project. Evidently during the "put back" process the date of the photos within it is reevaluated and tagged with the correct date/s.
 
Aperture Project Date changes sluggish

I had the same problem, but after changing the dates in the metadata for all the pictures, the Project date wouldn't change (year=2059!) until I quit out of Aperture. When I restarted Aperture, the Project date corrected to the year that was stamped in the metadata of the pictures, so it doesn't appear necessary to "trash" your project and then salvage it. But quitting and restarting isn't exactly elegant either. I hope they fix this bug.
 
change your time and date.

fridgeymonster3 said:
I'm struggling with the Date & Time Change function of Aperture 3. I select the photos I want to change the date on, go to Metadata -> Adjust Date & Time and then I select the date I want. Now, when I look at each photo, the EXIF date and time match what I chose. However, when I go to view all of my projects (Library -> Projects & sort by Calendar date), the damn project shows up under the old, wrong date and year!! Does editing the EXIF data of all the photos in a project still not change the project date and effect how Aperture 3 sorts them in your Library. IF anyone could help me rectify this that would be greatly appreciated. Thanks!

****Specific Situation (continue to reading if interested)****

I have a project with 10 photos that are dated 8-3-2003. That is incorrect, so I changed the date and time on all of them to show 5-15-2002 at 8:30 PM. However, the project still shows up under "2003" in the Library -> Project section. I want this project to be under 2002, since that is when the photos are from, not 2003. HELP!! :mad:
Click to expand...

Hi there. I had the same problem, everyone said I needed Aperture. (Costalot!) Just got my Mac, so trying to learn a lot. Whilst loading my jpeg fils from disc created by windows, I found they had become corrupted, dates were all out. Anyway, Just go to i photo and open you images. You will need to have set your mouse to right and left click in system preferences. Then, select only the images you wish to date or time change. If more than 1, select image, depress and hold command button and left click any further images you wish to change. Release cmd button, right click on any highlighted image, A dialogue box drops down, left click 'batch change' and set whatever time date you require. I have dated old family photos back to 1920 to get them into the correct date sequence. Best of luck. Dave.
 
I only have iphoto, not aperture. But I had the same problem.

A bunch of professional scans which I set the date for but when I share these with other people all the work was gone. Iphoto's dates didn't export.

My solution was graphic converter.

Put the photo files you want to set the date for in a folder.

1. Open graphic converter.
2. Under the File menu choose "browse folder"
3. Choose the folder you want to work with from the dialog.
4. The browser that launches looks a little archaic but that's Ok.
5. Select he photo or photos you want to set the date for in the center window.
6. Pull down the "other" menu in the brower window (not in the Finder menu). This is the 8th item from the left.

7. The menu that pulls down is long. About half way down is "Meta (EXIF, IPTC, ...)
A sub menu pops out to the side. Choose "Set EXIF DATE" which is close to the top. Then enter the date and time you want.

Now I'm not sure but I believe the Format menu should reflect the file type you want. In other words, if you have TIFF files and leave it set at jpeg, it may convert them. I have to go back and check some of my previous work. Anyway I might be wrong on that. Have to test it and check.

I also haven't tried batch processes in the browser yet. I've used batch process in GC outside of browser to convert many photos of one format to another format. Also you can make movies out of a large number of photos and I've done this.

This worked for me. After doing this, when I import into iphoto, the picture has the date and time I set.

What I've been doing is going through iphoto from the earliest photos and exporting small sets of pictures to edit. I have iphoto open with the information I already entered for date so I can look at that. On reimport, i check and then delete the original in iphoto without the corrected meta data.

To keep track of things, I am using a key word "meta date" on all pictures I fix or that have correct dates due to modern cameras. That way I don't duplicate my work.

I found this thread because I thought Aperture might let me do this from within. But it looks like I should stick to my solution and save the money.

You can get graphic converter here:
http://www.lemkesoft.com/content/188/graphicconverter.html

It's worth buying. I used to use the trial version. You have to wait on start up for a timer. But I found I got so much use out of it that I felt I should buy it out right. It is not very expensive.
 
Has anyone who has used Aperture to change metadata dates successfully, shared photos with others afterwards?

I mean have you changed the date in Aperture, exported or shared in some manner with someone else? I'm curious if on import to iphoto, aperture or some other software, whether the changed date actually stuck.

In iphoto when I started out, I changed dates and as I said, the original metadata remained. It turned out the date change I made was in iphoto's database. I'm curious as to whether Aperture is actually doing the same thing or if it is really changing the metadata date.
 
rapidray said:
I looked up the forum and had the same problem, found no answer anywhere, but I think I have a work-around; It seems weird, but it works for me, so here goes: First, fix the dates of all the photos as you would have done with iPhoto. Then go to the entire event/project (in Aperture) right click and delete the project. Then go to the Aperture's trash bin find the project you just deleted, right/option click it and select "Put Back" for the project. Evidently during the "put back" process the date of the photos within it is reevaluated and tagged with the correct date/s.
Click to expand...

Don't know why no-one's commented on this response, but this worked perfectly for me. Caution though that you do not attempt to accidentally empty trash in the process.
 
I just imported folders directly from the Masters directories of iPhoto, year by year. Many pictures still have the correct date, however many have apparently random date changes, with only the time still OK.

Now I could go through all my iPhoto images and check the dates and fix them in Aperture, but this would be a LOT of work (close to 100,000 photos).

Isn't there a simpler way to make Aperture NOT screw up all the dates on photos? Come on Apple!?!
 
I downloaded the Aperture trial version to give it a go. I thought it might be easier than using graphic converter to handle the metadata. But for dates, it is a pain. I imported a photo and successfully changed the date in the meta data. But on the second attempt to modify the same photo I was given an error that the master could not be modified in that manner.

I think its better to just modify meta data outside of iphoto or aperture and then import the files.

If you already imported them, export a few files at a time and fix the meta data and then reimport. You will have to retag faces and location data (in iphoto anyway - perhaps not aperture). But you have the first version still from prior to export to compare and make sure you've recovered all that. Then delete the version with the wrong meta data.

I don't understand why Apple doesn't add meta data editing in a way that works and is easy to use.
 
Thanks but hmmm, why would I change metadata before importing into Aperture if the metadata before importing are correct? What do you change them to?

ten-oak-druid said:
I downloaded the Aperture trial version to give it a go. I thought it might be easier than using graphic converter to handle the metadata. But for dates, it is a pain. I imported a photo and successfully changed the date in the meta data. But on the second attempt to modify the same photo I was given an error that the master could not be modified in that manner.

I think its better to just modify meta data outside of iphoto or aperture and then import the files.

If you already imported them, export a few files at a time and fix the meta data and then reimport. You will have to retag faces and location data (in iphoto anyway - perhaps not aperture). But you have the first version still from prior to export to compare and make sure you've recovered all that. Then delete the version with the wrong meta data.

I don't understand why Apple doesn't add meta data editing in a way that works and is easy to use.
Click to expand...
 
What about reversing the order of photos by timestamp

Just stumbled across this thread.

Has anyone worked out how to batch change the times of a group of photos in Aperture so I can reverse their time order.

(I'm working with scanned rolls of film. The roll was shot and scanned in reverse order).

In iPhoto you can simply add -1 minute between each shot on batch change but there is no similar feature I can find in Aperture...

Any ideas?
 
I'll comment. It worked! Only problem is my project date is New Year's Eve, so the event spans 2010-2011. That would be ok, except Aperture put that project below the 1st event of 2010. Aperture is supposed to sort newest at the top, so I'm not sure why Aperture thinks 2010-2011 events are older than every event in 2010.

applephysci said:
Don't know why no-one's commented on this response, but this worked perfectly for me. Caution though that you do not attempt to accidentally empty trash in the process.
Click to expand...

rapidray said:
I looked up the forum and had the same problem, found no answer anywhere, but I think I have a work-around; It seems weird, but it works for me, so here goes: First, fix the dates of all the photos as you would have done with iPhoto. Then go to the entire event/project (in Aperture) right click and delete the project. Then go to the Aperture's trash bin find the project you just deleted, right/option click it and select "Put Back" for the project. Evidently during the "put back" process the date of the photos within it is reevaluated and tagged with the correct date/s.
Click to expand...
 
"Preview" Also Has Image/Date/Resolution Problems

This is not going to help you with Aperture except to let you know Apple has other programs with similar problems. When I save images with Preview I get date created: "December 31, 1903 4PM". Who here was around in 1903?

And if that isn't problem enough, Preview automatically downsized original high-res jpgs with a "save" or "save as" and I am losing original high-res jpgs.
Major problem.

Only posting to alert others to use Apple imaging software with care and hope that Apple will fix soon.
 
Watch out for jpg downsizing with Preview

The "create" date of 1903 problem got resolved with an update from X.6.4 to X.6.6, which updated Preview to Preview 5.0.3.

However, Preview still automatically downsizes jpgs by 20% every time one uses it through a hidden default quality menu that doesn't allow the user to change the default.

To keep original jpg file size one must use "save as", and move the slider bar to 10 each time one uses Preview to handle a jpg. Otherwise--Preview automatically downsizes jpg quality by 20% each time Preview handles it.

Big problem, Apple.
 
solution 4 aperture

THE SOLUTION
1-select your photos in the project
2-metadata (from the toolbar)/adjust date-time(drop-down menu)
3-do your thing
4-then select photos again
5-metadata again / and click "write iptc metadata to master.
there will be a popup where you verify the action and....
voila
:)
 
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Reactions: munpip214
oblivius.com said:
THE SOLUTION
1-select your photos in the project
2-metadata (from the toolbar)/adjust date-time(drop-down menu)
3-do your thing
4-then select photos again
5-metadata again / and click "write iptc metadata to master.
there will be a popup where you verify the action and....
voila
:)
Click to expand...


I had the same problem as described in this thread, but this solution didn't work for me. What DID work, was the suggestion to delete the project, then go to trash and "put back". Bingo!
 
The only (easy) solution ...

Hello everybody !

First post... and i hope, a good one !

The easiest solution with this problem is :

1- correct date and time of your photo's inside the project (think about checking the option "change original files")

2- close aperture

3- re-launch aperture with "cmd" + "alt" keys pressed down ... the select the second option (by default) which is (if my french to english translation is right) "repair the database".

It may take some time if the library is huge.

The project will now be displayed in the correct year.
 
Sending stuff to the trash and then retrieving it solves many problems, ones that I have forgotten as there are so many and they all blend together over time.

Look at all these work-arounds. Nerdy stuff that people have spent days figuring out. Unacceptable.
 
I am just reading this thread and I am running into an issue myself. Basically I have a bunch of photos that I am trying to put into Aperture. I am using another program that only runs in Windows that will allow me to edit all meta data but what I am doing is copying from my OS X partition to Windows, editing, and back to OS X. When doing so, it looks like it creates a new Created and Modified date for the actual file in OS X when I look at the Get Info on the actual file. It looks like Aperture is reading the date for Projects from this date, being the Date Created in the IPTC Core and in General under Date. However, if I take a look at the full meta data in Windows, it shows this date as the file date, but it shows DateTime, DateTimeOrignal, DateTimeDigitized. Any ideas on what I am doing wrong here? Or more as in how to correct this original file date seen in OS X (and Windows)>
 
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