Sort by date and date taken both wrong order

[Ramouz]

I've noticed this issue from the beginning when I first started using DOpus a few months ago.

Both Sort by date (edit: this actually means sort by date modified but for some reason, it just says date, not good!) and Sort by date taken simply don't work on my end.
I don't think I edited anything in them, just using them as they are, from what I know.

I took pictures with my phone, synced to computer (in OneDrive). I go to view them and they're mixed up in Sort by date taken. Some are together, others are not. Pictures I took last night are showing elsewhere in the folder, mixed with other dates, yet they should be at the top or bottom (asc/desc orders). I changed to the other sort by date and same issue but they're in another order.

I've been noticing this for a while, including with items in my desktop. It's a very frustrating issue because I work on my computer and need things in order. My point is that I've been using Windows Explorer default all my life and it always sorted correctly.

Meaning, I tested that image folder and other folders in Windows Explorer and they all sort correctly by date. My newest pictures are at the bottom (or top) and in order of date and time taken.

Why is Directory Opus not respecting date/time taken or simply date?

I literally saw pics taken consecutively using same date time (well a few seconds apart) mixed in with OTHER dates! This happens all the time in DOpus. They should all be together like in Windows Explorer.

Example, I took 6 pictures yesterday day time. I took 4 at night, all within a few seconds of the previous one. I took many pics throughout the last weeks. I go to view them in DOpus, and the ones of yesterday are mixed with others, or they're somewhere else in the list and the ones of last few weeks are the ones showing at the top or bottom of the list rather than those of yesterday.

Sometimes it is fine, by the way, which perplexes me.

Did I somehow misconfigure this?

[Leo]

Please show some screenshots of the problem.

[Ramouz]

I just want to give an update that yes this is still an issue from what I can see. I figure the way DOpus sorts is different from Windows Explorer and it bothers me since they're not in date order, not all anyways. I think it grabs a date from somewhere else for both date taken and date modified. I haven't been able to take a screenshot yet due to the pictures being personal, and I am short on time to edit and blur our details.

Basically this happens when I upload pics from my phone, or in other situations. I am surprised no one has experienced this yet due to how obvious it is.

I hope to have time to take a screenshot.

[MegMac]

I'd be very interested in seeing a screenshot!

I never use the 'Date' column, but I do use the 'Date Taken' column daily, and never have a problem with the sorting.

[Ramouz]

Here are some examples. Note that all of those are sorted correctly in Windows Explorer > Sort by Date.

Notice file time and date (both), taken from my phone and uploaded to OneDrive.

Sorted by Modified (1):

Sorted by Modified (2):

Sorted by Modified (3):

The below are an extra sort problem that I noticed. In Date Taken mode, it shows that videos are from older to newer, and are all at the top (that’s probably a setting in DOpus, hopefully can be disabled), yet images are sorted from newer to older. Why is that? Shouldn’t they both be newer to older or older to newer?

Videos:

Images:

[Leo]

Those screenshots aren't showing us the files' date fields, and we can't see which column is being sorted by or in which direction the sort is set to.

A screenshot of the whole window, and in Details mode rather than Thumbnails, would be best.

[Ramouz]

Oh, didn’t think about the Details view, thanks. That’s better.

I see now, in Details view, the following:

1. Videos don’t get any Date Taken dates in any software.
2. I see that Date Modified is basically the date I imported them all into OneDrive from my phone so that won’t help. Date Taken will be used then.
3. What is the equivalent of the Windows Explorer “Date” in Directory Opus? It’s not Date Taken from what I see. Windows Explorer’s Date is the best one from what I can see, especially since videos are sorted correctly among the images and not at the top/bottom, but I need it in DOpus.

[lxp]

@Ramouz

What is the equivalent of the Windows Explorer “Date” in Directory Opus?

There is none. Use it directly: sh:System.ItemDate in Preferences / File Display Columns / Shell Properties.

[Leo]

Yes, any File Explorer column can be added to Opus using that Preferences page, so if you want Explorer's date column you should be able to add it there.

[Ramouz]

Thank you so much for this. I’ll try it. But, this is another basic feature that should be included .

It reminds me of Vivaldi browser. Great browser, but they removed basic features that all browsers have and added many others, while lots of us are complaining about them.

[Jon]

Opus has lots of different date columns built in. We don't know what the Explorer Date column you're referring to actually does, because we didn't write Explorer.

[lxp]

@Ramouz

this is another basic feature that should be included .

No, it's not a basic feature. It's the flavor of the day - whatever FE deems best for a particular file. It's like a box of Belgian chocolates: always sweet, but you never know what you're going to get.

[MegMac]

I recommend you ignore the field ‘Date’ in File Explorer.
In File Explorer, Media Created is the most reliable date field for MOV and MP4 files.

[PassThePeas]

@Ramouz

But, this is another basic feature that should be included

It is included: the way to get it has been described above.

[Ramouz]

@MegMac - Thanks, but I am looking for a general sort for all media files, not just videos. But, I will look into the one you mentioned for Movies. Note for others who are new to this like me, this isn’t set up by default but is another Shell one. See below.

@PassThePeas - I had no idea. What @lxp said, I thought he meant that I’d have to add that manually as a script. I didn’t know Date existed but isn’t set up to be a default choice until we select it. I didn’t know about Shell. I’m quite new to this. Would have been best to have it as part of the default sort since us who come to DOpus were previously using Windows Explorer.

For future folks looking for help with this, here’s how we add Date (or media created) from Windows Explorer (thus solving this post and ensures that videos are sorted between images and not at the top) - thanks to @lxp:

• Go to Settings > Preferences > File Display Columns > Shell Properties.
• Search for System.ItemDate and not sh:System.ItemDate or you won’t find it. For Media created, look for System.Media.DateEncoded
• In Preferences, go to Folder Formats. We’ll now add it as a default column.
• Edit the ones you want, such as Images, Videos, etc.
• You’ll find Date (and Media created) under “Shell”. Double click it to add it to the Displayed fields and drag it to your preferred position.
• Optional: Need it to be the default sort? Add a checkmark in the Sort column there.
• Optional: To sort images from newest to oldest (i.e., sort Date by descending order), in the edited Folder Formats, such as Images, go to the Sorting tab, and tick the box for Reverse overall sort order.

Side notes:

Lots of comments here ever since I mentioned it should be a basic feature.

It seems I trigger people when I mention a basic feature of Explorer should be in DOpus. Second time it happens. Relax.. It’s just software. I was looking for help with this as the dates were off on my end and the default sort buttons aren’t enough (which is what we get when we install DOpus as new users). I wouldn’t be here if I didn’t need help.

Since I saw that Date is accurate in Explorer and not in DOpus, then for sure I will be here requesting help and asking where it is. I do wish it was included by default in the sort options without having to add it in the Shell area and so on.

Thanks everyone who helped.

[MegMac]

Ramouz,

There is no date field that works for all media files–in any application!

[MegMac]

I recommend you ignore the ‘Date’ field. I just checked a few hundred photos in File explorer, and the ‘Date’ for all of them was the same as the Date Created.

The only truly reliable date field for photos is EXIF DateTimeOriginal. That column in DOpus is called Date/Time Original.

A photo can have a date taken but not have an EXIF DateTimeOriginal. I call that a ‘false’ Date Taken’.

The reliable date field for videos depends on the file extension.

[BuckyB]

@MegMac

The reliable date field for videos depends on the file extension.

And even then it might differ. It could be the start time of the video or the end time. And use timezones or not. But everything depends on the phase of the moon and, I think, on Tuesdays and Fridays.

[MegMac]

I understand your humour, but AVI, MTS, and MPG videos are never going to display a reliable date in the Media Created field. I use other Plugin fields for those extensions.

[BuckyB]

I was quite serious about there not being a failsafe way to get a correct video starting time by looking at any one tag. I was also serious about the start- and end-times and the timezones.