how can i change date and time after importing a file

You can't change creation/modification dates in FCP.

Jemajoro wrote:

Why not?

iMovie does it next update FCP?

it would be nice to have the imported movies in the right year of shooting instead of importing on computer.......

Yes, hopefully in an update.

For now, open a terminal window and use the touch command to change the date and time of the files, before importing and they will show up in FCPX with the correct date.

Hint: in terminal type "man touch" and hit enter to see how to use it, if you don't already know that is.

No good complaining here. Go to feedback to put in a feature request.

I need to import over 1000 files as I am converting from Sony PMB on windows to FCP. The files are from 2007 to early 2010. I also want to keep the original date and not have them all say May 2012. The terminal mode suggestion for FCP and the right click on file suggestion for iMovie appear to be a file by file process so that won't work for 1000+ files. Is there any script or program available that will look at the file and put the correct date on the file so that FCP would understand it? The data is in the file name (and perhaps it is in the file itself).

File name example;
20071202182127.m2ts

2007 Dec 2 6:21.27PM

You can change dates in the current version of the application. Modify>Adjust Content Created Date and Time. All the selected clips will change relative to the entered date and time.

Tom, thanks for the info. I was using an older version 10.0.1 so your input drove me to upgrade.

This half worked. I changed several clips from 5/22/2012 to 5/8/2007. I know the date changed because I see the new date in the event. However, it still shows up in the 2012 folder instead of creating a 2007 folder and putting it in there. Any ideas?

I don't understand what you mean by folder. Are you making smart collections?

Sorry. Since I am new to FCP I might be using the wrong terminology.

See below screen shot. Note the event that is in blue (2007 August, and shows the May 20, 2012 date under it)

For the event library, I choose "Group events by date" and then "Group events by year and month".

It then shows a yellow calendar icon and 2009, 2010, 2011 and 2012. If you open those "folders", it shows the months under each year.

So for my file that I imported from another computer, even though I changed the date (see some of the files on the right as they show the new dates in Aug 2007), it keeps it in the May 2012 folder.

Does that help clarify?

Do you have anything in the event from 2012 or just the clips converted to 2007? If all the clips are from 2007, that's where the event should. At least that's what I'm getting.

Yes I do have clips from 2012. Everything in 2012, except the 2007 August folder, are actual clips from 2012.

What seems odd to me is that the files are labeled correctly on the right but then on the left, it still shows teh May 20, 2012 date under the event title. For example, file 20070828183729, shows up as Aug 28, 2007 (after I changed the date) but it is still in the 2007 August folder which FCP is saying is still May 20 2012.

The event library does not sort clips by dates. It sorts the events based on the content of the event. If the newest clip in an event is from 2012 the event will be categorized as 2012. If an event only holds clips from 2007 or earlier, the event will be categorized as 2007.

OK, I think I understand what you are saying but it still does not look like it is doing it as you describe.

Here is another screen shot.

Note that all clips in "2007 August" event have the date of Aug x, 2007.

Yet, the event "2007 August" still shows up under the 2012 "folder" (is that the right terminology?).

The newest clip in this event is Aug 31, 2007 so shouldn't it be categorized as 2007 and not 2012?

I think you know this but I am using the following feature:

Go to the sprocket icon under the events.

Select "Group events by date" and then by "group events by year and month"

Thanks again for all the help

Can't make it do what you see, but it's clearly not working as it should.