Date-Time List

This function block provides the current date and time as separate textual values. It is useful for timestamping images, videos, logs, or for driving time-based logic in your scenario.

📥 Inputs

This function block does not have any inputs.

📤 Outputs

Year — Current year as text (e.g., 2026) Month — Current month as text with leading zero (e.g., 01..12) Day — Current day of month as text with leading zero (e.g., 01..31) Hour — Current hour in 24h format as text (e.g., 00..23) Minute — Current minute as text (e.g., 00..59) Second — Current second as text (e.g., 00..59) Milliseconds — Current microseconds/milliseconds as text (high-resolution sub-second value)

All outputs are textual values, ready to be merged into filenames, overlays, or logged data.

🕹️ Controls

Current Date — Read-only label showing current date/time for quick preview See Live Time — Live text area showing the most recent timestamp (updates when the scenario runs)

These are display widgets to help you verify the current time visually while the scenario is running.

🎨 Features

• Real-time values: outputs are refreshed each run so you get up-to-date timestamps.

• Fine-grained sub-second value: useful when you need higher resolution time tags.

• Text outputs: easy to concatenate with other text blocks for filenames or overlays.

• No configuration required: drop the block into the flow and use the outputs.

⚙️ Running mechanism

Each time the scenario runs this block, it reads the system clock and updates the displayed labels and the textual outputs listed above. Those outputs can then be consumed by other blocks to record timestamps, label images, or make time-based decisions.

📝 Usage Instructions

1. Place the block in your workflow. No inputs are required.

2. Connect any output you need (for example, use Year, Month, Day together to build a date string).

3. Use other blocks to format or save the timestamped data (see Tips and Tricks for common combinations).

💡 Tips and Tricks

• To write the current date/time onto an image for visual records, combine this block with the Write Date On Image or Write Text On Image block.

• To save images with timestamped filenames, merge the date/time outputs into a filename string (use String Merge) and feed that into Image Logger or Image Write.

• To timestamp video recordings, send the textual outputs into the Record Video File Name input so each recording is named with the start time.

• To create timestamped logs (CSV or JSON), combine the outputs with Data to JSON or CSV Export.

• To trigger actions at specific times, use Datetime Compare together with logic blocks (for example, Rising Edge or Logic Input) to form simple time checks and triggers.

• For quick visual verification while developing, preview images with Show Image after overlaying the time using Write Text On Image.

🛠️ Troubleshooting

• If timestamps appear incorrect, verify your computer’s system clock and timezone settings.

• If you need a different format (for example, without leading zeros or using 12-hour clock), use String Operations or String Merge blocks to reformat the textual outputs before use.