With the upcoming darktable 3.2, we will get the new introspection mode , which @dterrahe has been implemented. I am very very grateful for this work and happy that I have had a little minor role of being part of the testing team.
It think there is still a long way to go and patience is needed 
@jchnkl meanwhile has realeased dtlapse, which I still need to try, but looks very promising.
- Some of you may want to merely use FOSS, then dtlapse probably is the long awaited diamond
- those looking forward to the very mature LRTimelapse, dtlapse might be the tool, makes the required patience a bit easier to accept.