how do i rename photos in an Xp file

gusgus Registered Users Posts: 16,209 Major grins
edited August 26, 2005 in Finishing School
I have 4 files of photos that i want to copy into one but as i copy & paste...i get the old "this photo already exists..do you wish to rename"

...for example there are 4 files with 100 photos in each & each file has the 100 shots listed as 1-100

Without having to go over the few hundred photos in the other 3 files...can i rename them in bulk ? Any button that lets me do "files from 1-100 rename 101-201" I searched & searched & googled to no avail

Ta
Gus

Comments

  • RichardRichard Administrators, Vanilla Admin Posts: 19,962 moderator
    edited August 11, 2005
    Humungus wrote:
    I have 4 files of photos that i want to copy into one but as i copy & paste...i get the old "this photo already exists..do you wish to rename"

    ...for example there are 4 files with 100 photos in each & each file has the 100 shots listed as 1-100

    Without having to go over the few hundred photos in the other 3 files...can i rename them in bulk ? Any button that lets me do "files from 1-100 rename 101-201" I searched & searched & googled to no avail

    Ta
    Gus
    Gus,

    Have you tried the Photoshop File Browser-->Batch Rename function? I think it can do just what you want. Make sure you check the Move to New Folder option. You have a great deal of flexibility in what you call the new copy of the files. What is not obvious--in PS 7--is that in addition to all the options in the dropdown box you can also just type anything you want there and it will become a part of the name. The only downside is that (at least on my machine) it seems to take an awfully long time to complete the renaming. Still, it's much faster than by hand.

    Cheers.
  • gusgus Registered Users Posts: 16,209 Major grins
    edited August 11, 2005
    Thats an idea Richard...i did not think of that.

    Gus
  • RichardRichard Administrators, Vanilla Admin Posts: 19,962 moderator
    edited August 11, 2005
    Humungus wrote:
    I have 4 files of photos that i want to copy into one but as i copy & paste...i get the old "this photo already exists..do you wish to rename"

    ...for example there are 4 files with 100 photos in each & each file has the 100 shots listed as 1-100

    Without having to go over the few hundred photos in the other 3 files...can i rename them in bulk ? Any button that lets me do "files from 1-100 rename 101-201" I searched & searched & googled to no avail

    Ta
    Gus
    Me again. I just realized that this forum is called Beyond Photoshop, so perhaps my advice was irrelevant. Sorry about that.

    It might be possible to write an MS-DOS command that will accomplish what you want, but it has been so many years since I have used DOS that I can't remember whether it is possible. Perhaps someone else will jump in with the solution.
  • gusgus Registered Users Posts: 16,209 Major grins
    edited August 11, 2005
    rsinmadrid wrote:
    Me again. I just realized that this forum is called Beyond Photoshop, so perhaps my advice was irrelevant. Sorry about that.

    It might be possible to write an MS-DOS command that will accomplish what you want, but it has been so many years since I have used DOS that I can't remember whether it is possible. Perhaps someone else will jump in with the solution.
    Dont worry about the forum name mate...no one is up & we will have done it before andy wakes from his curry/cherry ripe induced slumber.

    Im sort of doing it the way you said...it looks like a mad womans custard at the moment but still it shoud work.

    You should see my computer overall...its got stuff absoluetly everywhere named the most stupid names & is so mixed up that guswife just shakes her head at it & walks away. At least i know where everything is.
  • gusgus Registered Users Posts: 16,209 Major grins
    edited August 11, 2005
    That was close...i didnt know that you couldnt take the .jpg away from the photo...they all disappeared on me until i went back & added it to them all.umph.gif
  • RichardRichard Administrators, Vanilla Admin Posts: 19,962 moderator
    edited August 11, 2005
    Humungus wrote:
    That was close...i didnt know that you couldnt take the .jpg away from the photo...they all disappeared on me until i went back & added it to them all.umph.gif
    I hate it when that happens. :D

    You can avoid that in the future by making sure that the new name you specify has Extension selected in the last drop down box you use. To solve the problem you originally posted I would use the following new name:

    1 (change this number for each folder) +
    Document Name +
    Extension

    If you prefer lower case, use extension instead of Extension.

    FWIW, I rename all of my files to

    yymmdd (date) +
    _ [underscore] +
    4 Digit Serial Number +
    extension

    I realized early on that file management was going to become a huge problem. Unlike you, I cannot remember where I file anything, so I built a database application to keep track of all my pics. It works well, though if I ever lose it I am going to be utterly screwed as all my files have names like 050804_0123.jpg!

    Now if only I could learn how to shoot well...

    Cheers.
  • gusgus Registered Users Posts: 16,209 Major grins
    edited August 11, 2005
    Mate you should try my file methods eek7.gif

    big rock with a 3 legged lizard original
    big rock with a 3 legged lizard + good light 101
    big rock with a 3 legged lizard copy 101 with PS
    big rock with a 3 legged lizard copy (dont use this one)
    big rock with a 3 legged lizard (dont use as cloud came over) ..
    big rock with a 3 legged lizard & bug store in favorites
    big rock with a 3 legged lizard with 10-22
    big rock with a 3 legged lizard with 135mm store in car files
    big rock with a 3 legged lizard could be in car & last bush walk shots next to moon favorites
    big rock with a 3 legged lizard in an email to someone somewhere ..maybe look back 2 months ago
    big rock with a 3 legged lizard dumped in trash bin (** dont empty trash till you get it out !)
  • RichardRichard Administrators, Vanilla Admin Posts: 19,962 moderator
    edited August 11, 2005
    Humungus wrote:
    Mate you should try my file methods eek7.gif

    big rock with a 3 legged lizard original
    big rock with a 3 legged lizard + good light 101
    big rock with a 3 legged lizard copy 101 with PS
    big rock with a 3 legged lizard copy (dont use this one)
    big rock with a 3 legged lizard (dont use as cloud came over) ..
    big rock with a 3 legged lizard & bug store in favorites
    big rock with a 3 legged lizard with 10-22
    big rock with a 3 legged lizard with 135mm store in car files
    big rock with a 3 legged lizard could be in car & last bush walk shots next to moon favorites
    big rock with a 3 legged lizard in an email to someone somewhere ..maybe look back 2 months ago
    big rock with a 3 legged lizard dumped in trash bin (** dont empty trash till you get it out !)
    rolleyes1.gifroflrolleyes1.gif

    Hey, whatever works for you is fine.
  • patch29patch29 Registered Users, Retired Mod Posts: 2,928 Major grins
    edited August 11, 2005
    I use Adobe Bridge now to do a lot of my renaming. I also use A Better Finder Rename on the Mac to rename without using Adobe. It has more options for renaming. I am sure a search on Version Tracker will find a lot of renaming options for XP.
  • gusgus Registered Users Posts: 16,209 Major grins
    edited August 11, 2005
    Im using adabe bridge also patch ..thanks to Richards advice. I have no idea what the controls do but im stumbling through it ok.
  • patch29patch29 Registered Users, Retired Mod Posts: 2,928 Major grins
    edited August 11, 2005
    Humungus wrote:
    Im using adabe bridge also patch ..thanks to Richards advice. I have no idea what the controls do but im stumbling through it ok.

    Excellent, Bridge should easily do just about anything you need.

    First sort the images the way you want them in Bridge, from the view menu, you can also sort them manually by dragging them into position. I typically sort by Date Created (actually I use EXIF renamer to do that, but it just complicates my life), the manual sort is nice when you are sorting two cameras and the time has drifted on the two cameras. My two were about 90 seconds apart this weekend and I could just manually rearrange the few that were out of place. Then after I pick my keepers, I select all, tools>batch rename and select my new parameters, since they are going to the web or for client contact sheets I will rename to in sequence with the extension, padded to three digits.

    I will rename in the same folder, but I have copies on another HD and DVD if I have problems or do something wrong (only selecting part of what I want to rename). I also do not save the original filename to XMP data, since I have it in my archived filename. Try out a few setting to see what works for you. I use a semi-complex system, but it makes finding files in my archives very easy.

    Here is a typical job.

    Come home, burn everything to DVD and HD before doing anything.
    Verify disks are good by copying files back to HD and run action on them.
    Rename Files to capture date 080506_011525_UH8C4056.CR2
    I use both date and time, with the original filename (if I have to go to DVD they only have the original filename, I could create the date, but it would be more trouble).
    By using the date I can use the computers search feature to locate a job or file quickly and the computer will keep it in chronological order, integrating two cameras (the main reason to do this).
    Then I edit in Bridge, usually with start (pref set to only use # key)
    Then use Bridge renamer to add sequence to the front of my number, now the files look like this 205_080506_011525_UH8C4056.CR2
    I do this set in Bridge, because it will also update the filename for the XMP date which stores my editing info, etc.
    Then I color correct, creating my jpgs.
    The jpg folder gets renamed to just the three digit sequence, 205.jpg, by having the same sequence and original filename on my raw files it makes locating files later very easy and fast for me.
    Then archive those, create a web gallery, contact sheets or whatever I need.
    I also copy the XMP files to a folder or disk so I save the original corrections in case I go back to reprocess files for highlights, shadows, etc.


    I work with three programs to rename, each seems to do something better for me.
    EXIF renamer, tons of options using EXIF data for naming
    Bridge, powerful, but most important also renames XMP files.
    A Better Finder Rename, fast and powerful, allows me to work the folders directly (where Bridge needs to access the files to open them in the Bridge window, slow the process a little).

    How is that for file renaming? Information overload? :D
  • arthillarthill Registered Users Posts: 62 Big grins
    edited August 26, 2005
    Humungus wrote:
    I have 4 files of photos that i want to copy into one but as i copy & paste...i get the old "this photo already exists..do you wish to rename"

    ...for example there are 4 files with 100 photos in each & each file has the 100 shots listed as 1-100

    Without having to go over the few hundred photos in the other 3 files...can i rename them in bulk ? Any button that lets me do "files from 1-100 rename 101-201" I searched & searched & googled to no avail

    Ta
    Gus
    Here's a real simple trick. In Windows Explorer highlight the files you want to rename. Right click on the first one and choose Rename. Type in something such as Hawaii.jpg
    All of the file after that will be renamed to Hawaii(1),jpg Hawaii(2).jpg and so on.
    In theory, there is no difference between theory and practice. In practice, however, there is.
    In order to understand recursion, you first have to understand recursion.
    Art Hill
  • DavidTODavidTO Registered Users, Retired Mod Posts: 19,160 Major grins
    edited August 26, 2005
    patch29 wrote:
    I also use A Better Finder Rename .

    Fantastic app.
    Moderator Emeritus
    Dgrin FAQ | Me | Workshops
Sign In or Register to comment.