Author Topic: Batch rename, lowest number to give unique name (Breezebrowser %u)  (Read 6952 times)

Offline UpsyCanon

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Hi, just purchased Photo Mechanic, using OS X 10.5.6.

My Canon 5D and 1DMarkII only records to nearest second.  I name according to: YYYYMMDD_HHMMSS

I ONLY want to add a unique number if there is a duplicate filename - this only happens if I shoot more than 1 frame per second.   Currently, I rename using these variables: {datesort}_{timesort}{sequence}

Breezebrowser (%u variable) only adds a number if there is a duplicate filename, otherwise leaves it alone. With Photo Mechanic, it appears it has to add a number regardless of whether the filename would be a duplicate and this sequence number keeps incrementing.

Example, if there is a duplicate, then file appends 1, 2, 3, ... as long as YYYYMMDD_HHMMSS will produce duplicates, but this counter resets back to 1 upon encountering NEXT identical filename. If no filename duplicates, then no extra sequence numbers:

20090427_011000
20090427_0123451
20090427_0123452
20090427_012346
20090427_012347
20090427_0123481
20090427_0123482
20090427_0123483
20090427_012350
20090428_1535071
20090428_1535072
20090428_1535073
20090428_1535074
20090428_153809

Offline Kirk Baker

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Re: Batch rename, lowest number to give unique name (Breezebrowser %u)
« Reply #1 on: April 27, 2009, 03:31:31 AM »
Hi, just purchased Photo Mechanic, using OS X 10.5.6.

My Canon 5D and 1DMarkII only records to nearest second.  I name according to: YYYYMMDD_HHMMSS

I ONLY want to add a unique number if there is a duplicate filename - this only happens if I shoot more than 1 frame per second.   Currently, I rename using these variables: {datesort}_{timesort}{sequence}

Breezebrowser (%u variable) only adds a number if there is a duplicate filename, otherwise leaves it alone. With Photo Mechanic, it appears it has to add a number regardless of whether the filename would be a duplicate and this sequence number keeps incrementing.

Example, if there is a duplicate, then file appends 1, 2, 3, ... as long as YYYYMMDD_HHMMSS will produce duplicates, but this counter resets back to 1 upon encountering NEXT identical filename. If no filename duplicates, then no extra sequence numbers:

20090427_011000
20090427_0123451
20090427_0123452
20090427_012346
20090427_012347
20090427_0123481
20090427_0123482
20090427_0123483
20090427_012350
20090428_1535071
20090428_1535072
20090428_1535073
20090428_1535074
20090428_153809

I'm not sure there is a question in there, but Photo Mechanic does not have an option to rename the same way as what you have described that BreezeBrowser does.

-Kirk

Offline jimb

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Re: Batch rename, lowest number to give unique name (Breezebrowser %u)
« Reply #2 on: April 27, 2009, 04:48:30 AM »
Consider using {datesort}_{timesort}_{frame} (or {frame4}) as the renamed file. Every image name will be unique, even in sequences of shots.
« Last Edit: April 27, 2009, 04:51:52 AM by jimb »

Offline vAfotoriporter

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Re: Batch rename, lowest number to give unique name (Breezebrowser %u)
« Reply #3 on: April 27, 2009, 11:20:43 AM »
It appears me during copy/save as operations PM works exactly as described in this feature request. If a filename allready exists then PM appends a letter (A, B, C) or number (1, 2, 3) to the end of the filename, resulting the same as in the example of the feature request. Wheter a letter or a number is added can be set in Preferences.
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Offline Kirk Baker

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Re: Batch rename, lowest number to give unique name (Breezebrowser %u)
« Reply #4 on: April 27, 2009, 12:13:02 PM »
It appears me during copy/save as operations PM works exactly as described in this feature request. If a filename allready exists then PM appends a letter (A, B, C) or number (1, 2, 3) to the end of the filename, resulting the same as in the example of the feature request. Wheter a letter or a number is added can be set in Preferences.

Not quite.  See this example:

20090427_0123451
20090427_0123452


There was no previous 20090427_012345 file.  Photo Mechanic would have produced:

20090427_012345
20090427_0123451
20090427_0123452
...

-Kirk


Offline vAfotoriporter

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Re: Batch rename, lowest number to give unique name (Breezebrowser %u)
« Reply #5 on: April 27, 2009, 09:47:10 PM »
It appears me during copy/save as operations PM works exactly as described in this feature request. If a filename allready exists then PM appends a letter (A, B, C) or number (1, 2, 3) to the end of the filename, resulting the same as in the example of the feature request. Wheter a letter or a number is added can be set in Preferences.

Not quite.  See this example:

20090427_0123451
20090427_0123452


There was no previous 20090427_012345 file.  Photo Mechanic would have produced:

20090427_012345
20090427_0123451
20090427_0123452
...

-Kirk

I know PM works this way but as I understand the original question and the example included it is the same requested.
On the other hand I am not sure this works during rename as well as it does on save/copy and ingest. But the ingest part (which surely works with PM) may solve the issue at hand.
Working on Mac, OSX, iOS and with some Canons.
Allways shooting RAW.

http://www.volgyiattila.com

Offline mervifwdc

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Re: Batch rename, lowest number to give unique name (Breezebrowser %u)
« Reply #6 on: April 28, 2009, 09:16:17 AM »
Right. I think PM does this by default.

in fact, the only thing that is does'nt have is an option to stop copying/rename or whatever if there are duplicates being created - it always adds number or letters as required.

Merv.
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Offline vAfotoriporter

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Re: Batch rename, lowest number to give unique name (Breezebrowser %u)
« Reply #7 on: April 28, 2009, 10:38:25 AM »
Allways better than if it would overwrite them and far better than manually and individually confirming all overwrites in a contact sheet of more hundreds of images.
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Offline UpsyCanon

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Re: Batch rename, lowest number to give unique name (Breezebrowser %u)
« Reply #8 on: April 28, 2009, 11:29:24 PM »
I'm not sure there is a question in there, but Photo Mechanic does not have an option to rename the same way as what you have described that BreezeBrowser does.

-Kirk


Kirk, would it be possible to add this option in a future release?  It's a workflow I've established, not a big deal, but the always starting from 1,2,3 unique# (only when there's a duplicate) tells me which sets are photos where I've shot faster than 1 frame/sec and need to cull more carefully.

Thanks.

Offline UpsyCanon

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Re: Batch rename, lowest number to give unique name (Breezebrowser %u)
« Reply #9 on: April 28, 2009, 11:32:56 PM »
Consider using {datesort}_{timesort}_{frame} (or {frame4}) as the renamed file. Every image name will be unique, even in sequences of shots.

Thanks, I'll take a look. It's just that if EVERY image name has a unique number it's more troublesome for me when just glancing at filenames to differentiate which are shot at greater than 1 frame/sec. With the Breezebrowser naming, the extra digit for only those type of shots makes the filenames stand out immediately when reviewing in a file browser.

Offline vAfotoriporter

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Re: Batch rename, lowest number to give unique name (Breezebrowser %u)
« Reply #10 on: April 29, 2009, 09:22:28 AM »
Try simply using {datesort}_{timesort} in the rename field of the Ingest dialog instead of trying to simply rename the files.
In preferences set the When filenames exist with the same name dropdown to Append a digit when needed. It will work exactly as you want to do things.

During a simple rename in the contact sheet PM doesn't allow to use a string possibly causing name conflicts. During Ingest it is automatically solved by an algorithm exactly the way you want it.
Working on Mac, OSX, iOS and with some Canons.
Allways shooting RAW.

http://www.volgyiattila.com