Re-set check-box on batch rename

[Hydester]

Hi

I would dearly like a quick & easy check box on the batch rename dialog box.

What this would simply do is re-set the sequence number to 001 (or 0001 or 00001 etc) when checked

Currently we can do this quite easily by clicking 'Option- Set {sequence} variable' but I quite often forget to do this when using the rename protocol  {filenamebase:0,-3}{seqn}

If I am changing a 4 digit sequence to a 3 digit sequence this can leave me with a mess which is a chore to clear up

I know it's my fault but the re-set to 001 option as a simple check-box would, I am sure, be of help to a lot of people

I think this would be pretty easy for you to implement so hope you will consider it for a future PM revision ASAP

Keep up the good work !

With thanks in anticipation

Best wishes

Stephen

[Hydester]

As a post script I realise that my above request would make it doubly easy to rename files with a new sequence numbering.

If you were to implement the check box as described above, to rename a series of photos with new sequence I could simply enter the protocol {filenamebase:0,-3}{seqn}  once & then for all subsequent re-names I would simply be able to select the photos I want to re-sequence, hit Command-M and then hit return

This would be a dream for my work-flow

Thanks again !

Stephen

[Hayo Baan]

Maybe what you want is already there: If you press the modifier key (shift on Windows, alt on Mac), the "set seqn" button changes into "reset seqn".

Does this give a workable solution for your sequence number resetting problem?

[Kirk Baker]

Hayo,

Maybe what you want is already there: If you press the modifier key (shift on Windows, alt on Mac), the "set seqn" button changes into "reset seqn".

Does this give a workable solution for your sequence number resetting problem?

Stephen already knows about that shortcut.  He just forgets to use it on occasion.

There is an issue with this idea: until the number is reset, the preview of what you're going to end up with will be wrong.  This would be misleading and potentially confusing.

-Kirk

[Hydester]

Thanks Kirk

Amazingly fast response as ever

Sounds like you have already considered this & dismissed it for the reason you describe.

I have no idea how coding/scripting works under the bonnet, but would it be possible for the very act of opening the dialog box (Command M) would re-set the sequence when such a hypothetical check-box is checked ? That way it should be there ready & the preview correct. Of course it would have to re-set it for the first time too as the D Box would already be open.

Things are never as straight-forward as you hope they would be, are they ?!

Best

Stephen

[Kirk Baker]

Stephen,

Sounds like you have already considered this & dismissed it for the reason you describe.

I have no idea how coding/scripting works under the bonnet, but would it be possible for the very act of opening the dialog box (Command M) would re-set the sequence when such a hypothetical check-box is checked ? That way it should be there ready & the preview correct. Of course it would have to re-set it for the first time too as the D Box would already be open.

Things are never as straight-forward as you hope they would be, are they ?!

No.  That's one of the challenges in working with a well-established program like Photo Mechanic is now.

It could work as you describe.  Note however that the renaming facility is present in a number of dialogs now (Copy/Move, Ingest, uploaders, etc.) and we like to present as unified an user interface as we possibly can.  The problem with automatically resetting the sequence number if a checkbox was already set would be that if you ever didn't want to reset the sequence and you opened a dialog with the checkbox set then you couldn't get your sequence number back without manually typing it in again.  This could cause frustration as well.

I'm open to other ideas Stephen, but at the moment it isn't looking like too good of an idea to me.

-Kirk

[Hydester]

OK  ...thanks for listening anyway

Best

Stephen

[Kirk Baker]

Stephen,

OK  ...thanks for listening anyway

You're welcome.  And if you can come up with an idea that will solve your issue but won't cause issues for other users, I would like to hear it.

-Kirk

[Hydester]

Well, the only thing I can think of is this (and I don't think you will like it !)

As a preamble there must be lots of people like me who name files Doe_J_001 ,  Doe_J_002,  Doe_J_003  etc at the time of the shoot, then weed out the bad ones & want to batch rename but keeping the original stem, changing only the sequence number

So my dream answer would be a whole new command (preferably with a keyboard short-cut, or right click) whereby I could select a series of images on the contact sheet page & then re-sequence them without having any dialog box at all. You could call the Command Re-sequence

The user would be required in Preferences to stipulate how many suffix places should be removed  eg  {filenamebase:0,-3}  or {filenamebase:0,-4}. Actually they probably needn't see that computer language which not everyone will get their brain around; rather a description in basic English. Similarly they would be required to stipulate how long the new suffix (sequence) should be eg 001 or 0001 or 00001 etc

Anyone else fancy this ?

Interested to know what you think Kirk

Thanks again

Stephen

[Kirk Baker]

Stephen,

Well, the only thing I can think of is this (and I don't think you will like it !)

As a preamble there must be lots of people like me who name files Doe_J_001 ,  Doe_J_002,  Doe_J_003  etc at the time of the shoot, then weed out the bad ones & want to batch rename but keeping the original stem, changing only the sequence number

So my dream answer would be a whole new command (preferably with a keyboard short-cut, or right click) whereby I could select a series of images on the contact sheet page & then re-sequence them without having any dialog box at all. You could call the Command Re-sequence

The user would be required in Preferences to stipulate how many suffix places should be removed  eg  {filenamebase:0,-3}  or {filenamebase:0,-4}. Actually they probably needn't see that computer language which not everyone will get their brain around; rather a description in basic English. Similarly they would be required to stipulate how long the new suffix (sequence) should be eg 001 or 0001 or 00001 etc

Anyone else fancy this ?

Interested to know what you think Kirk

That would be doable when the naming scheme matches your example, but it wouldn't work too well when someone puts the sequence in the middle of the filename like so:

Doe_001_J, Doe_002_J, Doe_003_J, etc.

We would need more of a way to allow the user to describe where in their name the digits exist.  I think we would still need a dialog box to get things setup however.

-Kirk

[Hydester]

True, but I think most people put the sequence at the end and could/should be trained to do so if they wanted to use this feature

In other words I think people would be prepared to change their naming protocol if it meant that they could have a feature which would otherwise not exist

Thanks again

Stephen

[Hayo Baan]

What you all describe here is exactly the reason I generally do not use sequence numbers for my images; each time you add/remove an image you have to re-sequence the files. Unless you don't mind gaps in the sequence that is, but the problem is I do

Anyway, some sort of "re-sequence" could be handy, but as Kirk already mentioned, it has potential problems. Would it work for you if the re-sequence would be the same as the rename function is now, but with an automatic reset of the sequence number beforehand?

Cheers

[Hydester]

Would it work for you if the re-sequence would be the same as the rename function is now, but with an automatic reset of the sequence number beforehand?

If I understand you, yes.   That would be perfect.  To re-set what you had already stipulated as your sequence.

Best

Stephen