Sort/rename solution?

[zuman]

I'm sorry for asking what has probably been asked a thousand times...
I need to provide someone today with a portable drive containing all of my images (about 20,000), ordered by EXIF date and time.  I suppose that he's really asking me to rename all of my images according to EXIF date and time.
I'm using Photo Mechanic 4.6.5.  Is that my solution (and if so, what do I do?), or do I need another application?
Thanks!

[Kirk Baker]

I'm sorry for asking what has probably been asked a thousand times...
I need to provide someone today with a portable drive containing all of my images (about 20,000), ordered by EXIF date and time.  I suppose that he's really asking me to rename all of my images according to EXIF date and time.
I'm using Photo Mechanic 4.6.5.  Is that my solution (and if so, what do I do?), or do I need another application?

Photo Mechanic should be up to the task.  What is the renaming format that your customer wants the file names to be?

With that information I should be able to walk you through the process.

-Kirk

[zuman]

Thanks, Kirk.
I don't believe that the specific format really matters.  He wants to be able to parallel what was going on in the images I captured with what was happening in another place, so any format where he can look at a file name and understand the date would be good.  An example MIGHT be something like 20090630145716.jpg would mean that the shot was captured at 2:47:16pm on June 30, 2009.
I really appreciate your help!
-Mike
Photo Mechanic 4.6.5
Windows 7

[Kirk Baker]

Mike,

I don't believe that the specific format really matters.  He wants to be able to parallel what was going on in the images I captured with what was happening in another place, so any format where he can look at a file name and understand the date would be good.  An example MIGHT be something like 20090630145716.jpg would mean that the shot was captured at 2:47:16pm on June 30, 2009.
I really appreciate your help!

I'd suggest using Ingest with the Folders option.  Select the parent folder of all of the folders containing the 20,000 images as the source.  Then use the following as your Rename string:

{datesort}_{timesort}

Choose the portable drive as the Primary destination.  Then Ingest.

It should be accomplished in about the same time as it would take to copy the files from your computer to the portable drive.  You will then have a single folder with 20,000 images in it (which may or may not be a problem).  If it is a problem, you could have Ingest build a hierarchy of folders maybe by year or year/month to keep the count of photos per folder down somewhat.

HTH,

-Kirk

[zuman]

Kirk-
Well, it looks like my pc will be busy through the night, so just to make sure I have it doing the right thing, would you confirm how I get Photo Mechanic to copy the newly-named files into four folders named after the years the photos were taken, i.e., 2009, 2008, 2007, and 2006?
Thanks!
-Mike

[Kirk Baker]

Mike,

Well, it looks like my pc will be busy through the night, so just to make sure I have it doing the right thing, would you confirm how I get Photo Mechanic to copy the newly-named files into four folders named after the years the photos were taken, i.e., 2009, 2008, 2007, and 2006?

See the attached photo for settings...

[attachment deleted by admin]

[zuman]

Thanks! Worked like a champ!

[mklass]

Just curious, how long did it take?

Mick