Automatically Rename Files during Import?

[WebEngel]

Spent 20 minutes searching the help and the forum without success, so opening a topic here:

Does this functionality exist?

Current workflow:

Right now I am doing this manually: Selecting files in a folder and using the renamer.  Next folder, renamer again.

Import: I import to daily temporary folders that are indexed by Imatch.  Tool used is Sony PlayMemories, as this pulls the movies with its sidecars correctly and because it puts everything in daily folders.  From the temp folders, I move with Imatch to the final folder.

Numbering scheme: My renaming scheme contains a sequence.  It is three digits per day.  This is why I have to run the renamer per folder.
Example: 20170414-115601-002.JPG is the second image I took that day.

Movies and Pics: They have different schemas and a different sequence, so I need to do them separately.

As you can see, renaming involves a lot of steps for me.

I know that automating this would be difficult, as Imatch would need to wait to complete the import before renaming, otherwise it would miss the buddy files.



Regards,
Martin

[sinus]

Martin,
sorry, I do not fully understand.

The renamer can move files also, even to folders, depending on the date of files.

And I do a lot of my work not in folders, but in categories or collections.
For example the collection "added today" show you all files addes today, not dependent, in what folder they are located.

[Mario]

I know that automating this would be difficult, as Imatch would need to wait to complete the import before renaming, otherwise it would miss the buddy files.

That's just one of the reasons. Others involve versioning, metadata propagation and more things like this. This is all not deterministic. Metadata propagation can take place at any time during the ingest, and it gets even more complex when the user runs automatic write-back, which causes a re-ingest of files, metadata changes caused by that and metadata propagation in-between...

I think that running the Renamer (e.g. via a Favorite - costs only one click) is not too much of a burden for most users.
It's the most safe and reliable way to do this.

Use the "Added today" collection to see all files added today. Use the filter panel (with pre-made and stored filters for speed) to filter for pictures or movies. Press the Renamer shortcut.
I doubt that this takes more than a few seconds.


If IMatch would be simpler (no buddy file handling, no metadata propagation, no versioning, no ...) it could be doable. Or I could spend several weeks developing such a feature, creating something that may work for 50$ of the user base or else becoming so complex that it would work for 5% but all others would not use it because it's to complicated. Integrated your peculiar "Run different rename procedures, depending on the file format and what other conditions" could prove impossible or a bug magnet. Won't do, sorry.

[WebEngel]

And I do a lot of my work not in folders, but in categories or collections.
For example the collection "added today" show you all files addes today, not dependent, in what folder they are located.

My current naming schema involves a daily sequence.  So 20170414-115601-002.JPG is the second image ON THAT DAY.  Next day, pictures start with 001 again.  If I rename in categories with pics from multiple days, this cannot be done, I assume.

Won't do, sorry.

OK, I do understand.

[Mario]

Sort by date before renaming?
Data-driven category with day as the lowest level?
Use the timeline for renaming instead?
"Added today" shows only files added today so your rename op should work out of the box.

[WebEngel]

Sort by date before renaming?
Data-driven category with day as the lowest level?
Use the timeline for renaming instead?
"Added today" shows only files added today so your rename op should work out of the box.

Well, I have the files in daily folders, this is what Sony PMB tool does.

Still, I have to click each folder, do Ctrl-A to select all files, Ctrl-F2 to call the renamer, run.  Once I am done with all pictures, I need to change the filter from JPG to Movies, and do the exact same thing again for all movies.

When I import the pictures from the last 20 days, this can take quite some time and is frustratingly stupid.

[sinus]

Sort by date before renaming?
Data-driven category with day as the lowest level?
Use the timeline for renaming instead?
"Added today" shows only files added today so your rename op should work out of the box.

Well, I have the files in daily folders, this is what Sony PMB tool does.

Still, I have to click each folder, do Ctrl-A to select all files, Ctrl-F2 to call the renamer, run.  Once I am done with all pictures, I need to change the filter from JPG to Movies, and do the exact same thing again for all movies.

When I import the pictures from the last 20 days, this can take quite some time and is frustratingly stupid.

Sorry, I do not understand still.
Why so complicated (with your Sony tool)?
Why you do not throw all image in ONE folder, select all and let do the renamer do the rest?
Does not matter, if the files comes from different days, with good preferences the renamer will do all correct.

[WebEngel]

Why you do not throw all image in ONE folder, select all and let do the renamer do the rest?

With your approach, I get:

20170505-xxxxxx-001.jpg
20170506-xxxxxx-002.jpg
= new day, old sequence continued.

What I want is:

20170505-xxxxxx-001.jpg
20170506-xxxxxx-001.jpg
= new day, new sequence started

[Mario]

The sequence number in the Renamer does what it should - it ensures that you don't accidentally produce duplicate file names. It has no built-in intelligence, like checking for a change in the day or a camera model or whatever.
Please consider my suggestions about working in the "Added Today" collection or in the time-line, where you automatically work only with files in "one day" batches. If you mix files from multiple days in one folder but you want to rename them 'per-day', a folder is needed. I don't know how many files you produce per day, but I think this will take only a few seconds to sort out.

[WebEngel]

I don't need the "Added today" functionality or timeline, as the Sony tool automatically creates daily folders.

Anyway, all ok now, things are clarified now.

Thanks,

[Jingo]

just an fyi - you can do this in Downloader Pro using the tokens {N1}, {N2}, {N3} and {N4} tokens which reset the numbering to 1 for each new date e.g. images from Jan 1 will start from 1 and {N2} would give values like 01, 02, 03 and images from Jan 2 would also start from 01. 

While IMatch can do a ton... I've kept DlPro in my workflow because I shoot RAW but only keep corrected JPG's in my IMatch database.  So, import to PC using DlPro, edit RAW in C1, export to full resolution JPG's on NAS, import into IMatch to tag, keyword, etc.

[Mario]

I just remembered (too much in the 2017 release, sorry. My Post-Its have Post-Its on them... )

I've added a day sequence number step to the Renamer. This is a number than counts up from 1 on every use, and reset back to 1 every time the day of the file datetime changes.
You can use it to number per day (just make sure you sort your files for the Renamer by date).
I think this is what the WebEngel could use, right?

[WebEngel]

I've added a day sequence number step to the Renamer. This is a number than counts up from 1 on every use, and reset back to 1 every time the day of the file datetime changes.

This is exactly what is needed!  Thanks.  I look forward to installing IMatch 2017

[Aubrey]

I've added a day sequence number step to the Renamer. This is a number than counts up from 1 on every use, and reset back to 1 every time the day of the file datetime changes.

How does Mario come up with these sort criteria before we even have thought we might need them.

IMatch is impressive in all the bells and whistles that are available.

Almost like Steve jobs knowing we needed tablets before we realized it ourselves!

Aubrey

[BanjoTom]

Mario's plan for a day sequence number step being added to the Renamer in IMatch 2017 is wonderful!  I've certainly managed to deal with resetting the sequence number to "1" (manually) whenever I've added files from a different day, but this will be a welcome convenience.

THANKS (once again!) to Mario for your great foresight and constant improvement of an already-great product!!!