Renamer: Day Sequence Number

[HansS]

Hello, here is one happy new user of IMatch.

Getting on fine with the program, but now and then I get stuck.
I was importing some pictures taken with my phone.
The file names :
  IMG_20180517_083202.jpg
  IMG_20180517_083211.jpg
  IMG_20180517_083255.jpg
  IMG_20180517_083256.jpg
  IMG_20180517_083259.jpg
  IMG_20180517_084000.jpg
  IMG_20180517_084002.jpg
  IMG_20180517_084012.jpg
etc.
I want to rename the files to:
  20180517_083202_a5000_000001
  20180517_083211_a5000_000002
  20180517_083255_a5000_000003
etc.
I made a renamer preset import OnePlus A5000:
  Text and variables: {File.MD.Exif::Main\36867\DateTimeOriginal\0|format:YYYYMMDD_hhmmss_}a5000_
  Day Sequence Number (File Time resets to 1 when the day changes): 6 digits  why can't I enter a preset??

Before running the renamer on all files I tested it on the first four files, resulting in:
  20180517_083202_a5000_000001
  20180517_083211_a5000_000002
  20180517_083255_a5000_000003
  20180517_083256_a5000_000004
When I ran the renamer on the remaining files the counter started at 1 again, although all files were of the same date.
  20180517_083259_a5000_000001
  20180517_084000_a5000_000002
  20180517_084002_a5000_000003
etc.
Is this how the Day Sequence Number is supposed to work?
I hoped the counter would not be reset for files of the same day, was I too optimistic?

Hans

p.s. Yes I ran the renamer again on all files of that day. Often that will not be possible when going back to the studio to improve on what I saw in an earlier iteration.

[Mario]

I would recommend that you sort the files by date (choose a sort preset in the input field). This is also recommended in the documentation of the Day Sequence Number in the Renamer Step Types documentation
Currently you are using whatever order they are in the File Window which may not be what you want.

(...) 6 digits  why can't I enter a preset??

You can control the number of digits for the day sequence number via the options (double-click on the step) or click on the pen button on the right while the step is selected.

[HansS]

Thank you Mario, fast as always.

The files were sorted by capture time as could be seen in the example I gave.

The day sequence renamer is probably meant for collections of files spanning more than one day.
I was looking for a sequential number when importing from camera's that just give the capture time in their filename.
But no problem I will find a way.

Yes I know how to find the options for the day sequence renamer, hence the 6 digits in my example.
My question mark was relating to the grayed out field for the prefix.


Hans

[Mario]

No Prefix is available for this option.
You can always add a text step before if you need a prefix of some kind.

The Day Index step is based on the "File DateTime" IMatch maintains for your files. And this is based on the XMP/EXIF created or digitized timestamp.
The step does not use the file name to look for a date value.

[Carlo Didier]

I would recommend that you sort the files by date (choose a sort preset in the input field). This is also recommended in the documentation of the Day Sequence Number in the Renamer Step Types documentation
Currently you are using whatever order they are in the File Window which may not be what you want.

The description of the the option clearly says it resets when the day changes. I just tested and it resets for each run, not only when the day changes. I suppose this is something that should be clarified as this:
"Resets when the day changes during a single run of the renamer"

I would also have interpreted it like Hans as "reset when the day changes", even if it is during several runs of the renamer. For that, the renamer would have to remember the date of the last renamed file (or better even the last sequence number for any date!), a bit like the global sequence number which is remembered between runs of the renamer.

[Mario]

"Resets when the day changes during a single run of the renamer"

I thought this was implicit, because except for the global sequence number this is the case for all steps. The context is the current run of course.
So far no user ever complained or commented on this. Maybe I'll add an extra sentence to a future version of the help.