I'm hoping someone can help me. I just don't understand how to rename a batch of files in dopus and can't seem to find any examples, etc. of renaming files.
All i want to do is rename a group of digital photos from (example)
DSC07015.jpg
DSC07016.jpg
DSC07017.jpg to July 7, 2006 Pics (july 7 pics1, 2, 3, etc.)
Everyone seem to be so knowledgable on this renaming thing, but I'm baffled. Where are you learning this stuff and will someone please tell me how to rename a batch of photos like i mentioned. Thank you so very much
This is quite similar to a request on the Yahoo group I just replied to with this suggestion:
[quote="I"]You can use {date|} to insert today's date into a filename, and AUTORENAME to append a number to the filename automatically so that it is unique.
This probably doesn't result in exactly the format you want, but it's pretty close:
2006-07.jpg
2006-07 (1).jpg
2006-07 (2).jpg
Command is:
Rename PATTERN="*.jpg" TO "{date|yyyy-MM}.jpg" AUTORENAME TYPE=Files
I've filed a request asking for the formatting codes to work with {shootingtime} -- that would allow you to use the EXIF timestamp in the image, rather than today's date.[/quote]
The date format for "July 7, 2006" "August 12, 2006" etc. is {date|MMMM d, yyyy}
If I can get this function to work, I will purchase this program. Thus far, however, I have been unsucessful. I'm trying to use the EXIF data to rename files to a different folder so that the file name would be the creation date. I have used the command provided below to rename files and the preview shows me the file rename should work but when executing I get the message, "Error in search pattern: ?+* must follow a character".
Furthermore, if this did work, it would rename the files in the same directory, which is not what I want.
If you're comfortable with all of that stuff, could you post a screenshot of how you've set up the button (i.e. the button editor dialog) and also the error message as it appears?
Also, are there any + characters in the filepaths?
Let's get the button as it is working first, then we can worry about moving the files to another directory.
By the way, for anyone else reading this thread, it looks like {shootingtime} works now, although it still cannot be formatted into whatever date/time format we want. It is now changed so that the default format works in a rename. (i.e. The : characters are replaced with _ characters so the name isn't invalid.) If a different date format is needed that could be done in a second rename pass. Hopefully we'll get the ability to format the time in the first pass at some point, which would be ideal.
Not exactly sure what happened, but your suggestion above worked. Thanks a bunch. How about renaming using EXIF data to year-month-day format instead of month-day-year?
Many of these dedicated renaming programs also allow one to rename in the same location OR rename to a different location. The latter is useful in certain circumstances which is why this is an additional function I need DirOpus to perform.
FWIW I also rename all my images in a similar way to what you're trying to do. However while Opus is my right hand so to speak on this computer, while it's one of two programs I could not do without, I do not use it for tasks like this. Instead I use programs specifically made for such things. Primarily I use Downloader Pro which renames the images any way I want them renamed, at the time I download them into the computer. To rename images previously downloaded, I use ExifUtils, however some experience with command line scripting is required with this program.
So I hope you won't judge Opus on just this one challenge you're facing, it really is an amazing program. But to be honest, for a specific task like this one, I'd use a different tool, one created for using image metadata in a renaming process.
I forgot to mention one other thing. You may want to consider looking at a DAM (Digital Asset Management) program. Those are programs specially written to do one thing. Image management which amongst many other things, includes image renaming in special ways. I use IMatch as my DAM and I love it, IMO it's to image management what Opus is to file management.
Up until a few months ago I was using Opus to organize my digital photo collections, however I realized my digital photo collections were getting way too big for any file manager to keep track of.
[quote="ktdodson"]
How about renaming using EXIF data to year-month-day format instead of month-day-year?[/quote]
In a single button this isn't possible at the moment (it's been requested though). It is possible using two buttons to rename the files in two stages, though. (Edit 2008: It is possible to do this now.)
Opus lets you have "three-buttons" where you can left-click for one function, right-click for another and middle-click for a third, so multi-step renames are still pretty convenient: Select the files, left-click button, (wait for the first rename to finish), right-click button, done.
Let's try to tackle that along with your requirement to move the files to another location:
Where do you want to move the files to? Is it a fixed location, or somewhere relative to where they are to start with? Is the name of the directory always the same or does it change depending on the name of the files, or their current directory, or the date, etc.?
At least for me, I'd prefer to have one program do as much as possible. It looks like DirOpus will accomplish what I'm after, albeit not perfectly as the programs you mentioned. I spent about 2 hours one weekend looking at renaming software for digital pics and couldn't find one to my liking.
File synchronization, renaming, and zip functions all in one program is what makes DirOpus so attractive. I don't really want to load my computer with half a dozen programs for each task. Of course, that's just my personal preferance.
Nudel:
I'd like to move the files with their new name to a different directory anywhere on the hard drive. After playing with DirOpus this morning, however, this may be less of a requirement. My reason for wanting this feature was to allow viewing of the files before I moved them into permanent storage. Many of the renaming programs I tried mis-read the EXIF data and the dates were incorrect. So I was renaming to a different location then viewing before moving to permanent storage. The ease with which DirOpus displays files lets me view the files easily after they've been renamed.
This is a great program; I'll be purchasing it later today.
My next request would be the ability to run applications in a window within DirOpus. I'm sure it can be done but I haven't gotten that far. I'm also going to see how this programs works with files across the network later today.
At least for me, I'd prefer to have one program do as much as possible.[/quote]
I can appreciate that however sometimes a small dedicated program is the way to go. Regular Expressions are great for the more computer literate crowd but for simpletons like me I think a dedicated rename program is much easier. I use LupasRename but there are plenty of others. They don't take much disk space and don't even use the registry unless you want to register the shell extension.
I know this sounds heretical for this forum but this works for me. I still think DirOpus is the greatest thing since sliced bread. It just has more power than I need to tap into.
You should normally start a new thread for new questions, else it gets quite messy but I can answer this one pretty quickly: You can't. At least, if you mean you want to run other programs so that their windows are part of Opus.
(Well, you can, if they're ActiveX controls and are compatible with the ActiveX viewer plugin. Like you can run Word and Excel in the Opus viewer pane. But this isn't true for other types of programs as there's no way to do that on Windows.)
You can launch other programs from Opus, of course, but they'll run in separate windows as usual.
