I have been using the Rename, not the simple Rename. Now when I press that on the menu I don't get the larger window with many choices. I only get a simple window with Old and New name fields. How did I loose access to the more complex settings choices?
I am trying desperately to do some renaming of photos. It should be quite simple. I don't think I need to write a script, but I can't figure out how to do it. Here is what I have.
Current File Names are like this one: "20170610_122432.jpg"
This is the date the photo was taken.
All I want to do is edit a whole bunch of them by putting in some other characters at the exact same position in every file name. I would want this file to be named
"2017-06-10 12.24.32 000 MJ.jpg"
How do I automatically add these extra characters and spaces at the same location in every file I want to rename?
I have some others I want to make a similar change to. IMG_20120323_114523.jpg I want to do all the same things except also remove the IMG_ at the beginning.
I look forward to help so I can get on with this.
Thanks
You've probably turned this on; just click it again to turn it off:
In the Rename dialog, turn on Use preview list to build macros, then in the preview list just below that click on the first file in the New Name column. Edit that, and the same changes will be made to all the other files at the same time.
That worked fine, although it took me a bit to figure out where to click, but it worked. Thx
The Use preview list to build macros is what I have checked. But...
a. Is the Mode: Standard Wildcard Rename the right setting?
b. When I go to Edit the changes, do I do that with just one file selected? Or can I have 20-30 selected when I enter the changes? When I do that it only changes the one I edit, not the rest in the list. So I can't seem to figure out (or remember) how to apply that to all the selected files.
I've tried it a couple times and I always have to turn it on. Can you think of someplace I might have accidentally changed a setting for what the default is?
Thank you. Your video was helpful. I just was seeing it was not checked when I first opened the window. But when I click (like your video does) down on the New Name, then the Macro operations box checks itself at that point. Works fine. Your help is fabulous! I'm making great progress now on my project. Thank you!
I have a follow up question on re-naming.
Can you tell me any worries or downsides to the renaming that I am doing?
I like using spaces between the date and time and a couple other details. Like this:
2017-06-10 12.24.32 000 MJ.jpg
But when I look at other naming strategies, they never use a "space" between characters. They use the "_" instead.
I like the spaces better for readability, but I'm wondering if there are any deeper reasons I should be concerned about. I saw something on using picture names on websites, and I think it referred to not using spaces, but I cannot find that again. Do you see any problem with the naming convention I'm doing with spaces?
There's no reason not to use spaces in general. They make things a bit harder if the file is going to be copied to a web server, but you can always rename things at the time you do that, and it usually doesn't matter even then.
Great! Thank you for the details.
You have been most helpful. I feel I still have many things to learn about Opus. But when I get stuck I'll post it here and look for your wisdom again.