Help Me Edit My Photo Library, Please!

[HermanTheGerman]

I have this massive amount of (6000+) pictures on my hard disk, taken over the years. The issue is that I have taken them with two different cameras and saved to a pc before being moved over.

Thus, I have all sorts of weird file names and a huge clutter. I almost spent a whole day grouping them. So is there any way of making them all have the same file names?

Let's say you have the "x" pictures folder, is there any way of renaming all the files by assigning numbers to each of them, increasing from 1 to x? And then the whole process once more for the "y" pictures folder...

If so, how? Automator?

Help me out, please...

 

[Applespider]

If they're already in iPhoto, don't start messing with them in the Finder.

Otherwise, yes, Automator will let you rename files with a sequential number on the end.

It's a really easy Workflow to set up with just two steps

1. From Finder - get specified Finder items
2. From Finder - Rename Finder items (and check 'Show Action When Run'). Choose - Make Sequential and the New Name

Then save that as a Finder Action called Rename

Then you'll need to select the files in the Finder, right click to your Finder Action and you'll be prompted to enter the name you want to come before the sequence of numbers. Then just wait and it will rename them.

 

[HermanTheGerman]

Thanks for the fast reply.

What do you mean by "If they're already in iPhoto, don't start messing with them in the Finder"? To refrain from editing them or that there is an easier way to handle it with iPhoto?

 

[j26]

Do they need to have different sequences of names, or could you use a combo of Keywords and Smart Folders to segregate them out?

Also
If you use Photos-Batch Change-Set Title To and check the append number checkbox (in iLife '04 anyway), you can change the titles of the pictures. I don't know if that changes the file name, but it clearly distinguishes them in iPhoto, and then you can use albums or Smart Albums as necessary.

You could also try exporting some of them and see if tht will allow you to change the file name.

(I have to go through my library and do it at some stage)

 

[Applespider]

What do you mean by "If they're already in iPhoto, don't start messing with them in the Finder"? To refrain from editing them or that there is an easier way to handle it with iPhoto?

If they're already in iPhoto, then it's not a good idea to start changing the file names within the iPhoto Library from the Finder. It tends to upset the iPhoto 'database' and can screw up your library leading to empty thumbnails, none of your pics showing etc.

If the pics are already in iPhoto, then you can select them in iPhoto and use the Batch process under Photos to change the title of the photo. This will change the title of the picture in iPhoto and make the title 'Spotlightable' but it won't change the underlying filename.