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How do I batch rename pics?

jburrows500

jburrows500

macrumors regular
Original poster
Jan 26, 2007
135
0
Hells Kitchen NYC
I have spent the better part of an hour trying to rename a batch of pictures that I downloaded off my digital camera. As a recent switcher, it would have taken me a second to select the pics, right click, and rename them all in one batch. I was using Adobe's lightroom wich is really nice (free trial) and found it was going to be my picassa replacement (man do i miss that program) and I found that I need a plug in called bridge which only comes with photoshop which I dont have for mac. So.. anyone know how to rename 20 pics at a time..
2007 09 05 (1)
2007 09 05 (2)
etc....

Thanks.. man.. who said changing over was going to be this hard... its like learning to ride a bike all over.. any one else pretty frustrated with the process..
 
I created a workflow for this over a year ago. It was detailed in an episode of MacBreak. You could play around with automator. I think my workflow is only like 1 step long or something insanely short like that.
 
I like using Renamer4Mac, http://www.power4mac.com/renamer/

Also, if you have Scripts turned on (if so there'll be a script icon on your menubar), there is an example script in the Finder Scripts folder that has a couple options for renaming files in whatever folder you have selected. Comes in handy for quick jobs.
 
Are you using iPhoto? If so, select the photos you want to rename, click on Photos in the menu bar and choose "Batch Edit". You can rename, change dates, etc all from here.
 
In the past I've wanted to batch rename files and Automator was the first thing that sprung to mind. Was pretty easy to throw together a workflow but it did appear to have a downfall, when it renamed the files it'd screw up the order.

Could get it to work properly so I just downloaded a program, can't remember which one. I can check later on.
 
Somewhere on your disk will be a thing to install the finder apple scripts. I highly encourage everyone to do this and I don't know why it doesn't come preinstalled. Once you install that you have a bunch of super powerful batch scripts built right into the finder from a pull down menu. They let you replace text in all selected file names, add text or remove text to the end or beginning of all selected file names, and much more!
 
Switching Is Hard!

I have ran into one too many problems since I've switched 3 years ago and will go back to windows. Things that should be very simple are often very difficult.
 
keith8 said:
I have ran into one too many problems since I've switched 3 years ago and will go back to windows. Things that should be very simple are often very difficult.
Click to expand...

Once you unswitch you will want to switch back again.

It's not that the things are really difficult, it's just that you have to know where to look for things.
 
PeggyD said:
I like to rename my photos before I import them into iPhoto.
Click to expand...
Well, you are stuck in your windows way. If you will relax and let the mac apps do the work for you, you will be so much happier. Micromanaging is the hard way, mac is the easy way. Why do all that work twice? There is NEVER a need to go into finder, or import twice. Why would you go through all that extra work? Just name your photos in iPhoto and be done with it! Why would you want to rename your photos before you import? Just makes things harder and you are doing things twice, when once would be just fine.

Let the software take care of your issues, you will never switch back if you just let the windows mindset go. I am a fairly recent switcher (4 years) and I will NEVER go back. I have to use windows at work, and every day I can't wait to get home to my oh-so-simple mac! My husband even finally switched (last moth) due to so many problems organizing his PC. He cannot be happier that he came over to the right/light side!

Relax and let the mac experience flow over you!
 
skybolt said:
Well, you are stuck in your windows way. If you will relax and let the mac apps do the work for you, you will be so much happier. Micromanaging is the hard way, mac is the easy way. Why do all that work twice? There is NEVER a need to go into finder, or import twice. Why would you go through all that extra work? Just name your photos in iPhoto and be done with it! Why would you want to rename your photos before you import? Just makes things harder and you are doing things twice, when once would be just fine.

Let the software take care of your issues, you will never switch back if you just let the windows mindset go. I am a fairly recent switcher (4 years) and I will NEVER go back. I have to use windows at work, and every day I can't wait to get home to my oh-so-simple mac! My husband even finally switched (last moth) due to so many problems organizing his PC. He cannot be happier that he came over to the right/light side!

Relax and let the mac experience flow over you!
Click to expand...

Where do you get the idea that I have "Windows ways"? I only use Windows under protest at work. I've used Macs for a lot longer than you (nearly 16 years!) & an Apple IIgs before that!
 
Not sure why the Automator suggestions wouldn't work here. I guess people are unaware or are intimidated by it.
 
Go to macupdate and search rename. Not very hard.

Some of them are free.

http://search.macupdate.com/search.php?keywords=rename&os=mac


keith8 said:
I have ran into one too many problems since I've switched 3 years ago and will go back to windows. Things that should be very simple are often very difficult.
Click to expand...

Good luck with the viruses, need to babysit the system by installing anti-virus, anti-spyware, defrag, etc.

LOL one post wonder. Jeez, that's a real Mac user alright.
 
Just use the command mv and a function for, example:

if you have files called file_001.jpg, file_002.jpg etc and want to rename to photo_family_whatever_01.jpg, etc then do:

1. open terminal
2. go to the directory where the files are (i.e. cd /users/xxx/xxx/xxx)
3. for i in 1 2 ; do mv file_00$i.jpg photo_family_whatever_0$i.jpg; done

and that is it.

if it doesn't work then put the $i into quotes

for i in 1 2 do mv file_00"$i".jpg photo_family_whatever_0$i.jpg; done

easy cheesy.

Oscar

PS. I'd never go back to windows. Have been playing a bit with win7 and is the same s**t as windows xp, bit better than windows vista but the underlying problems of windows all are there: slows down a lot with normal use and need to use regularly things like tuneup to clear the infamous register, lots of viruses, heavily fragmentation, programs crashing, etc etc.

Consultant said:
Go to macupdate and search rename. Not very hard.

Some of them are free.

http://search.macupdate.com/search.php?keywords=rename&os=mac




Good luck with the viruses, need to babysit the system by installing anti-virus, anti-spyware, defrag, etc.

LOL one post wonder. Jeez, that's a real Mac user alright.
Click to expand...
 
I'm bookmarking this thread! I'm not a shutter bug ... yet. I have a sinking feeling I'll need this help this summer while on vacation. I LOVE the multitude of options for solutions - which is always overlooked and downplayed by life-long windows users (I should know I've been one of them).

keith8 said:
I have ran into one too many problems since I've switched 3 years ago and will go back to windows. Things that should be very simple are often very difficult.
Click to expand...

Tell me 3 examples of how this is simply done in Windows - without 3rd party plugins or solutions. I'm waiting. Still waiting. Ah you finally find a solution; but is it really that easy OR does it seem so because when you learned how to do it you had the patience and ability to clear your mind when you learned how to do it??

Don't get me wrong. There is this perpetuation in the ads that once you switch to Mac everything will be bliss; which isn't always true for power users which will bach at how they need to dig for what their after - like what I've been doing the past 16days now ;). But it means a better performance machine, better time management for my kids use, better graphics applications (and software/file compatibility for my daughters Art classes - teacher is Mac OS only), and better future with learning Unix cmds and OS work for me & my son. Not to mention less headaches with worries about virii, spyware, and lossed HDD space.
 
Automator works great!

I love me some Automator:

  • Automator -> Folder Action -> Choose Folder
  • Drag Rename Finder Items to Workflow and choose your options

In Windows, Rename It is a great light-weight solution that's integrated into the shell.
 
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