Renaming pictures when transferring...

[giyad]

Hi, I am new to Mac and came across a little problem when transferring pictures to my Macbook. First of all, iPhoto has its perks but needs a little work. I hate the fact that when you copy the pictures from your camera they go straight to iPhoto. The pictures should be separate from the program, but on iPhoto makes it a part of it. Anyway, let me get to the issue.

When I plug my camera into my Macbook, I want to see a pop up (as in Windows) to copy the files onto my hard disk. Also, I want it to give me the option to rename the files (for example 2007 Summer Vacation xxx.jpg). However, with iPhoto, the files are organized into the library but the names are kept as DSCxxx.jpg. You have the ability to rename the photos in iPhoto but its only metadate, not the physical files name. Does anyone know a better program to use which can solve this issue for me? Or, if iPhoto can actually do this, can someone please explain to me how?

Thanks in Advance!!

 

[swiftaw]

Firstly, iPhoto doesn't have to be the default app for importing photos. Yoou can change what happens when you connect your camera by going to Applications->IMage Capture->Preferences. So then you can use image capture to import the photos and store them in a folder.

You can then create a automator workflow to batch rename a group of files.

Then when you are done you can import them into iPhoto

 

[MorzillA]

Firstly, iPhoto doesn't have to be the default app for importing photos. Yoou can change what happens when you connect your camera by going to Applications->IMage Capture->Preferences. So then you can use image capture to import the photos and store them in a folder.

You can then create a automator workflow to batch rename a group of files.

Then when you are done you can import them into iPhoto

My default is Previews, but most if not all of my images are saved on the desk top....these setting were active ever since I bought my PM, have no real issues with this settings, but after reading the post makes me somewhat concerned, should I be?

 

[swiftaw]

My default is Previews, but most if not all of my images are saved on the desk top....these setting were active ever since I bought my PM, have no real issues with this settings, but after reading the post makes me somewhat concerned, should I be?

Concerned about what?

 

[skybolt]

First, the photos are not stored in the app -- they are in a different file all of their own. One that is not to be mucked about with by users. Corruption, lost photos, etc. will ensue. If you love your photos, aqnd I'm sure you do, stay out of the finder!

The export command is your friend. Use it from within the app and your titles, etc will be preserved. There is NEVER a need to go into the finder, so the names there do not matter. Just pretend that folder does not exist. Do any and all to your photos from within the app, and forget the rest. You are stuck in the Windows way of making things much harder than they need to be. Relax and let the software do the work for you. After a little while, you will see how much easier and better the mac way is!

Organize from within the app -- if you are using the newest version, "events" will organize for you. If you are using an earlier version, create folders (Christmas, Vacation, etc.) and then albums within the folders (2005, 2006, San Francisco, etc). Organization is yours! The use of keywords makes it even easier.

Good luck, relax, and welcome to the easy world of macs!

 

[giyad]

The thing is that I want my actual files to be universal. Meaning, if I take my photos to a Windows PC, or Linux, or whatever, I want the files to have there names. i have not made a complete switch over to Mac, and I doubt I ever will. Don't get me wrong the Mac is great, but Im not confined to one OS, there are many things you can't do on a Mac (atleast as easily) that you can do on a PC and vice versa.

Anyway, so I want to rename the physical files, and other than that iPhoto is great, and just like you say I shouldn't mess with the library files in the finder, but I want those files to be named my way. So, whats my solution?

 

[swiftaw]

The thing is that I want my actual files to be universal. Meaning, if I take my photos to a Windows PC, or Linux, or whatever, I want the files to have there names. i have not made a complete switch over to Mac, and I doubt I ever will. Don't get me wrong the Mac is great, but Im not confined to one OS, there are many things you can't do on a Mac (atleast as easily) that you can do on a PC and vice versa.

Anyway, so I want to rename the physical files, and other than that iPhoto is great, and just like you say I shouldn't mess with the library files in the finder, but I want those files to be named my way. So, whats my solution?

Read my post above about importing via Image Capture rather than iPhoto. This will put all you photos in a folder and then you can rename them at your pleasure, and then import them into iPhoto when you're done

 

[decksnap]

This is a very valid complaint a really annoying oversight on Apple's part. I have to use image capture to import, then run an automator workflow to rename and add to iPhoto.

 

[giyad]

Read my post above about importing via Image Capture rather than iPhoto. This will put all you photos in a folder and then you can rename them at your pleasure, and then import them into iPhoto when you're done

Thanks swiftaw, Image capture works great but I just wish that automator could load a predefined workflow automatically instead of it just opening and me having to open a saved one. Otherwise its definately what I was looking for thanks!

 

[swiftaw]

One of the options in Automator is to save as a Finder-plugin.

So then you can activate your automator script by selecting the files, right-clicking and choosing the automator script from the list.

You wont even have to open automator.

 

[decksnap]

One of the options in Automator is to save as a Finder-plugin.

So then you can activate your automator script by selecting the files, right-clicking and choosing the automator script from the list.

You wont even have to open automator.

Yes, this works fine, but does anybody know why the more stuff you select, the longer it takes the contextual lmenu to come up? I mean sometimes it takes ten seconds or more to come up if I've got a bunch of stuff selected.