File naming

[RaptorRex]

How do people handle file naming? Cameras I've seen have different file name schemas. Some are date related. Some just seem to be an incrementing value. When I save my files I often want a topic related name. If I have 10s or 100s of them then naming them can be a daunting task.

Is there a tool that can do easy renaming of bulk files?

Being a software developer I have a little perl script I use but it isn't all too user friendly for others to use. What else is available? If nothing then I'll consider making a renaming tool and make it freely available.

 

[The_Traveler]

Adobe bridge (with PS) can do bulk rename as does the software that comes with Nikon which can rename as it imports.

 

[astrostu]

You might just consider leaving them as-is. I do that and just stash them in folders with the date and have a text file saying what was taken on each date.

 

[Garbz]

I always leave them as is since they come off in order.

It works for me since I have a near photographic memory (no pun intended) so if I was looking for say a picture I took of Lake Neuchatel take from Boudry I'd head to \\photos\Europe [2006-7]\Switzerland\Boudry\ and I'd know it was somewhere about 30 photos down since I arrived in the morning and went to the lake in the afternoon.

 

[John_05]

if you want a free program that does batch renaming, XnView does a lot of different batch processes, including renaming files.

one piece of OT advice about XnView is if you use it to batch resize your photos, make sure you only use it to process a batch of photos with the same aspect ratio and orientation, and make sure its saving copies and not saving over your originals.