Ok....so the Rename Panel has an upcoming refresh planned so time to discuss what peeps need.
UPDATE: THIS FEATURE IS ALREADY IN PRODUCTION SO THE TOPIC IS NOW CLOSED TILL THE FIRST BETA.
EXPECT A BETA IN DECEMBER 2019
So far I plan to add...
1. Presets Store/Recall
2. Have ability to set the 'Rename' and 'Copy' and 'Functions' buttons to als0 Pre/Post or Replace and Add.
3. a separate Online and Offline mode. Meaning you have different default settings for normal working and a different set of default settings for when using the 'Rename' and 'Copy' 'Functions' buttons.
4. A bunch of other sh*t already gathered from the post.
What else we need?
Speak up now or wait 3 years for the next refresh.....haha
Instructions:
Describe what else in detail what you desire for the Rename Panel.
BUT!! don't post a link to another program. We are about making things better then the competition always!
So look what you like about other Batch Renamers....then think about how to make it better and then post it here. 😉
Include mocked up screenshots if you can also if it might be hard to visualize.
Maybe this:
rename all records (use with care)
and:
show offline
I often inject metadata into all my files i give away to other people.
Basically i rename the description and copy that to various fields.
I enable post and insert my text such as
"composed by", "vo heiko, music", "vo, music, sounddesign and mixing by tonstudio melodee..."
thus i rename the desription "filename+ composed by..."
and copy this information to artist, composer, copyright, designer.
It would be nice for me, to save/load presets for that for the whole process including the text and the copy process, where i can choose to copy to the following fields (X) artist, (X) composer, (x) copyright, (x) designer....(x)...
By the way - how can i add pictures here ?
A couple things on my wish list would be:
- Case changes: upper case, lower case, proper case, sentence case
- Sequential numbering for selection
- Trim - remove spaces from beginning and end
I would be really useful for me to be able to delete "first n characters" of a field like description. Many times I want to delete number at the beginning of the text and if I use "delete only numbers" can delete also numbers inside de description; also if the text is "05 Ambience, Harbour....." and I delete numbers the results is " Ambience, Harbour....". I get a space at the beginning. So I usually add same strange combination at the beginnig such "-.-" and later I do delete "-.- ". This is a trick, but if the new rename panel make this easier I'll really appreciate.
Cheers
$.02 from someone that immediately re-tags everything they get their hands on 🤣
1) Most importantly, the ability to preview the end result. For example, before / after columns for the first 30 records or so. A certain Hamburg-based DAW company does it this way with their wave editor product, and it has saved my butt on many occasions.
2) Secondly - I know we're not trying to cop the functionality of other apps, but just the way we implement rename/trim/copy operations could be standardized to be like other database tools. E.g. the clearest way to make changes to multiple records is a multi-line expression builder, with drop-downs that contain finite possibilities, but the logic + total number of lines is open-ended:
[IF][Description][not equal][*awesome] -->note the wildcard, we need wildcards
[AND][Filetype][NOT][.wav]
[AND][Bpm][IS NUMBER]
...etc. Various consumer-friendly database apps (i.e. with low technical knowledge requirements) tend to use this approach - just simple lines with drop-downs that populate the syntax. The aforementioned wave editor uses something similar in its "Batch Rename" tool. It makes what's about to happen much clearer - rather than than having to scan vertically to see if you've failed to create the right dependency, accidentally checked (or failed to check!) a box...etc.
Disadvantage: requires code combobulation and possibly re-formatting the Rename pane, or creating a pop-up dialog like the Thesaurus editor, or pop-in window like the Taglist.
Advantage: makes it open-ended enough that you can always get whatever you want, forever, and don't have to continuously update the functionality/contents/dependencies of the Rename panel 😀
Even though it does make things a little more open-ended, if there were a preview function you would know when the syntax was correct - so people not used to expression building would know if they had it right.
Let me know if that doesn't make sense.
Already put this into requestbase but found this thread so figured would mention it here as well.
Would love to be able to reference other existing metadata fields when building a rename string. Ideally, in any rename context -- Rename panel or detail panel, etc.
In a certain other program, this is achieved by a function called "Field build" and other metadata fields are accessed by enclosing them in {}. To give an example, specific scenario that I very often deal with is renaming production audio files based on scene and take metadata, as in s17B_t7_08142019.wav
That is made possible by building a string like s{Scene}_t{Take}_{Tape}
This again ties into the feature I've already requested above -- referencing other fields -- but just to provide another context where it may be useful and THEN voted for by others 🙂
I'd like to be able to rename transferred files on the fly with, say, first three letter of a Category field, then maybe some delimiter, then two letters of a SubCategory, a delimiter, and then a generated number or a string.
So that, for instance, a file with category METAL and subcategory SCRAPE becomes, when transferred, MET_SC_0746.wav
So I'd specify a rename string like this, for instance <Category:3>_<Subcategory:2> and then perhaps APPEND a unique ID and a delimiter via some dropdown box. Or maybe a unique ID from a current timestamp that includes seconds, to make it instantly unique... Something of this sort.
In other words, again -- let us be able to use/reference existing metadata fields (or parts of them, like first several letters or last, etc) and build our own replacement strings. Some wildcards would be great, of course.
I'd love to have the ability to rename files with more options.
The way I organise my files is to add an ID number at the start which is somewhat unconventional but for the way I catalogue it is very desirable. I store this ID in the "Short ID" field and then want to rename files by adding this pre-filename but the only option is to add description so I first need to copy description to another field, then copy ID to description, rename file then copy descriptions back again. A little awkward but having the ability to formulate a string using any elements would be great. That and the ability to properly set the delimiter between pre/post operations.
I need a way to rename files quickly. Right now there are only replace/prepend options, but I want to completely rename them. I do this all the time as the source files are often things like T44.wav or 190729_001.wav. As I listen I like to rename the source files.
Is this impossible right now? I can't find a way to do this. Am I perhaps missing the simple rename file option or is it pro only?
Also, F2 to edit a selected field would be great as it follows standard PC convention.
Good to know! Here are my requests with details.
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Auto Fill as the user types would be helpful. I’ve put together a big list of common categories and subcategories used in a spreadsheet that may be useful for you. Something like this, but that auto fills based on current database or user values would be great. Perhaps something like this could even be built out of a user database, or certain folders, to help users build their own examples to be very consistent with Metadata. The hardest part seems to be keeping things consistent and remembering all these darn values 🙂
https://docs.google.com/spreadsheets/d/1S6TpUay8swkTOIi_6034kaBrrDln7Bnu5D78WtrcnTs/edit?usp=sharing
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Rename using IXML metadata! This is huge for zoom and sd recorders. Currently metadata from sessions is embedded in iXML on the F8. Being able to quickly rename internal tracks would be great.
The current process uses Reaper to rename files and scripts, but hopefully that can be done either in basehead or upon transerring to the session so all the items, including those of a multichannel file, are named based.
For a better description check out this evernote in the section METADATA
https://www.evernote.com/l/ABynAx-CY0NCcYPlzy9U12tasoL_Snh44jk
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Optional parity with other apps. Metadata is all over the place regarding nomenclature. It makes it tough to share source between users of different apps.
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camelCase option so it auto formats in camelCase
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FORMATTING_Options_So_All_Caps_And_Spacing_Is_Consistent
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Suggestions based on your current library would be helpful.
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Ability to use an assigned naming convention. Everyone has their own preference of formatting. Being able to form one and save it as a preset would be great! Example Below:
CATEGORY_material_primaryProp_action_secondaryProp(striker)_timingDescriptor(muted,openShort,openLong)_characteristicDescriptor1_characteristcDescriptor2_micPerspective_micConfiguration_Var##
- CATEGORY - All Caps. Should be a fairly broad thematic category
- everything else is camelCase. No spaces. Underscores only.
- micPerspective is used for simultaneous multi mic setups to differentiate between types of mics or different distances/placements. Otherwise perspective can be noted in the characteristicDescriptors that preceded the Var##.
- micConfiguration is for mutichannel mic setups (MS, XY, ORTF, spacedPair, surround)
Here are a few examples:
PING_metal_mixingBowl_tap_fingertip_openShort_light_dull_close_mono_001
PING_glass_wineGlass_hit_fingernail_openShort_bright_tonal_close_stereo_001
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+1 Presets - Ability to store and save presets or import them from an excel sheet and save them. Huge time saver here!
+1 to previewing results
+1 to ability for copying between fields
+1 to generating text/names/fields by using sections of categories (MET_SC_0746.wav example above)
+1 to unique string ability.
+1 to changing delimiter to underscore or any character. Underscore is the most common I see.
Yes, BIG +1 on more flexibility in renaming -- offline and on the fly.
I have an Ultra edition, and I do not see a way to completely replace the whole filename with a string of my choosing. You can only replace a particular text string, and there aren't wildcards available AFAIK, and you are always limited to starting with the "Base", which is now limited to only Filename, Description, or some combination thereof.
PLEASE, let us reference other data fields as a base -- and in other fields -- and introduce WILDCARDS.
For example, I'd like to be able to name my files on transfers starting with Category, and append a unique identifier, for example. The latter probably calls for a separate feature -- an option maybe: "Produce unique filenames on transfer", which would generate a unique/random string to append to a filename.
Ok......Some really good suggestion in here!
I've went thru it all and made notes internally.
I already started sketching it out earlier today and I think you guys are gonna dig the new changes that are planned
I've got a few major hurdles things to figure out UI wise and then we will start coding it next week.
No more suggestions are needed for now cuz I think we already have our hands full with this one already for sure. 😉
FYI: this is about the most un-fun feature to test, so I expect you all that commented above to put it thru the paces for us when it hits BETA...hehe
Wish us luck on this one!