Is there a handy way of renaming files in Lightroom?

[ancient_mariner]

When images in the lightroom catalogue are edited using plugins the file name is appended, sometimes with a dash. When exporting edited images, if using custom name.filename lightroom will then remove all the filename data (like DSC009337) that preceeds the dash to create an exported filename that looks like customfilename.2 or customfilename.edit. This is clearly not helpful when trying to link the images exported to the originals in the catalogue!

I've been going through and amending each filename, removing the dash, in order to get a meaningful export name, but this is horribly laborious and very error prone. Is there a way to rename files in the cataolgue from within lightroom?

 

[droj]

Rename - no. But there are export options where the raw file-name (number) is preserved along with a prefix or suffix ...

 

[lofcuk]

I think so yes, in library mode and grid mode, then select all then apply your re name settings, should be tutorials on youtube.

 

[Yv]

Yep, in library mode, select all the ones you want to rename, then click on the little box next to the file name in the right hand pane. This should open a window with a dropdown menu that has an 'edit' option, you can rename all the files and choose sequence numbers, etc.

 

[Yv]

here you go, some screen shots to demonstrate, from Lightroom 4 btw, maight be slightly different in other versions.

Where to find in Library Mode


location by Yv on Talk Photography

What you get when you click that box marked in previous photo


options by Yv on Talk Photography

the options you get when you click the dropdown menu in previous photo - as you can see, lots of ways to rename and add various options


rename by Yv on Talk Photography

 

[Marc]

Ooh. I didn't know that, will come in very handy.

Works exactly the same in LR5 btw

 

[Yv]

Ooh. I didn't know that, will come in very handy.

Works exactly the same in LR5 btw

glad its of some help Marc, not sure it will do exactly what Toni wants by way of just removing a dash from an inherent file name, but using this he might be able to tie things in the way he wants better.

 

[Marc]

glad its of some help Marc, not sure it will do exactly what Toni wants by way of just removing a dash from an inherent file name, but using this he might be able to tie things in the way he wants better.

Don't know but I'll use it to rename raw files when I import them. I like the idea of using Custom Name - Sequence so that the filenames are relevant and they would be ordered starting with xxxx- 1 (probably a bit OCD)

Just check Sue's macbook which still has LR2 and that works exactly the same so looks like it's standard across all versions.

 

[droj]

I said no, & stand corrected. How might changing filenames affect the order of how files display in LR? Must be best to have a consistent system throughout?

 

[arad85]

Don't know but I'll use it to rename raw files when I import them.

When you import, there is a File Rename tab there anyway - assuming you are copying or moving the files. If you are just Adding them, there is no option.

 

[Tintin124]

I said no, & stand corrected. How might changing filenames affect the order of how files display in LR? Must be best to have a consistent system throughout?

You can sort the order to however you want I normally use capture time.

As for OP in library mode press F2 on a PC when you have selected all files you want to rename.

 

[Marc]

When you import, there is a File Rename tab there anyway - assuming you are copying or moving the files. If you are just Adding them, there is no option.

Indeed although I'm talking about after getting rid of the rejects

 

[ancient_mariner]

Thanks guys - will try later. I've got about 60 images to rename. I can't do batch rename, because I'm changing usually just one or 2 characters in the name, but it's better than tarting around name changing, then finding the renamed image.