Rename on Import

[Jon Meddings]

Perhaps I'm being very stupid (not unusual I guess) but I have just started using LR3's import function to copy images off a card to my directory structure.

As a preamble - I've used LR extensively in the past and love it. Very comfortable with the program. However, in the past I always used Downloader Pro to move images off my card reader into my directory structure. I had DP rename the image to "Camera Model_Date_file number.cr2" and place them in a directory of "RAWImages\Year\Month\Day". I then would sync this directory in lightroom and import into the library.  Worked very well.

Now with LR3 I love the layout of the import function and have been trying to do all this in LR3. It works - sort of.  I have developed a preset that copies all the images off the card to the correct directory structure - very nice. I also have a rename preset that replicates the naming system that I use and I can select any images I want in the lightroom catalog and rename them (F2).  Works well.

What I cannot seem to do is to use this renaming function during the import directly from the card reader and store the entire process in a single preset. Being somewhat stupid I find that I import the images and then immediately start to work on the shoot and often forget to rename them. It is my fault but if someone knew how you could automate the renaming during import it would save my ageing brain one more thing to remember!

[wolfnowl]

Hi There:  Maybe I don't understand the question correctly, but looking at the LR3 import window:

[attachment=23166:LR3.jpg]

On the left you specify the source - LR detects when I have a card in the reader, but | don't have one at the moment.  Top right under File Handling you specify things like don't import duplicates, make a second copy, etc.  Under that you specify File Renaming options, including any custom text in the required field, and you check the 'Rename Files' box.  Under 'Apply on Import' you specify a Develop preset, metadata preset, keywords, etc to be used on import, and under 'Destination' you tell Lightroom where to put the files.  At the top you specify Copy as DNG, Copy, Move or Add.

Having set all those parameters, at the bottom there's an 'Import preset' box.  I generally group my files by month, so I have presets for each month but you could do it by shoot, client or whatever.  Select the appropriate preset, and everything is as you set it to be.

Mike.

[Jon Meddings]

Hi There:  Maybe I don't understand the question correctly, but looking at the LR3 import window:

[attachment=23166:LR3.jpg]

On the left you specify the source - LR detects when I have a card in the reader, but | don't have one at the moment.  Top right under File Handling you specify things like don't import duplicates, make a second copy, etc.  Under that you specify File Renaming options, including any custom text in the required field, and you check the 'Rename Files' box.  Under 'Apply on Import' you specify a Develop preset, metadata preset, keywords, etc to be used on import, and under 'Destination' you tell Lightroom where to put the files.  At the top you specify Copy as DNG, Copy, Move or Add.

Having set all those parameters, at the bottom there's an 'Import preset' box.  I generally group my files by month, so I have presets for each month but you could do it by shoot, client or whatever.  Select the appropriate preset, and everything is as you set it to be.

Mike.

Mike thanks for the quick reply. I don't have LR3 handy right now but I did look at this. What I couldn't get it to do was to rename as "Camera Model_Date_file number.cr2" even though I could set this up in the file renaming portion of LR3. I will go back and look at this again but it seemed to me that LR was not allowing its full ability to rename files in the import module which seemed a bit strange to me. I may have overlooked something and so will go back and check as I'm doing this from memory Mike!

[Jon Meddings]

Mike, I'ved just checked again on LR3 and am very puzzled.


I have a preset saved that is called "Camera_YYMMDD_suffix" that when used on a test file gives me "Canon EOS-1DsMarkIII_100714_0001.cr2". However, when I select this preset from the window you refer to on the file import dialog it cannot see the camera part of this preset and on the same file calls it "_100714_0001.cr2".  

This is the bizarre behaviour I am finding. I cannot understand why LR will not recognize this preset properly in the import module but does in the library once the file is imported!

[wolfnowl]

Jon: I see two possibilities, although there may be others.

1) It may be a bug - LR3 definitely has its share of them  In that case you might want to mention this one to Tom Hogarty @ Lightroom

2) The other possibility is that Lightroom hasn't read the metadata from the file at this point and so it can't assign the camera information yet.

Mike.