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[slikvik]

Hi,

I have lots of image files that I tag with just keywords. I use the keyword field (separated with semicolons) because I want these keywords to be in the filename. In MC11 I would "Fill Filename from Properties" and would get the following based on using "Keyword" for filename.

C:\My Pictures\Luke_Ibiza_2007.jpg
C:\My Pictures\Luke_Ibiza_2007(1).jpg
C:\My Pictures\Luke_Ibiza_2007(2).jpg
C:\My Pictures\Internet_Jokes.jpg
C:\My Pictures\Internet_Jokes(1).jpg

Although I would prefer to not have the underscores and would also like some control over the numbering, this is better than how MC12 is behaving.

Using exactly the same procedure, MC12 simply asks if it would like me to overwrite. If I say yes I lose a file and if I say no I get a file which doesn't get renamed!

Any idea why this was changed and is there a way to get it back?

Regards

Vic

[slikvik]

I think I've found that it only overwrites if you set to 'Copy' in 'Rename Files from Properties'. If you select 'Move' it appends a number to each file with the same name.

That's fine for me. Can someone confirm that this is correct?

[MusicHawk]

When I do a large batch of Rename Files From Properties I end up in Replace Yes/No hell. It's set to Move, not Copy, but I still lose files and lots of time. It takes hours to work through the process. I have to sit there and wait for the periodic Replace prompts to pop up, then I have to say No because I don't want to lose a file.

Then I have to find a way to identify the files that were skipped, manually rename them, and maybe run the process again. The last time I used Rename Files From Properties I had hundreds of files that MC wanted to Replace YES by default, and no way to get a list of them, unless by luck the pre-rename had the files in a different path that I could check. At the end, MC pops up a list of files that were skipped, but usually the number is longer than the displayed list. Also, it's a modal dialog so there's no way to view it while fixing the files.

WORSE, I routinely LOSE files because the default Replace button is YES. If start doing something else on the computer (such as read this forum) while MC does the Renaming, which often takes hours, when an MC dialog pops up with YES/NO, if I happen to be typing/clicking, the next thing I do is taken by MC as input. BAM! The prompt suddenly disappears, and I don't know whether it thinks I clicked YES or NO. At least some of the time, the unintended answer is YES, so a file is replaced and therefore a file is lost.

Also, there's no apparent way to stop the Rename process, so even after discovering that there will be rename conflicts, the process just wants to continue, and every Replace prompt must be answered -- correctly -- for more hours.

One oddity is, if I just do a small number of files, a rename via suffix "might" happen. This seems to be the behavior is the current Rename list does not include two files that will end up with the same name. If only one is getting a new name, and MC finds that name already exists, the suffix rename is involved -- wonderful! BUT... If the Rename list has two or more files that when renamed will get the same name, MC wants to Replace the first with the second, etc. In a large list, this can happen frequently. Likely the problem is that MC doesn't recheck file names once the process starts. Likely good for speed, but very bad for protecting files while getting the job done.

HOPED-FOR FIX: There are various scenarios where MC automatically renames by appending a suffix to the file name. This capability is desperately needed in Rename Files From Properties. What's needed is an option before starting, and/or when the prompt pops up. The option choices should be to always overwrite, to never overwrite but instead skip, to always auto-rename to assure files are never lost, and maybe to manually rename on the spot.

AND PLEASE, don't have the Replace prompt's default be YES.