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Author Topic: Renaming files  (Read 13680 times)

gvanbrunt

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Renaming files
« on: March 29, 2010, 08:35:03 pm »

Quote
1. have a 'file name cleanup' facility
2. to be able to get DVD/Bluray covers of films automatically
3. support for .iso & .nrg files, i.e., play DVD or bluray image files

1. MC has had this for a long time. Between the Clean File Properties and Rename, Move & Copy Files it should do what you want.
3. This can be done: http://yabb.jriver.com/interact/index.php?topic=51754.0
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debt_collector

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Renaming files
« Reply #1 on: March 30, 2010, 01:26:02 pm »

Thanks for your reply
Some media players cleen-up file names to leave only the actual file name and exclude bits of the file name - such as 1997.1080p.Bluray.Dts.X264-Ill - automatically, for all files imported to the video library. So for example, a file called Film Title 1997.1080p.Bluray.Dts.X264- will be changed to Film Title. Can JRiver so that?
I would prefer it if there was direct support for mounting images without having to install a third party prog etc. Are you planning to have this feature in v15?
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JimH

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Renaming files
« Reply #2 on: March 30, 2010, 01:37:51 pm »

Thanks for your reply
Some media players cleen-up file names to leave only the actual file name and exclude bits of the file name - such as 1997.1080p.Bluray.Dts.X264-Ill - automatically, for all files imported to the video library. So for example, a file called Film Title 1997.1080p.Bluray.Dts.X264- will be changed to Film Title. Can JRiver so that?
I would prefer it if there was direct support for mounting images without having to install a third party prog etc. Are you planning to have this feature in v15?
You can right click on any file and use Library Tools to rename it, using tags such as [Name].
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BartMan01

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Renaming files
« Reply #3 on: March 30, 2010, 10:48:54 pm »

You can right click on any file and use Library Tools to rename it, using tags such as [Name].

IMHO, this is a much better solution than any 'auto' feature.  With the saved 'recent' presents you can quickly rename the file/folder structure to your various standards and not to any 'one size fits all' convention.

Examples:
For movies I store single file movies as '..\MovieName (Year)\MovieName.ext'  the rename feature takes care of the folder and file name in one quick process.
Then for TV shows I prefer '..\ShowName (Year)\Season (Season No)\ShowName.S99E99.AirDate.EpisodeName.ext' - again a quick and easy rename.

And if I ever change my mind, another rename will reorganize it all again with my new format(s).
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debt_collector

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Renaming files
« Reply #4 on: April 01, 2010, 03:27:53 am »

IMHO, this is a much better solution than any 'auto' feature.  With the saved 'recent' presents you can quickly rename the file/folder structure to your various standards and not to any 'one size fits all' convention.

Examples:
For movies I store single file movies as '..\MovieName (Year)\MovieName.ext'  the rename feature takes care of the folder and file name in one quick process.
Then for TV shows I prefer '..\ShowName (Year)\Season (Season No)\ShowName.S99E99.AirDate.EpisodeName.ext' - again a quick and easy rename.

And if I ever change my mind, another rename will reorganize it all again with my new format(s).
But as far as I can tell, having followed instructions posted above, whatever options available when renaming files don't allow me to remove all sorts of variations included in the filename. I prefer the one solution fits all. I've been XBMC for some time before moving to MC and XMBC does a great job with file name clean up.
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BartMan01

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Renaming files
« Reply #5 on: April 01, 2010, 08:23:51 am »

But as far as I can tell, having followed instructions posted above, whatever options available when renaming files don't allow me to remove all sorts of variations included in the filename. I prefer the one solution fits all. I've been XBMC for some time before moving to MC and XMBC does a great job with file name clean up.

I don't follow.  Renaming the file, renames the file - removing the entire filename and replacing it based on your criteria.  The filename could be 12345.ext and rename based on Name would replace '12345' with whatever is in the name field in MC.
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debt_collector

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Renaming files
« Reply #6 on: April 01, 2010, 08:56:44 am »

I don't follow.  Renaming the file, renames the file - removing the entire filename and replacing it based on your criteria.  The filename could be 12345.ext and rename based on Name would replace '12345' with whatever is in the name field in MC.
I think we're both struggling to follow. I'll try to explain...
I have a range of files, e.g., 123445TDS.x264.yadayadayada.mkv; 5678890TDS-MA5.1.x264.blah.mkv; 67838TDS-MA-7.1.bnbn.mkv. I'd like to be able to rename them all, without having to do this manually for each file, so that they will show in my library as 123445.mkv, 5678890.mkv, 67838.mkv respectively. Unfortunately, the name field includes the long protracted file names, e.g., 123445TDS.x264.yadayadayada. Therefore renaming it using the info in the name field doesn’t help. I tired to look at other renaming criteria available in the renaming options such as replacing dots with spaces and changing caps etc. That doesn’t provide the solution I’m looking for either. Any ideas?
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BartMan01

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Re: Renaming files
« Reply #7 on: April 01, 2010, 12:11:40 pm »

I get you.  What your are missing is the first step -> Fill Properties From Filename
Use that to populate the tags correctly and then use the tags to rename the file.

123445TDS.x264.yadayadayada.mkv

Fill properties from file '[Name]TDS' will result in the [Name] field containing '123445' as desired.  If the rest of the filename contains data you wish to capture, you can format the fill properties string as needed.
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BartMan01

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Re: Renaming files
« Reply #8 on: April 01, 2010, 12:25:55 pm »

Thanks for your reply
Some media players cleen-up file names to leave only the actual file name and exclude bits of the file name - such as 1997.1080p.Bluray.Dts.X264-Ill - automatically, for all files imported to the video library. So for example, a file called Film Title 1997.1080p.Bluray.Dts.X264- will be changed to Film Title. Can JRiver so that?
I would prefer it if there was direct support for mounting images without having to install a third party prog etc. Are you planning to have this feature in v15?

File properties from fielname:
'[Name] 1997' should leave you with 'Film Title'.
If the '1997' varies from file to file then maybe try '[Name] [Date].1080p' or just '[Name].'

Just try different formats on a single file at a time.  Once it is working the way you want, run it on all similarly named files.
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BryanC

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Re: Renaming files
« Reply #9 on: April 01, 2010, 12:29:14 pm »

I would love the ability to drop music files into MC15 and have them automatically organized (rename & copy) in my folders by some predefined rules. I currently have to use foobar to set up my folder structures and using the rename/copy function in MC should be automatic.
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JimH

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Re: Renaming files
« Reply #10 on: April 01, 2010, 12:43:35 pm »

... using the rename/copy function in MC should be automatic.
It is semi-automatic once you've set it up.  You then just run it.  Takes a few seconds.
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BartMan01

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Re: Renaming files
« Reply #11 on: April 01, 2010, 03:50:42 pm »

I would love the ability to drop music files into MC15 and have them automatically organized (rename & copy) in my folders by some predefined rules. I currently have to use foobar to set up my folder structures and using the rename/copy function in MC should be automatic.

My process is as follows:
All new content goes in to a 'new downloads' folder that is set to auto import to MC.
I have a view on the main tree that shows me stuff in that folder and the important fields that I want to make sure I always have filled out.
I use the fill properties from filename for the initial tagging.
Once they are properly tagged, I use the rename feature to build the folder structure and move the files.
Not automatic but really a fast minimal interaction process.

For any type of 'auto' functionality I would like to see something along the lines of the Lightroom import process.  With the ability to choose the appropriate 'fill from file name' and 'rename' preset for the files being imported.  Unless you only deal with one type of file with a consistent naming convention to start with, fully auto would be of limited use.

Edit:  for the record I am not saying the idea of an auto rename is bad, just trying to show how to accomplish close to that with the existing functionality.
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zuiko

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Re: Renaming files
« Reply #12 on: April 02, 2010, 03:49:08 am »

The Rename/Move/Copy context menu option works great. It is easy enough to select all recently imported files and rename them. I need to go over the tags first, anyway, so it wouldn't make much sense for MC to start moving stuff around and renaming them based on tags I haven't been able to update yet.
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debt_collector

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Re: Renaming files
« Reply #13 on: April 02, 2010, 08:04:09 pm »

I get you.  What your are missing is the first step -> Fill Properties From Filename
Use that to populate the tags correctly and then use the tags to rename the file.

123445TDS.x264.yadayadayada.mkv

Fill properties from file '[Name]TDS' will result in the [Name] field containing '123445' as desired.  If the rest of the filename contains data you wish to capture, you can format the fill properties string as needed.
I right-clicked on 123445TDS.x264.yadaya.dayada.mkv and selected 'Fill properties from filename' as suggested. I ticked file  (directores remained unticked) and selected [name]TDS as the naming convention from the drop down manu. I clicked ok, checked the tag and the name field showed 123445. That worked for 123445TDS.x264.yadaya.dayada.mkv but not with other files who have different bits of information included in the filename after the film title. So does it mean taht I need to do this manually for every file?
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BartMan01

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Re: Renaming files
« Reply #14 on: April 03, 2010, 01:04:15 am »

Maybe if you gave some examples of actual filenames you were trying to work with.  If there is any consistency/meaning to the filename then fill properties from filename should be able to parse it out.
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roopertd

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Re: Renaming files
« Reply #15 on: April 03, 2010, 01:29:33 am »

[name]TDS will only work with the file names that have TDS in them.

You could enter TDS into the J River search to isoloate everything with TDS, then do "Fill Properties From Filename" for [name]TDS.

If there are file names that don't have TDS but have some other common characters you can change the J river search parameters and the "Fill Properties From Filename" parameters accordingly.

If there are no common characters, but just a cornucopia of random numbers and letters, then this method wont work without some manual changes done to the file name.

Some people use "PvdImport" to add tags to their videos. Once the videos have tags, J River can rename the file and directories based on the tag information.
I have never used PvdImport so i cant say how well it works.

I found manually renaming then using "Fill Properties From Filename" so simple and quick that i haven't bothered to try any other way.
A few months ago i spent a couple hours a day for about a week to tag over 1400 videos. Now that its done i spend maybe 5 minutes a week tagging new videos as i acquire them.

If all you are trying to do is clean up your file names, im sure that it would take less time to manually change them than it would take to find some magical fix.
If you want to add detailed tags look into PvdImport or look here

http://yabb.jriver.com/interact/index.php?topic=56096.0


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debt_collector

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Re: Renaming files
« Reply #16 on: April 03, 2010, 05:52:23 am »

Maybe if you gave some examples of actual filenames you were trying to work with.  If there is any consistency/meaning to the filename then fill properties from filename should be able to parse it out.
This is really frustrating because I already gave examples in my previous posts in this thread! I specifically wrote  that the file names in my library are pretty random!  I think it will be fair to say that there are almost as many variations as there are files. I initially posted this in the version 15 feature request thread (before it was moved) because I thought that MC v14 doesn’t have the ability to effectively clean up a range of varied file names such as the ones in my video library. Unfortunately, I was instructed to go on a wild goose-chase.  So we're now back in square one now.  So can I reiterate my request to add a file cleanup feature to MC v15. I would like this feature to be able to automatically cleanup filenames, even if there isn’t a consistency/meaning to the filename  (like XBMC can)?
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Alex B

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Re: Renaming files
« Reply #17 on: April 03, 2010, 06:29:25 am »

Quote
like XBMC can

Could you explain this? How does it work?

Does it need metadata from an online database or is it based on some kind of fuzzy logic that can guess the names solely by analyzing the existing filenames? Is the functionality provided by a third party plugin or is it already in the standard XBMC program? Etc...
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rick.ca

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Re: Renaming files
« Reply #18 on: April 03, 2010, 01:37:49 pm »

I would like this feature to be able to automatically cleanup filenames, even if there isn’t a consistency/meaning to the filename  (like XBMC can)?

XBMC uses regex to extract data from filenames. Although there may be many regex for recognizing different patterns, each requires perfect consistency to work. And I doubt they've gone to extraordinary lengths to recognize filenames which might appear to be patternless. The documentation seems to indicate quite specific file naming conventions must be used.

I'm sure XBMC provides for the renaming of files, but only those which have already been added to the database with the essential meta data. This would be similar to, but nowhere near as powerful as MC's Rename, Move and Copy Files facility.
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BartMan01

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Re: Renaming files
« Reply #19 on: April 03, 2010, 04:16:03 pm »

This is really frustrating because I already gave examples in my previous posts in this thread!

All of the examples you gave previously were random number, the letters TDS, more random stuff.  If that were the actual file names, then all had 'TDS' in them and the example of [Name]TDS would work.  I suspect that those were not actual file names and without seeing what you are seeing it is hard to give advice based on hypotheticals.  If your filenames are actually like:

Sixteen CandlesSEEFAS.ADSFAS.ADFS.EXT
HalloweenSDFAEI.SADFLSD.EXT
Creature From The Black LagoonSDFSADO.ADSLFS.SDFD.EXT

Then I am not really sure how ANY tool is automagically finding the correct 'name'.

If for some reason you are reluctant to post the actual 'Name', how about some ACTUAL examples with just the 'Name' part replaced with 'Name'.
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