Need Faster Way to Rename Video Files

[TwoRails]

I've searched for an answer numerous times over a year or so but haven't found an answer yet.

I'm terrible disorganized with at least hundreds of video files scattered all over the place on multiple drives and in hundreds of directories and sub-directories. Most files are in the default camera name or capture name. I have files from home movie VHS tapes, Digital Tapes, and Digital formats, like from SD cards.

Currently I use Windows Explorer to go to a directory. Double click a file to view in VLC. Figure out what's in the file. Close VLC. Then rename the file. Rinse and repeat for more files in the directory.

I've tried several 'video managers' but none do what I want, and they all have tons of features I don't want. I want a simple way to look at a video file and rename it. That's all.

I don't want massive catalogs, actor list generation (I have just home movies), tagging (the file name will do that, like [making this up] Uncle Bob's Birthday Party 1985), color coding, thumbnails, and so on.

My 'catalog' system is simple: I put all like files in their own directories. Like family event videos in one directory, all pet videos in another, vacations, and so on.

All the software I've checked out (pay for, or free) will Not rename files.

Any ideas? ...or am I stuck with my current method? It works, but it's tedious.

[JVRaines]

I want a simple way to look at a video file and rename it. That's all.

What do you imagine would be simpler than VLC and Windows Explorer? It's two windows. You don't have to keep closing VLC. Just drag the next file onto it.

[videobruger]

Perhaps faster.

Even though you don't want thumbnails "and so on". If setting the folder view to "Large Icon" isn't enough to identify the videos drag a folder with video content onto Video Thumbnails Maker and (grab a cup of coffe) let it make thumbnails. Arrange a window for an image viewer like Irfan View next to a Explorer window as attached and step through the thumbnails in the viewer while renaming in explorer.

[TwoRails]

I want a simple way to look at a video file and rename it. That's all.

What do you imagine would be simpler than VLC and Windows Explorer? It's two windows. You don't have to keep closing VLC. Just drag the next file onto it.

Fair question, and it made me think a little. I'm use to my main photo editor and it's 'browse' feature. I can view the photos and rename just one, or a bunch of them at a time without having to do any switching between 'modules' or other programs. Fast. Simple. Easy. So I guess that's what's in the back of my head when I get around to renaming a few video files. It just seems convoluted by comparison.

Thanks for the drag tip. At one time, I don't know how many versions/releases ago, I had problems with renaming a just viewed file even though I'm playing a different one. I would get the 'file in use' error. I just figured maybe VLC had it hooked somehow for a playlist or something. But it works fine that way now.

I'll give it a try as it seems like it will be easier Thanks.

[TwoRails]

Perhaps faster.

Even though you don't want thumbnails "and so on". If setting the folder view to "Large Icon" isn't enough to identify the videos drag a folder with video content onto Video Thumbnails Maker and (grab a cup of coffe) let it make thumbnails. Arrange a window for an image viewer like Irfan View next to a Explorer window as attached and step through the thumbnails in the viewer while renaming in explorer.

Interesting. I looked at the utility but found only one screenshot. Can you control the number of thumbnails, say, to just 2 or 3? These appear to be separate files on the drive: how do you delete them when done? What I mean by that is my video files are mixed in with my photo files. The thumbnail files are jpegs. So separating them in a directory with a 100 or so video and jpegs seems a little problamatic as with my luck, I'd be deleting photos along with the thumbnails.

[videobruger]

separating them in a directory with a 100 or so video and jpegs

Sort your files by date

And use a different folder.

Can you control the number of thumbnails, say, to just 2 or 3?

Define your matrix



Personally I use Bulk Rename Utility

Say I was at a wedding and got a couple of hundred photos together with some videos. I put them all in a folder like "Ann And Chucks Wedding"

Right click the folder and select Bulk Rename then:

1. Highlight all (Ctrl+a)
2. Remove (5) first n
3. Append Folder Name (9)
4. Numbering (10)
4. Hit Rename.

And normally in two step. First selecting .jpg. Then avi + mov + ...



And

[TwoRails]

Thanks for the tutorial, videobruger. Seems like you have a lot of control in the Thumbnail program. I also use Bulk Rename Utility, a great utility! I don't know how to use all of its power, but I can do what I want with it. My system with it is similar to yours but a little different. First, I'm not a pro photographer, so when I download my memory card to the computer I'll have lots of snapshots of lots of different things spread out over at least several dates.

What I do is:
* put all the files (often a mix of photos and videos, but mostly photos) in a 'temp renaming' folder.
* I have a couple of cameras, and I'll Replace the DSC prefix to something that denote the camera model, like 60D.
* If the shots were all on the same day (very rare for me) I can add the date prefix at that time, but usually:
* I'll select all files of the same date and add a prefix of something like "-May25-16=" without the quotes. I use the '=' to separate it from the camera model and original file number. So the file name is now something like "-May25-16=60D_01234".

From there I'll either go back to Windows Explorer with extra large thumbnails or go to my photo editor (it use to be called Perfect Photo Suite but is now called Photo 10) to further rename the files. Photo 10 doesn't show video files, however.

Since I take snapshots over time, like of a project I'm working on, the related files are scattered about in the temp folder. In my editor's Browse module I can simply select all the related thumbnails and right click to rename; usually I just add another prefix. So now that group of photos become something like "Building the garden tool rack-May25-16=60D_01234".

If I use Windows Explorer, I'll drag the group of related file to another temp folder, use Bulk Rename to add the new prefix, then immediately drag them back.

Either way, the result is the same, but using the Browse module for this last step is the fastest and easiest as there is a couple less steps.

[graymeme]

Hello everyone,
I don't normally like to promote my work, but I created a small application just for renaming files in bulk and it would really be nice if people were able to use it aside from me. (btw it's based on Thunar Bulk Renamer)

You could download it here: https://bitbucket.org/fidelt/just-another-bulk-renamer/downloads/JABR.zip and simply run 'jabr.exe' after extracting it.


[Attachment 37241 - Click to enlarge]

[Baldrick]

Hello everyone,
I don't normally like to promote my work, but I created a small application just for renaming files in bulk and it would really be nice if people were able to use it aside from me. (btw it's based on Thunar Bulk Renamer)

You could download it here: https://bitbucket.org/fidelt/just-another-bulk-renamer/downloads/JABR.zip and simply run 'jabr.exe' after extracting it.


[Attachment 37241 - Click to enlarge]

When publishing exe files I recommend you scan it with virustotal first.

Your bulk renamer looks safe:
https://www.virustotal.com/en/file/64680db44edb1d40dfefa378a7995b7e957b8ebe82fbe37b575...is/1464881391/