Filed under: Features, How-tos
Mac Automation: Rename multiple files efficiently
With Automator, you can easily streamline common tasks. If you work with many files (i.e. pictures), then you know how easy it is to lose track because of incorrectly named files. With this Automator workflow, you'll never lose your place (or a file) again.
Building the Workflow
To create this workflow, simply add the following Automator actions (in the same order):
- Get Specified Finder Items
- Rename Finder Items
When you add the "Rename Finder Items" action to your workflow, Automator will ask if you want to copy the files so you don't mess with the originals. Choose "Don't Add."
Configuring the Workflow
In the "Rename Finder Items" action, you have almost unlimited choices for renaming schemes. To get started, select a scheme from the first drop-down box. You can choose from: Add Date or time, Add Text, Change Case, Make Sequential, Replace Text, Name Single Item.
Once you select your renaming scheme, choose the options you want based on the scheme. For instance, if you wanted the "Make Sequential" scheme, you could choose to use existing naming, or create a new name. You can also select options for where to place the numbers, which number to start counting from, and how to separate the number from the rest of the text.
Running the Workflow
Once you have your naming scheme figured out, it's time to run the workflow, and have Automator do the heavy-lifting. Drag and drop the files you want renamed onto the "Get Specified Finder Items" workflow. They will be added to the list of files to be renamed. You can then click the "Run" button in the top-right corner of the window. Your original files will be renamed, leaving you with perfectly renamed files. You can now save your workflow.
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Reader Comments (Page 1 of 1)
Chad said 4:33PM on 11-11-2008
Or use Name Mangler. http://www.manytricks.com/namemangler/
Reply
itsmeee said 5:43PM on 11-11-2008
yours is way better then the one I posted. Thanks for the link!
G said 7:11PM on 11-12-2008
Yes! Good old File List has become Name Mangler. Still insanely quick and easy. Still donation-ware which works perfectly whether you pay or not. Still rocks.
I was very excited when I first read about Automator in Tiger. The one issue I still have with AppleScript is the tedious setup syntax. But Automator has been a bust for me. Still obtuse (for anything besides the nice and simple example above), oddly slow, unpredictable results. I had a fever, Automator was the Rx, then I passed out while standing in line at the pharmacy.
itsmeee said 4:36PM on 11-11-2008
Renamer4mac is free and amazing. It's saved me so much time.
Reply
Dave said 10:59PM on 11-11-2008
I agree Renamer4Mac is amazing, but it's no longer free.
Simon Arch said 2:18AM on 11-12-2008
Another vote for the 2.x version of Renamer4Mac. The 3.x versions are all way too expensive for what it does. I will look into NameMangler though.
mickscpu said 6:23AM on 11-15-2008
Was also going to sing the praises of Name Mangler deff the way to go! You can even make workflow type droplets for repeated actions.
Reply
Brendan said 11:48AM on 11-12-2008
I use this workflow all the time to rename pictures I download from my digital camera with Image Capture. However, I find it most useful to add a sort command after 'get finder items'. It keeps things in the right order if you're naming things sequentially. I can't remember the exact command because I'm on a PC at work right now...
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