HELP please - How to order images from two cameras

[Spooky]

Hello

Just shot a wedding and I used two cameras (D70 and a D70s) to cover the event. When I edit and present images I like them in chronological order. As I was cutting between cameras throughout the day by downloading the memory card the shots are going to be out of order.

I know in windows explorer I can sort images by date and this should work to put them in chronological order as I have set the cameras to the same time (or near enough).

However, how do I rename the files so the numbering in also in order in line with the timeline? So the first image shot is is 001 and then on from there.

Any ideas?

[gstark]

I'm not aware of any utility that does this for you, but it shouldn't be too difficult to write one that simply examines the full timestamp and renames each file based on that. How's your VB ?

[leek]

Hi Spooky,
I'm not sure that it'll do exactly what you want, but Nikon Transfer allows you to batch rename the files to include the date and time... this may get you part of the way there... Maybe you could achieve a sequential numbering by having file names of ddddddd-ttttttt-D70 (or D70S) storing all the files in the same directory and then doing a second pass with Nikon Transfer to rename to img001 etc.
Worth a try anyway...

[Spooky]

If by VB you mean visual basic then that is all I know about it.


Leek

Do you mean picture project transfer? I can put the time in that when I download from the memory card but can't see how to rename the files in another batch later.

[leek]

No Nikon Transfer which is a small module available from the Tools menu in Nikon View...

It is normally used for moving your files from the CF card to the HD, but there's nothing to stop you using it for this purpose...

When you launch Nikon Transfer it comes up with a brief confirmation screen. If you then click on the Change button, it will allow you to influence where the files are put and how they are renamed...

when you've done the first transfers, you might need to copy the files back to your camera / CF card, so that Nikon Transfer can find them again when you do the second batch rename...

Hope this sort of makes sense...

p.s. I hope that the clocks on the 2 cameras are synchronised - otherwise this won't work properly anyway...

[bender]

just sort by date highlight them in explorer,select all go from last to first using shift and one mouse click and hit f2 (rename) leave the . jpg .. it will rename the first one to the name and the rest to name (1) name (2) etc then rename the first to name (0)

try it on a few other files first make sure you select 12 files

[zeb00]

i have a app i wrote in vb to do exactly this if you still havent worked this out i will organise a download for you.

[Spooky]

Bender, I think this only works in XP. I run Win 2000.

Zeb, if you could send me the file and how to work it that would be great

[zeb00]

Bender, I think this only works in XP. I run Win 2000.

Zeb, if you could send me the file and how to work it that would be great

Hey spooky sorry about the delay here is the app you wanted

http://www.kpgroup.org/downloads/rename2.exe

if whan you run it i complains of missing files you may need to download the installer just unzip and run setup.

http://www.kpgroup.org/downloads/rename2.zip

once you have it running just select the directory where the file are curently in the input section and click on the Date header to sort them by date clicking again will switch between ascending and descending. then select the output directory in the output section (BTW even though this program is called rename it will actually copy the files to the output dir with new names).

in the process section select a prefix (for example if you want your output files to be IMG0001.jpg) enter IMG in this box the next box is pretty self explanitory its the first output number so if you only want the files to start at IMG0095.jpg enter 95 in this box the last box will let you change the incriment (eg. IMG0095.jpg IMG0097.jpg IMG0099.jpg) you would enter 2 in the last box. if your files are curently in two seperate directory they will need to be put in the same directory if there are no overlaping name you can just copy them inthere using explorer if there is the same named files in both dir's you can use this program to rename one group using a high start number eg 1000 and the other starting from 1 that way they wont over write each othere.

WARNING: this program was written by me for personal use and i take no responsibility for people doing dumb things like setting there output director to a directory full of images and them getting overwritten it will not warn you when you are about to overwrite files so make sure your output dir ia ALLWAYS AN EMPTY DIRECTORY.

[Spooky]

Thanks Zeb. The installer didn't seem to install but the exe file worked.

I tried a dummy run and it seemed to work.

However I notice the date displayed is the time and date I copied the files into the directory for the renaming operation, not the date the files were created (photos taken). Am I missing something here ?

I also noticed that when I changed the first number field from 00001 to 001 it made the file name 00001 anyway. Is this how it works or did I do something wrong?

Cheers
Brett

[zeb00]

good point it windows changes the file creation date when you copy a file so i will need to change it to use the file modified date i will make these changes as soon as possible i can also change the min leading 0's to 2 or make an option so you can choose your own setting i will get onto this when i get up (night shift). sorry for the wait. BTW if there is anyone who think this app could be usefull i can add any settings you guys may need (within reason).

[Spooky]

That's very nice of you to offer Zeb. I look forward to seeing the modified product

Cheers

[zeb00]

EDIT: UPLODAED 2.1.1

http://www.kpgroup.org/downloads/rename2_1_1.exe