Subject: Re: [Name Mangler Talk] Using FileNumber from EXIF

From: Erick <[email-masked]>
Date: Mon, 11 Nov 2019 09:00:48 -0800 (PST)

Thank you for the explanation. Perhaps, a solution will arise and make it 
possible at some point. It's funny that you mention using Spotlight/Finder 
in conjunction with NM. At the moment I do something similar but, with 
another application called "EasyFind" by DEVON Technologies, which gives me 
better control in terms of filtering. But even with their filtering 
options, it still falls short in terms of refining results down even 
further.  Regardless, I love the product and will keep an eye out with 
hopes!   ;)   Thank you again! 

On Sunday, November 10, 2019 at 10:31:47 AM UTC-5, Many Tricks wrote:
>
> On Nov 6, 2019, at 9:05 AM, Erick <[email-masked] <javascript:>> wrote:
>
> Not sure how far you're off from releasing name mangler 4 BUT if I can 
> make a feature request. Including searching the file systems and allowing 
> for all types of filtering. This would allow searching for specific files 
> and different characteristics THEN rename then right then and there. All 
> without leaving the application. The only one I know of, is a Windows 
> application called "advanced renamer (https://www.advancedrenamer.com), 
> This is super useful and could set the app apart from the others in this 
> category. Not sure if it's possible but there you go.  ;) 
>
>
> Honestly, I'm not sure we'll get there, for two reasons: One, the 
> potential for problems if you wind up selecting more than you thought you 
> selected—but that's a minor issue. The bigger issue is that building in an 
> entire Spotlight search interface into the app will really bloat the UI, 
> and add a lot of complexity to the maintenance side—we'd have to keep up 
> with new fields added to Spotlight, for example. This has been requested 
> over the years, but only a couple of times. I will talk with Peter (our 
> founder/programmer) about it, but just wanted to let you know it may not 
> make the cut.
>
> And while it's not an "all in one" method, using Spotlight in Finder and 
> then dragging the selection into Name Mangler works quite well:
>
>
>
> regards;
> -rob.
>

---

From: Rob Griffiths <[email-masked]>
Date: Sun, 10 Nov 2019 07:31:41 -0800

On Nov 6, 2019, at 9:05 AM, Erick <[email-masked]> wrote:

> Not sure how far you're off from releasing name mangler 4 BUT if I can make a feature request. Including searching the file systems and allowing for all types of filtering. This would allow searching for specific files and different characteristics THEN rename then right then and there. All without leaving the application. The only one I know of, is a Windows application called "advanced renamer (https://www.advancedrenamer.com), This is super useful and could set the app apart from the others in this category. Not sure if it's possible but there you go.  ;) 

Honestly, I'm not sure we'll get there, for two reasons: One, the potential for problems if you wind up selecting more than you thought you selected—but that's a minor issue. The bigger issue is that building in an entire Spotlight search interface into the app will really bloat the UI, and add a lot of complexity to the maintenance side—we'd have to keep up with new fields added to Spotlight, for example. This has been requested over the years, but only a couple of times. I will talk with Peter (our founder/programmer) about it, but just wanted to let you know it may not make the cut.

And while it's not an "all in one" method, using Spotlight in Finder and then dragging the selection into Name Mangler works quite well:

regards;
-rob.

---

From: Erick <[email-masked]>
Date: Wed, 6 Nov 2019 09:05:54 -0800 (PST)

Hey Rob,

Not sure how far you're off from releasing name mangler 4 BUT if I can make 
a feature request. Including searching the file systems and allowing for 
all types of filtering. This would allow searching for specific files and 
different characteristics THEN rename then right then and there. All 
without leaving the application. The only one I know of, is a Windows 
application called "advanced renamer (https://www.advancedrenamer.com), 
This is super useful and could set the app apart from the others in this 
category. Not sure if it's possible but there you go.  ;) 

On Wednesday, November 6, 2019 at 9:01:49 AM UTC-5, Many Tricks wrote:
>
> On Nov 6, 2019, at 3:47 AM, Ed Palmer <[email-masked] <javascript:>> 
> wrote: 
>
> > Is it possible to use the EXIF file number in Name Mangler? I did not 
> see it listed as an option. Although I could move to a sequence instead, I 
> would prefer not to do so...old habits die hard. 
>
> At present, Name Mangler cannot read raw EXIF data—it's on our list for 
> Name Mangler 4, but it's not something we can easily add to the existing 
> app. I took a quick look at the macOS metadata, and it doesn't appear that 
> file number is one of the EXIF fields it duplicates. So the answer for now 
> is, unfortunately, it does not appear possible. 
>
> regards; 
> -rob.

---

From: Ed Palmer <[email-masked]>
Date: Wed, 6 Nov 2019 07:08:36 -0800 (PST)

Thanks, Rob. I'll look into how a sequence number would affect my 
perception of the file names, because that's really all it is end the end: 
my perception, not an absolute need.

--Ed

---

From: Rob Griffiths <[email-masked]>
Date: Wed, 6 Nov 2019 06:01:47 -0800

On Nov 6, 2019, at 3:47 AM, Ed Palmer <[email-masked]> wrote:

> Is it possible to use the EXIF file number in Name Mangler? I did not see it listed as an option. Although I could move to a sequence instead, I would prefer not to do so...old habits die hard.

At present, Name Mangler cannot read raw EXIF data—it's on our list for Name Mangler 4, but it's not something we can easily add to the existing app. I took a quick look at the macOS metadata, and it doesn't appear that file number is one of the EXIF fields it duplicates. So the answer for now is, unfortunately, it does not appear possible.

regards;
-rob.

---

From: Ed Palmer <[email-masked]>
Date: Wed, 6 Nov 2019 03:47:06 -0800 (PST)

For years I've been using a format for storing my original photos where 
they have a name of the format "YYYYMMDD_subject_FILENUMBER" (plus the 
appropriate extension), where the FILENUMBER argument is the FileNumber 
EXIF field. I use Lightroom and I use it for the renaming process today. 
I'm changing my workflow to move away from Lightroom, and I would like to 
use Name Mangler to take handle the rename process in its place.

Is it possible to use the EXIF file number in Name Mangler? I did not see 
it listed as an option. Although I could move to a sequence instead, I 
would prefer not to do so...old habits die hard.

Thanks!