XnView Software

Is it possible to batch rename based upon the lighttable order? I will frequently merge pictures taken from my camera, phone and my daughter's phone who is in a different time zone. So I will drag and drop the thumbnails into the correct order. How can I rename based upon that order?

howudodat wrote: Sat Sep 21, 2024 2:45 pm Is it possible to batch rename based upon the lighttable order? I will frequently merge pictures taken from my camera, phone and my daughter's phone who is in a different time zone. So I will drag and drop the thumbnails into the correct order. How can I rename based upon that order?

You mean time relative to a standard time such as UTC?

When selecting files for renaming, you must select them in the desired order (e.g. from first to last using the shift key.)

To be sure this is correct, preview the result using ### as the file name and check the renaming results preview at the bottom, the order in which the files were selected must be respected.
Then use your own renaming template and proceed ...


For the record
We use : View > Sort by > Custom
This “custom” order is stored in the hidden .XnViewSort file in each folder.
Thumbnails are moved with the mouse between two other thumbnails (not after the last one).
To disable this custom order, add the line: allowCustomOrder=false to the [Browser] section of the xnview.ini file.

@michel038:

Couldn't the sorting into consecutive time order be automated using View > Sort by > Created date?

On my computer files currently sort by BST (British Summer Time), and I don't have any files created in other time zones to test, but wouldn't it be expected that howudodat's required creation time sorting process could be automated that way saving significant time?

Yes, Cday, I think you're suggesting the best method, but I've never studied time zones.
Nor have I studied the precise dates to which the 4 dates proposed in "sort order" refer.

- Suppose we choose “exif date modified” as the date to use

A method could be :
- Select photos from the camera that need an offset ...
( a method : Sort by > Show header . View > View as > Details . Then you can use the horizontal scrollbar. Click on "Maker" or "Model" header column to sort the photos by camera )
- Use : Metadata > Change timestamp with exif date taken as source, add the requested offset, and choose only “Exif date modified” as target date. Ok
- Select all the other photos and use the same "Change timestamp" but without offset, to ensure that "exif date modified" will contain "exif date taken"
- Click on “Exif date modified” column header to sort all the photos on this criteria.

- Select from 1st to last photo and start batch rename ...

- View > View as > Thumbnails + labels

I dont really want to sort by any time. I want to be able to manually drag them around in the light table and then batch rename starting at 001 as they are layed out in the lighttable.

Ah, okay, so you're out of the puzzle.
Was my first answer enough?

michel038 wrote: Sat Sep 21, 2024 8:46 pm Ah, okay, so you're out of the puzzle.
Was my first answer enough?

Worked like a charm. Thanks so much

howudodat wrote: Sun Sep 22, 2024 1:45 pm

michel038 wrote: Sat Sep 21, 2024 8:46 pm Ah, okay, so you're out of the puzzle.
Was my first answer enough?

Worked like a charm. Thanks so much

Glad you have a solution you're happy with...

But if you have a little time, it would be interesting to know whether placing copies of a small number of files from mixed time zones into a folder, then selecting View > Sort by > Created date does automatically place them in your desired time order?