Suggestion: Support EXIF milliseconds (ms) in batch rename based on shooting date

[1q2w3e]

Hello,

I really like the batch rename feature in XnView, especially the ability to rename files based on their EXIF shooting date using the pattern {EXIF:Date Taken [Y-m-d_H-M-S]}. It’s very useful for organizing photos by the time they were taken.

However, there’s a small issue when working with modern mirrorless cameras that can shoot many photos within the same second. Since these photos are often taken in bursts, multiple images may share the same timestamp down to the second — even though they actually have different millisecond (ms) values in their EXIF metadata.

Currently, it seems that XnView’s batch rename tool doesn’t recognize or use the millisecond (ms) value from the EXIF data. As a result, when I try to rename many burst photos by EXIF date, I often get filename conflicts — the software prompts me that some files already exist and asks whether to overwrite them.

In fact, these files are not duplicates; they were simply taken within the same second.
It would be great if XnView could support reading and including EXIF milliseconds (ms) in the rename pattern to avoid this problem.

Thank you for considering this suggestion!

[user0]

1. there are tags exist:
{EXIF:SubSecTime}
{EXIF:SubSecTimeOriginal}
{EXIF:SubSecTimeDigitized}

2. there is Duplicate setting exist, to solve name conflicts

3. there is no Overwrite dialog when name conflict happens, app just show error

when I try to rename many burst photos by EXIF date, I often get filename conflicts — the software prompts me that some files already exist and asks whether to overwrite them.

are you bot?

[1q2w3e]

@user0

Reply:
Thanks again for your reply!
I tried your suggestion using these tags:
{EXIF:SubSecTime}, {EXIF:SubSecTimeOriginal}, and {EXIF:SubSecTimeDigitized} — but unfortunately, they don’t give me the result I want.
I’m using photos shot on a Fujifilm camera, and processing them on macOS with XnView. When I include those tags in the batch rename pattern, the filenames just end up with meaningless numbers like _1, _2, _3, instead of the actual millisecond values from EXIF.
That’s why my real suggestion is to make it simpler — to allow an extended pattern like this:
{EXIF:Date Taken [Y-m-d_H-M-S-MS]}
This would be a clean and direct way to include milliseconds (ms) right after the seconds, without combining multiple tags.
Also, I remembered something about the overwrite message I mentioned earlier. It doesn’t appear during “Batch Rename”, but rather during this process:
File → Import and Sort → New filename
When I move photos into a folder and rename them at the same time, if multiple burst shots share the same second but have different milliseconds, XnView shows a “file already exists — overwrite?” prompt.
That’s exactly the case I’m hoping could be avoided if milliseconds were supported in the rename pattern.
Thanks again for your patience and your great software!

And no, I’m not a bot — just someone who really likes XnView but isn’t very good at English, so I used a bit of help with translation.
Thanks again!

[user0]

so you are talking about Import&Sort dialog, not Batch rename
you can use # enumerator there, but it will be applied to all files, not just duplicates

That’s why my real suggestion is to make it simpler — to allow an extended pattern like this:
{EXIF:Date Taken [Y-m-d_H-M-S-MS]}

DateTime tags have second precision
SubSec tags have milliseconds/nanosecond(non-standard) precision

{EXIF:SubSecTime}, {EXIF:SubSecTimeOriginal}, and {EXIF:SubSecTimeDigitized} — but unfortunately, they don’t give me the result I want.
I’m using photos shot on a Fujifilm camera, and processing them on macOS with XnView. When I include those tags in the batch rename pattern, the filenames just end up with meaningless numbers like _1, _2, _3, instead of the actual millisecond values from EXIF.

check what data is in subsec tags

[thejahn]

I too would like some ability to have milliseconds of date created and date modified to be added. The justification is to order files from multiple sources actually chronological by name. We use iPhones and the millisecond is important especially when merging data from three camera phones into one folder. The numbering with the # will not be sufficient. In my experience, the use of 'MS' in batch rename, simply repeats the minutes and seconds. EXIF data cannot be relied on since many files (video) files do not contain such data.

[jkm]

It is important to understand that although the Subsec tags are defined int the spec, some cameras/manufacturers do not implement them.

Some cameras simply do not report any millisecond data. So it's impossible for XnViewMP or any other software to show that data for those cameras.

For example, some Nikon cameras, like the Z7, do, but OM/Olympus cameras do not.

If you see populated Subsec fields in the Exiftool panel for your images, then you have access to that data already, and can use it in the batch rename or import/sort dialogs by inserting the tags from the menu.

If you don't see data in those fields, your only option is to contact the camera manufacturer and plead with them to change the camera firmware to include the Subsec fields.