Opinions wanted: Would the ability to rename image files within Darktable be useful?

[Terry (Terry Pinfold)]

does that mean that I have to type .$(FILE_EXTENSION) each time? If that was the case I would find typing the file extension myself quicker. Thanks for the reply.

[wpferguson (Bill Ferguson)]

If you rename images one by one yes. If you select a bunch of images and want to rename them to 20230930-$(FILE_NAME).$(FILE_EXTENSION) then using the variables makes sense.

[Terry (Terry Pinfold)]

Thanks Bill. It really isn’t a big problem typing the file extension so I will do that. I truly appreciate you having written such a useful lua script. BTW, I often rename my images on import to include location details in name, but this script of yours is great for naming copies of images to use in my classes.

[aadm (Alessandro Amato del Monte (aadm))]

I hope it is ok to resurrect this thread; I had a question related to the rename_images.lua script and this is more or less in-topic.

First, I understand that you mostly don’t need any renaming with darktable, so I totally get what most of the people here are saying, but sometimes I need to dig into the filesystem so file names (and renaming) are important to me.

What I realized now in 4.6 (not sure if this was the same also in earlier versions) is that dt’s variables (darktable 4.6 user manual - variables) are not the same as the one used in the script.

So when doing copy & import I use this pattern to rename files:

$(EXIF.YEAR)$(EXIF.MONTH)$(EXIF.DAY)$(FILE.NAME#IMG).$(FILE_EXTENSION)

to rename files like IMG_6222.JPG to 20230210_6222.JPG, relying on the string substitution magic $(var#pattern) to delete IMG from the filename.

However the same pattern won’t work in rename_images first because

• the variable names are different: $(EXIF_YEAR) instead of $(EXIF.YEAR)
• there is no string substitution magics

I thought that all these variables and magics are “core” so they would work in main darktable and within LUA scripts too, but evidently they’re not.

I wonder if @wpferguson has time to look at it? If there’s something I can do let me know. And thanks!

[wpferguson (Bill Ferguson)]

It’s already in the works, Add substitution to string lib by wpferguson · Pull Request #412 · darktable-org/lua-scripts · GitHub. I just need to get the tag substitution working and add the new variables that have been added to darktable in the last year.

[aadm (Alessandro Amato del Monte (aadm))]

thank you Bill! I did have a quick look in the github issues but couldnt find this – sorry I should’ve looked better!

[Terry (Terry Pinfold)]

@wpferguson thanks for your work with this LUA script. It is brilliant for what I want.

[PD1 (PD)]

I think it will be a useful feature, especially when we create duplicates in lighttable. At the moment, it is not easy to differentiate which is which. A file rename option will certainly be useful, even if it is implemented as an add-on variable, for example .

[kofa (István Kovács)]

The duplicates in the lighttable use the same input image (only the XMP file is different – it’s numbered).

[Terry (Terry Pinfold)]

@PD1 you can rename the duplicate version to help differentiate which version you are looking at. I previously have suggested I wish I could do this with the snapshots I make so I can better different what each snapshot is showing me. But I didn’t get much traction with that suggestion.

[Pascal_Obry]

@Terry

I previously have suggested I wish I could do this with the snapshots I make so I can better different what each snapshot is showing me. But I didn’t get much traction with that suggestion.

Or you didn’t read the release notes This is supported already, you can rename snapshots. Just ctrl+click on the snapshot button.

[Terry (Terry Pinfold)]

@Pascal_Obry

didn’t read the release notes

Thanks Pascal. Despite reading the release notes for 4.6 I didn’t pick up on this change. It is a nice improvement. DT just keeps getting better. Thanks for all your work with DT as I really appreciate it. I try the weekly windows builds and look for the new features that pop up there, but some sneak past me.

[jonas0_13]

I’m new to Darktable, though I’ve been using Lightroom for 20 years. I agree that renaming images isn’t necessary once you’ve settled into a routine, but when you’re just starting out and need to migrate 100,000 photos from Lightroom to Darktable, renaming certain photos is more than just useful—it’s practically a necessity.
I tried Bill Ferguson’s script, but I couldn’t get it to work. I posted a message about it in another thread.

[Terry (Terry Pinfold)]

I am on Windows 11 DT 5.6. I have enabled the script for rename images

The module appears on the right side of lighttable or the left side of darkroom. It works brilliantly for me.

[Terry (Terry Pinfold)]

@Pascal_Obry I just rediscovered this post and rediscovered the ability to rename snapshots. So many great features in DT that it is just so hard to remember them all if you don’t use specific ones on a regular basis.

[EmerS (Emerson Scott)]

I responded with the fix in the other thread.

[Pascal_Obry]

See my response and workflow proposal here:

Rename within Darktable

The real question is: what’s the point? Renaming for who since you should never look at the RAW files. A better alternative: Use tag with the person’s name for each photo Export using the tag in the exported filename So at the end you have <name of person>.jpg without having the rename the picture. The tag: people|myname In the export module use $(CATEGORY0(people)) and you’ll get “myname”.

[mino]

@Terry

rediscovered the ability to rename snapshots

How?

[Terry (Terry Pinfold)]

@mino

How?

Just ctrl+click on the snapshot button.