Automator - assign random numbers to file names

This is a HUGE bump... but my solution was to bulk rename all the files back to a pic(sequential order), then increase the scripts range of numbers. It's a random generator, yes, and it doesn't create an exclusion list of numbers already used, but what you can do is decrease the likelihood of duplicated numbers by increasing the range between the lower and upper values of the random numbers. I went from 10,000 range to 1,000,000 range. Running the script 2x, I got no duplicate errors. If you want to tidy the names up afterwards, if you select all the files within the folder, and rename all the files, there is an option to format all the files with a name, and then counter. Personally, I've made my prefix 'DCM_', as per typical photography format.

A slightly improved solution that avoids needing to re-run for duplicate error:

tell application "Finder" to set this_folder to get every file of folder (choose folder with prompt "Select folder containing files to rename:")

set countVar to 0

repeat while countVar < (count of this_folder)

set countVar to countVar + 1

set this_item to item countVar of this_folder

nameFile(this_item)

end repeat

return (countVar & " Files Randomly Renamed.") as string

on nameFile(this_item)

try

tell application "Finder" to set name of this_item to ("img_" & (random number from 10000000 to 99999999) & "." & name extension of this_item) as string

on error

nameFile(this_item)

end try

return true

end nameFile

Thank you for your patience in advance. I have never used script editor and I have no programing skills what-so-ever! I would really like to make this work though. I copy and pasted your script above exactly how it was written in script editor:

tell application "Finder" to set this_folder to get every file of folder (choose folder with prompt "Select folder containing files to rename:")

set countVar to 0

repeat while countVar < (count of this_folder)

set countVar to countVar + 1

set this_item to item countVar of this_folder

nameFile(this_item)

end repeat

return (countVar & " Files Randomly Renamed.") as string

on nameFile(this_item)

try

tell application "Finder" to set name of this_item to ("img_" & (random number from 10000000 to 99999999) & "." & name extension of this_item) as string

on error

nameFile(this_item)

end try

return true

end nameFile

I saved it and then ran it and nothing happened. If I have a folder named Slideshow where the photos are saved that I want renamed. Do I have to indicate that folder name in the script somewhere? I am sorry, I am asking such basic questions and appreciate any help you can provide.

Dayle

Thank you very much.. this was very helpful..

Unfortunately, it stoped a number of times because of duplicate file names. I have to manuall rename the file and restart the script for each error.

I am not an apple scripter, but can this be modified to check if the next random number has already been used, and if so, assign a new random number.. and iterate this until a unused number is found?

Old thread. Trying to do this myself. Sounds easy but I'm confused.

I put the pics in a folder. I then run Script Editor. But it opens up in iCloud and asks me to create a new document. I don't want to! Simply want to random rename a bunch of photos. But I can't seem to find a way to be sure that I'm telling SE what to do. Nor how I have to make sure I rename just that folder and not a bunch of apps or system files. SE doesn't even seem to actually show you what folder it's going to work with. I don't seem to be able to actually DO anything with Script Editor except create a new document. Can select and folders / files anything. Or is new document Apple speak for doing something????

As with everything Apple. Difficult!!!

Hi, likely something has changed since 10.5.x, I'd start a new thread in whatever OSX version you are using. 🙂

Nevermind. I was missing a step and it worked. Thank you very much!