Generating dates for video files once transferred from iPhoto

Question

Level 2

182 points

Generating dates for video files once transferred from iPhoto

I have thousands of video clips that I transfer out of iPhoto/Aperture to a portable hard drive.

Some of the video files have successfully transferred with the date in the file name (my preferred approach via a batch change) whereas many don't have the date as the file name but the date can be identified via Date Created in Finder for my portable hard drive.

I want all the video files to have the date as the file name as I find this easier to manage.

Is there any way I can easily change the file names to the date in Finder for my portable hard drive?

I think not. So the alternative is to reimport the undated video file names back into IPhoto/Aperture, do a batch change to make the file name the date, and then export again to my portable hard drive.

If I do that, will I lose any quality in the video files va the transfer back and forth process?

Thank you

Posted on Aug 20, 2013 2:15 PM

Reply

Answer 1

Yer_Man

Level 10

162,308 points

Aug 20, 2013 2:26 PM in response to Jerry Dammers

Seems to me like this is a job for one of the (very many) renaming apps for files in the Finder, and using iPhoto to do the job is just adding complexity.

http://www.publicspace.net/ABetterFinderRename/

seems like one such app for the job. You may be able to do it with Automator.

Reply

Answer 2

Jerry Dammers Author

Level 2

182 points

Aug 23, 2013 12:37 PM in response to Yer_Man

Thanks, will take a look.

On the other query re the quality of the file when transferring back and forth via iPhto (or anything else), does it lose any quality or not?

Reply

Answer 3

Yer_Man

Level 10

162,308 points

Aug 23, 2013 12:49 PM in response to Jerry Dammers

If you import then export as original then you'll get exactly what you imported.

Reply

Answer 4

Jerry Dammers Author

Level 2

182 points

Aug 23, 2013 1:05 PM in response to Yer_Man

I just drag and drop the files - does that make any difference?

Thanks.

Reply

Answer 5

Old Toad

Level 10

207,421 points

Aug 23, 2013 2:00 PM in response to Jerry Dammers

With some versions of iPhoto dragging and dropping video files from iPhoto just gives the perview jpeg of the video file.

With iPhoto 9.4.3 dragging and dropping will give you the full movie file. But if in doubt or if you have problems with the resulting file use the export method.

Reply

Answer 6

Yer_Man

Level 10

162,308 points

Aug 23, 2013 4:25 PM in response to Jerry Dammers

Yes it does.

This User Tip

https://discussions.apple.com/docs/DOC-4921

has details of the options in the Export dialogue.

Reply

Answer 7

Jerry Dammers Author

Level 2

182 points

Aug 24, 2013 2:07 AM in response to Yer_Man

The article appears to relate primarily to photos - does the same apply to video clips? I've not edited any of them so they will all be "originals''.

Reply

Answer 8

Yer_Man

Level 10

162,308 points

Aug 24, 2013 3:16 AM in response to Jerry Dammers

Notice the underlined bit?

In the File Export tab you have a number of options.

Kind. Your options are Original, Current, Jpeg, Tiff and PNG.

This option allows you to select the format of the exported file, and the choice you make here has consequences.

Original is exactly that. The file you imported from your camera, no changes or edits, no added faces, places etc. Just the Original. If you're exporting Raw or a Movie you use this option.

Reply