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I've "titled" many, many photos in iPhoto by changing the filename (e.g. "DSC_2254" --> "On vacation in Hawaii"), but there appears to be no option in Photos to show the filename. So none of my "titles" appear. Am I missing something?
iMac (Retina 5K, 27-inch, Late 2014), OS X Yosemite (10.10.3)
That is an idea.
I experimented a bit, and with Apple Script we could make it a bit simpler, directly in Photos: This will save the installation of exiftool and the necessity to export the files. This way the lossless workflow will be preserved.
Create an Automator action, that executes an Apple Script to change the titles to the filename, if the title is empty:
The Apple Script:
on run {input, parameters}
tell application "Photos"
activate
set imageSel to (get selection)
if imageSel is {} then
error "Please select an image."
else
repeat with im in imageSel
set title to the name of im
if not (exists (title)) then
set the name of im to the filename of im
end if
end repeat
end if
end tell
return input
end run
Launch Automator, create a new service, and drag a "Run Apple Script" action into the workflow.
Copy and paste the text above into the "Run Apple Script" action to replace the default text in the action.
Save this workflow with a suitable name. It will be installed in the services.
After the Automator action completed:
I had a huge iPhoto library where all image titles were set by naming the files before import. None of these titles were migrated to Photos.
I solved the problem with a different approach. I dug into the database files of iPhoto and Photos. They have a relation called RKVersion which stores all information about images, including name, file name and UUID. In iPhoto, all versions have a name attribute, but after the Photos migration, only a few of my images had them. According to an Apple support article, https://support.apple.com/en-us/HT204478 , only user-defined titles are migrated. That information seems to be correct, since the very few titles that were migrated for me, were ones I had set in iPhoto instead of by naming the files. I tried to find any sort of "user-defined title" attribute in the iPhoto database, but without any luck. Maybe someone else can find it and if so, that attribute probably just needs to be set to True for all images before the iPhoto library is migrated and then all image titles will be migrated - including those that are equal to the file name.
Anyhow, I wrote a Python script that goes through the databases of the old and new libraries and tries to find matching UUIDs. Where it does, it copies over the image title from the old to the new. Unfortunately, many UUIDs are changed in the migration, so for me it only found matches for 37 % of the images. Therefore, I added a function to the script that sets all remaining titles in the new library based on file names. All file extensions are excluded and titles are only created if current titles are empty. The script also lets you run only one of the two functions if you want. The script took just a couple of seconds to add titles to 15 000 of my images.
The script makes a backup of both databases before running. I have tested it but not thoroughly, so proceed with caution. Feel free to expand it or improve it. And please respond if you find a way to mark titles as user-defined in the iPhoto database, since that would be the real solution instead of this workaround.
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PhotosTitleSetter
Migrates image titles from an iPhoto library to a Photos library. Can set titles based on file names if no old titles are found.
Instructions:
Make sure to quit both iPhoto and Photos
Download the PhotosTitleSetter.py script from: https://github.com/Rajje/PhotosTitleSetter
Open a new Terminal window
Type "python " including the space at the end
Drag the script to the Terminal window and then press the return or enter key
The script will run and display further instructions
ALWAYS have several backups of any important files. Make especially sure to back up both photo libraries before running this script. The author of this script takes no responsibility for any damage on any files or for any of the actions of this script.
had a huge iPhoto library where all image titles were set by naming the files before import. None of these titles were migrated to Photos.
You could have saved your self a lot of work by using the Applescript/Automator workflow created by léonie and posted in the Photos for Mac User Tips. It is called Photos for Mac: Batch Changing the Titles to the Filename. It gets the file name of each photo selected and enters it into the Title field below the thumbnail.
Old Toad wrote:
You could have saved your self a lot of work by using the Applescript/Automator workflow created by léonie and posted in the Photos for Mac User Tips. It is called Photos for Mac: Batch Changing the Titles to the Filename. It gets the file name of each photo selected and enters it into the Title field below the thumbnail.
Except that léonie's & any other similar methods based on Applescript are often slow or unreliable for large scale changes & rely on what appears to be a somewhat buggy Applescript implementation in this first version of Photos.
e2photo wrote:
All of my Aperture images have Version Names in the Photo Info Box which are identical to the filename.
By default the filename will be substituted for the "Version Name" (which, as léonie said is equivalent to the title) in Aperture, just as in iPhoto. But it isn't actually a title, just something both apps do that obscures the very real difference between the title of a photo & the name of the file it is stored in.
R-C-R... I am absolutely sure you are correct, BUT why force me to use 'Titles' when the filename is sufficient for my purpose. Why not give me the option to display the information most useful to me?
Consider the broader question: Why would you not want to take advantage of the benefits of global metadata standards that are already in wide use & will only become increasingly more important in the future to make possible new ways of using & managing all the info in your photo files?
Filenames are not stored in photo files like titles & all the other IPTC/XMP/Exif metadata. They don't even tell you or the operating system where a file is stored -- for that, the full pathname is required. Together with the restrictions on filenames & pathname lengths in different file systems & operating systems, there is no guarantee they will be preserved or even usable if the file is moved, copied, or uploaded to anything not using the OS or file system of the original storage device.
IOW, they are neither very portable nor future-proof. Sooner or later, any organizational method based on them will fail to support new features built into new applications, at least some of which you probably will not be happy about being unable to use.
But, considering all of that, if you still want Photos to obscure the difference between filenames & titles, let Apple know about it, using the form at https://www.apple.com/feedback/photos.html. Chances are not that great that they will add that but it can't hurt to request it.
Hello Léonie,
I'm trying to use the script you wrote here Script: Batch Changing the Titles to the Filename w/Extension
But I get an error message...
I'm using a French MacOS. Maybe is there something to change in the script due to localization?
Thanks
I just want to manage and view my own photos on my own computer.
Ok - that is what iPhoto does - actually quiet well
I can't sort,
You can sort - you just have extremely limited sort options
I can't organize my images
Sure you can - you have an automatic organization with Moments and you can organize with as much detail as you want using Keywords, albums and folders
I can't find help on anything
Photos has a decent Help section - have you used it? What is missing form it that you need?
but how to share my images
Click on the Share icon - the rectangle with an up arrow in it - lots of share options there - if wha you want is not there check in the system references under extensions and enable the ones you want
point me to the menu item with the same name
No idea what you want there
Can I get iPhoto back?
No need - it is not gone - it is in your Applications folder - use it (you need version 9.6.1 - if you were not up to date see Can't Update iPhoto because it is not available in the App Store
As to an alternative - nothing else comes close in overall capability for the price - LightRoom is a much more powerful system at a much higher price - Media View is another people have posted
Most of your complaints are incorrect so Basically you need to calm down, learn Photos and ask specific questions giving details or you need to find and use a different package - and no one can do that for you - you have to do it
LN
Thank you, LN, I do appreciate it. It seems to me that we are in agreement about the features I need and don't have, but it may not seem to be so.
I just want to manage and view my own photos on my own computer.
Ok - that is what iPhoto does - actually quiet well
AL - Yes, except that iPhoto is no longer supported, and obviously has a limited lifetime. I need a photo editor for the rest of my life that is maintained. Apple has chose Photos, not iPhoto.
I can't sort,
You can sort - you just have extremely limited sort options
AL: That is exactly the problem. I have 22,000+ scanned images, all dated with the scan date, not the photo date. The actual photo date (year, month) is in the filename. I need to sort by filename. as I can't, I copied the filename into the title successfully (thanks to this discussion), but that does not solve the sort problem either.
I can't organize my images
Sure you can - you have an automatic organization with Moments and you can organize with as much detail as you want using Keywords, albums and folders
AL: I don't have any keywords at all. I have the iPhoto events (folders) that contain one year's images. I can sort the folders, but cannot sort the images inside the folders by filename, as I could in iPhoto.
I can't find help on anything
Photos has a decent Help section - have you used it? What is missing form it that you need?
AL: I looked for help on "albums", and wrote that into the search box. It returns a picture of the location of the "albums" menu item, but contains no information about albums, specifically on sorting them. I also found that if I create a smart album, which gives me more than what I want (the search parameters do not allow for boolean searches, only "one of, or all". If I delete an image from an iPhoto album, it also deletes the image in the library. Help provides no insight to this problem.
but how to share my images
Click on the Share icon - the rectangle with an up arrow in it - lots of share options there - if wha you want is not there check in the system references under extensions and enable the ones you want
AL: I don't want to share with any on-line service, I just want to edit images on my own computer. Many of the help items are about sharing on-line.
point me to the menu item with the same name
No idea what you want there
AL: see my note two items ago
Can I get iPhoto back?
No need - it is not gone - it is in your Applications folder - use it (you need version 9.6.1 - if you were not up to date see Get iPhoto 9.6.1 if you didn't update before OS X 10.10.3
AL: see my first note. Yes, I can, but it's not supported anymore, according to Apple, I just checked it: check out a MacWorld article: http://www.macworld.com/article/2375212/apple-retires-aperture-and-iphoto-to-be- replaced-with-photos-for-os-x.html . A search for the answer to this question produced no results on the Apple website. I believe Apple also announces that on first use of Photos, maybe when it asks if iPhoto should be imported. And yes, iPhoto is up to date.
As to an alternative - nothing else comes close in overall capability for the price - LightRoom is a much more powerful system at a much higher price - Media View is another people have posted
AL: I did use LightRoom several years ago, that is a good suggestion. However, if I can fix the Apple problem, that's better.
Most of your complaints are incorrect so Basically you need to calm down, learn Photos and ask specific questions giving details or you need to find and use a different package - and no one can do that for you - you have to do it
AL: Please note that each my issues is an Apple documented feature. The problem is not "calm down", the problem is that the way that I have been photo editing for many years (by filename) is a feature that was removed from Photos. I have learned Photos, went through all the lessons, and exercised every one of them. Only after I do my homework, do I go to any form for help and trouble other people. I really do appreciate your attention and trouble in answering, but I do see that extracting a few words out of sentences can yield out of context interpretation.
If you read the documentation on Photos, it is strongly focused on sorting "the way you take pictures, by the date and time of taking the picture" (paraphrased). The stated assumption is that all images have a time and location stamp on them. That does not apply to any film images taken from the 1800's to about the 2000's. Trying to invent a time and location for each of the 22,000+ images, so that Photos can sort them is not reasonable.
Summary: I believe that the only answer with Apple software is to adopt Photos, and either wait for, or write my own code to sort the information the way I need to in Photos.
Much appreciated.
AL
@alazo
OK
basically you have two choices - use iPhoto for a while and see if Photos comes around or change to different software
Photos is better than iPhoto in many areas and not as good in others - El Captainwill resolve some of these shortcomings and over time maybe all will be - maybe not
If iPhoto work for you now then use it and see what the future holds - it neither iphoto nor Photos works for you now then pick different software
All we can do i tell you what Photos is - we can not change it
and ov course it is important for you to tell Apple what you want - https://www.apple.com/feedback/photos.html - as the more requests they get the more likely they are to include the change you need
LN
Since Apple can do this for printing why can't they do this for viewing pictures in PHOTOS?
They can and do. They just left out the writing of the file name into the Title field during import. That can be recitified by using this Applescript to do it manually: Photos for Mac: Batch Changing the Titles to the Filename
Then keep telling Apple what missing features you'd like restored or new features added in Photos via Apple-Photos Feedback.
The feedback is working as can be seen from the following paragraph in this Apple webpage: Apple OS X El Capitan.
Photos has been fine-tuned to make it even easier to manage your library. Now you can add a location to a single image or to an entire Moment. Naming your favorite people in Faces is faster with a streamlined workflow. You can also sort your albums — and the contents inside them — by date, title, and more.
telling the other users here accomplishes nothing as does threatening us
if you want tot tell Apple https://www.apple.com/feedback/photos.html
And if you are using LightRoom then Photos has nothing for you - it is not a professional App like LR - it is a consumer app
LN
Tell Apple your needs - https://www.apple.com/feedback/photos.html
Maybe they will upgrade Photos enough or even come out with a professional product like Aperture with enough feedback
For now the choices are to use Aperture as it is with no planed future updates or use Photos as it is (with many short comings compared to Aperture - but improvements coming) - http://www.apple.com/osx/elcapitan-preview/?cid=wwa-us-kwg-mac-com
LN
Is the service set to "receive no input" in "Photos.app"? In the title bar of the service? And have you selected the photos?
If the service does not appear,you can always launch it directly from Automator.
Or use one of the script versions published on the Photos for Mac User Tips page.
For example: Script: Batch Changing the Titles to the Filename w/Extension
This user tip has a second version to be run as Apple Script. It is useful, if the Photos library s syncing with iCloud.
feel free to correct me if I'm wrong about the difference between filenames and titles.
Titles are not just limited to Apple's products. There's a whole set of IPTC metadata that are used with image files that are standard throughout the photography industry. It was developer for pro photographers to catalog their files. This webpage describes the IPTC standard: IPTC Standard - IPTC
Photos and iPhoto only uses a few of these fields, Title, Description and Keyword but many DAM (digital asset management) apps can use all of them.
Using the Applescripts in the Photos for Mac User Tips you can add the full file name, file name without extension or any customized title to that field.
Can I revert back to iPhoto on my mac? I am a new user to Mac so any help is appreciated! Thank you.
It depends on the iPhoto version you have installed. If you have iPhoto 9.6.1 installed, drag the iPhoto icon from the Applications folder back to the Dock. Double-click it to open your iPhoto Library in iPhoto.
But if you did not not update to iPhoto 9.6.1 before the migration it may be too late, because Apple stopped selling iPhoto.
See Barney's User Tip:
Can't Update iPhoto because it is not available in the App Store
Try repairing the library according to the instructions in this Apple document, Repair Your Library, and try the search again.
Warning: If you use iCloud Photo Library with Photos, this action will cause Photos to upload all your pictures again (from Fix missing or incorrect thumbnails in Photos - Apple Support).
Where are photo file names?
