Q: Where are photo file names?

I'd read up on case sensitivity too and both theory and practice (in my case) said I didn't need to worry about it, but perhaps it would be better if I made it explicit. As for substring searches I'd thought about it, but I've assumed until I know otherwise that there isn't a potential for a clash within the relatively limited set of valid image entensions. I've yet to explore more deeply but in my vbScripts I sometimes wrap the values with vertical bars, e.g. "|.jpg|.mov|.png|.tif|" and then add them to the search term. VBS doesn't have anything that looks as efficient if element is in list, on the other hand I've found that AppleScript doesn't seem to like some nested clauses which I would normally use to avoid having to declare variables to hold intermediate results. I shall find out what works and what doesn't.

tt2

turingtest2 wrote:

VBS doesn't have anything that looks as efficient if element is in list, on the other hand I've found that AppleScript doesn't seem to like some nested clauses which I would normally use to avoid having to declare variables to hold intermediate results.

Handling lists seems to me to be one of Applescript's most powerful features, but I have admit I often find them hard to work with, particularly when lists of lists are involved.

Old Toad wrote:

I noticed that the second line I've been working with is "Set to include"  which keeps .cr2 in the title.  I removed that line, keeping .cr2 in the line above, and got the following error message.

I assume you mean "set include to" & not "set to include" but since the include variable is used later in the script (in the if (offset of ext in include) > 0 and not ext = postfix then statement) the script will error out with that message whenever it tries to execute it.

That much I understand. The rest of it, not so much.

This is too complicated for me. I don't do any applescript or programming. Why can't Apple just let us show the FILENAME under each photo? I don't want to have to type some "Add a Title" to every photo.

JaneTeis wrote:

This is too complicated for me. I don't do any applescript or programming. Why can't Apple just let us show the FILENAME under each photo? I don't want to have to type some "Add a Title" to every photo.

Only Apple can say why Apple made the change but the reality is that filenames & titles are two very different things, & iPhoto (& thus Apple) never did users any favors by obscuring that difference.

léonie - very cool what you've done here for us! I can use the script you've written to change the descriptions, and I can use the script you've written to change the titles to the file names.  Both work great.  However, they're just shy of what I want.  Let's say I go to Germany for a vacation and on day one I go to Hamburg. I would like to batch change the titles to all say either Hamburg, or even better sequential titles of 01_Hamburg, 02_Hamburg.

I've tried modifying your script just to change the title to the input text but I must be messing up the syntax. Here's one version I've tried (that does nothing at all!)

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

end run

Appreciate any help you can give me finding my mistake. If you want to help me kick it across the goal line and add that index number too that would be swell!

thanks!

Allison Sheridan

NosillaCast Mac Podcast at http://podfeet.com

Your script does nothing because you set the title to the name of the selected image ("im" in the script repeat loop) & then tested for it not existing in the "if not (exists (title)) then" step. Because of that, it will always exist (even if the name is the empty text string "") & the name won't be changed.

You might try léonie's Batch Changes in Photos for Mac:  Change the titles to a Given String Automator service -- it looks like it does what you want without the need for any modifications.

Let's say I go to Germany for a vacation and on day one I go to Hamburg. I would like to batch change the titles to all say either Hamburg, or even better sequential titles of 01_Hamburg, 02_Hamburg.

Try this script:

on run {input, parameters}

  -- batch change the title to the input, © léonie, version 1.0.1

 

  set n_digits to 2 -- how many digits for the appended number

  set answer to display dialog "Select the number of digits for the appended numbers (0 .. 10).  Selecting '0' will suppress the leading zeros." buttons {"o.k"} default answer n_digits

 

-- For 1-9 photos use 2.  For 10 to 99 photos use 3 and for 100 or more photos use 4.

 

  set n_digits_text to the (text returned of answer)

  set n_digits to n_digits_text as number

 

 

 

  tell application "Photos"

  activate

  set counter to 1

  set imageSel to (get selection) -- get selected images

  if imageSel is {} then

  error "Please select some images."

  else

  repeat with im in imageSel

  set ntext to the counter as text

  repeat while (the length of ntext < n_digits) -- add leading zeros

  set ntext to "0" & ntext

  end repeat

 

 

  tell im

  set the name to input & "-" & ntext as text

  -- set the title to the input plus formatted number

  set counter to counter + 1

  end tell

  end repeat

  end if

  end tell

  return "Done. The titles of " & (length of imageSel) & " photos have been changed."

end run

and use it in this Automator workflow application:

The first window you'll get is this where you'll put in the title

The next window is this which sets the number of digits for the sequential number:

Which gives you this for the titles:

That script could also easily be modified to put the numbers first in the title & use an underscore instead of a dash as a separator. Just change this line:

set the name to input & "-" & ntext as text

to this:

set the name to (ntext as text) & "_" & input

I prefer the dashes because they were easier to use when having to do it manually. 

I've added that workflow to the Photos User Tips with a link to download the app if the visitor doesn't want to create it themselves.

When I run the Title script it queries me for what name I want and it queries for how many digits.  However it sends a generic error to the screen and says, “want me to show you the workflow?”

There’s only 2 steps here - one is to get the images, two is to rename them, so I tried adding a speech thing in between the two steps to see where it was failing and it does do the speech.  I tried looking at the details as the script ran and all it does is give me a red x error, with no details. 

I feel like one of those people who simply write back, "it didn't work" but I can't figure out how to diagnose this.  Note that the change description script DOES run properly.

?

Did you build the app yourself or download it from the User Tip?

Do you have "All Photos" selected under Albums in the sidebar instead of "Photos" at the very top?  I can't get the scripts to work if "Photos" is selected, but does if the photos are selected in "All Photos."

Jay

Old Toad - downloaded from the user tip.

Jay Deitch - YOU GOT IT!  I had selected Photos and it didn't run. Just selected All Photos and it DID run.  Apple is driving me bonkers with their naming conventions lately.

thank you all so much! Especially léonie for writing the scripts. I think I'm going to have a gift to bring back to the thread.  A friend of mine wrote a script for me that does something cool.  I'm going to leave you with a tease for now because she's off on her boat in Alaska and I can't ask her permission yet to publicize it (but she'll say yes for sure!)

Happy dance,

Allison

The scripts will also run from albums.