Need hints/questions regarding the "Rename" action - photos taken at the same second

[Uwe]

Hello,

 

typically I use the Preset "%date_%time.%ext" to rename the files in the Import action. No problems so far. That means: the WindowsFileName and the Creation DateTime (DateTimeOriginal) are equal and I can use either the sort by File Name or by Creation DateTime.

 

In the last months I made some photos taken at the same time - same second. The result was: Daminion extends the file name by "( n )" if there is already a file with the same name. BUT now the files are not in the correct order compared to the sequence they were taken.

There are some posts related to this topic:

 

https://daminion.net/user-forum/index.php?/topic/2996-import-tag-preset-using-ms-doesnt-work/

https://daminion.net/user-forum/index.php?/topic/2997-1443-import-rename-files-taken-at-the-same-second/

 

0. %date_%time generate unique file names (extended by "( n )" but not in the order the photos were taken.

My assumption: The Import of Daminion are parallel processes. Each process takes a package of the original files of the Import queue (e.g. 10) and handles them. Now it's possible that some of the photos of the same second are in the import process one and the others in import process two. The final files are not in the same order of the original files.

Question to Daminion: is this a right assumption?

 

1. yes, there is not guarantee to have the tag "subsectimeoriginal" in the metadata of the file. I have DNG files (converted from CR2 files taken by the same camera) and not all of the files have the tag. I don't no why. My conclusion: this tag is useless for me.

 

2. There are the following options to make the filename unique without the "( n )" :

%# - Global Counter

%$ - Zero-based Counter

%inum - File Number

My opinion: no one of these options can solve this problem.

 

What can be a solution? It must be a metadata tag that is unique maybe in combination with other tags.

1. "%date_%time_%OriginalRawFileName.%ext" - the option to use the tag "OriginalRawFileName" doesn't exist in Daminion.

If there will be this tag available this can be a solution for me because I work with RAW files. TIF or JPG files are created based on the RAWs and get their file name from the RAWs.

Using an external tool (ExifTool works with OriginalRawFileName) but this generates additional workflow actions in Daminion: Open with...-> ExifTool->Rescan Folders. Now the files can be sorted by File Name. I don't want to have the RAW file name in my final file. That means, I have to select the files that belong to the same sequence and then I have to call the Daminion "Rename" action using the template "%date_%time_%$.%ext" to get file names like: 20160101_120000_1; 20160101_120000_2; 20160101_120000_3 etc.

Scanned TIF/JPG files don't have the problem taken at the same second.

Photos taken as JPG don't have the tag "OriginalRawFileName"

My conclusion: this is not a generic solution

 

2. there is the metadata tag "FileNumber" in the "Maker Notes" of JPG files taken by a Canon G2, G10 and G16 (no other used by me) but not in the JPG files taken by a Nokia Lumia 1020 and not in any case in the metadata of photos taken by a Canon 5D, not yet tested with Canon 5DMKIII.

Regarding the 5D there are the tags "DirectoryIndex" and "FileIndex" in the "Maker Notes" section shown in the Composite section as "File Number"

My conclusion: it's not a generic solution.

 

Maybe there are other tags to solve this problem but I didn't spend the time to check it.

 

3. Using the ExifTool before the import of Daminion. That means I have to select all of the files by the ExifToolGUI and have to write the WindowsFileName temporary to an existing metadata tag (e.g. XMP:description).

In Daminion I can assign this value of the Description Tag to a Custom Tag by the Assign Preset Window using the %desc parameter. Now I can sort the items by the Custom Tag (the original file name) and rename the items using the template: "%date_%time_%$.%ext"

 

Do I think to complex? Do you have any idea to solve this problem (without to use external tools)?

 

Regards, Uwe