Renaming AVCHD clips when importing from multiple SD cards so that they follow a sequence (and end up in the right folder!)

Scenestealer wrote on 9/23/2012, 2:25 AM

I seem to be really struggling to achieve the above when using the import function in MX and 2013.

For one I can not seem to get the clips to copy to a folder (say E:\.....) that I enter in the box in the import window, with them always going to the default C:\.....\ My Record folder.

The other thing is does someone have an idea how to get a series of imports from several cards to batch rename in a logical number sequence using the rename facility in the import window? So - I have 2 cards with clips from a trip to Scotland which i want to import into the same folder but they both contain the same clip names ie. 0001.MTS and I want to have the second card import to rename to follow the first renamed sequence from the first card which is say Scotland1.MTS ......... Scotland100.MTS. What name do I need to enter as the first renamed clip from the second card to end up with Scotland101.MTS.....and so on?

I must be missing something.

Thanks

Peter

Comments

johnebaker wrote on 9/23/2012, 3:10 AM

Hi Peter

I have the same problem with numbering of the videos my sportscam. I do mine as follows:

1. Using Windows Explorer, I copy the files from a card to a holding folder,

2. Then I use Advanced Renamer to rename the files.

3. Move them to the projects folder,

I then repeat this for the next card and change the start number to 1 more than the last number of the previous batch I renamed.

Advanced Renamer - it takes a little getting used to however it is very versatile - took me about 1/2 hour to get the template set up correctly.

HTH

John

terrypin wrote on 9/23/2012, 10:46 AM

As an alternative, I use Bulk Rename Utility for this sort of thing:

http://download.cnet.com/Bulk-Rename-Utility/3000-2248_4-11434534.html

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Terry, East Grinstead, UK

Scenestealer wrote on 9/23/2012, 4:40 PM

Thanks for the tips guys. I take it then that you have found the same sort of problems when using the MEP Import so you don't use it - doing a copy and paste from your card reader to the desired folder and then renaming the files using the utilities mentioned.

Cheers

Peter

johnebaker wrote on 9/23/2012, 5:58 PM

Hi Peter

.... I take it then that you have found the same sort of problems when using the MEP Import.....

In my case not at all Peter - i just do not use the import function for bringing in files.

When I plugin my video cam or insert the cards from the sportscam or digital camera Windows Explorer opens automatically so why bother to close this, then open MEP to do the import, when I can copy the files directly.

My video camera appears as another drive so I copy the files direct from its hard drive to the final project folder.

For my sportscam I copy across directly - renumbering the files from the sportscam as I posted earlier.

John

Scenestealer wrote on 9/23/2012, 6:21 PM

Hi John

Fair enough.......but you do then need to open another utility to do the rename and it would be good to figure out if MEP could do it all in one hit - as it appears to be designed to do.

Peter

terrypin wrote on 9/24/2012, 1:54 AM

Hi Peter,

I can't help much here as my work is primitive compared to yours and John's. I don't use that import facility. I don't even have a dedicated movie camera. My sources are currently confined to MOV and JPG files from my Canon Ixus 220 HS and 3GP and JPG files from my wife's Canon Ixus 6, heavily supplemented by images and movie clips from other local and internet sources such as Google Earth, Memory-Map, etc. And audio narratives of course.

I transfer all original files from the digicam to my PC HD and then rename their meaningless names to ones which indicate their local date and time (20120409-092420.JPG, 20120409-092420.JPG, etc). I do that with Bulk Rename Utility. Then, after any external editing and culling, I drag the required files into MEP.

Prompted by your last comment about MEP being able to rename imported files directly, I scoured the MX PDF manual but couldn't see that feature?

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Terry, East Grinstead, UK

Scenestealer wrote on 9/24/2012, 6:16 AM

Hi Terry

I am not doing anything much different in that I am just putting my SD card in a USB reader and accessing that through the red Record button in MEP.

You are right - the Manual does not mention the rename feature but if you open the AVCHD record window you will see a selection that allows you do use the original recordings file name or change the name and create a new sequence, which it does, but I can not figure out how to make a subsequent import of files to follow on from the number sequence created in the first imported and renamed batch.

It also has a box where you can navigate to another folder to record the files to, instead of the default My Record folder, but it always ends up importing to the default folder.....

No worries - some things may remain a mystery.....!

Thanks

Peter

terrypin wrote on 9/24/2012, 7:47 AM

Hi Peter,

I experimented with this.

https://dl.dropbox.com/u/4019461/MEP-Import-1.jpg

1. The facility to save the imported files into a folder of my choice did work.

2. The 'Save as' feature doesn't work. Whatever I type it doesn't stick. Yet if I backspace and delete it all I'm told that it can't be blank or contain blah blah. I'd call this a bug. The suffix used is always the Movie name.

3. That seems to be the way to get each successive 'batch' assigned with a new suffix. Before opening up the Recording source selection window, use File > Manage movies > New (Ctl + Alt + n) and specify the suffix you want.

4. At one stage of my experiments I unexpectedly found the Save as box showing 'Record'! That's instead of the current movie name. I mention that as it may somehow be related to the as yet unexplained issue of your files always getting copied to My Record.

All this crystallises my preference to first organise the locations and names of my source files on my HD, using the familiar and robust tools in Windows supplemented by utilities like BRU.

--
Terry, East Grinstead, UK

johnebaker wrote on 9/24/2012, 12:13 PM

Hi Peter

Like Terry I found that using the Record option takes longer than my method - too many clicks ):

John

Scenestealer wrote on 9/26/2012, 7:56 PM

I have actually given up on this feature as I am now getting program crashes when opening / closing the record AVCHD window (Exception caused by Kernel32.dll) and are using Johns renamer utility, but just a few more observations about MEP's import and Terrys comments:-

1. I have been able to make this work by setting up the drive and folder via that window that appears when you open MEP (usually dont use that and tell it not to show again). When you use that and select New Project, then navigate to or create a new folder after ticking the "Create new folder where all imported media will be copied to" checkbox, it automatically creates 2 subfolders Record (which explains what Terry sees in 4) and Audio temp. The AVCHD import window then shows this path and all imports copy there.

2. You can change the "Save as" box to a new name but any subsequent saves to that folder seem to want to change the suffix to the movie name. So as in my original post with a movie called Scotland2012- first import enter "Scotland" and you get "Scotland1....Scotland100" but close out and try to import again and you get "Scotland2012......Scotland2013....etc. Must be a bug!

3. I guess what you are doing here Terry is creating a workaround for what I have observed in 2) above. You enter and get the suffix you want because it is the first batch.....??

Peter

frankos wrote on 7/22/2014, 1:55 PM

Use this software,it would be really helpful "KrojamSoft BatchRenameFiles program"

Scenestealer wrote on 7/22/2014, 6:06 PM

Thanks for the tip frankos.

Peter