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DavePinMinn
Inspiring
March 12, 2018
Question

Making sequence numbers persistent?

  • March 12, 2018
  • 1 reply
  • 2116 views

This seems like something that would have been asked, but I'm not seeing it.........

LR Classic CC running on a PC.

I'm NOT renaming images during import 'cause it's a major PITA.  Once I've been through and culled the images, and figured out the HDR, panorama, and focus stack sets, I"m renaming in Lightroom.  I've created a couple presets that make it a LITTLE less onerous, but one problem I still have is the sequence numbers...

Let's say I have a series of X images in a focus stack.  I'm renaming them to be yymmdd_f<nnn>_sequence number.  So a renamed image might be

180301_f003_1234.  A set of 8 images would be 180301_f003 (the focus stack ID) _(1234 through 1241).  In this case the "003" is custom text and the 1234...  is the "Start Number"...  So that set works and ends with sequence 1241.  On to the NEXT set.  Unfortunately, the 003 is still there, so I know I need to change it to 004, but the sequence number is STILL 1234.  It doesn't update so it shows the LAST sequence number used.  Which is very cumbersome since I have to look at the LAST set, get the ending number, remember it, and enter it into the preset for the next set.

It's not the most inefficient thing in LR, but it's clunky.  Is there any way to have the rename keep track of the last sequence used?  Can I use some OTHER number?  In the Edit, there are Sequence #, Image # and Total #.  I've tried all of them and it LOOKS like image number always increments from 1 and doesn't allow me to set it as a "Start Number" and Total # always appears to be "0007", which I have no idea what that means.

Changing the Import Number and Photos Imported in the Catalog settings doesn't appear to have any effect on the Start Number in Rename...

Is this just another one of those "can't change this behavior" in Lightroom?

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    1 reply

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    Community Expert
    richardplondonCommunity Expert
    Community Expert
    March 12, 2018

    "Total #" I think, denotes the number of images within a given batch that is submitted for renaming.

    So you might make a naming scheme which - in addition to other things - included 1of7, 2of7 etc when there were 7 images, and 1of4, 2of4 etc where there were 4 images. I believe the tokens used to do that would be "image#" then custom text "of" then "total#".

    Personally I prefer re-using the original camera image numbers ("original number suffix") rather than having LR maintain its own number sequence. Those camera assigned numbers are intrinsically unique and chronological (provided the camera's configured so it doesn't restart its image numbering with each freshly formatted memory card). In any case, the date info would resolve any confusion even if camera numbering were to repeat the same, e,g due to using more than one camera body.

    Oh: perhaps your focus stack groupings can be represented virtually, through image stacking? If there is no overriding reason to physically rename files, I personally like to keep such things to a minimum. So much more efficient for backup etc if files are unchanging.

    Alternatively you might first enter a focus stack reference (or whatever) into a metadata field, such as Title, of the images within each such batch as you review those. You can then incorporate a reference to the contents of that metadata field, into a file renaming system. You wouldn't have to interact any further with each renaming set; just recall a previously defined renaming 'preset' and use that as-it-is each time.

    And you may find this very small investment in entering metadata, has circumvented the practical need to physically rename, at all (grin).

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    DavePinMinnAuthor
    Inspiring
    March 13, 2018

    Richard...

    Yes the camera numbering sequence would work - EXCEPT I shoot three different bodies.  There have been collisions.

    As for using LRs stacking - it's NOT real.  It doesn't go into the metadata, which means it doesn't transfer between computers unless I take the whole catalog as far as I know.  And if there is ever a catalog problem and it has to be recreated all the stacks, pick flags and collections are gone.  So, that's a non-starter.

    The point of having information in the filename to denote what type of series it is, is to make it as easy as possible to identify all the members of a series, quickly, easily and accurately.  And from OUTSIDE Lightroom since some software doesn't have a plug-in.

    In any case, I still have the problem of non-persistent sequence numbers...

    D
    DavePinMinnAuthor
    Inspiring
    March 14, 2018

    Well Bridge is a completely different program than LR, as you know.

    You could still use Bridge for your renaming and once that is done the way you like import the images into LR. Yes it is another step.

    Best to you.


    That's pretty much what I've been doing for the last 8 years...  Initial culling and examination in Bridge 'cause it's so much faster, and all the renaming 'cause it's so much easier.  Then importing the remaining images into Lightroom with the second copy to the backup - that way I DON'T have 10,000 images going into LR and being copied to the backup when only 50 are worth a darn.

    Seems kind of pathetic to have to do it that way in 2018, but it's a whole lot easier to handle series' in Bridge.

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