Is there a way to rename agroup of photos based on a pattern in Elements Organizer?

[apic13]

I'd like to rename (change the file name) a group of photos using a pattern like "prefix_ + PreservedFileName". Is this possible?

[MichelBParis]

Yes, it's an option of the export command and it's the default behaviour when use the File >> Rename command with several items selected. Usually, that's a command you issue when you are in an album in your custom order.

[apic13]

Thank you for the reply. 

I looked at the File >> Rename command.  However, it allows for a common base name and then renames all the files with the base name and a numeric sequence starting with 0000.  For instance, if I use a common base name of C, IMG_23456.jpg is renamed to C_0000.jpg, IMG_1234.jpg is renamed to C_0001.jpg.  I'd like to do something more complex, like including the PreservedFileName value in the new name.

[MichelBParis]

"I looked at the File >> Rename command.  However, it allows for a common base name and then renames all the files with the base name and a numeric sequence starting with 0000.  For instance, if I use a common base name of C, IMG_23456.jpg is renamed to C_0000.jpg, IMG_1234.jpg is renamed to C_0001.jpg.  I'd like to do something more complex, like including the PreservedFileName value in the new name."

The most flexible renaming tool is the advanced option of the downloader.

The other flexible option is from the editor File >> process multiple files.

The option in the organizer seems limited, but it's the only one which allows to rename so that any external tool recognizes a 'custom' sort order. Remember that external or third-party tools can only sort by criteria like date or file name and they ignore custom order stored in albums.

One thing to also keep in mind is that flexible renaming is mainly required in some cases when sharing with people without the organizer. So, for the majority of users of the organizer for themselves, renaming other than for keeping custom sort order is useless.You have so much more power with tags, albums. Don't forget captions since the search option can find any files by just a substring of the caption.

I know that there are situations when this flexible renaming is needed, but my guess is that it's not a major requirement for lots of users, so there is little chance to get the same flexibility in the organizer as the one in the downloader.

[MichelBParis]

"I looked at the File >> Rename command.  However, it allows for a common base name and then renames all the files with the base name and a numeric sequence starting with 0000.  For instance, if I use a common base name of C, IMG_23456.jpg is renamed to C_0000.jpg, IMG_1234.jpg is renamed to C_0001.jpg.  I'd like to do something more complex, like including the PreservedFileName value in the new name."

The most flexible renaming tool is the advanced option of the downloader.

The other flexible option is from the editor File >> process multiple files.

The option in the organizer seems limited, but it's the only one which allows to rename so that any external tool recognizes a 'custom' sort order. Remember that external or third-party tools can only sort by criteria like date or file name and they ignore custom order stored in albums.

One thing to also keep in mind is that flexible renaming is mainly required in some cases when sharing with people without the organizer. So, for the majority of users of the organizer for themselves, renaming other than for keeping custom sort order is useless.You have so much more power with tags, albums. Don't forget captions since the search option can find any files by just a substring of the caption.

I know that there are situations when this flexible renaming is needed, but my guess is that it's not a major requirement for lots of users, so there is little chance to get the same flexibility in the organizer as the one in the downloader.