More than 9999 images: best practice?

I've searched for an answer to my question on this forum and haven't found one. So ...

I'm coming up on image file DSC_9999. I don't relish starting over with DSC_0001 and having multiple files with the same filename on my computer. I'm sure that others of you have faced and dealt with this issue, and I'd appreciate hearing about what you've done, what works, and what doesn't work.

My camera is a D70. Thanks for your help.
--
http://www.pbase.com/morepix

I rename my images, adding a 1 in front of the four digit code (or 2, 3, 4 as you progress). I use Thumbs Plus and it has a file renaming feature built in to where I can rename a series of images. I think that Picture Project has renaming capabilities, but I don't use it so you would have to check. There are plenty of free renaming utilities out there - try doing a search if this is the path you want to go down.

One thing I had to change though, since I rename the entire range of files each time I dump my memory card onto my computer, I have had to change my practice to where I never delete any images from the camera. At least I have to do this with Thumbs Plus because it renames everything sequentially from the starting number.

If you do go this route, be sure you test it on a copied set of images to make sure it does what you want first, so you don't screw up a bunch of original files.

--Will
------

I always upload my NEF's into folders under a main of NIK. The folders are labeled by date first and location second ( 2006-07-26- Banff Morning). By doing it this way I don't care that two files started with the same name as each folder is unique and will sort properly because of the date. After converting to .tiff I create a "edited" folder that is a sub-folder of the original date/location folder. And in renaming the .tiff I will use Banff-Waterfall_6798, where 6798 is a reference to the original NEF that is located one folder up in the original upload file.
--
John

Visit my gallery below

http://www.betterphoto.com/gallery/gallery.asp?memberID=100286

My method:

As images are copied from the CF card to the hard drive, the date is inserted prior to the sequence number (2006-07-08_DSC1898.JPG). This will make them unique.

I also create a directory and name it in the format of date-description (2006-07-08 - Arboretum). I use a few keywords in the description field, which makes them searchable.

If you set it up right, Nikon's PictureProject will handle most of this automatically. I manually insert the keywords in the directory name.

Seems to work.
--
Bob D.
Nikon D70s

Still at like 7,000

But I keep ALL my shots in yearly folders with sub folders labled like this:

2006.07.05 Outing to lost lake and some Portland Zoo shots

That way....they could even be the same in every folder....but my filing system keeps them straight.

Roman
--
Schrodinger's cat is alive...no...dead...no...alive.....no, wait....
http://www.pbase.com/romansphotos/

Thanks for the suggestion. I too use ThumbsPlus, though I've never explored its batch capabilities. I think, however, I'll keep looking, as the idea of never deleting images from the camera leaves me a little cool.
--
http://www.pbase.com/morepix

I place the date pefore the DCS part of the name, for example 072506.

Morris
--



http://qcpages.qc.cuny.edu/~morris/POD

Using folders to maintain uniqueness is a tidy solution, and I may yet adopt it. The problem for me is that I've reorganized my original images in various ways -- sometimes in a single folder for all my D70 images, but some I've moved to topical folders. In all cases, I've maintained the original DSC_xxxx.jpg filename. Still, I could use your scheme going forward. We'll see.
--
http://www.pbase.com/morepix

http://forums.dpreview.com/forums/read.asp?forum=1034&message=19329849

maybe it has some suggestions for you.
--
I likes shootin' things with them new-fangled picture-takin' devices!
VISIT OFTEN: http://emeka.smugmug.com (comments welcomed)

Yours seems to be a good solution if your original files will always remain in the same place.
--
http://www.pbase.com/morepix

Seems like a neat solution. How do you insert the date before the DSC name?
--
http://www.pbase.com/morepix

Ouch! I was looking in all the corners, and there it was, right out there in the middle of the floor! Thanks.

Nice photos in your smugmug galleries, by the way. You have quite a lot of skill in handling architecture.
--
http://www.pbase.com/morepix

I wrote the following batch file:

To use it change to the directory with the files and then enter:

renb date

Where date is what ever you want to place at the beginning. Note that the batch file needs to be in the path.

18:32 C:\UTIL> type renb.bat
%echo off
if .%1 == . goto params
for %%I in ( . ) do ren %%I %1%%I
goto exit
arams
echo.
echo use: renb prefix
echo.
:exit

This code could user some error checking. Some file manipulation programs can do it as well.

Morris

--



http://qcpages.qc.cuny.edu/~morris/POD

I do this same thing... unfortunately for several years when i began shooting digital, i would sort pictures into appropriate "themed" folders... friends, nature, vacations, bugs, travel, holidays, photoshopped pieces, etc... all with subfolders and such. worked for a while until i started aquiring so many pictures it was a nightmare to keep track of where they should go. the only solution to back them up onto disc was also to just back them ALL up... which became so tedious that i just didn't do it often.

so i just started over when i got my slr... i have one main folder of all these themed folders pre-nikon... then i have my nikon folder that is simply one main folder with dated autosave folders. any editing is saved into their respective subfolder of the original... these are then chategorized if i desire, in picasa...

REALLY wish i'd done it that way from the start... the pre-nikon pictures (all 10-12THOUSAND of them) are a mess in picasa... but theres not much i can do... i can't un-sort them into dated folders!

Interesting. In over a year, I'd never even thought of installing Picture Project. So at your mention, I did it and found that it can be used for transferring to the computer iff you transfer directly from the camera. I use a card reader for single-card transfers, and sometimes I need to transfer scads of images from a portable hard drive when I return from a trip. So that wouldn't work.

From what you wrote, tho, I'd guess you use something other than Picture Project for this purpose.
--
http://www.pbase.com/morepix

The problem here is to maintain file identity when the camera starts duplicating former filenames.

Ways to maintain file identity are: (1) Keep files from subsequent rounds of 1000 in separate folders and rely on the folder name to maintain file identity, or (2) rename files so you can relocate them freely.

If you're renaming files, when should you do it: (1) As part of the process of moving them to the computer, or (2) as a separate step after they're on the computer. (I think Thom Hogan recommends the former in his "Complete Guide to the Nikon D70".)

If you're renaming, some forms of the new filename are: (1) prefix the DSC name with the date using some file transfer software; or (2) rename DSC_xxxx to DSE_xxxx, DSFxxxx, etc.; or (3) rename DSC_xxxx to DSC_1xxxx, DSC_2xxxx, etc. (There are, of course, zillions of others.)

How to rename: (1) Let the software that moves the files to the computer do it, or (2) use the command line Rename function (this can do the DSE_xxxx option), or (3) use a specialized renaming program like "THE Rename" (found in the other thread that EmekaU mentioned; this can do the DSC_1xxxx option, or just about any other kind of name change you can dream up).

At this point the command line rename option seems best for me. I'll just transfer new files to a folder like ...\New, and run a command line batch file against the files in that folder, implementing ren DSC_ .jpg DSE_ .jpg, then move the files to wherever I want them to live.

Thanks to everyone for the helpful ideas. You helped me focus on options and get clear on what best fits my work pattern. And now I don't think there is A best practice; there may be a best practice for YOU, but it depends on how you like to work.
--
http://www.pbase.com/morepix

Have you thought about ckrename ( http://www.musicsucks.com/CKSoft/index.htm ) or downloaderpro ( http://www.breezesys.com/ )?

First one is a renaming tool for files in your computer. Second one is used to aid you at download time. It can use exif information on your files to rename them while downloading. Just as an example here is what a file looks like after I download:

D70-02-DSC_3181-ISO200-35mm-f2,0-1!80s.NEF

That "-02" part is manually added, you just have to do it once inside the software and for me it says I'm between 9999 and 19999. Later it will be changed to -03 and so on.

Downloaderpro is my current download software. You can try before you buy, so if you don't like you don't loose your money.

Regards,
Pedro

I rename the pictures before dumping them into the computer in the following fashon: 0726061, 0726062, 072606..., 072606n. This way I never have 2 files with the same name and I can tell when the picture was taken just by its filename. I use rename star, but you can do it with picture project as well as with many other applications.

I store the original images in folders, one each month (0706 for July '06 and so on).

You might just start some kind of file renaming strategy on the turnover picture 0001_DSC.jpg or whatever...

Did I help?
--
...slowly building my gallery at http://marcello.zoto.com/galleries

/\arcello
NikonD70_ 18.70DX 50.f1.8D SB600
SonyF717_wa_tele
[my signature shouldn't contribute to any forum search]

I recently hit 20,000 images with my D70 and I've never had that problem.

I usually create folders........around 90GB worth at this time (with a back-up).

The folders are specific to one of the following: location/subject/date/equipment (testing). When I return to a location, like Kyoto Japan, I simply add a folder within the 1st.

Granted, this isn't the most effective system and I'm really in the need of a full scan, flush, and process of thousands of photo's. But, I've never had a problem with duplicate file names.
--
http://www.ianz28.smugmug.com

My procedure for keeping my RAW files is following.

• I use a card reader. Picture projec can easily read the (nef) files from the card to a folder. This folder (in standard settings contains a date). I changed it and keep my raw's together per (couple) of months. I find it easier this way in order to get an overview, once the pictures are in folders per date, I find it harder to locate a specific picture.

• picture project renames all files to a new number. So the cams number

might be DSC4125, picture project renames this to DSC003256 (you can choose a text or date/time prefix or suffix). I selected a six digit number in order not to have the problem you mentioned. You can have the numbering start at whatever point you like. After import it stores the last number, so that, when you import a next batch you wouldn't get duplicates.

• In pict project the transferred pics are grouped in a 'collection' (per date as it seems). In this collection I remove the low quality pictures (most of them ;-) ), and move the good ones to their appropriate collections.

• Post processed JPEGs go into the my pictures folders and subfolders where I let Picassa do the library work.

Hope this helps