Bad Start with Lightroom (Page 2): For me, renaming files creates chaos. You can rename them when you import them. However, if your have a rational folder scheme and use keywords, you...

abc1234 Loc: Elk Grove Village, Illinois

Pgphoto wrote:

The renaming of a file outside of lightroom is fine when when you are changing just a few files but if you get into changing names of hundred or more remember you have to go back into lightroom and one by one tell Lightroom where each new file is. A rather tedious job which in this case is much simpler when done in Lightroom

For me, renaming files creates chaos. You can rename them when you import them. However, if your have a rational folder scheme and use keywords, you do not have to rename them. LR's filter will find them in a snap.

brucewells Loc: Central Kentucky

backroader wrote:

I didn't get off to a good start learning to use L... (show quote)

May I recommend a book? It will help tremendously to have a good idea of how LR works for you, before you get too many images involved.

http://www.amazon.com/Adobe-Photoshop-Lightroom-release-Classroom/dp/0133924823/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1448467363&sr=8-1&keywords=lightroom+classroom+in+a+book

JD750 Loc: SoCal

backroader wrote:

I didn't get off to a good start learning to use L... (show quote)

Oh boy! I feel your pain. I had a similar dilemma a few years back using another database program.

I don't know how to do a global file rename inside Lightroom.

There are ways to do it outside of Lightroom but It's problematic to rename the folders outside the LR program. You might have to reconnect the images one image at a time, and at best you will have to reconnect each folder inside lightroom.

The easiest thing might be to type in the new folder names inside Lightroom. Do a few every day until it's done?

AzPicLady Loc: Behind the camera!

Pgphoto wrote:

The renaming of a file outside of lightroom is fine when when you are changing just a few files but if you get into changing names of hundred or more remember you have to go back into lightroom and one by one tell Lightroom where each new file is. A rather tedious job which in this case is much simpler when done in Lightroom

What I have found is that I do NOT have to change each image, but just the folder in which it resides. It's a one-click correction to however many images are stored in that folder.

John Howard Loc: SW Florida and Blue Ridge Mountains of NC.

jeep_daddy wrote:

I don't believe so. The best thing to do is change each folder name from Lightroom so that the catalog doesn't become confused. There are probably ways to change them in a batch but not from LR and then you'd be forced to tell LR where all your pictures moved to. This would be just as tedious as just changing the folder name one at a time from LR.

Renaming just the folders would be a good start to simplifying this problem, and not take too long to do.

One idea that might work would be to export the folders of photos one at a time and re-import them. I think the import function allows you to rename the individual photo files.

Pgphoto Loc: Brooklyn, NY

interesting i just renamed a folder outside of lightroom and also renamed one file in that folder when i went to lightroom of course both the folder and file were missing there locations. I first located the folder and it was accepted but the picture file was still missing which i had to relocate and once i did it was also accepted.
if what you say worked out for you than i have to keep experimenting. I have found so far that it works folder to file if you lose the entire location of your photos but individually, I have to test other scenarios

bwana Loc: Bergen, Alberta, Canada

abc1234 wrote:

For me, renaming files creates chaos. You can rename them when you import them. However, if your have a rational folder scheme and use keywords, you do not have to rename them. LR's filter will find them in a snap.

I use a logical, human readable, approach to organizing pictures under Windows. I create a folder/directory structure on my hard drives, move my camera files into these folders and import the files into Lightroom from there. I find I can easily scan my hard drives and instantly know where things are. I've found organizing by date is sort of useless (at least for me).

Example:

Main folder: Norway-Iceland Cruise
Subdir: Orkney Islands
Subsubdir: Skara Brae
Subsubdir: Ring of Brogdar
Subsubdir: Church of Whatever
Subdir: Iceland
Subsubdir: Waterfalls
Subsubsubdir: Waterfall Whatever1
Subsubsubdir: Waterfall Whatever2
Subsubdir: Coastal Scenes
Etc...

I use the same folder structure when uploading images to various sites.

bwa

JD750 Loc: SoCal

bwana wrote:

I use a logical, human readable, approach to organ... (show quote)

Respectively, OP was not asking about how to organize folders. OP was asking if there is an easy way to rename a large number of folders after they, and their contents, have been imported.

Do you know of an easy way to accomplish that?

altheman Loc: Christchurch, New Zealand

There is really only one way of doing it and that is individually and it needs to be done from inside of lightroom because each folder is for a particular day.
http://helpx.adobe.com/lightroom/help/create-folders.html#rename_folders

bwana Loc: Bergen, Alberta, Canada

JD750 wrote:

Respectively, OP was not asking about how to organize folders. OP was asking if there is an easy way to rename a large number of folders after they, and their contents, have been imported.

Do you know of an easy way to accomplish that?

No... Never had to.

bwa

backroader Loc: Wherever we park our motorhome

Thanks to all of you for the wonderful input to my self made problem. I now fell a lot more confident in what I am doing! Happy Thanksgiving to all.

JD750 Loc: SoCal

backroader wrote:

Thanks to all of you for the wonderful input to my self made problem. I now fell a lot more confident in what I am doing! Happy Thanksgiving to all.

Glad the comments were of some help.

Happy Thanksgiving to you too backroader!