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Automator Batch Rename

I am trying to rename the awful way my video camera names it's files. I want to change it to something that makes sense and has meaning. I am trying to batch rename a bunch of files with names like this:

SANY0001.mp4

SANY0002.mp4

SANY0003.mp4

2017-06-01 17_35_58.mp4 (YYYY-MM-DD HH_MI_SS)

I am able to get the Date and Time information from the Create Date using automator, this is not the hard part.

I am not able to replace the SANY0001, SANY0002, SANY0003 because the Replace function needs to search for something, and the only common part is SANY000, witch I can replace, but then I end up with a filename like this:

2017-06-01 17_35_58 1.mp4

2017-06-01 17_41_21 2.mp4

2017-06-01 17_55_02 3.mp4

This is not horrible, but my OCD does not like it!

Is there a way to add a final step in my Automator process that takes the whole original filename, no matter what it is, and replace with null?

My file name is something like 2017-06-01 17_55_02SANY0003.mp4 by the time it gets to the part where I want to replace the SANY0003 with null.

Then I would have the file name I want, 2017-06-01 17_55_02.mp4.

Thank you.

iMac Line (2012 and Later)

Posted on Jun 22, 2020 9:02 AM

Top-ranking reply

VikingOSX

Community+ 2024

Level 10

116,855 points

Posted on Jun 22, 2020 11:16 AM

I see this as a two action Automator application. At the Automator prompt, choose the folder containing your images to rename. It will rename them with their creation date in the format you requested.

Files & Folders Library : Ask for Finder Items action
1. Desktop
2. Folder without multiple selections
Utilities Library : Run Shell Script action
1. Shell: /bin/zsh
2. Pass input: as arguments
3. Replace entire default Run Shell Script content with contents of Script (below)
Save Automator application to your Desktop, and double-click to run.

Script

#!/bin/zsh

: <<'COMMENT'
Provide the starting folder name that contains the images to be
renamed, and the script will rename them in the designated format.

Legend of Zshell expansion and substitution modifiers:
a: - absolute path
h: - directory path
e: - file extension

See man zshexpn(1)

See the following link for the strftime (%) operators used in the stat command:
# https://www.freebsd.org/cgi/man.cgi?query=strftime&sektion=3
COMMENT

STARTDIR="$1"

# case-insensitve
setopt NOCASE_GLOB
# search in sub-folders for any sany mp4 image files
for f in ${STARTDIR}/**/*.(sany*mp4)(.N);
do
    path="${f:a:h}"
    cdate=$(stat -t '%F %H_%M_%S' -f '%SB' "${f:a}"
    ext="${f:e}"
    # rename SANY00nn.mp4 to yy-mm-dd hh_mm_ss.mp4
    mv "${f:a}" "${path}/${cdate}.${ext}"
done
# resume case sensitive
setopt CASE_GLOB
exit 0

Automator application ready to run screenshot:

View in context

Similar questions

3 replies

Top-ranking reply

VikingOSX

Community+ 2024

Level 10

116,855 points

Jun 22, 2020 11:16 AM in response to Enterpriser1701

Files & Folders Library : Ask for Finder Items action
1. Desktop
2. Folder without multiple selections
Utilities Library : Run Shell Script action
1. Shell: /bin/zsh
2. Pass input: as arguments
3. Replace entire default Run Shell Script content with contents of Script (below)
Save Automator application to your Desktop, and double-click to run.

Script

#!/bin/zsh

: <<'COMMENT'
Provide the starting folder name that contains the images to be
renamed, and the script will rename them in the designated format.

Legend of Zshell expansion and substitution modifiers:
a: - absolute path
h: - directory path
e: - file extension

See man zshexpn(1)

See the following link for the strftime (%) operators used in the stat command:
# https://www.freebsd.org/cgi/man.cgi?query=strftime&sektion=3
COMMENT

STARTDIR="$1"

# case-insensitve
setopt NOCASE_GLOB
# search in sub-folders for any sany mp4 image files
for f in ${STARTDIR}/**/*.(sany*mp4)(.N);
do
    path="${f:a:h}"
    cdate=$(stat -t '%F %H_%M_%S' -f '%SB' "${f:a}"
    ext="${f:e}"
    # rename SANY00nn.mp4 to yy-mm-dd hh_mm_ss.mp4
    mv "${f:a}" "${path}/${cdate}.${ext}"
done
# resume case sensitive
setopt CASE_GLOB
exit 0

Automator application ready to run screenshot:

Jun 23, 2020 11:21 AM in response to VikingOSX

This is beautiful! Thank you! Just what I needed.

Jun 23, 2020 11:55 AM in response to Enterpriser1701

You are welcome.

Automator Batch Rename