Mass Naming of Files from an Excel Document
What problem do you see this solving?
I have to specifically name a huge number of files as I photograph them - in my case it's hundreds of portraits that need to be named using the people's name as I capture them so I can export them with the subjects name. Currently we enter the subject's name in the description field and then export using that field for the filename. I receive the subject's names in advance of the shoot and I would love to import them as text from text edit or similar software prior to the shoot so the digi tech never needs to write the full name in and the description auto populates as they type.
When was the last time you were affected by this lack of functionality, or specific tool?
Three or four times a year depending on the client's hiring status, and I do know other photographers in similar situations.
Are you using any workarounds or other solutions to achieve your goals in Capture One?
Currently I copy and paste each unique name into the description field the night before the shoot - takes a couple of hours for a few hundred names.
Are you happy to be contacted further about this suggestion or request?
YES
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This would also be true of product shoots using specific SKU's. Any shoot with a large number of subjects that need to be specifically named upon export AND the client can provide those names before the shoot starts.
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Thanks Martin - are you tethering to PhotoMechanic and using it for the image capture and then using Capture One? I'd love more info on how your workflow flows so I might try it out.
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Thanks Martin - we have to shoot tethered and we have to enter the subjects name as we shoot - the subject reviews the photos to confirm their selection before they leave the set. I'm trying to pre-load the names into Capture One as auto fill options prior to the shoot. I'll take a look at Photo Mechanic and see if I can use it for tether.
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That's an interesting feature - we could convert peoples names to barcodes somehow. I just think it's crazy that we can't create auto complete metadata from scratch except by typing each line in one at a time. Especially when it looks like you can on Windows. Oh well.
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I haven't found a way to use Keywords as a filename at export, but it would be awesome if I could. I need to preload 500+ names in to the metadata and then assign the persons name as their filename on export and be able to add names on the fly as we are capturing the images. Right now I spend the night before the shoot copying and pasting each person's name from an excel file in to the description line, so it will auto populate as we start to type their name in on set, and use the description as the filename on export. If we don't enter the person's name at capture then the HR department won't know who they are when sending the photos out for use in the email signature and client presentations... I just want to find a way to copy and paste that data in once rather than each name one at a time.
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Unfortunately the whole purpose of this process is to produce a file that has the persons name as the filename on output - if you imagine a contact large corporation receiving hundreds of portraits for employees they have never met, they need the filenames to be correct on every file and on every crop that's exported. So I think keyword is a non starter at the present moment. Next large shoot for them is in September, so now is a good time to check in on the enterprise options...or simply use Capture One on a PC where it appears that you might be able to actually copy and past names in the auto complete field for metadata "description".
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