Settings for auto-renaming in the timeline

[SwirlyD]

I have several projects in different languages with 2300 files in each, lined up in order on one track in Pro Tools - the idea is that the numbering for the words will match between languages. I want to auto-rename them, so that each region, in the order it is on the timeline, will be numbered incrementally up, from 1-2300. I select "sort by user time stamp" and then attempt to auto-rename, but *sometimes* the numbering doesn't work - some numbers get skipped or are out of sequence. It should just go from 1-2300. I am sure there is just some simple setting I am not doing correctly, and am hoping someone can tell me what it is or tell me some things to double-check.

My workaround can be audiosuiting all the files with no processing - this then seems to get them reset from 1-2300, and the auto-renaming works then, but I prefer not to go that route if possible. It's as if sometimes it is in "sort by original stamp" or "sort by file creation date" even though I have changed it to "user time stamp" (which I assume means the timeline ?? Am I wrong??)

Any help appreciated!

[HD2]

Unless you've actually changed the user timestamp, it would be the same as the original. Just putting files in a certain order on the timeline does not automatically change the user timestamp

[reichman]

SwirlyD:

Auto-rename works in the order in which the regions were originally cut from the parent, not the order in which they appear on the timeline. Do a test with just a few files and you'll see what I mean.

You might discover that you have to go out of Pro Tools and incorporate A Better Finder Rename, or some other similar tool to do everything you need.

I emailed Digidesign while using PT 5.1.3 about this auto-rename issue...

Best,

Nathaniel

[SwirlyD]

Aha.....so is it correct that there is no way to auto rename from 1-2300 based on the sequence of regions in the timeline (except my workaround of audiosuiting the files so they get a new timestamp?) - if not, it sure would be handy for me for future release ...

Actually, I am using A Better Finder Rename to later rename the files from an XL sheet, but in order for that to work, the files must be numbered sequentially 1-2300 when I export from PT ..... I just noticed that if I edit and consolidate a file in the middle, it throws the whole sequencing out of whack

Oh well, unless I read otherwise, at least I know now just to audiosuite it all before auto-renaming - and won't spend hours trying to find out why it wasn't working for me the other way....

[minister]

Originally Posted by SwirlyD

Aha.....so is it correct that there is no way to auto rename from 1-2300 based on the sequence of regions in the timeline (except my workaround of audiosuiting the files so they get a new timestamp?) - if not, it sure would be handy for me for future release ...

No, it is not correct.

Go into the region bin and sort by User Timestamp. Then Auto rename will work the way you want it to.


A Better Finder Rename is great, so is Automator that comes with your OS X installation.

[SwirlyD]

Thanks Minister, but I did select that in the region bin and I still get some abnormalities with numbering. Can there something else selected or not selected that could causing the problem that you're aware of?? (I also tried with Region Type checked and unchecked and that didn't help).... sometimes it works fine and other times not - maybe it's just a bug in my system??

[minister]

Hmm... I have done it many times before, with huge file numbers, so I know it works.

Make sure you don't have any slivers or shards on the timeline. Are you sorting and then selecting the files on the timeline on one track only?

I have a VO session open now with a lot of cuts in it. I just tried the sort and auto rename and I got the results I expected : file name in numerical ascension from left to right on the timeline.

[nedd]

I've also done it many times; make sure you SORT your regions in a region list the way you want them renamed, prior to rename process.
What I mean by this is: you might create file chronologically and then go back and fix some regions and that would mean if you sort them by creation date you will have "unlogical timeline" renaming. If you keep it by time the region appear in the time line you will be fine. Just try it, it is not destructive, but VERY handy.

[SwirlyD]

Thanks for all the replies!

What's happening for me is:

I have a series of 500 files, say 500 words.....I discover I need a few retakes and then the next day, remove the bad word and place the new one in.... When it's time to export, I select "sort by user time stamp" and attempt to auto-rename the files in the order they are placed on the timeline from 001-500. The new files which replaced the old ones in the middle of the timeline will wind up with the last numbers, so I may have number 500 in the middle of the sequence. I understand this would be the case if I had selected "Sort by original time stamp", but what could be causing this??? I am doing everything people have brought up in this thread... I feel like there must be a simple thing I am not doing This doesn't always happen - sometimes I rename everything just fine. I wonder if certain files and how they were imported may have some effect?

[anodecathode]

Originally Posted by minister

No, it is not correct.

Go into the region bin and sort by User Timestamp. Then Auto rename will work the way you want it to.


A Better Finder Rename is great, so is Automator that comes with your OS X installation.

Thanks for this! You just saved me hours of work.