Renaming slides

[ealford]

I am a very new user (just three or four days now), so the problem I find with PTE's renaming of slides made have been raised before, though I have not found any mention of it in a search of this forum.

PTE should only rename the slide and not any of the image files used in creating it. Or am I using "rename file" incorrectly?

What I am finding:

PTE names a slide with the name of the (first) image file used to create it via "Add Slide". So if that image file was named redflower.jpg, the slide would be named redflower.jpg.

Now if I rename that SLIDE to, say, "flower5", I find that the name of IMAGE file "redflower.jpg" is also changed to "flower5.jpg".

One consequence of this is that that slide can no longer find redflower.jpg, and indeed no other slide using redflower.jpg can find it.

[PS. I am delighted and very impressed with the software's overall performance and ease of use. Pity though about renaming of slides].

Ernest

[davegee]

Ernest,

Where is "Rename File" situated - I have not come across this?

Another way of doing it is to change the name in COMMON TAB of O&A to something recognisable. This does not alter the original name of the file.

While the NAME in COMMON (and the OBJECTS PANE) would show REDFLOWER the original file name (e.g. 300_dsc_1234) would be maintained in the PROPERTIES tab.

Generally speaking I am totally against renaming files under any circumstances. Any filing system needs the original file name in some form to maintain a chronological filing sequence.

DG

[Ken Cox]

RENAME slide function has been available for many versions

r mouse a slide in right column

i would put the new name in front of the old name

example

new_old.jpg

your original gets renamed as well

see attached

i posted how to rename a 600 slide show the other day -- i will dig up the url

http://www.picturest...indpost&p=69374

ken

[nobeefstu]

Ernest,

PTE should only rename the slide and not any of the image files used in creating it. Or am I using "rename file" incorrectly?

The Rename function applies to the Windows files and not items within the Slide List. Actually the Rename function should not be available in the Slide List ... otherwise confusion develops such as your instance.

If you must Rename files ... do it from the PTE File List Panel before you enter the image into the Slide List Panel.

I usually donot rename files on the fly ... I sort it all out like davegee beforehand.

[ealford]

nobeefstu said: "The Rename function applies to the Windows files and not items within the Slide List. Actually the Rename function should not be available in the Slide List ... otherwise confusion develops such as your instance."

I see. However, the slide name also changes!

I have no idea what purpose the existing behaviour of "Rename" in the Slide drop-down menu is meant to serve.

Is there no way to rename slides without also changing the name of an image file used in their creation?

[davegee]

Ernest,

See my post above!

[Henri.R]

Is there no way to rename slides without also changing the name of an image file used in their creation?

Hi Ernest,

After 20 years of working with digital pictures I've learned to never change the naming of pictures.

My workaround is to go to Windows Explorer, or Bridge for Adobe adepts like me.

Then I make a copy of the slide there, give this new copy the new name and import this one in PtE; never make such changes in applications like PtE or the like.

One day or another you'll notice the missing of your slide!

regards,

Henri.

[Ken Cox]

Ernest,

See my post above!

Ernest

if you scanned picts in to a folder it is very easy to name them as you go

but

if you were using several digital cameras and numerous picts -- the camera's naming system is different for each set of picts

a case in point

now for example you are at a road race - and took a bunch of picts and wanted to rename the picts by the runner's bib # in the order you took them - you have to change batteries -- you change cameras- a lull in the race , your helper changes batteries , you swich cameras - you will likely be putting them in separate folders for cameras --

with the runner's finishing list as a guide you have to sort them by finishing order.

example

original name from camera

P6256434 .JPG

renamed to

P6256434_WINNER_366 Matthew Fecht .JPG -- where bib is 366

P6256438 .JPG

renamed to

P6256438_2 225 Adam Roach .JPG where _2 is his placing

original

TN_IMG_0585.jpg

renamed to

TN_IMG_0585_476_670_DICK FELTON.jpg -- where 476 placing, 670 bib# - and runner's name

with windows protocol, the camera id is sorted fine

but irenamed them as i wished from the working slide list

that is how i did it at

30th Annual YMCA/CHOK International Bridge Race

Sunday June 24, 2007

10K

Entrants Finishers

Total 518 492

Male 266 251

Female 252 241

Unknown 00

lot of pictures to do - lot of renaming - if you have a buyer for a picture, easy to find

ken

[ealford]

I am afraid I am not making myself clear (and possibly not understanding what some replies are advising). Let me try again.

I want to rename SLIDES, and NOT picture files: I DON'T want to change the names of any picture files.

The names I want to change are the ones that show up in the slide list that runs in a row along the bottom of the PTE main window. For example, if what is currently shown under the slides in that row is:

1.blank.jpg 2.IMG_0165b.jpg 3.IMG_0275.jpg ... etc.

I may want to change them to

1. Title 2. Intro 3. SettingOut ... etc.

without also changing the names of the picture files blank.jpg, IMG_0165b.jpg, IMG_0275.jpg ..., etc.

What I have considered and tried:

*1*

"Rename", from the Slide drop-down menu, or F2, will let me change the slide names but also will change the names of picture files, so that picture file blank.jpg is renamed to "Title", picture file IMG_065b.jpg will have its name changed to Intro, and so on, which is not what I want to happen.

......

*2*

The Properties/Common/Animation for each slide (appearing on the right of the screen when one clicks Objects and Animation) has a section on the "Common" sub-panel with a slot labelled "Name", where you can enter text.

This turns out NOT to be the name of the slide but of the currently selected object within that slide: whatever is typed into that slot does not appear as the name of the slide in the slide list. (I mention this because one reply seemed to be suggesting that Name there referred to the name of the slide itself and was the route to take to rename a slide).

------

Thanks for the responses so far, for any further consideration of this.

Ernest

[nobeefstu]

Ernest,

*1*

"Rename", from the Slide drop-down menu, or F2, will let me change the slide names but also will change the names of picture files, so that picture file blank.jpg is renamed to "Title", picture file IMG_065b.jpg will have its name changed to Intro, and so on, which is not what I want to happen.

......

*2*

The Properties/Common/Animation for each slide (appearing on the right of the screen when one clicks Objects and Animation) has a section on the "Common" sub-panel with a slot labelled "Name", where you can enter text.

This turns out NOT to be the name of the slide but of the currently selected object within that slide: whatever is typed into that slot does not appear as the name of the slide in the slide list. (I mention this because one reply seemed to be suggesting that Name there referred to the name of the slide itself and was the route to take to rename a slide).

Sorry to say ... PTE offers no provision or function to just rename the slides in the Slide List.

The Rename function only applies to renaming the actual files as they exist in your Windows folder.

**There has not been much query from current users to implement such a rename slide only feature.

[Barry Beckham]

Ernest

Do I have this right?

You have an image in PTE called RedFlower.jpg..............If you want to use this image more than once in your slide show there is no need to change the name, you can use it as many times as you want and the images can all have the same name.

I seem to get the impression that you want to maybe change one version of redflower and then rename that leaving the original. If you do that inside PTE you will rename the original and any number of copies you have used in your show.

The way to do this is to open the image up in your image editor and change the name of the file when you save the file. Now PTE will see 2 separate images

Am I understanding your query correctly?

[ealford]

Ernest

Do I have this right?

You have an image in PTE called RedFlower.jpg..............If you want to use this image more than once in your slide show there is no need to change the name, you can use it as many times as you want and the images can all have the same name.

I seem to get the impression that you want to maybe change one version of redflower and then rename that leaving the original. If you do that inside PTE you will rename the original and any number of copies you have used in your show.

The way to do this is to open the image up in your image editor and change the name of the file when you save the file. Now PTE will see 2 separate images

Am I understanding your query correctly?

-----------------------------------------

No -- I just want to change the names of SLIDES -- the ones we create in PTE and are listed/shown in the row at the bottom of PTE's main page. I don't want this also to cause the names of any picture files be changed.

Since what I want to do seems to have caused some puzzlement, let me say why I wish to have the facility to change the names of slides (without affecting the names of any picture files):

The names PTE gives to slides are seldom helpful, being the name of the first picture file used in generating that slide and that name seldom gives any idea of the topic/theme/content of that slide. Suitable slide naming would greatly aid in reorganising (reordering) slides, deciding what slides may need to be added, and so on.

----------

nobeefstu has answered my query: it is impossible in PTE at present to rename a slide without the change in name being applied to the picture file it was named after.

Of course, there are ways of working around this -- all requiring multiple actions if not clumsy ways of accomplishing what should be an easy thing to implement in PSE. Changing a picture file's name so that the slide may have a more appropriate name is a poor strategy for many reasons. And one should not need to create multiple copies of a picture file with different names just so that one can retain one copy with the original name.

I have been told that what I am asking about has not been asked for before; I expect others have found little or need for a slide (not file) renaming feature. So perhaps I should leave the matter there.

Again, many thanks for your responses and apologies for not being clear enough about what I was asking.

Ernest

[Barry Beckham]

I think I understand a bit clearer now.

Most people always work from copies of images inside PTE, so any renaming, never affects the original.

Good luck with your project

[davegee]

I wish to have the facility to change the names of slides (without affecting the names of any picture files):

Ernest,

Let's try it with pictures - maybe we will get a better understanding.

First picture (PROPERTIES) shows IMAGE NAME.

Second picture (COMMON) shows SLIDE NAME and refers to MAIN IMAGE. (The name in PROPERTIES remains unchanged)

Using these pictures can you describe what you want?

DG

[ealford]

I wish to have the facility to change the names of slides (without affecting the names of any picture files):

Ernest,

Let's try it with pictures - maybe we will get a better understanding.

First picture (PROPERTIES) shows IMAGE NAME.

Second picture (COMMON) shows SLIDE NAME and refers to MAIN IMAGE. (The name in PROPERTIES remains unchanged)

Using these pictures can you describe what you want?

DG

I can't do that with your pictures, for the name slot in the COMMON the panel is for a particular OBJECT in your slide, the object currently selected for parameter manipulation. (In your example the slide has only one object).

The name slot in COMMON panel does NOT refer to the name of the slide, though it may appear to do so when the slide name is the same as a picture file name.

Look at the lower part of the Object/s list in that COMMON panel: you will see that the selected object's name has been changed to what you entered in the NAME slot on that panel -- it is the object's name, not the slide name as your annotation asserts.

However, if you look at the thumbnails of the slides (in the slide list at the bottom of the main screen of PTE), you will find that the name of that slide has not been changed to the one you entered in that COMMON panel.

What I want to be able to do is to change the name of the slide (the name that is shown below the thumbnail of that slide in the slide list) without also having the name of any picture file being affected in any way. As nobeefstu has pointed out, it can't be done in the current version of the program.

[Added in a later edit of this message: Perhaps the original intention was for "Name" in the COMMON panel to refer to the name of the slide, but at present it does not. A flaw? Well, The User's Guide says "... Name of the image you have selected ..."]