rename photo by random size

Is there a program that can rename a directory of photos randomly?

Perhaps by size?
Or by last access?
Or by number of colors.
Whatever.

Almost none have exif so rename by exif would be nice but won't work.

Most renames like iv seem to rename based only on file name.

On 15 Dec 2018, Jean Fredette wrote in
alt.windows7.general:

Is there a program that can rename a directory of photos randomly?

Perhaps by size?
Or by last access?
Or by number of colors.
Whatever.

Almost none have exif so rename by exif would be nice but won't work.

Irfanview has many bulk rename options. Check it out.

On Sat, 15 Dec 2018 14:13:58 -0600, Jean Fredette
wrote:

Is there a program that can rename a directory of photos randomly?

Perhaps by size?
Or by last access?
Or by number of colors.
Whatever.

Almost none have exif so rename by exif would be nice but won't work.

Most renames like iv seem to rename based only on file name.

"Randomly" might make it tricky, but for all of my bulk renaming chores
I turn to Bulk Rename Utility.
https://www.bulkrenameutility.co.uk/Main_Intro.php

If I wanted to rename based on size, I'd simply click the size column
header, then apply an incrementing serial number to each file as a
prefix. For example, once the files have been sorted by size or date
accessed, I'd specify a prefix of 101 or 1001, depending on the number
of files, increment 1, separator " - ", and let'er rip. Later, if you
want to name them by a different criteria, you can easily remove the
serial number, do the sort another way, and reapply a serial number. BRU
is insanely configurable.

--

Char Jackson

"Randomly" might make it tricky, but for all of my bulk renaming chores
I turn to Bulk Rename Utility.
https://www.bulkrenameutility.co.uk/Main_Intro.php

If I wanted to rename based on size, I'd simply click the size column
header, then apply an incrementing serial number to each file as a
prefix. For example, once the files have been sorted by size or date
accessed, I'd specify a prefix of 101 or 1001, depending on the number
of files, increment 1, separator " - ", and let'er rip. Later, if you
want to name them by a different criteria, you can easily remove the
serial number, do the sort another way, and reapply a serial number. BRU
is insanely configurable.

Thank you for BRU suggestion which helped me find these to test.
BRU
https://www.bulkrenameutility.co.uk/Download.php
AdvancedRenamer
https://www.advancedrenamer.com/
RenameExpert
https://www.rename-expert.com/featur...ile_names.aspx

In message , Jean Fredette
writes:
Is there a program that can rename a directory of photos randomly?

Do you mean rename the directory, or the files within it?

Perhaps by size?
Or by last access?
Or by number of colors.
Whatever.

Almost none have exif so rename by exif would be nice but won't work.

IV can rename by file size ($S), number of megapixels ($m) ...
presumably those don't use exif data.

Most renames like iv seem to rename based only on file name.

Au contraire (-:
--
J. P. Gilliver. UMRA: 1960/1985 MB++G()AL-IS-Ch++(p)Ar@T+H+Sh0!:`)DNAf

Q. How much is 2 + 2?
A. Thank you so much for asking your question.
Are you still having this problem? I'll be delighted to help you. Please
restate the problem twice and include your Windows version along with
all error logs.
- Mayayana in alt.windows7.general, 2018-11-1

posted:

IV can rename by file size ($S), number of megapixels ($m) ...
presumably those don't use exif data.

I want to rename the files not the directory.

If IV renamed randomly I am fine but I long tried IV doing this.

What is wrong with my test of IV rename by file size?

I open one jpeg file in the directory to IV.
I press the "b" key to begin batch operation.
I press "options" in the "batch rename settings" part.
There are no related options to rename based on file size.
(The batch rename order will be based on the original filename order.)

Is there some other bulk rename feature somewhere else in IV?
It doe not need to rename with pure random but it should not be based on
alphabetical order.

In message , Jean Fredette
writes:
posted:

IV can rename by file size ($S), number of megapixels ($m) ...
presumably those don't use exif data.

I want to rename the files not the directory.

If IV renamed randomly I am fine but I long tried IV doing this.

What is wrong with my test of IV rename by file size?

I open one jpeg file in the directory to IV.
I press the "b" key to begin batch operation.
I press "options" in the "batch rename settings" part.

So far so good ...

There are no related options to rename based on file size.
(The batch rename order will be based on the original filename order.)

Is there some other bulk rename feature somewhere else in IV?
It doe not need to rename with pure random but it should not be based on
alphabetical order.

In the window that opens when you click Options, headed "Batch rename
settings", click Help. Scroll down. You will see $S - file size, and $m
- number of megapixels. So close the help, and change whatever's in the
"Name pattern" box to $S. Now select your files, and start renaming ...

This is IV 4.51, but I think it's been the same for a while.
--
J. P. Gilliver. UMRA: 1960/1985 MB++G()AL-IS-Ch++(p)Ar@T+H+Sh0!:`)DNAf

This was before we knew that a laboratory rat, if experimented upon, will
develop cancer. [Quoted by] Anne ), 1997-1-29

posted:

In the window that opens when you click Options, headed "Batch rename
settings", click Help. Scroll down. You will see $S - file size, and $m
- number of megapixels. So close the help, and change whatever's in the
"Name pattern" box to $S. Now select your files, and start renaming ...

This is IV 4.51, but I think it's been the same for a while.

I only later understood what you are trying to tell me.
Let me write what happens with IV 4.5.1 - 32 bit as I try slowly.

I open up a directory of a few thousand images of various types.
I only want to rename the base file name and keep original extensions.
I do not want the current order of the file names which is alphabetical.
I want the order of file names to be random (or at least mostly random).

I click twice on a file to open it up in iv which is my default pic viewer.
I press the "b" keyboard key to begin batch mode.
The "Batch conversion" window opens up.
I press the "Add all" button to add all the thousands of image files.

Under the heading of "Batch rename settings" is a "Name pattern".
To the right of that name pattern is an "Options" button.
I click that Options button which has a "Name pattern" again.
To the right of the "$N" and "#" example is a "Help" button.
I press that "Help" button which brings up "Text/Pattern Options" help.
Some of those text pattern options are below.
$S - file size
$m - number of megapixels
$B - image bits per pixel
$p - image DPI
$R - image aspect ratio (width / height)
$I - all IPTC data

Closing that Help I try this pattern
Name pattern: $S$m$B$p$R$I###
And then I press the "Start Batch" button.

That gives me random file names of
497.88 KB1.19 MP2496(0.87)001.jpg
473.31 KB1.12 MP2496(1.65)002.jpg
810.52 KB2.35 MP2496(0.95)003.jpg
608.40 KB1.81 MP2496(1.24)004.jpg
487.22 KB1.32 MP2496(1.94)005.jpg
1023.52 KB1.97 MP2496(1.14)006.jpg
924.00 KB2.12 MP2496(0.49)007.jpg
407.16 KB0.61 MP2496(1.72)008.jpg
591.69 KB0.93 MP2496(1.12)009.jpg
417.45 KB0.78 MP2496(1.34)010.jpg
259.61 KB0.44 MP2496(2.37)011.jpg
449.83 KB0.99 MP2496(1.05)012.jpg
591.44 KB0.96 MP24300(1.09)013.jpg
558.63 KB0.98 MP2496(1.07)014.jpg
569.74 KB1.13 MP2496(0.92)015.jpg

Now that the file name order is random, I can run another batch rename
Name pattern: image###

Now the images are in a pseudo random order.
It works ok.
Thank you for helping me find the other randomizing values!

"Jean Fredette" wrote

| Is there some other bulk rename feature somewhere else in IV?
| It doe not need to rename with pure random but it should not be based on
| alphabetical order.

I see the default option as image1, image2, etc.
You seem to want to make the names non-informative.
Isn't that a good method?

If you were to rename based on size or file time
you'd need to deal with possible repetitions. You'd
also need to access the file to do it.

posted:

I see the default option as image1, image2, etc.
You seem to want to make the names non-informative.
Isn't that a good method?

I do not actually care what the image name is.
It just needs to be randomly ordered.

Let's take a made up example of the following pictures
a white cow
another white cow
yet another cow
horse
chicken
another chicken
dog
a big dog
cat
a small cat
a brown cow

I want the order of those to be random kind of like this
horse
another white cow
cat
another chicken
dog
a brown cow
chicken
a white cow
a big dog
yet another cow
a small cat

The order doesn't have to be "really" random.
Just not in the original order which had groupings of similar pictures.
I want to break up the groupings of similar pictures.

The final result can be any name as long as the order is "random".

image001 which was horse
image002 which was another white cow
image003 which was cat
image004 which was another chicken
image005 which was dog
image006 which was a brown cow
image007 which was chicken
image008 which was a white cow
image009 which was a big dog
image010 which was yet another cow

If you were to rename based on size or file time
you'd need to deal with possible repetitions. You'd
also need to access the file to do it.

I found this batch script which I think handles repetitions.

@ECHO OFF
ECHO Random Names
ECHO Written By: Jason Faulkner
ECHO HowToGeek.com
ECHO.
ECHO.

REM Randomly renames every file in a directory.

SETLOCAL EnableExtensions EnableDelayedExpansion

REM 0 = Rename the file randomly.
REM 1 = Prepend the existing file name with randomly generated string.
SET PrependOnly=0

REM 1 = Undo changes according to the translation file.
REM This will only work if the file "__Translation.txt" is in the same folder.
REM If you delete the translaction file, you will not be able to undo the changes!
SET Undo=0


REM --------------------------------------------------------------------------
REM Do not modify anything below this line unless you know what you are doing.
REM --------------------------------------------------------------------------

SET TranslationFile=__Translation.txt

IF NOT {%Undo%}=={1} (
REM Rename files
ECHO You are about to randomly rename every file in the following folder:
ECHO %~dp0
ECHO.
ECHO A file named %TranslationFile% will be created which allows you to undo this.
ECHO Warning: If %TranslationFile% is lost/deleted, this action cannot be undone.
ECHO Type "OK" to continue.
SET /P Confirm=
IF /I NOT {!Confirm!}=={OK} (
ECHO.
ECHO Aborting.
GOTO :EOF
)

ECHO Original Name/Random Name %TranslationFile%
ECHO ------------------------- %TranslationFile%

FOR /F "tokens=*" %%A IN ('DIR /A:-D /B') DO (
IF NOT %%A==%~nx0 (
IF NOT %%A==%TranslationFile% (
SET Use=%%~xA
IF {%PrependOnly%}=={1} SET Use=_%%A

SET NewName=!RANDOM!-!RANDOM!-!RANDOM!!Use!
ECHO %%A/!NewName! %TranslationFile%

RENAME "%%A" "!NewName!"
)
)
)
) ELSE (
ECHO Undo mode.
IF NOT EXIST %TranslationFile% (
ECHO Missing translation file: %TranslationFile%
PAUSE
GOTO :EOF
)
FOR /F "skip=2 tokens=1,2 delims=/" %%A IN (%TranslationFile%) DO RENAME "%%B" "%%A"
DEL /F /Q %TranslationFile%
)

Jean Fredette wrote:
posted:

I see the default option as image1, image2, etc.
You seem to want to make the names non-informative.
Isn't that a good method?

I do not actually care what the image name is.
It just needs to be randomly ordered.

Let's take a made up example of the following pictures
a white cow
another white cow
yet another cow
horse
chicken
another chicken
dog
a big dog
cat
a small cat
a brown cow

I want the order of those to be random kind of like this
horse
another white cow
cat
another chicken
dog
a brown cow
chicken
a white cow
a big dog
yet another cow
a small cat

The order doesn't have to be "really" random.
Just not in the original order which had groupings of similar pictures.
I want to break up the groupings of similar pictures.

The final result can be any name as long as the order is "random".

image001 which was horse
image002 which was another white cow
image003 which was cat
image004 which was another chicken
image005 which was dog
image006 which was a brown cow
image007 which was chicken
image008 which was a white cow
image009 which was a big dog
image010 which was yet another cow

If you were to rename based on size or file time
you'd need to deal with possible repetitions. You'd
also need to access the file to do it.

It sounds like you're trying to override the playback
order in a screensaver, picture frame, or smart TV. By
appending a prefix to the file name, the alphabetical
order can be overridden.

001_horse
002_another_white_cow
003_cat
004_another_chicken
005_dog
006_a_brown_cow
007_chicken
008_a_white_cow
009_a_big_dog
010_yet_another cow
011_a_small_cat

On a later incantation, you might seek

001_another_white_cow
002_dog

and that's the order they will play in.

Here is a deck shuffling code. When solving a problem,
first I look for some code I can borrow.

https://www.rosettacode.org/wiki/Knuth_shuffle#AWK

You can make a script generator in awk (gawk).

dir input.txt

gawk -f shuffle2.awk input.txt output.txt

notepad output.txt # visual check all is good

ren output.txt output.bat

output.bat # do the rename in Command Prompt
# The rename can be done from AWK
# but it's a bit clumsy.

Now, all you have to do, is write the program.

I'm using the KISS principle here, to keep scripting
time to 30 minutes or less. Borrowing a little code,
saves time.

******* shuffle2.awk MSDOS batch generator *******
# Program to shuffle filenames.
# Can be applied to the directory, again and again.
#
# Input:
#
# hello.jpg # A brand new file added to the directory
# 0001__goodbye.jpg # An old file needing renaming without hdr addn
#
# Output:
#
# ren 0001__goodbye.jpg 0001__goodbye.jpg # the order is random
# ren hello.jpg 0002__hello.jpg # a second run will flip the order
#
# For interactive input, type ctrlz to indicate end of stdin
#
# gawk -f shuffle2.awk
# gawk -f shuffle2.awk input.txt my_msdos_bat.bat

BEGIN {
srand(systime()) # seed using epoch time in seconds
maxfiles = 10000 # a power of ten, for number plan
# stick to a scheme once started!!!
# 0000__ 0001__ ... 9999__
headlen = 6
for (k=1; k10000; k++) { prechk[ sprintf("%04d__", k) ] = k } # catch reused headers
k=1 # use as input counter
}

# Shuffle an _array_ with indexes from 1 to _len_.
# Reuse: https://www.rosettacode.org/wiki/Knuth_shuffle#AWK
#
function shuffle(array, len, i, j, t) {
for (i = len; i 1; i--) {
# j = random integer from 1 to i
j = int(i * rand()) + 1

# swap array[i], array[j]
t = array[i]
array[i] = array[j]
array[j] = t
}
}

{ array[ k++ ] = $0 } # load list of filenames from stdin

END {
k-- # correct overshoot by one

shuffle( array, k ) #
for (m = 1; m = k; m++) {
head = substr( array[m], 1, headlen )
totlen = length( array[ m ] )
tail = substr( array[m], 7, totlen-6 )

if (head in prechk) { # substitute out the lead chars
printf( "ren %s %04d__%s\n" , array[ m ], m, tail )
} else { # add new scheme as prefix to name
printf( "ren %s %04d__%s\n" , array[ m ], m, array[m] )
}
}
}

******* shuffle2.awk MSDOS batch generator *******

Gawk.exe is available here, in the binaries section.
This program should not need any library DLLs and is
(thankfully) self-contained.

http://gnuwin32.sourceforge.net/packages/gawk.htm

Gawk version 4 is available in Windows 10, in the Linux
Bash environment. This Gawk 3 version from gnuwin32
however, is actually "Windows friendly" on line
endings, which is why I'm still using it.

Paul