Create a structure folder based on month and date with GPS info

Hi,

I would like to rename folder name base on date of pictures / video coming from multiple sources and sometime downloaded multiple times :-( in one structure folder organized by day / month with GPS info if available.

I do not need to rename the files, but just the folders.

Actual structure:

2014
Sony Camera
DSC00001.JPG
DSC00002.JPG
…
DSC00500.JPG

Mobile phone A
IMG_20140417_114558.jpg
IMG_20140418_124558.jpg
…

Mobile phone B
CAM_140417_0945.jpg
CAM_140418_1040.jpg
….

GO PRO
DSC100418_1400.mpg

I would like to renamed to:
2014
20140417_ <GPS Country> <GPS City>
IMG_20140417_114558.jpg
CAM_140417_0945.jpg
DSC140417_1400.mpg

20140418_ <GPS Country> <GPS City>
IMG_20140418_124558.jpg
CAM_140418_1040.jpg
DSC100418_1400.mpg


I'm trying to use:

Mode Batch: Copy to Output Folder:
P:\2014\<Year Modified><Month Modified><Day Modified>_<GPS Country> <GPS City>

But it generating error for the files without GPS info, I would like to create the folder and move the files even if they don’t have GPS info.

I would like also to find a way to manage the collision name (I may have download several time the same picture from the cameras).

Is there a better way to use this software to order the files in a structured way and manage duplicate files ?

Thanks in advance for your help,
Cristobal

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Reply to #1:

Hi Cristobal,

I am able to do this exact rename method with a little creative work. There are really 3 ways to get it handled.

1) Update GPS data for pictures using GeoSetter or something similar to ensure every picture has GPS data.

2) Longer Workaround - Create file naming not folder naming with GPS data and the rename will proceed with missing data. Then you can mask any characters identifying missing GPS data with something generic or just without the GPS info.

3) Do exactly what you suggest and understand that the missing GPS data will just leave pictures in a strange formatted generic folder. For example:

I have pictures missing date/time and missing GPS. I have a standard naming and I use the rename & the move function on all pictures. Here is the full rename/move mask:

.\<IMG Year>\(<IMG Month:00>)<IMG Month:Xxx>\<IMG Day:00> - [<GPS Country>]\

<IMG Month:00><IMG Day:00>_<Img Hour><Img Min><Img Sec>.<Img Subsec> [<IMG CameraModel>] <GPS City>, <GPS State> (<GPS Country>)

I end up with a file named like this for a recent trip to Italy:

0605_093526.30 [iPhone 5s] Roma, Latium (Italy).JPG

And a folder structure like this:

.\2015\(06)Jun\05 - [Italy]

For pictures without GPS data, the name would be this:

0605_093526.30 [iPhone 5s] , ().JPG

And then I can clean up the generic pattern or replace with generic text. I use "Remove pattern" with " , ()" and I also remove "(United States)" so only other country names are shown not my own country.

For the directory structure if you use GPS data for a subfolder it will not work but if you enclose the value in brackets or something it will work. Using example above with missing GPS data it works because I get the day value as the folder:

.\2015\(06)Jun\05 - []

Then I can clean up " - []" and remove or replace. If I used the country as it's own subfolder without the brackets it would be this:

.\<IMG Year>\(<IMG Month:00>)<IMG Month:Xxx>\<GPS Country>\<IMG Day:00>\

.\2015\(06)Jun\\05

But if I use the brackets, I get this:

1) 014
20140417_ <GPS Country> <GPS City>
IMG_20140417_114558.jpg
CAM_140417_0945.jpg
DSC140417_1400.mpg

.\2015\(06)Jun\[]\05

Which works as generic subfolder where all missing GPS data pictures will show up. I use the same principle for missing date/time. Then use GeoSetter on the files in the generic folder and rename again with the added data.

For your example I would use this:

Batch mode: Move
Output folder: P:\<Year Modified>\<Year Modified><Month Modified><Day Modified>_<GPS Country>_<GPS City>
New Name: <Name>
Name collision rule: Append incrementing number Separator: (I use "~" but anything works)

Files with missing GPS data will be in a folder with "__" after the date. Two files with same name will be named "DSC0001~1.JPG" & "DSC0001~2.JPG" in same folder.

I would also look at using the "IMG" date values instead of Modified for more accuracy and it also allows you to use the "IMG Subsec" value to handle burst photos taken in same second or to possibly sort similar named files with another value.

It took me time to dig in and get creative but it works REALLY well for me. My only complaint is the GPS location names looked up are wildly inaccurate but they are kinda close and I can go fix things manually until the GPS location lookup is fixed.

Hope this helps.

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