21 files into an 88 chapter project, each of which I’m having to tediously rename by hand, I humbly request that the Rename Objects feature be seriously updated with such basics as “find/replace”. In fact, that alone would make me happy enough not to post about it anymore.
We’ve been asking for it for a long time! How about it?
I know there are file renaming apps out there, and would be interested in hearing what other folks in the forum might be using. But having the ability to correct more complex naming errors than are currently possible from within Nuendo would be optimal.
Sounds like you are referring to Nuendo 12. N13 already seriously updated the renaming functions (including ‘Rename Events from List’) but not sure it is much better for find/replace. However, the Project Logical Editor ‘Name / Replace Search String’ might help with this.
And I admit not having investigated the “Rename Events From List” fully enough to keep it from dropping on my toes; same with the PLE which after a lot of years using Cubendo I’m still in the experimental stages (mea culpa). It’s great. And thank you very much for the suggestions–I’m going to go deeper on both possibilities; researching them will probably take less time than by-hand replacing “Ch” with “Chapter” at the end of a string did last night.
But I stand by my request-- a simple find/replace in the Rename Objects set of options would be an elegant solution, and I wish it were there!
Non-contentiously asking if I’m missing your point in any way… and thanks again,
That is actually pretty straightforward with PLE. It may not work for every subtlety but try the following (if you are seeking to rename audio events or parts):
Am about to launch into day two of my VST Connect session (this one’s going to go all week), but will try this on a test project (and also the PLE example) tonight.
I’m not the world’s most logical thinker, but am wondering if the numbering (Ch1, Ch2, Ch3) will be preserved, or if this will end up as “Ch1apter, Ch2apter”, which of course could be easily solved by using “Remove Right Numbers” and then adding the “Free Text” process.
This I can understand. But here’s an example of another one I come up with annoying frequency, for which I don’t think Advanced Rename will work… but maybe I’m wrong, and I’m guessing that the PLE process may be the way once I fully wrap what’s left of my head around it:
strip the left numbers and non-alphanumerics (no problem! Do it all the time.)
Remove “IWishThisBitOfTextWereNotHere_”, and
Change Ch1…Ch"x" in sequence to “Chapter1…Chapter"x”)
Can this be done in one process? It’s step 2 that’s got me baffled right now.
I know I should be able to figure all of this out on my own, but I’ve been a lousy student considering how long I’ve been using Nuendo. This is one area I really want to get to know backwards and forwards, whether it’s using Advanced Rename or the PLE.
Thanks to both you and Stingray for pitching in here. Sending virtual beer.
You do have a few options:
But I wouldn’t bother that much about the file names themselves.
I simple would create markers, because you need these for export anyway.
Rename all your files. on the condition that they are in the right order …
Of not, putting them in the right order, and then batch rename.
Create markers/ export to csv/Edit in Excel/export csv/import Nuendo/Rename from list.
You’ll have to find the most simple and convenient way to do this.
As said, it’s a mess, and cleaning up sh*** is always frustrating.
I agree with @Fredo it’s a bit of a mess so processing with cycle markers might be a whole lot easier but… I couldn’t resist the challenge!!
You can do it in one move (kind of) using a combination of PLE and Advanced Rename. The following settings or something similar should work - it may not work with all circumstances but could probably be quickly adapted to meet any future requirements.
1 - Set up Advanced Rename as in the following two screenshots and save as a preset:
Note
In this preset PLE calls Advanced Rename first in the Pre Commands. If you haven’t changed the settings in Advanced Rename you’d just need to click on its OK button. The renumber preset you created in step 2 is called as a Post Process Command.
Absolutely. That’s where I’ve been doing all of my renaming. And yes, a mess, but a mess that I #%&-ing run into a lot!
And. so… thank you; you’ve been my Yoda for many years in the ways of cycle marker naming.
And with that, on to @stingray… thank you! I’ve got a basic PLE preset for renaming cycle markers, much as you’ve described, so I MAY be half the way there. It’s that getting rid of the string in the middle that is uncharted territory for me. Stripping the right hand (chapter) numbers and replacing them in sequence won’t be an issue, either. Now… integrating all of this into two PLE steps… well, if I can make it work that’ll save me a lifetime or two. And maybe the person who screws up the names in the first place, as well!
I think this is great help from forum users @Fredo and @stingray but i also think that there are still things that can be made better in the export window. i made a feature request but no one has responded yet. It’s a method for a way to not have to do everything with just 1 description field (like in your case):
Hi Chewy, yes, in the procedure I described above the string in the middle is taken care of in the final step 3 in the PLE preset. See the ‘Event Transform Actions’ section Replace Search String. In the screenshot above I used the word ‘Ambient’ in Parameter 1 and nothing in Parameter 2. This would therefore replace any occurence of the word ‘Ambient’ with nothing… in other words would delete it!
So all you need to do is enter the string you want to delete in the parameter 1 column before pressing Apply. To make this clear see the screenshot below:
Just to be clear - the procedure I outlined above shows the whole process of setting up but in practice all you would need is to call the final PLE preset as shown in step 3 (the Advanced Rename and renumber settings are nested within this as pre and post commands). In other words, you would call or open the PLE preset, click Apply, click on OK when the Advanced Rename dialogue appears - Done!
Well, all I can say is… thanks! Very much. This is going to be a great help right “out of the box”, and also as a booster for a non-logical mind’s further exploration of the PLE.
You’re the best. I appreciate the considerable time and effort you’ve put into clearing up this knucklehead’s issue. Virtual beers are a little corny, I guess… so. just good ol thanks, and lots of them.
Did I say thanks? Probably not enough. both to you and @Fredo . Thanks!
I monkeyed around with this stuff today, and had great luck with changing track names created with audio file import (see screen cap)
As you’ll see, I was able to remover the _(HD) string from the track name.
However, I haven’t been able to figure out how to remove the string from the actual filenames. I know I’m missing something very basic, but, as always, I’m relatively new to thinking logically.
It seems to me that the example you provided ought to have done it for files., but it doesn’t seem to get to them. Making the slight adjustment to TRACK name worked perfectly.
Can you tell what I’m missing? I’m baffled.
I’m wondering if the PLE can’t access audio File Name or Description. Or don’t know the PLE language well enough yet. Or both.
I wish that were fully true; description (at least with my settings over here) refers to the file’s origin, which can be helpful, for general editorial reasons.
That whining aside, I’ll see if I can’t get that string replacement process to work with description; would be better than nuthin. Was not able to figure it out over the weekend, More adventure! Thanks for your response, as always,
I don’t know what you mean by that. As far as I know the description is the same name as the event’s name. The ‘Description’ I am referring to is shown in the following screenshot. The two names are the same. Changing the event name will change the Description and vice versa.
Maybe these two pix will demonstrate more clearly than I can articulate:
First, here’s a clip where “30 Ch27_(HD)” is the name of the file and “Performer Rec_33 3_(HD)” is the description:
Here’s the clip as represented in the info line:
So… the file name and the description , though originally the same, are no longer so after I’ve bounced to disk with a different name (necessary for general housekeeping). The description remains the original filename.
The only ways I’ve been able to figure out to edit the file name is either by hand or via Advanced Rename; the unfortunate part is that I can’t use “replace string” for the file itself, and apparently, as you’ve pointed out, the PLE, which did a great job of plucking the search string from the track name can’t do it for file names.
Does this make better sense?
I’m sure I’m missing something here in terms of making it work, and, as always, appreciate your engagement on this issue.
Hi Chewy,
As far as I can tell the Description maintains it’s association with the event name, except that the file name (Clip Name) appears in parentheses after the Description if you have activated the following preference:
I don’t see any anomaly here. If I bounce an event and choose to replace events then the filename changes accordingly but the description remains the same. You can change the description part of the event name in PLE but you cannot change the filename. There is no ‘replace string’ for the filename in PLE.
I do understand all of that, sans anomaly, and thanks.
I guess the bottom line is that there’s no “in the Nuendo box” way to do what I’m talking about here, which isn’t the biggest deal in the world, as, like previously discussed, it can ultimately be made right with cycle markers at export.
Still… and PLEASE correct me if you think I’m wrong or if there’s a practical hole in my attempt to understand what is actually possible here-- I’d love to have more robust search and replace parameters in the Rename function. Considering the often baffling file names I receive (I frequently don’t have any control over that, for various reasons), it would be of great help here.
Or… an adjustment to the PLE that DOES allow for file name changing.,
In the meantime, I guess it’s finally time to invest in some batch renaming software–something I’ve tried to avoid thinking that there must be a way to do this sort of thing internally.
