Renaming Images

The replace string defines how the image files are to be renamed. PicL starts with a default replace string which will create image names that include the Month, Day and a counter. The image list always displays the current name of each file in the selected directory in the current name column. It also displays the name that each file will be given when renamed, in the rename to column.

The rename to column is updated dynamically as the replace string is modified, allowing you to see what the file names will look like. The files aren't actually renamed until the rename button is clicked.

default replace string

Any string that you enter for a replace string will be saved automatically by PicL. Before forming your replace string, you'll need to determine what you want your image names to look like and then use the following macros to achieve the desired result.

Exif data macros

%Y	Year (four digit)
%y	Year (two digit)
%M	Month (as a string -- ie: January, February, etc..)
%m	Month (as a number 1-12)
%d	Day (as a number 0-31)
%HH	Hour
%MM	Minute
%SS	Second
%c	A counter

The replace string can contain any characters that are valid for a filename, as well as the EXIF data macros. For example, to get image names that start with the word Vacation and end with the month, year and a counter, create a replace string as follows:

vacation replace string

Vacation-%M-%Y-%c.jpg

This will be expanded, using the EXIF information that is stored in the image file, to the following:

vacation replace string applied

Note:: The .jpg extension must currently be entered manually. In the future, the extension that the file began with will be kept.

In addition, the replace string can contain slashes that indicate new directories. To rename a set of images and have them sorted into a directory hierarchy by year and month, the following replace string can be used:

creating directories with EXIF information