LR EXPORT question - saving original file name in Metadata

I am "learning" LR slowly. I like using it and sometimes just load a set of photos to "experiment" with for the express purpose of teaching myself in a hands on learning way.

When I have an image loaded into LR, and I want to "Export" it using another file name, is there a way to force the exported file to retain the "original" file name in metadata?

File Img90009.jpg > Hot_Rods_001.jpg - keeping the img90009.jpg file name in metadata so that 3 or 4 months from now when I want to find the "original" file all I need to do is look at the metadata and I'll know where and which file I want to look for!

Is this possible?

Is there a better way?

I have noticed that the EXIF data does HAVE a place for the original file name, but the original file name is NOT recorded in the data. It there something I am missing here, a setting, check box, or something that WILL record the original filename (as per the camera's file naming sequence) into the EXIF file? That would also be a good way to do what I want and probably easier as I try not to ever strip the EXIF data from files even when re-sizing them in other programs.

Hillbille

I have examined the EXIF, IPTC, XMP and Maker's Notes sections of the metadata with ExifToolGUI and PhotoMe and I haven't found a field for the file name, so I wonder where you saw it. Perhaps you were misled by the fact that in LR's EXIF panel it shows the file name, but that is not really listed in the EXIF nor are some other items LR shows, such as File Path and cropped dimensions. You could manually enter the original file name into the User Comment field, but I think a better way would be to use a naming convention for rendered images that combines the original file name with a custom text, like IMG_90009HotRods001, which is easily set up in the LR Export dialog.

This may not work for you, depending on your preferences, but if you export the new file into the same folder as the original image, the Export dialog lets you stack the new file with the original. Then, whenever you want to find the original, it will be right next to the newer version. With appropriate use of keywords to assist in finding the new image, this should be an easy-to-use solution.

What you want to achieve is possible but it requires some editing/creating of a metadata panel.

In the screenshot below can see that I both filename and original filename and that I have renamed the file from CLH-2013-10-29-0001.dng.to "Lazurus-1.dng".

The EXIF DOES have a place for the photo ID - which I would (I know - I should never do it but I always do...) assume would be for the ORIGINAL file name - or - photo ID. (See attachment)

This is the place I would "like" for the original file name to appear as no matter what the CURRENT file name is - THIS - would always be embedded and easy to trace back to the original file.

I know I can WRITE any file name I want to metadata DunnoWhen - I just was looking for something a little more useful than doing it for each and every file - each and every time - hundreds and hundreds of times over and over for something that SHOULD be (IMHO - LOL!!) So easily done.

I did not see your links the first time through - and this MIGHT bee the exact answer I am looking for as it WILL retain and show the ORIGINAL file name - which is what I am after. I'll need to do a little more exploring of the plug in to know if it will work for me or not. Thank you though - either way - I do appreciate the effort to help me!


Hillbille

Trust me ( i'm not a doctor) if you set up what i've suggested it will work.

As a workflow I would move all the images I wanted to rename into a collection temporarily. I would then "select all' and hit F2 to rename the images(sequentially). Finally, I would export to jpg using current filename. Job done.

You can now use LR filtering to search for the file using either the new or original filename.

Not being a windows user, I don't know what info that is available in LR is written/read in the properties dialog of a windows OS file, but what you wish to acheive is satisfied in LR by what I suggest.

Hang on, people are suggesting using the "Original file name" in the Export dialog!

But, I rename my files in the Import dialog. Wouldn't it be best (more accurate and efficient) to set up the Import "template" to include the original file name...?

Hillbille wrote in post #16465817
Is there a better way?

Yeah. Rename to a filename that makes sense upon import.

If I were to shoot hot rods today, I'd use something like this:
rhd_20131121_HotRod_00​01.CR2

rhd (my initials)
20131121 (date, YYYYMMDD)
HotRod (the subject)
xxxx (filenumber)
.CR2 (file extension)

http://books.google.nl …k%20chapter%20o​ne&f=false

I have explored the Metadata avenue - and it doesn't work - as I would like for it to.

Inserting a file "name" into each file doesn't work for me either unless I want to process every single file I use no matter what.

Some photos need NO processing and only get resized and renamed. Since these files aren't "washed" through the LR program - Tony's suggestion would seem to be a better solution for what I am after as the files would ALL be "handled" at import.

I'm just after a simple method of file association. When I "post" a photo that has been processed, resized AND renamed and - six months later someone sends me a message like, "Hey I would really like a printable copy of that photo on page six on 'XXXXX' site if you wouldn't mind." Hell, I don't mind at all - IF I can FIND the "original" file and make him/her a "larger" copy. There is my problem. I CAN do it, just not easily. If the original file name WAS embedded anywhere in the resized, renamed and/or processed file it would be much easier. So that's the WHY of what I am after.

I suppose creating a long file name and including all of the info I want into the name WILL work too, but in creation of web pages using a few hundred photos as well as thumbnails of each that can get to be just as much work overall as anything else. (I don't use any "auto" creation software - I code by hand so "short" file names are much better for me overall.)

I originally had the idea of just ADDING the original file name to the EXIF data. Thinking that ADDING wouldn't change it - but that was not possible. Best solution, but not workable. I will need to try Tony's way and see if that is a viable solution to the problem - and if that won't work for me then René's way might be the only way.

Seems kind of silly really that there is no way to embed the original file name into all the data of a photograph even using supposedly some of the "best" photo imaging software. LOL!!

Hillbille

I just ran this experiment, using LR3.5...I inserted the following in the Library function:

Keyword: (name)
Copy name: (nameA)
Title: (nameB)
Caption: (nameC)
Label: (nameD)

Note that the original file name (name.CR2) was already captured within the Metadata Filename field!

...then I exported the JPG under 'newname' and looked at the EXIF with Opanda and with PhotoME.

PhotoME provided the following:

On the 'IPTC-NAA' tab

Keyword: (name)
Title: (nameB)
Caption/description: (nameC)

On the 'Image' tab

Image Title: (nameC)

Opanda provided the following:

On the 'Summary' tab

Image Description: (nameC)

On the 'EXIF' tab

Image Description: (nameC)

On the 'IPTC' tab

Object name: (nameB)
Keywords: (name)
Caption: (nameC)

Proving that data can be embedded, and that certain data is accessible to different EXIF readers. There is no extraction of 'Copy name' nor 'Label', when added to the file in LR. And there does not seem to be a way of automating any of this...each photo has to have manual insertion of data into the appropriate field to be later extracted into EXIF.

Wilt wrote in post #16469463
I just ran this experiment, using LR3.5...I inserted the following in the Library function:

Keyword: (name)
Copy name: (nameA)
Title: (nameB)
Caption: (nameC)
Label: (nameD)

Note that the original file name (name.CR2) was already captured within the Metadata Filename field!

...then I exported the JPG under 'newname' and looked at the EXIF with Opanda and with PhotoME.

PhotoME provided the following:

On the 'IPTC-NAA' tab

Keyword: (name)
Title: (nameB)
Caption/description: (nameC)

On the 'Image' tab

Image Title: (nameC)

Opanda provided the following:

On the 'Summary' tab

Image Description: (nameC)

On the 'EXIF' tab

Image Description: (nameC)

On the 'IPTC' tab

Object name: (nameB)
Keywords: (name)
Caption: (nameC)

Proving that data can be embedded, and that certain data is accessible to different EXIF readers. There is no extraction of 'Copy name' nor 'Label', when added to the file in LR. And there does not seem to be a way of automating any of this...each photo has to have manual insertion of data into the appropriate field to be later extracted into EXIF.

Ahhhh, yes. But the "automation" is what I am after. There are several good EXIF editors out that provide a "way" to insert the original file name, I was just hoping for an "automated" way of doing so in LR. (I also have LR 3.5 and because of my limited knowledge - AND - the limitations of the software, I have just never seen the investment in an upgrade necessary.)

This shouldn't be so hard - I am amazed that it is!

Hillbille

About the best I could suggest still requires some level of intervention, no batch capability...

From Metadata in LR, copy File Name field and paste into Keyword field

I think things like what I am trying to do - are exactly the type of things that frustrate and deter most amateur's from purchasing this (or for that matter ANY expensive - i.e. $100+ software. Seemingly simple things cannot be done and if they can be done it is accomplished through third party add-on, but not as a generally known piece of the software.

It would seem to me that just as a simple form of "security" toward copyright, the original camera code and file number generated by camera would be permanently embedded in the EXIF, but it is not. I have to wonder why not? The ID tag is there, but the file name is not displayed?


I had no idea this was going to turn out to be something that Adobe software could NOT do. LOL!! Who'd a thunk it!

Hillbille

In view of the general lack of an automated way to embed filename in the EXIF, it seems the best way is to create a
LR export Custom Setting: {Custom Text}-{Sequence # (1)»}-{Filename number suffix»}

In running a test output of JPG from two photos, the first photo's name resulted as "JTLWedding-1-8031.JPG" and the second photo's name was
"JTLWedding-2-8034.JPG"

What is it about what I've already posted that doesn't match your requirements.?

With what I've suggested, you could/can select your complete library and rename them to "CustomName"-sequence number.

The filename becomes the new name but the original name is still embedded in the IPTC data, as shown in the panel image attached in one of my previous posts.

You can then export the image with the new filename.

The only problem is that there doesn"t appear to be a current exif viewer which will show the original filename. However, you can open LR and do an exif search to find the file based on the original filename.

So, the problem appears to be the exif viewers/file property dialogs rather than with LR itself.

{Edit}
Can you check something out for me please. From the library Module, open the metadata panel and select the "Exif and IPTC" dropdown list. On my machine the first two entries displayed there are "Filename" and "Original Filename". I'm not sure whether this is something I've modified in the panel or whether that's its native state.