[Added] New placeholders for file renaming: Batch Name, Quality Parameter, Final Effective Width/Height

Want to submit a new feature, an enhancement ? Do it here !
Post Reply
porg
Posts: 554
Joined: Tue Apr 05, 2022 1:04 pm
Country: Austria

[Added] New placeholders for file renaming: Batch Name, Quality Parameter, Final Effective Width/Height

Post by porg »

User Need
  • Often I'd like to process a batch of files with different batch presets.
  • And compare how the presets fare in comparison to each other for the given content.
  • It would be so convenient if the batch-name and quality-number could be integrated into file names or folder names or Finder comments, giving you an instant compact indicator (and also unique filename) of which batch preset was applied where when doing your comparison.

Feature Proposal

Batch Name and Quality Parameter get tokens for renaming feature.png
Batch Name and Quality Parameter get tokens for renaming feature.png (118.87 KiB) Viewed 1141 times

Related
Last edited by porg on Fri Apr 22, 2022 12:07 pm, edited 3 times in total.
User avatar
forum_adm
Site Admin
Posts: 1814
Joined: Fri Dec 23, 2016 9:41 am
Location: Germany
Country: Germany
Contact:

Re: Batch Name and Quality Parameter get tokens for renaming feature

Post by forum_adm »

More simple in the normal batch actions now:
Screen Shot 2022-04-15 at 18.22.50.jpg
Screen Shot 2022-04-15 at 18.22.50.jpg (91.07 KiB) Viewed 1110 times
porg
Posts: 554
Joined: Tue Apr 05, 2022 1:04 pm
Country: Austria

Re: [Added] Batch Name and Quality Parameter get tokens for renaming feature

Post by porg »

1) Placeholders are totally fine as this is anyhow expert matter. Even preferred. Provide maximum flexibility: Custom Order among themselves, combination with free text, etc. βœ… Worked in GC 11.6.1 (5479).


2) Now in your implementation placeholder-insertion is a workflow-step within a batch. A good first implementation certainly! Don't get me wrong, very glad that you did that right away! But this ofc means you must include an "Add text to Filename" step into each batch where you want it applied. Too much management effort, which I already originally foresaw.

Hence I had proposed my complimentary feature QuickConvert dropdown menu gets options for placeholder-insertion into the names of the output files and/or folder.

This would ofc be much more elegant: Way less management overhead, more flexibility. UX wise a Win:Win. Because you would define all placeholder inclusions centrally on its own or even as presets. Used in combination with any batch. And with any of the output file formats.

The power of permutations! 5 image processing batches + 3 placeholder-insertion presets + 5 file formats presets = 13 presets to manage. Instead of 5 x 3 x 5 = 75 all-in-one presets to manage all their possible permutations. And 75 to check/update each time.

It's basically what you have done already for the file formats. "Change file format" can be a workflow-step within a batch. But file format choice is offered as a top level standalone entry in the Quick Convert dropdown, which then overrides any format changes contained in a batch as a step.

Same could be done for the Placeholder-Insertion. Hence better a dedicated "Insert Placeholders to filename" workflow-step instead of "Add text to filename". B/c if you then use the Placeholder Insertion of the Quick Convert Dropdown (either one for all (as on my mockups) or even presets (with the issue of the dropdown menu overally getting even longer...) then GC would deactivate any "Insert Placeholders to filename" workflow-steps encountered inside batches.


3) Also on some particular placeholders there was a misunderstanding:

a) &width; and &height; are the effective width and height coming out of the batch.

This is also a good option to have. So anyways please keep them.

b) But what I wanted to express in the batch name via tokens is user intent. So often only one dimension (certain height or certain width) and the intended unit (pixels, percent, centimeter, inch).


So for maximum naming flexibility we would ideally need these tokens:

&scale; πŸ‘‰ The number as an integer or decimal number, e.g.: 50 ; 127.34

&scalePadding3; πŸ‘‰ β€”"β€” but numbers are padded to 3 digits
&scalePadding4; πŸ‘‰ β€”"β€” but numbers are padded to 4 digits
&scalePadding5; πŸ‘‰ β€”"β€” but numbers are padded to 5 digits

&scaleUnit; πŸ‘‰ cm ; in ; % ; empty string (no untis) for pixels (they are implicit, because if there is a number with no units stated in an image or video filename it is pixels as the most common used metrics in digital images)

&scaleUnit2; πŸ‘‰ cm in px pc Units as 2 alphanumerical characters for maximum filename compatibility and uniformity.

&scaleXx; πŸ‘‰ If width was scaled (indicated by the first X in the placeholder name) then it returns "x"
&scaleXX; πŸ‘‰ β€”"β€” then it returns "X"
&scaleXw; πŸ‘‰ β€”"β€” then it returns "w"
&scaleXW; πŸ‘‰ β€”"β€” then it returns "W"
&scaleXwidth; πŸ‘‰ β€”"β€” then it returns "width"
&scaleXWidth; πŸ‘‰ β€”"β€” then it returns "Width"

&scaleYy; πŸ‘‰ If height was scaled (the first Y in the placeholder name) then it returns "Y"
&scaleYY; πŸ‘‰ β€”"β€” then it returns "Y"
&scaleXh; πŸ‘‰ β€”"β€” then it returns "h"
&scaleXH; πŸ‘‰ β€”"β€” then it returns "H"
&scaleXheight; πŸ‘‰ β€”"β€” then it returns "height"
&scaleXHeight; πŸ‘‰ β€”"β€” then it returns "Height"
&scaleYx; πŸ‘‰ β€”"β€” then it returns "x"
&scaleYX; πŸ‘‰ β€”"β€” then it returns "X"
- The latter two can make sense where the position of the x before or after the number is desired.
- Already seen in the wild, i.e. ImageMagick uses that notation in all its geometry arguments.
&scaleYx;&scale;&scaleXx;
πŸ‘‰ produces "1024x" if "scaled to width of 1024"
πŸ‘‰ produces "x800" if "scaled to height of 800"

&scaleAlgorithm; πŸ‘‰ "Best Interpolation"
&scaleAlgorithmCamelCase; πŸ‘‰ BestInterpolation
&scaleAlgorithmDash; πŸ‘‰ Best-Interpolation
&scaleAlgorithmUnderscore; πŸ‘‰ Best_Interpolation

Further rules:
- If a batch contains no scaling operations then all $scale… placeholder produce nothing and any "Insert Placeholders to filename" steps are discarded as a whole (including static free text)
- As soon as the "[ ] Proportional" option for scaling is toggled OFF then all &scaleX… and &scaleY… placeholders return null and &scale; produces XXXXxYYYY. Still &scaleUnit; would return.

So if used wisely then with a clever placeholder pattern you can create very uniform filenames.
porg
Posts: 554
Joined: Tue Apr 05, 2022 1:04 pm
Country: Austria

Re: [Added] Batch Name and Quality Parameter get tokens for renaming feature

Post by porg »

Wanted to let you know: Quality and height and width placeholder already pay off now πŸ™‚ even its current first incarnation!

- Bogus batch " qQQ" which has only a single step "Add Text to Filename" with " q&quality;".
- Using QuickConvert with a file format of my choice, and quality of my choice, and that bogus batch selected.
- Automatically getting a "q60", "q70", "q80" suffix into the output files, after fiddling around with the quality slider in "Options > Of Selected Format" already feels so convenient, in comparison to having adapt an "Add Text to Filename" with static text after each parameter fiddling.

Looking forward what you think about the rest of my suggestions! πŸ˜‰
porg
Posts: 554
Joined: Tue Apr 05, 2022 1:04 pm
Country: Austria

Re: [Added] Batch Name and Quality Parameter get tokens for renaming feature

Post by porg »

Removed [Added] in title to get attention:
- Do you consider the &scale***; placeholders?
User avatar
forum_adm
Site Admin
Posts: 1814
Joined: Fri Dec 23, 2016 9:41 am
Location: Germany
Country: Germany
Contact:

Re: Batch Name and Quality Parameter get tokens for renaming feature

Post by forum_adm »

A batch can contain multiple scale actions.
So, you can already use &width;x&height; to set the current scale result into the name.
porg
Posts: 554
Joined: Tue Apr 05, 2022 1:04 pm
Country: Austria

Re: New placeholders for file renaming: Batch Name, Quality Parameter, Scaling Parameter, Final Effective Width/Height

Post by porg »

Renamed the title:
- Using GraphicConverter appropriate terminology "placeholder" instead of "token"
- Removed [Added] to get attention, please address the remaining issues:

1) It's totally ok to tell me that user intended scale and unit placeholders is too much a niche feature requests, and that you will only offer the effectively achieved width/height. I just want to know what I can expect from GraphicConverter, and what not, where I will have to foresee more manual labor or workarounds.

2) Not having detailed &scale***; placeholders is ok because as a workaround I can express most user intent into the batch name and access this thanks to your added &batchname; placeholder into the filename.

3) The only pity is that as of now placeholder insertion HAS to be a workflow action manually added and maintained in EACH batch and not as a centralized Quick Conversion option/preset. I addressed your concern on multiple save actions within a batch at the related issue. An answer there would be appreciated.
porg
Posts: 554
Joined: Tue Apr 05, 2022 1:04 pm
Country: Austria

Re: [Added] New placeholders for file renaming: Batch Name, Quality Parameter, Final Effective Width/Height

Post by porg »

Closing as [Added]
- Changed topic title to what was added
- Ad 1+2) All but the intended &scale***; placeholder have been added
- Ad 3) The linked related issue was also closed as "won't do" because: The internal architecture does not allow that dynamic naming
Post Reply