Information Technology Reference
In-Depth Information
1.
Create the folder to store the photos. This can be anywhere and called
anything you choose. Then copy the image files into it. Make sure you
only copy and don't move the files—keep the originals safe until you're
sure the renaming has worked correctly!
2.
Start the Automator program. It's among the first programs listed in the
Applications view of Finder; its icon is a robot.
3.
In the Choose a Type for Your Document dialog that appears, click the
Application icon (again, the icon that's a robot), and then click the Choose
button. If the Choose a Type dialog doesn't appear, click File→New.
4.
The Automator program window is a little daunting, but you can ignore
most of it. In the Library list at the left of the Automator program window,
select Files & Folders, and then in the list to the right, select Rename
Finder Items. Click and drag this menu entry to the right of the program
window and release over the spot that reads Drag Actions or Files Here
to Build Your Workflow.
5.
In the dialog box that appears, you'll be asked whether you want to add
an additional action to copy the renamed files. You don't need to do this,
so click the Don't Add button.
6.
You'll see a new element on-screen, Replace Text. There, click the drop-
down Add Date or Time, and select Replace Text.
7.
Click the Options heading at the bottom of the Replace Text “bubble,”
and check Show This Action When The Workflow Runs. For an example
of how it should look at this stage, see
Figure 19,
Renaming files automat-
8.
And that's all you need to do! Click File→Save and then give your new
Automator Action a name. Anything will do, such as Rename Pictures.
Choose somewhere to save it to, such as the desktop.
9.
Once saved, you can quit the Automator program. There's no need to click
the Run button or test anything.
Your new Automator action icon will be where you saved it, and you can
identify it by the same robot icon as the Automator application itself. Essen-
tially you've created a small app dedicated to the purpose of renaming files,
and you can drag and drop files onto it to make it work.
