File Order

[Anonymous]

Hi – I upload 300 photos to make a video with and despite being named in order the media library mixes them up. The option of sort by name or by date (both of which would be fine) just mixes them up. Anyone have any advice?

Categoricallythe WORST software I have ever ever purchased.

[EarlC]

In all my montage work and other computer jpg photo file organization what has worked best for me is either name0000.jpg or 0000.jpg.

When I give my clients a guide sheet for numbering their personal digital files, provided of course they WANT them in a specific order, I tell them to use 4 numbers, starting with 0001.jpg, through 0010.jpg, 0100.jpg and 1000.jpg. This keeps the 10’s, 20’s, 30’s etc. from going to weird places because the computer sees these sequences differently than we do.

By using a name0000.jpg approach I identify the project AND keep the photos in the order I want them when processing. If you’re using less than a thousand, I suppose three numbers would suffice, at least through 999, haven’t tried that to see if anything gets moved around or placed wrong using three.

[cfxcorp]

What is the program you are using?

[EarlC]

Automatic programs for sorting don’t allow for selective assignment of numbers in sequence for computer work … least I’ve not found one yet that does. When digital images are gathered/garnered from diverse sources they have all kinds of numbering rationales using weird prefixes to ID them. When individuals name photo files, not thinking about them appearing later in some project in a specific order, they give them names that make sense … to them. “John fishing 2010” “Larry fishing 2010” “Abe fishing 2010” for example, then when the computer sorts, along with other weird numbering conventions, Abe will probably be first, followed by whatever.

I said all that to say this: I do the numbering as I scan, applying an appropriate identifier … “JOHN” followed by the numbering convention I mentioned previously. Thus the sequencing of the scanner will keep the numbers moving forward one digit at a time.

However, when using older digital files from my own or client files/CDs, the sequential digits are out the window and the order is scrambled. I, or my clients, HAVE to manually go through the selected photos and make a project file of the desired images, in the desired order, using the numbering convention I referred to earlier. I know of NO existing system or program that will automatically do this due to the wide range of numbering/identification systems used by cameras or people, or computers for that matter.

F.Y.I. when putting together my montages, after the images have been sorted as noted, I use Photo-to-Movie … a great program for montage creation that focuses on THE PHOTO without a lot of other creative distraction and moving elements involved. My clients LOVE that their photos are the featured content in my montage creations.

[Author]

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