Can't Add Space To File Naming Template

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Ian Farlow

Ian Farlow

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I am attempting to add a space to the file naming template to set a custom name to my imports, but it won't stick. Here is what I want:

IBF 2''8'218 2117'5 '''1.dng

This is made as follows:

IBF [DATEYYYYMMDD] [HOUR][MINUTE][SECOND] [SEQUENCE4]

There should be a space between 'IBF' and [DATEYYYYMMDD], between [DATEYYYYMMDD] and [HOUR], and between [SECOND] and [SEQUENCE4]. However, when I try and add a space, the space either disappears immediately, doesn't work even though it is there, or doesn't stick after saving the naming preset.

Could someone try this that is running 1'.5.2 and see if you see the same thing?
 
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This maybe because LR assumes that spaces are not allowed (as they are often not)?

Why a space? What if you use the space character %2 as used in browsers at times?

Don
 
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Odd thing is that this worked before, and I believe that was under 1'.4. Now that I'm on 1'.5, it seems to fail. It might have to do with LR 1.3.1, though. Not sure.

An underscore works, but I am trying to keep the makeup of the name in short "blocks" to accommodate wrapping the filename where necessary. An underscore would cause the filename to be one long string that doesn't work well in some applications/environments. Does that make sense?

I'll try the URL code, which I believe is %2'.
 
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Actually on a re-check %2B !

Don
 
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Nope. "%2'" just enters "%2'" in the name. Another oddity is that I can add spaces to the filename if the filename is all text. For example, I just entered:

IBF 2' 2'29' 2 29 2'39 2'39 2 d

and it works. No, that string doesn't actually mean anything, but it was a test. Notice, even, that there are two spaces between the last number and the "d" even though vBulletin is editing that out when posting.

Now here's something new... if I drop in a token for [DATEYYYYMMDD], for example, it puts the token at the end of the filename structure regardless of where the cursor is. Fine, so I click and drag the token where I want it, and the token goes away and becomes text. So the [DATEYYYYMMDD] token becomes "YYYYMMDD" in text. The token is gone.

No matter how I try and make this structure, it fails. I even tried editing the template outside of Lightroom, but at that point, Lightroom wouldn't recognize the file any longer (even though the file name and extension remained the same).

I have short hair, and yet I'm trying to pull it out! :shock: :cry:
 
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rcannonp;831' said:
There is a preference setting under File Handling to tell LR how to handle spaces in names. It wasn't under illegal characters. I had it set to use an underscore, so I thought that spaces must have been on the illegal character list.
Click to expand...

Yep, and I have it set to do nothing. That doesn't have any impact on the spaces in the template. Plus, spaces do work, when there are no tokens in the filename.

Again, frustrating thing is that this did work before. But now, not happening. It's either 1'.5.2 or 1.3.1 as far as I can tell, but not sure which (or if it's both).
 
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Ian Farlow said:
Yep, and I have it set to do nothing. That doesn't have any impact on the spaces in the template. Plus, spaces do work, when there are no tokens in the filename.
Click to expand...

Well, bug me time for a report!!:cheesy:
 
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Yeah... on its way.
 
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How's this for a workaround... use the custom text lozenge, and in the rename dialog you can set the custom text to be a space. You can use that custom text lozenge as many times as you need in the file name, it just means you can't use other custom text.
 
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Might have to give this a try. Thanks!
 
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Ian Farlow said:
Another oddity is that I can add spaces to the filename if the filename is all text.
Click to expand...

I suspect what's happening here is that Lightroom is trying to be helpful, but may have a flaw in the implementation. Specifically, I'm guessing, it's trying to protect against the case where a token is empty. For example, if you had "text [CREATOR] text" in the template and the Creator field was empty, it will only put one space in the filename instead of two or three.

I haven't tested this theory. In any case, I agree, this can be done correctly and should be filed as a bug.
 
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Interesting idea, and may very well be the case. I have submitted a lengthy report to Adobe, so here's hoping they review it and find the issue.

In the mean time, I still need to try Victoria's suggestion, but I'm at work (dang it) and so that will have to wait until this evening.

Wait... do I feel a stomach bug coming on? Could be...
 
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I just ran into this problem this morning.
Found this thread but no solution yet.

Then I got inspired by the default template "custom name (x of y)"

I looked up the template files in Finder and opened this one and my custom profile in TextEdit. It didn't take me too long to discover the structure of the file and to figure out where to add my spaces.

In short the literally quoted text in the template file is put between (gosh) quotes.
I tried adding spaces and saved the file (my custom template).
No go.
I restarted Lr et voila! there was my template with spaces and all.

It shouldn't have to be this way, but until Adobe fix this in 1.4 (where is that by the way?) I seem to have a workaround.

Cheers,
Geert
 
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Well done Geert - and welcome to the forum! Nice workaround!
 
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Interesting. This used to work in earlier versions of Lightroom, so I am sure something got whacked by mistake. If that's true, I expect it will be fixed soon enough.

Oh, and interesting find. I'll have to check that out.
 
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Ian Farlow said:
...So the [DATEYYYYMMDD] token becomes "YYYYMMDD" in text. The token is gone.
Click to expand...
:idea: This make me think about a suggestion: Why not simply use " " as follows:
IBF" "[DATEYYYYMMDD]" "[HOUR][MINUTE][SECOND]" "[SEQUENCE4]

Let us know if this works...
 
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I have been using a token for custom text, and the custom text is simply a space, and this works. I'll just wait at this point to see where things go...
 
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