Any way to easily batch copy file name to "log note" or any other column?

Want to rename my clips, but need to keep original file name info. Is there any way to batch copy the name column to any other column?

try this:

reduce your visible columns to the bare minimum for what you need.
you'd need the name column and your OTHER column
export a batch list
open it in Excel or similar, and copy the name column to the other column.


re-import the batch list into FCP, and reconnect.

this last step is the one i'd be a bit apprehensive about.
will the files reconnect?

to be safe you should probably include media start and stop, and reel# in your visible columns before you export the batch list.

the only other way would be to program a repeating macro, using QuicKeys, or maybe automator,
but that's a lot more time-consuming.

FWIW, the original names will be searchable in the Source column if you don't change the file names to match the clip names.

maybe you should just enter the new names into the new column?


cheers,
nick

That's a good question. One that I've been wanting to ask for a while. An XML wrangler would probably do it. The problem with batch list is how do you get the clips to reconnect. Keep the path URL column?



www.strypesinpost.com

i tried that once... didn't work.
in fact the source column doesn't get put into the batch list.

but that must have been for another type of situation,
because i just tested what i suggested above,
and it does work:

the list came in as off-line clips, of course, but a simple "search" in the reconnect window worked.
it's searching for names, of course, so don't change your clip names till after you've done this!

oh, i got a warning about not have the correct number of tracks,
so i now say include both the "Tracks" (1V, 2A) and "Audio" (Stereo or Mono) columns in your exported list.


cheers,
nick

Yea, the batch list thing works, but is always scary. On this one, I have no other info that is in the meta data anyways.

The recconect works, of course mentioning reels won't match. Considering I have no reel info that's expected.

So basically I bring in my clips, batch list out, edit in excel, bath list back in, reconnect.

Clumsy but works.

I would run a test to see if it will reconnect properly with tapeless media (eg. L&T-ed clips)



www.strypesinpost.com

This sounds like a good excuse to "inoculate" your media to preserve file names yet rename to anything, with Matchback Magic. Check it out... I think this- or another of their tools- may fill the need.

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