suggestions for digital image sequencing software (Win 7)

[Bob Michaels]

I am looking for the digital equivalent of laying out 100+- slides on a light table, sliding them around until they are in the sequence you want, then loading them in a carousel for presentation. I can order them on my screen using Windows 7 but there is not a way to save that order to them import them into another program. I can sequence them by date, file name, or size but not the way I have them ordered on the monitor using Windows Explorer. I have done this before using a much smaller number of images by simply renaming them in a separate directory but cannot do this with a large number of JPG's.

This need cannot be unique but I cannot find the solution. Ideas?

The final use will be both a live verbal presentation clicking to advance to the next image, just like we used to do with slide shows, probably using Powerpoint as well as a recorded talk with images in MP4 format using ProShowGold.

 

[Scapevision]

Lightroom can do custom sequence in Library mode if you add the photos to a collection. You can view thumbnails and control the size/grid. Very customizable. But need to be in a collection.
You can also make a slideshow inside.

 

[peterm1]

There are a few pieces of image file renaming software available free on the internet. I used some a few years back (but cannot recall which) but in any event here are a couple you may wish to look at immediately below. My need at the time was similar to yours so I think you will find something..............

http://www.bulkrenameutility.co.uk/Main_Intro.php

https://www.advancedrenamer.com/ (The description of this one sounds to be close to what you want which says:

"Image files
This mass file renamer is a great utility for organising digital pictures for both professionals and beginners. The thumbnail mode lets you display thumbnails directly in the file list giving you maximum control of the renaming process. With this program you can rename all your photos in a snap."

And this review gives some leads:

http://www.techsupportalert.com/best-free-rename-utility.htm

and this list of 50+ utilities does likewise:

http://listoffreeware.com/list-of-best-free-file-rename-software/

Another bit of software I use a lot is (free) Faststone Image Viewer. I find it good for creating slide shows (and even saving "movies" created from sets of image files complete with transitions / sound tracks etc) but cannot immediately recall if you can do a bulk file rename within it.

EDIT- I just had a closer look at Faststone. If you open a folder of unsorted image files in Faststone, and then right-click on any one of these image files you can select an option Tools/Batch Rename in the popup menu.This brings up a window that allows you to view the files (in the left hand window) and then select them to move to the right hand half of the window (which is the input list for the renaming utility). You can order these files in that list based on the order in which you select them - but it seems not to allow you to then move them about / up and down in the input list once you have selected them. I have not tried but it seems that when you run your rename command it can rename them sequentially according to their order in that input list. Which I think is what you want). This looks reasonably simple but is not all that flexible given it relies upon the order of selection of the files to produce the naming sequence.

Good luck.

 

[Bob Michaels]

Peter M: thanks. It appears that advancedrenamer may actually give you the ability to re-order the files on screen and then rename in the order they appear on the screen. I will have to download it and see if it allows you to have most of the screen available to drag and drop thumbnails around. Actually, Windows Explorer is the best for that but then there is no automatic way to rename the files as they appear on your monitor. All the other programs appear to use algorithms, rather than your visual choice, to rename.

Scapevision: thanks but Lightroom gives you no way to export JPGs in your chosen sequence. All you can do is make a slide show in LR which is about the worst slideshow software in 20 years. You cannot even specify how long each individual image appears on the screen, control transitions, or overlay with audio.

 

[Scapevision]

Peter M: thanks. It appears that advancedrenamer may actually give you the ability to re-order the files on screen and then rename in the order they appear on the screen. I will have to download it and see if it allows you to have most of the screen available to drag and drop thumbnails around. Actually, Windows Explorer is the best for that but then there is no automatic way to rename the files as they appear on your monitor. All the other programs appear to use algorithms, rather than your visual choice, to rename.

Scapevision: thanks but Lightroom gives you no way to export JPGs in your chosen sequence. All you can do is make a slide show in LR which is about the worst slideshow software in 20 years. You cannot even specify how long each individual image appears on the screen, control transitions, or overlay with audio.

How about choosing all your custom collection order (ctrl + A) and go EXPORT? 🙂

 

[Dwig]

How about choosing all your custom collection order (ctrl + A) and go EXPORT? 🙂

+1, this works. Lr has options to rename using a "sequence" number. Since Lr doesn't support the use of leading zeros in the sequence number the OP, with his proposed set of 100 images, would have to set the start number to 100 to get filenames that would sort in the same order in Explorer or anything that sorts using a pure alphanumeric sort.

I don't know when you opt to Export the "full size" image whether Lr reprocesses an unedited JPEG or whether it passes the JPEG untouched, other than filename and metadata changes. Any JPEG that has be altered in the Develop module or with the Quick Develop controls will have to be reprocessed.