Hi, the file renaming feature is really powerful but: * I set it up a week ago and I had the choice of the naming convention, now I would like to change it but I can't find it -> can someone help on that? * it works well on mobile but I would like the same behavior on Desktop, so if I drop a file in the Dropbox folder, it will automatically rename it and upload with the timestamp -> can someone help on that? thank!

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How to change naming conventions, and rename content?

ibox1

Hi,

the file renaming feature is really powerful but:

I set it up a week ago and I had the choice of the naming convention, now I would like to change it but I can't find it -> can someone help on that?
it works well on mobile but I would like the same behavior on Desktop, so if I drop a file in the Dropbox folder, it will automatically rename it and upload with the timestamp -> can someone help on that?

thank!

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Megan

Hi @ibox1, I'd be more than happy to assist!

If you wish to edit, or even remove a naming convention, all you'd have to do would be to follow the same steps you did, when setting it up.

You can see more about that here.

As for your second point, when you add content using the desktop app, it should work the same way. Do you have issues with that?

If so, can you clarify the version of the app that you're using, and its syncing status, please?

Keep me posted!

ibox1

ho thanks a lot, that's the link I was looking for, but is it normal that when I go to Naming Convention I can't see the existing naming convention?

It's like if it has been reset

ibox1

Also, when trying to set Naming Convention on my desktop app (MacOS), I can't see the option Organise (following steps at https://help.dropbox.com/organize/naming-conventions)

Jay

Hi @ibox1, are you certain you're viewing the naming convention for the folder, and not a subfolder within that folder?

Regarding the camera uploads folder, it might be a little different to other folders. Are you getting the Organize option when viewing a different folder?

ibox1

Hi, I think it's actually the same issue (fyi, I did that on my Mac in case and even restarted, no change: https://www.dropboxforum.com/t5/Apps-and-Installations/Right-click-options-missing-in-MacOS/m-p/655707/highlight/true#M50046)

-> the issue is that I can't seem to be able to see the Organise option on my Desktop app or on my Mobile app.

I can see it in the Web app, it's doesn;t have existing naming convention but it's normal cause I only set it up on my mobile. But I can't edit it on my mobile anymore.

Desktop: I tried via the Finder to right click on the root folder (Dropbox) and the Camera folder (Dropbox/Camera uploads) -> no Organise option (cf screenshot shared previously)

Mobile: I can't see the Organise option either

Walter

Hey @ibox1 - sorry to jump in here, but I just wanted to mention that naming conventions are available through the website at this time, not within the mobile app or the desktop app (it would redirect you to the website anyhow).

As for the previous setup, can you navigate to the folder from a web browser and click the (...) button for the folder? Do you see 'edit' or 'add' automation?

Next to the folder on the web, do you see a little grey tag icon showing 'automated'?

ibox1

Hi Walter,

I can't see a grey icon "Automated"

[A] so, knowing that the naming convention works from my mobile but not my Web or Desktop app, it would mean that

the Naming Convention was setup from my mobile the first time I set up Camera Upload
but now I can't edit it from my mobile
and at the same time the naming convention was not set up for my Desktop app nor Web app (which is weird to me as it should be cloud based)
1. I say this because when I drop a new file on my Desktop or Web app, the renaming doesn't work
2. AND I see no existing rules when I click on Organise from the Web app

[B] So now I should set the Naming Convention rules from my Web app and Web/Desktop/Mobile will all work?

Because if I try to do this for example, the naming conventions I can pick from on the Web app are not the same than what I originally had in the mobile app:

as you can see, everything is already setup with YYYY-MM-DD HH.MM.SS (from Mobile) whereas on the web I can't have that and the closest is only YYYY-MM-DD-HH.MM which means I have 2 different naming conventions in the same folder...

[C] even doing all the above, with my Naming Convention set up from the Web app, dropping a file there still doesnt rename it, it only works from my Mobile app

you can see the file "image.png" that I tried to upload via Web or Desktop -> the name should be "2023-10-27 13-38 - image.png" as it was created/captured on 27/10/2023

Jay

Hi @ibox1, does the image you uploaded actually have the 'Date captured' field populated prior to uploading?

ibox1

it has the Date Created field

-> on the laptop that's the only field we can see, how can I check the Date Captured field?

-> if it's not the same, how is it possible to use the Date Created field for the rule?

-> or is there any other way to connect both? I have pictures/videos dump from other iPhones, GoPro, Inst360, DSLR etc... that we get on my laptop, and then push online.

The naming convention is helping us to timestamp every piece of media we have and indicate time markers to our editors to save them time when they are looking for highlights (they have the timeline of the footage across all devices, so if we tell them something happened on a specific date at a specific time, they find it quickly)

Jay

If you get the properties or info of the file, the date captured should be on the EXIF data for the image. Bear in mind that not all cameras will populate this field depending on their settings, and likewise for video recordings.

There isn't an option for the 'date created', only 'date uploaded' (to Dropbox), which will be different to the creation date.

ibox1

This is very helpful Jay thanks, we are getting there!

So I did more tests and indeed for images captured with a camera device, the EXIF metadata is there, all good

The remaining pain point is with videos:

for .mov videos, the EXIF worked at upload (from my phone), and when I read the metadata on sync files on my laptop it works BUT when I upload .mov from my laptop with correct EXIF it doesn not rename -> why?

for .mp4 videos, the EXIF worked at upload (from my phone), BUT when I read the metadata on sync files on my laptop it does not work -> why? Cause the EXIF must have been good at some point on my phone to do a proper renaming no?

Walter

Thanks for the additional information @ibox1

May we reach out via email to have a further look internally at this point?

ibox1

yes no problem

Megan

Hi @ibox1, I just sent you an email, I'll see you there!