# How do I change the default copy name in Lightroom with using the original filename?



## DonLand (Apr 8, 2012)

I found the following from an earlier post.

Create a file called TranslatedStrings.txt in /Applications/Adobe Lightroom 3.app/Contents/Resources

In the text put the following:

"$$$/AgLibraryImages/DefaultCopyName=v^1"

then save it in the above folder.
Restart Lightroom

Works great, but I'd like it to copy the file name to the copy name and then add the additional specific information for the version. In this case I'd like it to add the letter "a", (instead of 1)for the first virtual copy then the letter "b" (instead of 2) for the second virtual copy etc.


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## clee01l (Apr 8, 2012)

Welcome to the forum.  I don't think you can get what you want.  "1" is a sequence number.  The application is designed to add +1 to the current value.


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## DonLand (Apr 8, 2012)

Thanks. I was hoping there was some way to do it with Unicoding as in the original text that was printed above does with the number.


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## ernie (Apr 12, 2012)

Scroll further down this page and read my post "Can you rename a vc?" Is this the same as you're asking?


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## DonLand (Apr 12, 2012)

ernie said:


> Scroll further down this page and read my post "Can you rename a vc?" Is this the same as you're asking?




Thanks for trying, but no not at all. What I need to do is when creating a virtual copy I want to change the default name from "copy 1" where the number "1" counts up as each new virtual copy is created to "the original filename" plus the letter "a" and then have the letter "a" count up to "b' etc. as the Virtual Copies get duplicated.

By following what I posted in the beginning of the thread I am at least able to get LR to default to "v1" as the default copy name and  counting  where "1" changes to "2" with each increase in virtual copies. The problem is I then have to remember to copy/paste the file name into the copy name every time, and if I make a new virtual copy after pasting in the original file name the copy name counting begins again at "v1".

When I export I use the copy name to name the exports, not the file name. The reason being that I want every image to have a unique number, including virtual copies so if a client asks for a specific image I can easily find it by searching for it in copy name.

I can live with the increment naming scheme of "v1" instead of "a" but I NEED for LR to enter the original name into the copy name when a virtual copy is created.


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## Mark Sirota (Apr 13, 2012)

Could you use both the filename and the copyname in your export naming template?  (e.g. filename-copyname)


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## DonLand (Apr 13, 2012)

Mark Sirota said:


> Could you use both the filename and the copyname in your export naming template?  (e.g. filename-copyname)



No that does not work because when I get a large list of images back from a client I need the exact name for the search so I can search them all at once rather than doing images indivikdually.
Say my original images is D120223-125. If my virtual image is D120223-125 with copy name v3, but my client knew it as D120223-125v3 because I output it as "file name""copy name" I have a problem. If I paste the name from the list into the search field it will not show D120223-125v3 because there is no real name anywhere in Lightroom that matches. That is why I need D120223-125v3 to be by itself in the copy name field.


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## Mark Sirota (Apr 13, 2012)

That makes sense, and I think you should file a feature request at the official feature request forum (there's a link in the grey bar at the top of the page) to allow for including the file name in the copy name or perhaps in the Title, and/or to allow for searching on the composite name.

In fact, maybe you can work around this by building a Title from filename+copyname using either LR/Transporter or Search Replace Transfer (both available from the Photographer's Toolbox) and using Title in your export template.


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## DonLand (Apr 13, 2012)

Mark Sirota said:


> That makes sense, and I think you should file a feature request at the official feature request forum (there's a link in the grey bar at the top of the page) to allow for including the file name in the copy name or perhaps in the Title, and/or to allow for searching on the composite name.
> 
> In fact, maybe you can work around this by building a Title from filename+copyname using either LR/Transporter or Search Replace Transfer (both available from the Photographer's Toolbox) and using Title in your export template.



After downloading, editing, and renaming my images I actually use Search Replace Transfer to copy the File Name to Copy Name already on the entire group so when I export I use the Copy Name only. This is where the problem comes as I need to remember to manually copy the file name to the Copy Name of any virtual copies I create.

You would think LR would have a simple copy naming scheme for virtual copies that takes off from the file naming scheme already in place.

I'm thinking it may be better to go back to LR's way of naming them copy so at least I can search for copy in Copy Name for the images that need to have their Copy Name changed to what I want.


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## DonLand (Apr 13, 2012)

Thanks Mark, I already use Search Replace Transfer to copy the File Name to Copy Name after editing and renaming the originals. I think the better request (ok maybe parallel) would be a simple renaming scheme where when a virtual copy is made you can specify what the Copy Name is, much like the normal file renaming (F2) is in LR. There should be a "Create Virtual Copy" "Copy Name" preference. So for me it would run "Filename""Sequence # (001)"


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## DonLand (Apr 13, 2012)

DonLand said:


> Thanks Mark, I already use Search Replace Transfer to copy the File Name to Copy Name after editing and renaming the originals. I think the better request (ok maybe parallel) would be a simple renaming scheme where when a virtual copy is made you can specify what the Copy Name is, much like the normal file renaming (F2) is in LR. There should be a "Create Virtual Copy" "Copy Name" preference. So for me it would run "Filename""Sequence # (001)"



Hey Mark,

I was hoping you would know the code or keys to insert the original file name into that txt file that I found that you wrote in the "Reset default copy name?" thread.

This is what you wrote:

"$$$/AgLibraryImages/DefaultCopyName=v^1"


I was wondering if there was any brackets or whatever you know to make it:

"$$$/AgLibraryImages/DefaultCopyName={Filename}v^1"

{Filename} was my insertion, but of course not the correct syntax, if there even is one that would pick up that images Filename.


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## Mark Sirota (Apr 13, 2012)

I don't think there's a way to do it through TranslatedStrings.txt, as Cletus said. There's no token that you could insert in there that represents the filename.

I agree that your proposal is the complete solution, a proper naming template for Copy Name; I was just trying to think of the least bad workaround in the meantime, as I'm not hopeful for that getting implemented in the near term.

I wonder whether an export plug-in could assign the exported filename to a standard metadata field...


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## DonLand (Apr 13, 2012)

Mark Sirota said:


> I don't think there's a way to do it through TranslatedStrings.txt, as Cletus said. There's no token that you could insert in there that represents the filename.
> 
> I agree that your proposal is the complete solution, a proper naming template for Copy Name; I was just trying to think of the least bad workaround in the meantime, as I'm not hopeful for that getting implemented in the near term.
> 
> I wonder whether an export plug-in could assign the exported filename to a standard metadata field...



Not being a programer at all I still think it would not be that big of a deal for them as everything is there already, all they have to do is apply it to a different field. Sorry to hear about not being hopeful of getting it implemented as it is very brain dead the way it is currently set up.

>>In fact, maybe you can work around this by building a Title from filename+copyname using either LR/Transporter or Search Replace Transfer (both available from the Photographer's Toolbox) and using Title in your export template.<<

That would work but then I'd have to remember to run SRT on the file at the end. Again not very elegant. I'd be better off doing what I do now and search for copy in copy name to find the ones I forgot to fix, and export only the copy name. Thanks for the help though!


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## clee01l (Apr 13, 2012)

DonLand said:


> Not being a programer at all I still think it would not be that big of a deal for them as everything is there already, all they have to do is apply it to a different field. Sorry to hear about not being hopeful of getting it implemented as it is very brain dead the way it is currently set up....!


  Actually you probably already have a working solution with a little different approach. Instead of exported file names being constructed as {Filename}{CopyName} resulting in  "D120223-125v3.JPG" , change your naming template to {Filename} {CopyName} resulting in  "D120223-125 v3.JPG". (Note the space in the file name).  A Text search on {Any searchable field}{contains all} will return one image with a file name of "D120223-125" and a copy name of "v3".  It will not return "D120223-125" (master) or "D120223-125 v2".


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## Mark Sirota (Apr 14, 2012)

I suggested the idea to Jeffrey, he's thinking about it.  His Extended Search plug-in already takes a list of filenames to search for, it just needs the exported filenames to be stored somewhere it can search.  Stay tuned...


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## DonLand (Apr 14, 2012)

clee01l said:


> Actually you probably already have a working solution with a little different approach. Instead of exported file names being constructed as {Filename}{CopyName} resulting in  "D120223-125v3.JPG" , change your naming template to {Filename} {CopyName} resulting in  "D120223-125 v3.JPG". (Note the space in the file name).  A Text search on {Any searchable field}{contains all} will return one image with a file name of "D120223-125" and a copy name of "v3".  It will not return "D120223-125" (master) or "D120223-125 v2".



Thanks for trying but I have 2 problems with that. First off having a space in the file name would create an issue when I'm copying a list from a client and paste it into my word processor to add commas for my search pattern. The other problem is it will not return the results because I enter them as a group to find a bunch of images at once rather than copying and pasting 80 separate file names.


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## DonLand (Apr 14, 2012)

Thanks Mark, that sounds promising.


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## clee01l (Apr 14, 2012)

DonLand said:


> ...I enter them as a group to find a bunch of images at once rather than copying and pasting 80 separate file names.


Yes, you can't use {Contains all} with a group if you want to return multiple images.


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## Mark Sirota (Oct 12, 2012)

Mark Sirota said:


> I suggested the idea to Jeffrey, he's thinking about it.  His Extended Search plug-in already takes a list of filenames to search for, it just needs the exported filenames to be stored somewhere it can search.  Stay tuned...



Just following up to an ancient thread -- Jeffrey just released a new version of Extended Search last night that makes this possible. Store your exported filenames in a Snapshot using Snapshot on Export, then search for them with Extended Search. Works great.

I remain hopeful that Adobe will make this more straightforward in a future release of Lightroom.


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