GoPro filenames and awkward sorting

[Arfa]

A key bugbear with the GoPro is the awkward filename convention it uses, which invariable means that viewing files in alphabetical order on the computer will present them out of sequence. The file numbering is based on index-chapter, so the first vids for each chapter are together, the 2nd vids from each chapter next etc. Sure you can order the files by date on the computer, but they're intermingled with the thumb and mini-vid version, so still faff to pick out the files you want to import.

Does anyone know if this naming convention can be tweaked, so filenames are chronological?
Anyone have any tips to handle this better?
Anyone written any scripts to rename them better?

 

[Theodor]

I imagine it can't be that hard to write a bash or batch script to rename files. But what would you like the sorting to be like?
However, on day to day basis, wouldn't it be better just to filter out the suitable files by common type, for example, and then list them by time modified?

 

[R-Rated]

I think the GoPro file name system is based on ancient Aramathean text. Best ask Brother Maynard -

Actually, sometimes I will relabel the footage/clips that I want for a video. It stinks when two cameras have similar original filenames or when switching between 360 and regular footage from the Max.

 

[HippoDrone]

I've gotten used to it TBH, when running multiple cameras and adding to my editor, I add one cameras footage first, then add my intro vid, then the second cameras footage, then my outro music, then third if using one and then my logo followed by my forth camera footage if I use one. That way I can see the difference between them all and can pick the files I need to place on the timeline when wanted.

 

[Drakhen99]

I feel your frustration, so here's what I do to organize my files:

1. On each camera's SD card, in File Explorer, I sort by file type and remove the .THM and .LRV files.
2. Copy each camera's footage for the day to a folder on my computer: VIDEOS > [DATE] [Ride Name] > [CAMERA NAME]
3. Rename them to [CAMERA NAME] - [Ride Portion] - [HERO FILENAME]

With this, they're all in order of Ride Portion > Portion Segment.

In the end, I'll have a folder called "2021.09.01 Ride" with subfolders "Hero 8" and "Hero 9" and then each camera's footage in those folders.

Then, the individual filenames end up like "GH0100036" becomes "H8 - 1 - GH0100036"
and "GH0200036" becomes "H8 - 1 - GH0200036"

FWIW, I showed this in my Davinci Resolve Multicam video on my channel, if you want to see it better.

-John

 

[Theodor]

Organizing stuff in folders, and importing them in to video editor, so they stay organized the same way is obviously key to easy navigation. I Believe @Arfa -s issue is however only at the first stage of organizing.
Say you have 10 vlogs on one card (Or couple weeks worth of travelling videos), and you want to get them organized in to different folders, excluding the unnecessary files right away. This is the step, I believe he wants to simplify. And I understand that the way his camera names the files, makes it cumbersome.
I think it would help, if we knew which platform he uses and how he would prefer the files to be named and organized. Should not be that hard to figure out a script for that...

 

[Arfa]

@Theodor: yep you've got it right, it's picking the right files off the SD card for given portions or days of filming. It's not just when copying them off the card, but also if I want to quickly scan through them all in VLC or something to see if I can dismiss any crap/boring clips straight away. The VLC playlist can only order by filename...

I'm using a Mac, so a bash/sh script is certainly the obvious approach.
I'm currently only running a single GoPro, so no hassle with multi-cameras to deal with. I do still sometimes shoot with my old Drift or my mobile, but those filenames are very different, so no bother to differentiate.

 

[Theodor]

I have no experience with mac nor do know the protocols\language, so this drops me out of the race for solution.
The idea I had though, was to take all filenames in to an array, sorted by either time created of time modified, and then rename them in that order, taking in to account also possible references in the original file names, if that affects the order.

 

[Moto Mengy]

I feel your frustration, so here's what I do to organize my files:

1. On each camera's SD card, in File Explorer, I sort by file type and remove the .THM and .LRV files.
2. Copy each camera's footage for the day to a folder on my computer: VIDEOS > [DATE] [Ride Name] > [CAMERA NAME]
3. Rename them to [CAMERA NAME] - [Ride Portion] - [HERO FILENAME]

With this, they're all in order of Ride Portion > Portion Segment.

In the end, I'll have a folder called "2021.09.01 Ride" with subfolders "Hero 8" and "Hero 9" and then each camera's footage in those folders.

Then, the individual filenames end up like "GH0100036" becomes "H8 - 1 - GH0100036"
and "GH0200036" becomes "H8 - 1 - GH0200036"

FWIW, I showed this in my Davinci Resolve Multicam video on my channel, if you want to see it better.

-John

I do something very similar with all of my camera files too. Makes it much easier to recognize things for me.

 

[Drakhen99]

I do something very similar with all of my camera files too. Makes it much easier to recognize things for me.

It's cause we're on the spectrum and organizing makes us feel good

Does not explain the mess that is everywhere BUT on my PC

-John

 

[Moto Mengy]

It's cause we're on the spectrum and organizing makes us feel good

You are probably right!

 

[Drakhen99]

You are probably right!

Shh, don't tell my wife! She'll argue with you.

-John

 

[scooterwuf]

I try to keep my file management system simple. I generally transfer my video files from my SD cards to my external HD where I place them in a Master folder named after the motovlog project I’m working on.

Within the Master file I make files named after the cameras I’m using so they came be labeled GoPro Max, Drift, Rylo, DragonTouch, etc. …

Within each specific folder I download the files from the SD card from the corresponding camera. They generally are placed in the order they were shot despite the file name/cipher given to them. I generally use them in the order they were shot too, but if not, I apply a colored label dot next to them to designate their importance. I’m able to do this on my Mac so I’m not sure if there’s a PC equivalent.

A green dot means - Go to this one.
A blue dot means - There’s something cool here
A purple dot means - The footage is royalty and stands above the other files.

 

[Arfa]

Within each specific folder I download the files from the SD card from the corresponding camera. They generally are placed in the order they were shot despite the file name/cipher given to them. I generally use them in the order they were shot too, but if not, I apply a colored label dot next to them to designate their importance. I’m able to do this on my Mac so I’m not sure if there’s a PC equivalent.

A green dot means - Go to this one.
A blue dot means - There’s something cool here
A purple dot means - The footage is royalty and stands above the other files.


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View attachment 5978

You know, I've used a Mac for years now and I still rarely if ever remember to use the coloured tags/dots on files! Such an obvious and useful thing to do, I shall definitely have to do that.

Maybe it's because I'm constantly flipping between Windows machines at work, Mac at home, and Linux Centos on my web & home servers...

I do tend to copy all the incoming vids to folders per ride etc as you do (on huge mirrored drives on home server), was really just looking to better order the different chapters of vids within these folders.

 

[Drakhen99]

You know, I've used a Mac for years now and I still rarely if ever remember to use the coloured tags/dots on files! Such an obvious and useful thing to do, I shall definitely have to do that.

Maybe it's because I'm constantly flipping between Windows machines at work, Mac at home, and Linux Centos on my web & home servers...

I do tend to copy all the incoming vids to folders per ride etc as you do (on huge mirrored drives on home server), was really just looking to better order the different chapters of vids within these folders.

Since you're already doing 80% of the work by putting the files in folders, I highly recommend you follow my naming convention - it preserves the original filename just in case, but will order them in Windows the way you expect.

I had a project with almost 200 video clips in it... and I think it took me about 10 or 15 minutes to rename them all by hand. If I had a script, that'd be even better, but still it's not too bad, and once done, it doesn't have to be re-done.

-John

 

[scooterwuf]

I’m not sure if it does this on a PC, but with my Mac if I click on a file it shows a thumbnail image of the first frames. The thumbnail can also be played in thumbnail mode so it allows me to preview a file to figure out the content before importing it. If it didn’t do that I would see myself renaming things like you described. File management makes it easier down the editing line.

Respect with the 200 file project. That sounds pretty epic!

- Wolf

 

[LandyVlad]

Nah windows isn't clever enough to do the above things.
- says windows user.

 

[Meifesto]

GoPro's naming is definitely one of my petpeeve.

I kinda have learned to work around it a bit now.
Main part I use is focusing on the last 3 digits instead of the whole name. And finding the same ones, so that i know that is "in order". of what i shoot.

GH0100036
GH0100037
GH0100038
GH0100039
GH0200036
GH0200037
GH0200039
GH0300037

If you look at this the order makes no sense.
But if you focus only on the last 3 digits is it "easy" to find the ones in order. 010037, 020037 and 030037

I would love if there was a way or setting that would create a more logical order.
Making it easier to remove all the non used clips and only moving the usable clips to the pc.

 

[Drakhen99]

GoPro's naming is definitely one of my petpeeve.

I kinda have learned to work around it a bit now.
Main part I use is focusing on the last 3 digits instead of the whole name. And finding the same ones, so that i know that is "in order". of what i shoot.

GH0100036
GH0100037
GH0100038
GH0100039
GH0200036
GH0200037
GH0200039
GH0300037

If you look at this the order makes no sense.
But if you focus only on the last 3 digits is it "easy" to find the ones in order. 010037, 020037 and 030037

I would love if there was a way or setting that would create a more logical order.
Making it easier to remove all the non used clips and only moving the usable clips to the pc.

Wouldn't that be nice? But GoPro is too busy adding farkles to their cameras, instead of fixing this issue.

I think it comes down to use case. For motovloggers, a lot of us record LOOONNNGGGG videos and then edit them in post. For the average user, they're capturing a few minutes here and a few minutes there, so they're not creating segmented videos like we are. This makes it a situation of the minority being ignored.

-John

 

[Meifesto]

Wouldn't that be nice? But GoPro is too busy adding farkles to their cameras, instead of fixing this issue.

I think it comes down to use case. For motovloggers, a lot of us record LOOONNNGGGG videos and then edit them in post. For the average user, they're capturing a few minutes here and a few minutes there, so they're not creating segmented videos like we are. This makes it a situation of the minority being ignored.

-John

But it would make more sense if it was
GH0100036
GH0100037
GH0100038
press stop recording,. record something new
GH0200036
GH0200037

etc.
The front numbers switching around should be something small and easy to change.