Batch Re-namer for Mac That Can Generate Unique Word Names for Samples?

[tommyzai]

Is there such a thing? I usually generate sequential numbers and/or letters, but it would be so cool to set some sort of theme and have the software create random names, e.g., blaster, thruster, shooter, etc.

If there isn't such a thing . . . there should be!!

[kidslow]

You could do almost exactly what you want with a shell script, or even an Applescript. But how far down the scripting rabbit hole do you want to go?

My preferred drag and drop batch renamer on Mac is Name Mangler. Super powerful and very easy to use. It would get you most of the way there, but you'd still have to seed a list of terms and I am not sure it would pull randomly from the list, just cycle through.

Look at the term function in Advanced Mode.
https://manytricks.com/namemangler

[tommyzai]

I actually have Name Mangler but have only used numerical sequences. There is a way to generate unique words?

[kidslow]

With Name Mangler, you'll need to seed the list of words, so not generate "unique" words in the sense of your question rather pull a finite series from a pre-generated list. You create a list of terms and it will cycle through the list and put the next one in each subsequent filename.

In help under Advanced Mode:

[term (first expression), (second expression), …]
Definition
Returns the parameter expression at the index that represents the original file's position in a sequence of items, as described by the sorting order of your file list.
The following example assumes that there is a total of 10 files in your file list.

Example
[term from list: "One", "Two", "Three"] → One, Two, Three, One, … , One

Without testing to verify, I am interpreting that the term will then get added to a place in the filename of your choosing. Perhaps it can even source the term list from a flat text file, rather than inline, and allow a seed list of hundreds if not thousands of words. If there would be some way to randomize the order of words in the seed list upon each time you run it, well then there you go.

You can pull from a CSV file and maybe you don't even need Advanced Mode. See Arbitrary Terms in help.

The second, and more powerful method, of using Arbitrary Terms is to click the small paper-like icon at the right side of the input box. When you do, Name Mangler will present the standard macOS file dialog, and you can point to any CSV-formatted text file as the input source. As long as the file conforms to the basic rules for CSV, Name Mangler will use its contents for your terms list. In other words, you can use this feature to rename your files based on names in a file.

When selecting a file-based terms list, you need to decide whether Name Mangler will check that file for changes, or simply read it once and not worry about future changes. You control this behavior through this checkbox, which you'll see at the bottom of the dialog that appears when you click the paper-like icon:

automatic file monitoring
If you check that box, Name Mangler will check for changes to the file each time you use this renaming action; leave it unchecked, and the file is read once then never checked for changes.

[cryophonik]

With Name Mangler, you'll need to seed the list of words, so not generate "unique" words in the sense of your question rather pull a finite series from a pre-generated list. You create a list of terms and it will cycle through the list and put the next one in each subsequent filename.

Sounds like a perfect task for ChatGPT.

[mixyguy2]

Is there such a thing? I usually generate sequential numbers and/or letters, but it would be so cool to set some sort of theme and have the software create random names, e.g., blaster, thruster, shooter, etc.

If there isn't such a thing . . . there should be!!

chatgpt.com