Zotero 8 auto-renaming for linked files

hmarten
Hi,

I apologize if this is answered in one of the other threads on Zotero 8's renaming rules, but I don't see it on a quick search.

Because I prefer to manage my own directory of PDFs (rather than have them divvied into subfolders) I have for many years used 'Linked File' attachments. I see that, in Zotero 8, there are new procedures around file naming and that there is a setting to turn on/off "Automatically Rename Files" and its application to linked files. I have two questions.

(1) I would like to keep "Automatically Rename Files" switched off, but I am hoping to still be able to *manually* apply the renaming rules, which used to be possible (if I am not delusional) by right-clicking on the item and selecting "Rename attachment file" or something like that. Is the option to manually apply the renaming rules (to specific files) completely dropped in Zotero 8? Has it moved to a different location? I see the "Rename files . . . " option in Zotero's settings, but it seems to be all-or-nothing, i.e. I cannot pick which files to rename or not – which leads me to my second q.

(2) I have ~800 entries + attached files in my library that use a different set of renaming rules more appropriate to their nature. (They are anonymous weekly news pamphlets, so using my usual "author - title (year)" format is unhelpful and unclear). If I turn on "automatically rename files," my assumption is that adding/changing any metadata for this group files will cause the files to be renamed according to the current file-naming rules. Is that right?

Thanks in advance.
  • dstillman Zotero Team
    1) Manual renaming is in the item pane now.

    2) Changing the renaming format doesn't automatically rename existing files (though it will prompt whether to do so), but if you have "Automatically Rename Files" enabled, changing the metadata will update the filename. That's the new continuous-renaming feature. There's not an option to automatically rename files only when they're added but not on later edits.

    https://www.zotero.org/blog/zotero-8/#continuous-file-renaming
  • hmarten
    Thanks @dstillman. Clarification on (1): By manual renaming I meant (confusingly, sorry) the option to have zotero rename a file, according to the renaming rules, not simply typing out the name myself. I see how to do the latter in the file pane, but I don't see any (clickable) option to "Rename attached file" or similar (as used to be possible). Is the only option now to type out the new name myself?
  • dstillman Zotero Team
    From the post:
    “Rename File from Parent Metadata” has been removed from the item context menu. If a filename doesn’t match the configured filename format (e.g., because automatic renaming is disabled or you changed the format but didn’t choose to rename all files), you can click the “Rename File to Match Parent Item” button next to the filename in the attachment’s item pane to rename it.
  • hmarten
    Sorry, I see now that the option to rename appears when the metadata and file name no longer match. Disregard my last comment.
  • hmarten
    @dstillman thanks for the (very quick) help – much appreciated.
  • tim820
    edited 11 days ago
    If you are using Zotmoov to manage your linked files, you can use use its right-click operation that moves a selected file to your linked files folder - Move Selected to Directory - which also invokes your specified Zotero renaming scheme to rename the file. Of course if the file is already in your linked file folder, the file will not be moved (again), but it will be renamed.

    I often use that to rename existing linked files, for example when the metadata originally lacked the year (part of my renaming scheme), which I added later.

    Note that Zotmoov makes the file name and file title the same (as Zotfile used to).
  • hmarten
    @tim820 thanks, I will look into Zotmoov – it's compatible w/ Zotero 8?
  • tim820
    According to v1.2.22 last August ... yes.
    https://github.com/wileyyugioh/zotmoov/releases
  • hmarten
    @tim820 thanks!
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