Burn CD--File Order

LoneRider · 06-19-2009, 09:53 AM

Hello. Just trying to find out what I'm missing as I've been trying to burn a CD using Leopard's (10.5.7) built in Burn function. I have no problem making the CD, as far as that goes, but the files are jpg photos and I want them to be burned in chronological order. That way, the reader of the CD is able to start at the top and the order adds to the sense of the photos. Unfortunately, I haven't been able to find any way to easily do this, although I can use any number of PC programs (CDRWIN, e.g.) to accomplish it (and these are programs I have to buy to use, I know). But I've been mildly surprised and, for now at least, I'm just assuming there may be some obscure setting that I have wrong that would allow me to change the order of the files written to the CD using Leopard's Burn function. As it stands, it looks like they are written only in filename alphabetical order, regardless of the order of the alias's in the burn folder.

So what I'm asking is if there's anyone out there who can confirm that there's no way to do what I want to do (aside from renaming all the files, of course) with Leopard's default (especially Burn) software. And if there is a way, please let me know. I'm confident that there are Mac programs out there that will let me do this ... but it seems like such an easy thing for something that should already exist in the Mac OS that I really feel I must be missing it.

Thanks in advance for any help and advice ...

Ken

sinclair_tm · 06-19-2009, 10:37 PM

Well, I don't know, as I've never tried to do it in this manner before. Have you put the photos in iPhoto and had it burn a picture disk?

LoneRider · 06-20-2009, 08:55 AM

Well, in looking into this, I've read various articles that say you *can* do this with iPhoto ... but there's a process where iPhoto effectively renames the files to get a correct order. Also, another writer told of wanting to generate a particular order from a slide show perspective and there is apparently a way to do this with QuickTime (Pro). So I think there are some contortions that one can go through to, eventually, accomplish the task. As I said earlier, I know I can rename the files (add 01, 02, etc., at the beginning of the filenames) to get this done ... but it seems that it should be easier to do. And I don't think it's that unusual a request. I know you said you've never tried to do this, but I do this pretty regularly ... usually with picture files and usually because the *story* of the pictures makes more sense with the files are displayed in a particular order. And that order is *not* typically alphabetical.

So, if you accept the position that this is not such a rare request, it would seem that the special "Burn" window in OS X could easily have functionality available to allow the user to, for example, order the file alias's any which way by dragging them. And, again, I know of several programs (and I think Toast allows this too, but I've never used it) where this is just standard functionality. So I'm sure I can pay $$ for another program to accomplish this on the Mac but, again, I'm just wondering if I've missed something (maybe a secret option?) that would allow me to reorder the files in a burn window and have them actually burn in that order.

Thanks for your reply ...

sinclair_tm · 06-20-2009, 07:21 PM

Well, I can tell you that there is no secret option. It just burns files to the disk as data. To do as you say, to make an order to do a slideshow type thing, you do need software that will do such a thing. If you are looking for a why to have a slideshow disk, you can use iDVD to make a slideshow that will play in DVD players and computers, and tell it to burn the photos to the DVD as well, and iDVD should be on the Mac.

LoneRider · 06-21-2009, 06:05 AM

OK, thanks! The problem is not a big one for me as I do have tools to *easily* do this. I suspected that there was no way to accomplish what I was trying to do with Burn, but I'm still surprised at how few people I see are not at all concerned about the order that files are written to a CD. Of course, I guess I wouldn't normally care either ... but I do occasionally want picture CD files to appear in, for example, the order I drag them to the Burn window. And, as happens from time to time on an otherwise wonderful piece of equipment/software like my Mac, I just get surprised when there's something so (to me, anyway) straightforward that I cannot do. And I think it surprises me because for many features and functions on the Mac, there are two, three or more ways to do things (easily), just depending on how you prefer to do them. So I know I can do this in other ways on the Mac and I can easily do it on my (Fusion) PC software running on the Mac, and I just thought it should be something that one should be able to easily do with Burn.

Your replies are much appreciated.

Ken

06-19-2009, 09:53 AM	#1 (permalink)
LoneRider Registered User Join Date: Feb 2008 Location: Hiawatha, IA Posts: 13 OS: Mac OS X 10.5.5 & WinXP SP3	Burn CD--File Order Hello. Just trying to find out what I'm missing as I've been trying to burn a CD using Leopard's (10.5.7) built in Burn function. I have no problem making the CD, as far as that goes, but the files are jpg photos and I want them to be burned in chronological order. That way, the reader of the CD is able to start at the top and the order adds to the sense of the photos. Unfortunately, I haven't been able to find any way to easily do this, although I can use any number of PC programs (CDRWIN, e.g.) to accomplish it (and these are programs I have to buy to use, I know). But I've been mildly surprised and, for now at least, I'm just assuming there may be some obscure setting that I have wrong that would allow me to change the order of the files written to the CD using Leopard's Burn function. As it stands, it looks like they are written only in filename alphabetical order, regardless of the order of the alias's in the burn folder. So what I'm asking is if there's anyone out there who can confirm that there's no way to do what I want to do (aside from renaming all the files, of course) with Leopard's default (especially Burn) software. And if there is a way, please let me know. I'm confident that there are Mac programs out there that will let me do this ... but it seems like such an easy thing for something that should already exist in the Mac OS that I really feel I must be missing it. Thanks in advance for any help and advice ... Ken

06-20-2009, 08:55 AM	#3 (permalink)
LoneRider Registered User Join Date: Feb 2008 Location: Hiawatha, IA Posts: 13 OS: Mac OS X 10.5.5 & WinXP SP3	Re: Burn CD--File Order Well, in looking into this, I've read various articles that say you can do this with iPhoto ... but there's a process where iPhoto effectively renames the files to get a correct order. Also, another writer told of wanting to generate a particular order from a slide show perspective and there is apparently a way to do this with QuickTime (Pro). So I think there are some contortions that one can go through to, eventually, accomplish the task. As I said earlier, I know I can rename the files (add 01, 02, etc., at the beginning of the filenames) to get this done ... but it seems that it should be easier to do. And I don't think it's that unusual a request. I know you said you've never tried to do this, but I do this pretty regularly ... usually with picture files and usually because the story of the pictures makes more sense with the files are displayed in a particular order. And that order is not typically alphabetical. So, if you accept the position that this is not such a rare request, it would seem that the special "Burn" window in OS X could easily have functionality available to allow the user to, for example, order the file alias's any which way by dragging them. And, again, I know of several programs (and I think Toast allows this too, but I've never used it) where this is just standard functionality. So I'm sure I can pay $$ for another program to accomplish this on the Mac but, again, I'm just wondering if I've missed something (maybe a secret option?) that would allow me to reorder the files in a burn window and have them actually burn in that order. Thanks for your reply ...

06-21-2009, 06:05 AM	#5 (permalink)
LoneRider Registered User Join Date: Feb 2008 Location: Hiawatha, IA Posts: 13 OS: Mac OS X 10.5.5 & WinXP SP3	Re: Burn CD--File Order OK, thanks! The problem is not a big one for me as I do have tools to easily do this. I suspected that there was no way to accomplish what I was trying to do with Burn, but I'm still surprised at how few people I see are not at all concerned about the order that files are written to a CD. Of course, I guess I wouldn't normally care either ... but I do occasionally want picture CD files to appear in, for example, the order I drag them to the Burn window. And, as happens from time to time on an otherwise wonderful piece of equipment/software like my Mac, I just get surprised when there's something so (to me, anyway) straightforward that I cannot do. And I think it surprises me because for many features and functions on the Mac, there are two, three or more ways to do things (easily), just depending on how you prefer to do them. So I know I can do this in other ways on the Mac and I can easily do it on my (Fusion) PC software running on the Mac, and I just thought it should be something that one should be able to easily do with Burn. Your replies are much appreciated. Ken