File Prefix Help
What Is A File Prefix?
Headshot Tools generates a "File Prefix" for each participant the moment they sign up or are added via a CSV import. This “File Prefix” is constructed as such:Example: Smith_John_123-
Format: LastName_FirstName_ThreeDigitCode-
| Part | Description |
|---|---|
| LastName | The last name of this participant. In this case Smith. |
| FirstName | The first name of this participant. In this case John. |
| ThreeDigitCode | These three digits are provided by Headshot Tools to help match your images to their galleries. They're also there to help you in situations where you have two or more people with the exact same name. You cannot remove these 3 digits from your file names or set them manually in any way. |
Why Is It Called A File Prefix?
It’s called a “File Prefix” because Headshot Tools expects to see this text at the beginning of every file name for this participant.Example: Smith_John-123-0001.jpg See more about file naming here.
Luckily this is all handled for you automatically by your tethering software so you won’t have to do any typing/copying/pasting. See our 4 Step Quick Start Guide for setup instruction on your tethering software.
PLEASE NOTE: This file prefix is case-sensitive! If your files don’t match this file prefix exactly, Headshot Tools will not be able to associate your images with the correct participant!
Where Can I Find A Participant's File Prefix?
File Prefixes can be found several ways:Dashboard Double-Click - The file prefix will be loaded into your clipboard upon double-clicking a participant in the Dashboard’s Queue or Pool. You will see a message pop up that says “Copied To Clipboard” when this occurs. See our help page/video on how to use the dashboard here.
Dashboard Recent Tab Double-Click - The file prefix will be loaded into your clipboard upon double-clicking the participant's name in the Dashboard’s Recent Tab. You will see a message pop up that says “Copied To Clipboard” when this occurs. See our help page/video on how to use the dashboard here.
Participant's Shoot Detail - The file prefix is listed in a participant's shoot detail. You can access a participant’s shoot detail by navigating to the Jobs List, selecting your job, then clicking on the participant in the shoots list. Here you will find a field titled “File Prefix”. If you click on this field, it will also load the value into your clipboard exactly like double-clicking in the Dashboard’s Queue.
CSV Export - All participant's file prefixes are listed within the CSV Export. This is useful for clients as well as situations where all participants are entered into Headshot Tools but you are without internet and can’t pull down the appropriate file prefix. To export a CSV file, navigate to the job details page, click the three dots icon in the shoot list panel, and click "Export CSV".
Common Issues / Questions
How can I remove the three digit code from the file prefix?
These three digits are provided by Headshot Tools to help match your images to their galleries. They're also there to help you in situations where you have two or more people with the exact same name. You cannot remove these 3 digits from your file names.Can I customize the file prefix?
Sorry! There is no way to customize the file prefix. However, some users concatenate additional data into the first or last name fields to achieve special file naming. Please be careful with this approach as certain characters and file name lengths are not compatible with all computer operating systems. See more about file naming here.Is the file prefix case-sensitive?
Yes. The file prefix must be inserted at the beginning of your file names exactly as Headshot Tools specifies, otherwise, images will not appear in participant's galleries.