Rules:
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The Filename is the unique identifier in the system, so no assets can share the same name.
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Filenames longer than 27 characters will be cut off in the asset’s thumbnail view
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Maximum length of the filename is 128 characters
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Acquia DAM prevents certain characters from being included in filenames. This document provides the details. The primary characters to avoid are:
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< > : “ / \ | ? * , + % #
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A space or period at the beginning or end of filenames
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General File Naming Format
Format:
<SCU abbreviation>_<Brief description of project/event/subject>_<Year or Date>_<numerical increment>.filetype
Examples:
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DENT_HailYeah_2024_023.JPG
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DRBN_Athletics_Lacrosse_2018_
17.jpg -
OUD_WPOrientation_2023_67.jpg
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ISR_RCGDSeminar_Nov2023-1.jpg
Additional Details and Recommendations:
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SCU abbreviation represents the SCU that produced the asset or contracted the asset to be produced
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When including a year or date, please use the following Year/Date Standards (per ISO 8601):
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Year: YYYY
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Year and Month: YYYYMM
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Full Date: YYYYMMDD
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Use of underscores should be limited to divisions between the format constructs.
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Spaces can be used in the ‘description’ portion, if the length allows.
Avoid using ‘U-M’, ‘Univ of Michigan’, etc in the filename (as this is not necessary). -
If needed, photographer’s initials could be included towards the end of the file name for an additional layer of uniqueness.
Note We recommend adding towards the end of the filename in case the name is longer than 27 characters (i.e., so that the most beneficial portion of the name is displayed in the thumbnail view of the asset in the system.) -
Assets should be renamed prior to uploading them into the system
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If you primarily have existing filenames that are non-descriptive, in order to ensure that they are unique, at a minimum, add your SCU abbreviation at the beginning of your filenames. This update can be done within your photo management tool (e.g., Adobe Bridge, Photo Mechanic).
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On the other hand, if you primarily have existing filenames that are quite descriptive, we don’t want anyone to lose valuable information that you may want to capture/save as metadata PRIOR to file renaming. This is particularly important if that information is not represented in some fashion in the asset’s embedded data, or if your filename becomes too long when adding the SCU abbreviation at the beginning. Remember, filenames cannot be longer than 128 characters. So, where necessary, consult with the ITS DAC Service team on how to capture/save any portion of your filenames prior to renaming your assets.
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