Apple Automator “New PDF from Images” maintaining same filename

Question

I will potentially have 26k of old legacy PICT images to transfer first to PDF for migration. I am using Apple Automator and also the "Dispense Items Incrementally" to loop through it. However, I can't seem to let "New PDF from Images" to remember the original filename. Anyone able to offer some advice :)

FYI, I am transforming it to PDF because I can't do it using ImageMagick to convert directly to my ultimate JPEG format. Due to the fact that my PICT was created very long ago and thus has some convert: improper image header error. See this ticket for more information.

Thus I am doing a intermediate convert PICT to PDF first, then convert that PDF to JPEG :)

The only thing left is the naming of the "Output File Name" which do not allow me to identify original filename.

See the screen here:

Answer 1

The solution is to use Automator's variables to store the filename, then rename it after.

Add the following actions after the Dispense Items Incrementally action:

• Set Value of Variable, with a new variable named file. This keeps track of the file for later.

• Run Shell Script. Set Shell to /bin/bash (this should be the default) and Pass input to as arguments. Replace the text with this:

  name=`basename "$1"`
  echo ${name%.*}
  

  • This extracts just the filename, without any extension or path.
• Set Value of Variable, with a new variable named filename.
• Get Value of Variable, with the variable set to file.

Then, run your conversion as you already have it. After that (but before the loop), add this action:

• Rename Finder Items. Set the first drop-down to Name Single Item, the second to Basename Only, then drag and drop the filename variable into the text box. If you don't see the variables, click View → Variables, and the variables panel will appear from the bottom.