Batch Process -> with a shortcut running only on selected files?

Defining a “batch process” for renaming selected files only is simply great (e.g. adding document date etc). Is there a possibility to define a shortcut for a specific shortcut? Or do I need a smart rule which runs only “manually”? What’s the easiest way to enable a batch process only for those files that are selected in DT3?

As the batch process is simply great, I encourage you to go into more detail in the documentation… e.g. things like right-click to insert document date etc are not obvious from the documentation (maybe it can be found somewhere else): “Batch Process: Use this command to quickly define and run commands without specifically defining a rule. This can be useful to modify multiple selected files.”

You can use smart rules also for batch processing, e.g. drag & drop of selected items onto a smart rule applies the actions of the smart rule to the selection.

I have created a smart rule (execute manually) for renaming an item with the document date, this works perfectly when I drag and drop a selected item onto the smart rule. However, if I right click on an item, and select "Regeln anwenden > “mysmartrule”) nothing happens.

Tools > Apply Rules uses only matching items of the selection.

I have created a smart rule (see screenshot) for re-naming a file using the document date place-holders “YYYYMMDD Name”. This works perfectly, if I drag and drop a file to the smart rule. However, it does not work, if I right click on the file, and select the smart rule from the contextual menu (Regel anwenden; see screenshot). In the latter case, nothing happens.

Furthermore, is it possible to use a short-cut for executing such a smart rule on a selected file. Would be better than having to drag and drop it to the smart rule and better than having to go through the contextual menu.

The smart rule has no conditions, therefore no item can match.

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than it was my mistake, I thought
that using the the contextual menu (not the main menu) does refer directly to a selected file. wouldn’t this make sense?

is there any possibility to execute such a smart rule on selected files not by drag/drop to the smart rule but by pressing a short-cut?

If the smart group has a unique name, then you could assign a shortcut to its menu item in Tools > Apply Rules via System Preferences > Keyboard.

if I do so, is it then applied to any file (if no criteria is defined, and manual execution is selected in the smart rule) or only to the selected items?

smart rules have a great potential! it’s really a pleasure to find out the whole potential of DT3! great product!

Ensure first that the keyboard is assigned to the item in Tools > Apply Rules and not to the item in Tools > Perform Rules. Then the shortcut should apply the rule to the selection (but still would ignore those selected items not matching the condition).

Ensure first that the keyboard is assigned to the item in Tools > Apply Rules and not to the item in Tools > Perform Rules.

Since the application of the hotkey is up to macOS, I’d be very cautious about this since it could apply to the Perform Rules menu. That could be a very bad thing, depending on the rule.