Hazel by Noodlesoft might be a good way to keep organised if you give yourself time to set it up. It's basically a WYSIWYG editor for automating files and folders. I've got mine set-up to automatically sort my work and college files based on keywords, where they were downloaded from and such. Also, it automatically puts video's in my video folder, documents in documents.. you get the idea.
And I've got a "temporary folder" set-up that trashes anything that's inside it after 24 hours. Especially handy when e.g. downloading and watching a series and having it gone the next day. This temporary folder is actually the most handy thing I've ever come up with as a way to prevent cluttering. Definitely give it a shot!
Your Mac will keep fast & snappy by itself (or have you noticed any slowndowns?), but if you want more hands-on control you can use OnyX. OnyX is a GUI for running script/routines that your mac usually runs automatically when it thinks it's necessary.
This might be shot in the dark. There is an application called Hazel by noodlesoft. It’s a folder / file automation tool. The software can monitor a folder and do different actions to a file. You can give a folder a simple instruction set and the software will perform it if the trigger is met.
They might even have an action pre-made for something like this. Check it out.
Hazel (free to try, $29.00, OS X, 10.8 or later) Hazel will automatically take action on your files, using the rules you create, keeping your folders in order. If you want to achieve the utopian state of a self-cleaning, self-organizing Mac, this is the little helper you can do without.
Would love a Linux alternative to File Juggler or Hazel.
Yes, a lot of people can just write scripts for what they want, but a lot of people can't, and having a gui for it would be nice.
tfeldmann's Organize seems like a good place to start, and they do want a gui but see it as a way off, maybe one day item.
I cannot think of a solution to exactly what you are asking for, but I'll comment again if I do... I'm thinking something in path finder could potentially help...
However, Hazel is a great little piece of software that will automatically sort your files for you based on file attributes of all sorts (site downloaded from, file extension, associated opening program, dimensions/size, etc)
hazel - you can define a set of rules and it organizes your files and folders (example: move everything from desktop that's older than x days, move downloaded files by type into folders, etc).
a hazel or file juggler alternative for linux with a similar easy to use GUI.
not every linux user is some bash/python kung fu master.
i just want a gui for this and im willing to pay/donate/whatever
Yes. There is totally software that can help you. Its called Hazel and it is super smart. It can scan files in a folder and then move them to where they need to go by the date, content, etc. https://www.noodlesoft.com/
In terms of downloading the files. Its a bit more difficult. You could use something like Keyboard Maestro to record macros to automatically download emails and attachments. But once they are downloaded Hazel can take care of the rest.
I personally tried it and its useful but I couldn't afford the price point. About 45$
if you find yourself needing to automate lots of actions, try out the app Hazel
it's a nice way to configure simple-to-complex automations with a variety of triggers. I replaced automator with this tool for a variety of complex file actions and it works great.
I have this exact situation set up using Hazel and the native Automator.
If you have Hazel or install Hazel, I'd be happy to share the rules I have set up within it and the Automator Workflow I'm running.
Hazel and Keyboard Maestro are both Mac automation apps. They could run a shortcut when a file is added to a folder or a hard drive is connected etc.
On the Mac you can also have the calendar app open a file when the event is due. Since you can export shortcuts as little applet-like executables, you can add those to the calendar to run at specific times.
Another way would be setting Shortcuts to run from the terminal using Cron jobs.
I use Hazel. It can automatically detect related files in your library folder and present a dialog showing what would be trashed when you delete an app. It does far more which focuses on file/folder based automations.
After years of using Automator to do things like this, I realized that Hazel is a much more powerful/convenient option than anything else. It’ll cost you but it will make your life better for years to come.
Although Hook (working with Bear) looks like it will work, the links don't work on iPhone/iPad. >!What did work is using DropBox links!!<
Now I simply use Hazel to copy from iCloud Drive to DropBox and then use the DropBox links. The advantage to this is that I can create the DropBox link from any device. If on my iPhone/iPad, I simply click on the "Copy Link" and the iOS share sheet opens. I click on Bear and all works flawlessly.
Come on Apple! This sort of linking should work!
Sure, I'd be happy to! 2 things to mention first: First, I'm not doing anything with Hazel that macOS Automator can't do, but Automator has been very unreliable for me lately. I read online that some people had been having issues with it, but their suggested resolutions were reinstalling the OS, which I don't have the time for. Second, Hazel costs $.
Here is my setup:
I typed this up pretty quickly, let me know if it doesn't make sense. Useful links on how Hazel works here:
https://www.noodlesoft.com/manual/hazel/advanced-topics/processing-subfolders/
Hazel is great for automation. I use Keka for all my file compression needs.
The Sweet Setup is a good place for app reviews, for both Mac and iOS. You probably know about it, but just in case you didn't. 🙂
I use it with the Hazel app. Scan everything with scanbot on my iPhone and hazel put my scans in the right folder.
Ive learned it from this video(sorry its german)
Hazel -> english app https://www.noodlesoft.com/
Scanbot „Scanbot - Scanner App & Fax“ https://appsto.re/de/p3TWX.i
Uninstall instructions here: https://www.noodlesoft.com/kb/how-to-uninstall-hazel/
To uninstall:
Go to Hazel’s “Info” section. Click on the “Uninstall” button. Confirm that you want to uninstall.
Use Hazel, man. If you live and die by this it must mean you make money out of it. Buy Hazel, live a more organized life.
It'll auto-sort all of your dumps and even tag files as they get older. It's a real power-tool and I'm sure other people here can talk wonders about it.
Yes, you can. Here is an informative article to shed some light. Personally, I prefer using the Hazel app for all of my daily macro needs.
You have my $0.99, but I agree with /u/noblecloud that changing the wallpaper is enough for me to not use this. I too have a folder of wallpapers that OS X is cycling through every 30 minutes.
Changing the wallpaper is an fine way to associate the desktop with the Space, but it would be great if other options were available. For example, put the ADS icon on the Dock and display the current desktop name when the mouse overs over it.
Anyway, this is an interesting concept. I'm thinking of ways I can add some rules to Hazel.
You can use Hazel to continuously monitor your photo folder (on Google Drive) so that new images will be automagically added to the Photos.app
Automator is another (free) option.
When I had I Mac I used Hazel to automate file handling with my torrent folder. You could set it up to scan completed torrents and delete any files that meets your criteria.
One solution I could think of involves using the Hazel app. If you know the folder where the airdropped photos are located, I think you can create a rule to transfer the photos to an album in the Photos app via Hazel. Check out https://www.noodlesoft.com/
Take a look at Hazel.
Hazel would monitor the folder on your Mac and whenever any changes (new files or modified files) is made, the changes would be copied to your USB drive.
My apologies, I may not have looked close enough at all your requirements. Yeah, the same structure would be kept, since it’s referencing the exact same files(directory) in 2 places.
You might find what you’re looking for with Hazel. They offer a trial.
I abhor dealing with too much local filesystem folder sorting, the manual process is a tedious time-waster. Here's what I do instead, in two main steps:
Point Algonaut Atlas (XLN XO too) at the Splice roo folder. It'll find ALL the drum samples deep inside and use AI recognition to sort them into types (kick/snare/hi-hat/etc.) — it's MAGIC! Atlas doesn't have a folder auto-refresh, so I need to rescan periodically. But this is AWESOME for browsing single hits. You can also favorite samples and ONLY show those in the future. Atlas v2 can also save used sample maps WITH your DAW project, helping make it truly self-contained. For anyone sick of making individual folders and dragging hundreds of sample files around, this can speed up your workflow drastically!
I also have a Hazel (macOS) automation that copies all .wavs in the Splice subfolders, and puts them in a folder I call "SPLICE RECENT" which is in my Ableton Places. This continuously scans, so moments after downloading any new Splice samples, I see them right here, ready to drag into my arrangement. (I use the Splice app for other reasons, but this is nice integration for Ableton.) Hazel is brilliant for "If you see this file appear here, do that thing to it"-type scenarios.
I've wrestled with myriad permutations of solving this problem over the years of using Splice (and other sample services), compared notes with others, etc. and though I keep fine-tuning, I'm really happy with this.
I know not everyone values the same thing. If that were the case no one would ever have to ask opinions about anything ever. 🙂 I offered a differing opinion. Also, you asked if was there an easier way and the answer is no. I sent you the link for more details as to why that is. If it came off as a rant I apologize. I’m a high maintenance ebook reader.
Sidenote: I know not everyone agrees. Also, my set up is almost all automatic. The only thing that isn’t is the omnibuses since I have to say where the split needs to occur. Although the plugin is really good at knowing where the split should be if the files have been coded correctly. Nine times out of ten they are. But when I buy individual books from other sources I download them and Calibre automatically imports them from a folder it’s always watching. I have software that automatically moves the ebooks I’ve downloaded to the Downloads folder into Calibre’s watch folder. The Goodreads plugin that provides the ASIN and other metadata. The Send To Device button automatically updates the metadata, converts the file to KFX, adds series information to the title for easy sorting on the device, and sends it to the device all in one step. It’s a very quick 3 step process when omnibuses aren’t involved. But I do agree that the splitting is super extra.
Devonthink does OCR, though (I’m not sure which edition).
How I do it is I use Scanbot as a scanner, which has OCR built in (they sadly switched to subscription model, but there’s other scanning apps), and I can easily make a useful file name with Scanbot’s template & predefined text-snippets, e.g 2021-07-31_receipt_something.pdf. Downloaded PDFs usually are machine readable anyway.
Scanbot automatically uploads everything to my Computer (via basically any Cloud you want or even WebDav) and Hazel sorts them away according to the file name (you could also use text in the documents, Hazel is very powerful).
From here you could use a Desktop search (like Spotlight), or basically anything that works on folders. I use Devonthink but admittedly it’s overkill for this.
You can save new screenshots to any place you want. CMD+SHIFT+5
and click on "Options..." drop menu, then choose "Other Location...".
And if you need to file these screenshots into subfolders automatically, get Hazel (https://www.noodlesoft.com).
Automator is overkill.
Sure, anyone near the wifi of that mac can airdop if you have it enabled everyone. But Airdop would just send to the downloads folder on the mac by default and I don't believe it auto-accepts the transfer but this might help? You'd have to run some sort of local automation to bring them into the photos app if you want that.
Automator folder action watching your folder with the Import Files to Photos action would do it pretty well, but literally anything that shows up in that downloads folder would go in, so I'd pair that with something like Hazel to further sort them into a subfolder and point the automator at that. You can look at metadata to see if device make is Apple in the exif to make sure it's a phone pic not some random image from internet. Hazel is pretty powerful.
This won't clean up media or user-created files, but it will purge app junk:
App Sweep by Hazel
https://www.noodlesoft.com/manual/hazel/hazel-basics/manage-your-trash/use-app-sweep/
Not automator, but you could look into Hazel. This is exactly what it does. It watches folders for new files and runs rules that you configure.
A single user license (2 machines) costs $42. It has a 14 day trial.
Hey,
I do this all the time with wallpapers I want to keep.
My wallpaper usually cycle between Unsplah and Pixabay. My automation is based on Hazel, which watches the Downloads and Wallpapers folders and goes like :
New image file containing Unsplah or Pixabay in the name -> Move to Pictures - Wallpapers.
New file in Pictures - Wallpapers -> If the size is greater than x (I've set 5MB), then open it with ImageOptim. This app handles it properly: opens in background, compresses, replaces the original with the compressed and closes.
All this is pretty seamless. I just have to download the picture, but I guess you can manually move it to the watched folder.
I use Hazel and it will delete any related files whenever I move an app to the trash. The main functionality is for automation of files and directories. Keeping the system clean is more of a side task.
For what it does AppCleaner is fine. I use Hazel for different purposes. The built-in application cleaning is just a bonus feature in something I would’ve bought anyway.
In addition to apps suggested, you can try the following apps. At a basic level they can watch folders and take action based on rules you create.
macOS - https://www.noodlesoft.com/
Windows - https://www.filejuggler.com/features/
Suggested plan of action
Use hazel or filejuggler to create basic file structure. For example: search watch folder(s) and sort all audio or music to a folder called “Music”. The same rule could be setup for PDFs and documents, Movies and TV files.
Then use all the suggested apps to organize the media in those folders.
Calibre for ebooks
Beets for music
Sonarr for TV
Radarr for movies
Setup Calibre to watch a folder that it automatically import the books for you. I have this folder on my desktop. It’s under Add Books in Preferences. When I download books they go to the downloads folder. I have an app, Hazel, that automatically books any books it finds in my Downloads folder to the AutoAddBooks folder. From there Calibre does the rest.
This works from my iPad/iPhone when I download ePubs. I just choose the AutoAddBooks folder at the time of download.
My Desktop is is on iCloud Drive. So that why it works. My Mac is on 24/7 ePubs can be added at anytime of the day. I use Screens to add Kindle books as soon as I buy them so I don’t forget. I edit metadata the next time I’m back at my desk. I don’t like editing metadata from my iPad because I don’t have a Magic Keyboard yet.
There are some ideas at https://www.noodlesoft.com/forums/
For me, I used a few sets of rules and folders. I look for "tokens" such as "Patient name" and the match the text that follows.
I then use a few OCR based rules looking for names of clinics or their phone numbers and now I have a client name and a clinic name. It's already date stamped.
The easier rules are just to scan / OCR, then look for an account number. I now know it's a statement from x bank, the date is automatically added, and then I sort it to a folder.
Maybe I got the wrong end of your stick of what you're looking to achieve, and not sure on your OS but I used hazel to do the first pass on mine on MacOS: https://www.noodlesoft.com (I don't work for them, or anything, I just found it useful software)
But my basic rules were "if file type is x (e.g.mp3/m4a/flac)" move the file's parent folder into a folder called Y (e.g. Music).
Rinse and repeat but for documents, installers, home movies, photos, etc. .Zips are a little more difficult and not found a way to deal with those other than dumping into a folder called zips and manually sorting through them. Photos it's able to do moves based on metadata (like camera model) and tags.
So if you know some metadata that helps you identify the category that can help too. Sometimes it's a case of try a single rule on a directory, see what that moves, and then look at the rest of the files and work out the next rule. "A Better Finder Rename" was also another tool I used in my process for a few specific use cases.
Only issue now is, during my amalgamation of several drives into my new "actually organised drive" is that I found loads of duplicates via a few different tools and had them put them in the Bin, but now I'm worried if I empty the Bin, am I losing the only copy of the files?!
If you're on Windows, I'm sure there are similar tools but it's not my forte these days
No problem. Somewhat relatedly, you may be interested in this app I use to automatically handle how files and folders get created and processed in Finder. It’s called Hazel, and it’s quite powerful.
youre heavy into automator and potentially some shell scripting here.
you could look at something like hazel (https://www.noodlesoft.com/), but even then what youre asking for is really custom - so you'll be digging into using apples automator, along with writing custom applescript, as well as some bash scripting on your samba server.
Yes—I love them and wish that would develop them a little more (nested tags; better interface for adding/removing).
I've done stuff like this a lot. I typically use a combination of tokens so you get
Output/<color tag>/filename.psd
And Hazel to rename and move files automatically based on folder, metadata, etc.
What are you trying to sync to iOS? I just kind of leave my iOS devices out of the party.
If you have a Mac, you could look into using Hazel to copy files dropped into Syncthing and move them into iCloud or something.
Kudos for tackling this!
I don't have a perfect solution, but would like to share 2 links which helped me organize my files:
It's a system on how to create an easily memorable folder structure. I've made to switch to this structure a year ago and I still like it. I immediately know where bill PDFs are or where I keep my resumes or insurance policies.
(I'm on a Mac and use Hazel a lot to move files in the right folder.)
https://github.com/roboyoshi/datacurator-filetree
I'v stumbled upon this recently. It's just a sample structure for folders. My plan is to go through that list and copy useful stuff to my existing structure.
Regarding emails: I recently made the switch from Gmail to Fastmail. I've now migrated all my mails to Fastmail and realized that the multi-label approach I had in Gmail was bad. (I'm now going through all my mails (~5000) and delete what I no longer need.)
My current plan is to have only very few folders/labels. Search is really good now and managing those folders is quite a hassle. When an email arrives I either:
Regarding photos: I'm currently using Google Photos to backup my phones photo libary. I've also used their uploader to upload DSLR photos but the software had some bugs and duplicated everything.
That will be my next project: Delete everything in Google Photos and reupload everything. Or switch to Apple Photos. (Not sure yet, as I would like to move my stuff to companies with better privacy protected than Google)
> let's say the bill's date is at the upper right corner, is there a way to select that area and have the system read the date and store it as metadata to the document so I can search or order it by date?
Yes. I do that king of things for my paychecks using Hazel from Noodlesoft (on Mac) : I asked it to read a specific date from each .pdf and to use this date to automatically rename each .pdf with it in the name (for example « pay_11/15/2019 » ) as well as to add a tag to the .pdf and then automatically move it to a pre-define folder and also duplicate it to an external drive. have a look at Hazel : https://www.noodlesoft.com and search for « hazel rules » or « hazel rename pdf with date » online to find examples you can use/tweak for your purpose. You’ll also find help on their forum and tutorials for rule crations on different blogs and websites of other people having done that before once you look online (which is what I did, I was lazy didn’t want to create all by myself).
If you don’t have a Mac... sorry, Hazel is only made for Mac but you can always have a look to possible alternatives here : https://alternativeto.net/software/hazel/
Check out Hazel. You can make rules based on file names, kind, tags, etc. With what you are trying to go for, use tags to mark your current projects and map the rule to the desktop.
It is. There is a lot of shame us Macheads have to deal with in regards to Elgato's support and demand of use of their sometimes botched software. I want OBS, I hate we're stuck with theirs.
In our studio we use Hazel a lot to help automate tasks: https://www.noodlesoft.com/
You could have it watch the export tree and pull the clips out and rename them, color code them and more.
Sounds like a good workflow. I prefer Notes to full word processing apps because it’s more lightweight and keeps them organized automatically. I’d definitely be happier if you could export them easier, but I’ve been using Notes for years and the simple cross device compatibility and good basic features work for me.
I’d like to have all the Evernote bells and whistles, but I don’t really want to add yet another app to my daily routine. I prefer to use Finder/Spotlight for storage and archiving.
You can use Hazel to automatically organize your files based on any rules you set. It’s $30 but only a one time fee.
And Prizmo will convert your scanned images and PDF files with OCR so they’re searchable.
Sync.
Hazel's documentation details what is needed and provides a link to the rule download. https://www.noodlesoft.com/manual/hazel/advanced-topics/syncing-folders
See my post above for the two tweaks I made to the rule so it works the way I want on my system.
I would suggest looking at their documentation. https://www.noodlesoft.com/manual/hazel/advanced-topics/syncing-folders/
I made two changes. Obviously the destination folder is different and I removed the first condition, "Name is 'Synced Folder'", because I want all changes for all monitored subfolders within /MASTERS.
I would recommend you set up some test folders on your system & NAS to tinker with the rules and observe how it behaves before diving into the /MASTERS folders
Hazel may be useful for this. It is a third-party app that runs in the background and watches folders and runs rules on them when criteria are met. So for example, it can watch for new folders with the name "PDF[S]" and if it finds one run a terminal command to make a symbolic link:
ln -s /path/to/original /path/to/symlink
In Hazel lingo, the file that has "matched" is referred to as $1 so your code would look like:
ln -s /path/to/original $1
What OS are you running? I use Hazel on Mac to keep folders in sync. Haven't tried with multiple shares but I suppose you could have multi mounts that all sync with the main.
​
You can set the profile to Convert to Searchable PDF by default in Detailed Settings so that all you have to do it press the Profile button on the scanner, and it is OCRd automatically. I didn't do this because it doesn't use the Abbyy FineReader engine by default, so I have Hazel grab the PDF and Abbyy FineReader OCRs the PDF via AppleScript.
I’m not quite sure what you mean by “resyncing” but the preference you set to keep three backups only works on the HA side. It only deletes older backups from the SD card but it does not delete older backups from Dropbox, you will have to do that manually.
If you have a Mac there are apps you can use like Hazel to watch the dropbox backup folder and automatically delete files older than 3 days or whatever.
Hazel app: https://www.noodlesoft.com
My photo workflow is a little different, mine comes from an organizational motivation versus post processing. I copy all the files from the device (iphone or Nikon DSLR) in to a Photo uploads folder which has subfolders based on photographer. I have Hazel watch that folder and on seeing new files it automatically removes screenshots, renames the file based on the time and location it was taken using Phil Harvey's excellent ExifTool, tags the author, color codes images green and videos blue and then moves them into the main photo catalog with a folder structure of 2017\02-February. I then upload this folder to external storage and Google for redundancy. A better description of the workflow as well as sample Haze l rules can be found here
Hazel identifies support files and gives the option to erase. If the files are still in the trash and you reinstall, it provides the option to revert to the former support files.
You're right.
A solution: turn off Desktop/My Document automatic syncing and then create a folder or folders (not in My Document or Desktop- obviously) for items that you do want to save on iCloud.
You can still save your files on the desktop but use tagging and Automator/Hazel to automatically move/manage files (saved on your desktop) onto these iCloud folders.
Yes, it sounds a bit convoluted but it's just a matter of setting up Automator (or Hazel). Once that's done, as long as tagging is a part of your workflow, it's more than just a workable solution.
Of course, you can also opt for Dropbox or Google Drive, both of which allows a more granular control of files and syncing,
I haven't used it, but someone made a port of comskip for macOS designed to work with the macOS DVR program EyeTV. It should be adaptable to be integrated into your automated process (maybe a script call from something like Hazel watching for new recordings?)
Is this a one-time thing or are you going to have to sort new files coming in?
If you can't get something working well w/ Automator, check out Hazel. It'll do this and a <strong>lot</strong> more.
It doesn't move anything, it just shows you the content of the selected folders. Though you can select items in Fileloupe and show them in Finder, which will open Finder window(s) with the items highlighted and move them from there.
Hazel might work better for your usecase like /u/adidlucu suggested.
To the best of my knowledge the catalog backups require your input by clicking and there is no way to set a max number.
There is a very cool little program called Hazel that I love. You can use it to set up all kinds of automation to keep files and folders tidy, and one of the rules I have set up is to delete any of my catalog backups after a month. It's worked flawlessly for years and you'll probably find a few other uses for it on your computer (like setting a max Trash size or keeping old files off your desktop.)
Right, I understand MrMC is a stripped down version. I guess it does the same thing as the other apps in the store such as Plex. Some may have additional features, but they're relatively the same, no?
Add-ons is what mainly interest me. I had Kodi on my 2nd Gen AppleTV for a very short period of time, and it was neat being able to stream a bunch of random content.
All my media is either iTunes friendly, or gets converted automatically to become iTunes friendly. Metadata and cover art are also added automatically. So Homesharing works perfectly for me. This is done with custom rules in iFlicks2, and Hazel.
I look at the programs I have and uninstall the ones I don't use every month, but the main difference is that I set up smart folders and groups for all my downloads (I suggest looking at Hazel for Mac).
My download folder used to be messy and crowded with randomly named .pdfs, pictures downloaded from the internet, etc. I reorganised my file system so that everything is categorised and I can quickly spot files I don't need anymore, movies I won't watch, music I won't listen to.
I'm starting to delete all the music from my HDD and to rely more on Apple Music (because iPhone).
All in all, I think I freed up about 150 GB of stuff.
I've tried something similar to your priority task. However, I find that I always forget to remove the tags, which quickly makes it less useful. I've tried using Hazel to tag things for me, too. Maybe I'm just disorganized. :p
Oh, that's actually super easy. I have this automated! This is how I do it:
I use FileThis.com to automatically download PDF's of all my statements to Dropbox.
I then use Hazel to automatically organize, sort, rename, and tag all of my statements, then email me when they are ready to look at.
If you like things tidy, take a look at Hazel. I use it to move all my files on the desktop to the downloads folder (I really hate a messy desktop) and I have it set to remove any file older than 7 days
from the downloads folder (I like my space and really don't need that PDF I downloaded once to check something).
But now back to Automator. It is really a program you learn by trial and error. There are several kinds of of automator types, but lets start with a application that you open like any other application (and you can launch from spotlight).
Open Automator and pick Application
as your type search for launch
and see how you go from there.
Open safari pages: again create a Application
and search for get specified urls
and top it of with `display webpage
Wow sometimes its as easy as just doing it. Just type Quit All Applications
and save the Automator Application
the last one can be done with Automator, but is much easier with Hazel.
Hope it helps.