How to Automatically Use Filenames as Image Descriptions in NextGEN Gallery

A common question from users of the Photo Gallery, Sliders, Proofing and Themes – NextGEN Gallery plugin is how to automatically populate an image's description field with its filename. This can be a significant time-saver for galleries with many images, as it avoids the need for manual data entry for each individual photo.

Understanding How NextGEN Gallery Handles Metadata

When you upload an image, the plugin automatically reads and imports specific metadata from the image file itself. This process is designed to streamline the initial setup of your gallery. According to information shared by the plugin's team, here is how metadata is handled:

• Titles: If your photo's metadata contains a title before uploading, NextGEN Gallery will use that. If no meta title exists, the image's filename is used as a required fallback for the name field.
• Description: The plugin imports the "Subject" or "Caption" data from the image's metadata into the "Description" field for each photo.
• Tags/Keywords: Any "keywords" found in the image metadata are imported and used as tags.

The Core of the Question: Filename as Description

The user's goal is to have the image's filename populate the description field automatically. Based on the plugin's standard behavior, this is not a default function. The description field is specifically mapped to the "Subject" or "Caption" metadata tags within the image file (EXIF, IPTC, or XMP data), not the filename itself.

Potential Solutions and Workarounds

Since this functionality is not built directly into the core plugin, achieving an automated filename-to-description process would typically require one of the following approaches:

1. Pre-Process Your Images: The most reliable method is to edit the metadata of your images before uploading them to WordPress. You can use batch photo editing software (like Adobe Lightroom, Photoshop, or free tools like XnViewMP) to write the desired information into the correct metadata fields. Specifically, you would batch edit the "Caption" or "Description" tag of your images to match their filenames. When you then upload these pre-processed images, NextGEN Gallery will import that data into the description field automatically.
2. Explore Custom Code or Extensions: Advanced users or developers could write a custom function (using WordPress hooks/filters) that intercepts the image upload process and assigns the filename to the description field. This requires a strong understanding of WordPress and PHP development. Alternatively, users can investigate if any third-party extensions or add-ons exist that provide this specific functionality.

It's important to manage expectations; a simple one-click option within the free version of NextGEN Gallery to directly map filenames to descriptions does not appear to exist based on the available support discussions. The solutions involve either preparatory work outside of WordPress or custom development.

For those who need to center or format multi-line descriptions (as mentioned in one thread), this can usually be accomplished with custom CSS added to your theme's stylesheet or through the WordPress Customizer.