GIMP Version: 2.10.13
Operating System: Windows
GIMP Experience: New User

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I'm renaming my patterns and I need your advice.
For example, for a "METAL" folder that contains subfolders: Gold, Steel, Silver, etc., how is it better to name the files in the gold folder?
by metal_gold_0x or gold_metal_0x?

metal_gold_0x

First.
Gimp will sort the files alpha-numerically in the patterns dock. ***but*** then it depends on the type of pattern.
"Image files" png / jpeg / bmp...etc will sort by their file name 01_gold_metal.png will come before gold_metal_01.png
A gimp .pat file is sorted by its internal description. The file name does not matter.
Example the file elastoplast.pat has the description elastoplast and appears in the Patterns dock as 'elastoplast' between 'Daze.bmp' and 'gold_scale.pat'



Rename the ***file name*** (01-xxxxx.pat) and it makes no difference - still there as elastoplast, the description.
Then the pattern 01-painter.png uses the file name, In this case starts 01 and comes before everything else.



Back to original question, for file names.
My preference would be quality (gold / silver / brass) before property (metal / wood / stone) ie. gold_metal_01.png (jpeg / bmp....)

Hope this is not too confusing for you.

Thank you dinasset and thank you rich2005 for this detailed information

Level_0 - for all my own patterns I use Ofnuts 'addon collection manager', and set them up in folders with appropriate names e.g 'OMG Metal Silver' and 'OMG Metal Gold'. Then I just load them when I need them. Reduces clutter in the patterns dialogue too.

OMG
Me too,I load the patterns (brushes,gradients,palettes) when I need them.

I still have not finished renaming.

For example in a folder "Silver", what names for these kinds of files:

Silver-honeycomb
Silver-chips

The first looks like it should be a chequer-plate design except as-far-as-I-know nobody makes that

so I suggest silver-hex-embossed-metal

second image: silver-shavings-metal

thanks Nidhogg and rich2007
"embossed" and "shavings" are the words I was looking for, I thought "bumped" for the first or "relief"

off topic question:
when I copy an answer to check the translation, I have most of the time this rectangle at the bottom but not for Nidhogg?





EDIT:
I think I found the explanation: it's because Nidhogg has no signature

The sig? Just ignore it.



Challenge to all: Plenty of large/monster signatures around but how small can you make one and still have it meaningful.

Level_0 - Not bad. but do not fall off the mountain.

A little off topic

Once you have all your patterns renamed, this might be useful.

The utility XnViewMP (freeware) see https://www.xnview.com/en/xnviewmp/#downloads conveniently reads Gimp .pat files as well as all the usual formats.

You can use it to make a 'contact sheet' of a folder containing your patterns.

I can see there are 75 patterns, all different formats (1) Select all then set 80 thumbnails (2) Use a A5 size @ 150 ppi (3) Set some font (4) and choose to export to a jpg (5)



That gives a jpeg like this:



You could go a step further and catalogue several of those as a PDF using Gimp.