Getting Started¶

This guide will walk you through your first batch rename operation using the Advanced Layer Renamer plugin.

Opening the Plugin¶

There are two ways to open the plugin:

1. Menu: Go to Plugins > Advanced Layer Renamer
2. Toolbar: Click the plugin icon in the toolbar

The Interface¶

When you open the plugin, you'll see a dialog with three main tabs:

Main Tab¶

The primary workspace divided into two resizable panels:

Templates Tab¶

Save and manage your renaming configurations for reuse.

Validation Tab¶

Check layer names for potential issues before renaming.

Your First Rename¶

Let's walk through a simple example: adding a prefix to all layers.

Step 1: Select Layers¶

1. Open a QGIS project with some layers
2. Open the plugin
3. Your layers will appear in the left panel
4. Click Select All or manually select the layers you want to rename

Step 2: Configure Options¶

1. In the Basic Options section, find the Prefix field
2. Enter your desired prefix, e.g., Project_

Step 3: Preview Changes¶

The preview table updates automatically as you type! You'll see:

Step 4: Apply Changes¶

1. Review the preview to make sure everything looks correct
2. Click Rename Layers
3. A summary dialog will show how many layers were renamed

Common Workflows¶

Adding Sequential Numbers¶

1. In Numbering Options, select Leading zeros
2. Choose the number of digits from the dropdown (e.g., "2" for 001, 002...)
3. The numbers will be added as prefixes

Example Result:

Layer A  →  01_Layer A
Layer B  →  02_Layer B
Layer C  →  03_Layer C

Find and Replace¶

1. In Basic Options, enter text in the Find field
2. Enter replacement text in the Replace field
3. Check Use Regular Expressions for pattern matching

Example: Replace all underscores with spaces

Find:    _
Replace: (space)

my_layer_name  →  my layer name

Cleaning Up Names¶

1. In Advanced Options, check Remove special characters
2. Check Clean extra whitespace

This will:

• Remove characters like < > : " / \ | ? *
• Keep letters, numbers, spaces, underscores, dashes, and dots
• Collapse multiple spaces into single spaces

Interface Tips¶

Resizable Panels¶

Drag the divider between the left and right panels to resize them according to your preference.

Resizable Columns¶

Drag the column headers in the preview table to adjust column widths.

Real-time Preview¶

All options update the preview automatically - no need to click a button!

Refresh Layers¶

If you add or remove layers in QGIS while the plugin is open, click Refresh to update the layer list.

Next Steps¶

Now that you know the basics, explore more features:

• Complete Feature Guide - Learn about all available options
• Using Templates - Save and reuse your configurations
• Validation Tools - Check for naming issues

Quick Reference¶