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[gwiz32]

Hello,

   I have heard great things about your software and have decided to give it a trial run...Good stuff! I do have one issue that I would like to point out. While ripping a CD will automatically add the info to your current default view schemes, it will not do so with custom made view schemes.
   I have created separate view schemes for Album, Artist and Genre. When I rip a CD, it will not automatically add the new item to the viewlist. If I go to edit my custom view scheme, the new item is added to the checklist but is not automatically marked at which point I have to manually checkmark the new item to get it to show up in the viewlist . Am I missing something in setting up my custom view scheme or is this an issue? (Build 310)

[nila]

I dont quite follow what you're doing sorry

But any CD you rip will automatically appear in your view schemes UNLESS you have search criteria set up that makes it not appear in the particular view scheme.

(Note - parent schemes can also have search criteria set if it's in a group and if your view scheme is set up to do so it'll also try to meet its parent view schemes criteria.

[gwiz32]

I don't know anthing about search criteria. I followed what looked to be fairly simple process of creating a new view scheme (MC newbie  )by right clicking audio and choosing new view scheme. I created custom schemes for the three previously mentioned which required going to a checklist of pre existing items and checkmarking them (select all except empty) so that they show up on the left view list. Now....when I rip a cd of a new artist or album, it DOES add the new item to the checklist found in edit view scheme options (sorry I don't have the exact syntax at the moment - - at work), but it is not checked by default. I have to checkmark it to add it to the view list.

[jleerigby]

You are not the only one to get confused by this.  The mistake you are making is adding search rules.  This is only necessary if you want to specify what you do or do not want to be listed in your view scheme.  If you just want all files listed in the view scheme then do not enter any search rules and MC will include all files by default.

I think that what you are trying to do is, rather than specify what files to show, it's more a case of specifying how they are to be categorised or browsed.  This is where the panes come in.  Just to be clear about what the panes are - when in the media library think of MC as being split into 4 quadrants:
* top left = tree
* bottom left = action window
* top right = panes
* bottom right = the list

Check out the explanation in this thread

To JRiver:  Given these recent incidents maybe you could introduce a wizard for creating view schemes.  First it would ask which files they want included (with an option for all files), next it would ask how they would like them to be listed e.g. [Album], [Artist] and from this it would automatically set the panes.  At the moment users have to go through several 'not very obvious' steps to create a view scheme.  It's especially confusing for those who prefer the tree as you have to use the panes just to get the tree to display the required heirarchy.

I suppose all this may become academic if you have already completely redesigned the interface ready for v10.

[Matt]

How can we make it more clear what the "Search Criteria" is for?  Would calling it "Filter" or something help?

[gwiz32]

Ok....I think I understand. You're telling me that the checkmark list I am accessing in editing the view scheme is actually a search criteria instead of a list of items to show in the tree? So, if I remove all those checkmarks, everything will show by default? That would make sense!

But that raises another question and I could be entirely wrong here. When I setup the custom view scheme, the tree was empty. I think I had to select all the checkmark options to get the list to propogate? Maybe I went about that the wrong way?

[jleerigby]

Matt - Did you post this question before I edited my thread with the suggestion at the end?  


GWIZ32 - That's what teh panes are for.  Check out the explanation I gave in the thread listed above.

[jleerigby]

You can browse your view scheme either by using the panes or the tree but you MUST set this up using the panes.  If like me you find that the panes are easier to navigate and more powerful than the tree then you can edit the view scheme again and uncheck the option for 'populate tree'.  This keeps the tree nice and tidy.

[gwiz32]

I prefer the tree to the pane method but I certainly understand what I an doing wrong now and can achieve what I am shooting for. Got it! Thanks for the help. Sorry to waste your time with PEBCAK (user error) instead of an actual bug.  

[lee269]

I think youve got it right. View schemes are search/filter criteria. The checkmark lists that appear are essentially dialogs for you to select the criteria for library items you want to appear in the library pane. To populate the tree with those items you need to chack populate tree in edit view scheme.

Matt - Filtering is a more accurate description for me, as effectively thats what happens rather than generating the results of a search in a new window. But I do think that a wizard or more friendly way to create view schemes/filters etc should be high on the list for v10. There needs to be an easier way for new users to get into this standout feature.

Edit - You guys were much too quick for me

[jleerigby]

I prefer the tree to the pane method but I certainly understand what I an doing wrong now and can achieve what I am shooting for. Got it! Thanks for the help. Sorry to waste your time with PEBCAK (user error) instead of an actual bug.  

You haven't watsed anybody's time - MC is a powerful but sometimes complex product and needs newbie questions to highlight areas of confusion.

Filtering is a more accurate description for me

I agree but often people don't want to filter at all - they just want a different set of panes or tree items.  I'm not sure that changing the name to 'filter' would make this any clearer.  Maybe some sort of help message in the panel would be a quick and dirty.

[gwiz32]

   A wizard could very well be the answer as I didn't notice anything that indicated I needed to add a column in the pane to propogate the list. It is a actually a pretty easy thing and I like the ability to setup your own custom trees.
   However, combining the fact that the pane (add column) step is somewhat hidden, and the fact that the search criteria is in your face when trying to setup a view, a wizard may go a long way to avoiding user confusion in the future.
   All in all, this seems to be a great product. I like the flexibility that MC provides above other music library programs that I have tried in the past. The ability to incorporate DX plugins (when this plugin is ironed out) will be invaluable to me as I enjoy processing my audio and don't want to have to bounce back and forth between MC and a wave editor.
   Any plans for VST plugin support in the future???

[Mirko]

I suppose all this may become academic if you have already completely redesigned the interface ready for v10.

Wä? Did they plan to do this? Oh please not - I'm quite used to the way it is now. Okay, if they add "custom layout support" I might be going their way... maybe I will anyway...

Mirko

[nila]

I'd agree that 'Filter' is probably a more appropriate word.

I'd also LOVE a wizard as adding the panes is a bit laborious having to add them one by one and a wee bit fiddly (esp. for nervous beginners).

Changing the name to filter would be a first step but I'd agree with JLee that a wizard would help a bit.

Just went through the process of making a new View Scheme to see what would make the most sense (to me personally at least).

• Make 'Create View Scheme' an option not a menu.
• It opens a wizard
• - First option - Name of View, Image for view, Tree Position, Chose type of view scheme (Image, Audio, Video, Location, Other)
• - Second screen (Pane Setup) - Drop down Combo Box at the top with pre-defined settings in it (for Audio for instance it'd have: Album Type, Albums (Grouped) etc) with the ability to save our own which would load up below when selected.

Underneath it'd have two columns side by side - left one with all the fields in it, second with the fields in that view scheme and we can add move fields to the second and sort their order, etc.

• - Third view would be columns to show - again, same sort of layout as the second screen - pre-sets at the top with two lists under it for which to show and the order etc.
• - Fourth screen would be 'Congratulations - you have successfully created a view, blah blah blah, Click here to finish' with an 'Advanced Options' button at the bottom - clicking that would then give options for: 'Populate Tree', 'Honour Parent Scheme filter', 'Filter Criteria'.
  
  Maybe even slip in an option to let them chose the List Style too just so that by the end of the wizard - the WHOLE view is fully defined.
  
  
  For me that'd be the easiest way of doing it - luckily it's not something that effects us old time users much as we have it all already set up
  For beginners though I'd imagine that'd be pretty straight forward.
  
  
  
  gwiz - what's the DX plugin?

[gwiz32]

gwiz - what's the DX plugin?

NILA,

    MC has apparently incorporated a DX plugin option that will allow users to use DX plugins to perform audio editing within the app. From what I understand, it is a little bit buggy (I plan on tinkering around with it tonight). DX plugins are audio plugins (and there are lots) used for editing audio for things like effects, eq, output, maximizers, compressors, etc...basically any sound editing tool you could think of (provided you have the plugins (I DO)). If MC can get this working right, I think it would open the door to an amazingly large new group of potential users. The ability to edit your audio files in one application without having to bounce back and forth between sound forge or wavelab (or whatever wave editor) to make modifications would be, in my mind, ideal if not unprecedented.
   VST is another type of audio plugin. While offering the same basic principle of audio editing, VST plugins are much better at real time editing. I was just curious about how much effort and planning has gone or is going into making this work?

The link to the DX plugin for MC (keep in mind that this is merely a plugin to allow you to use DX plugins and not a DX plugin in itself) is:

http://www.musicex.com/cgi-bin/downloads/mcplugins.pl?type=5&start=0&end=10&page=1

[MGD_King]

Gwiz, I think it's called a DirectX Host.  

[Jaguu]

One of the weaknesses of the Searching/Filtering in the view schemes is that it does not update automatically if you add new values in the panes. To make it more clear lets have an example:

I have a database field "Topic" containing the following items:
Artworks, Architecture, Entertainment, Nature, People, Travel, Science Fiction, Sports.

Now I set up a View scheme that included only Architecture, Entertainment, Nature, Travel, Science Fiction, Sports, but not Artworks and People. So far so good.

But now I added through the panes a new value to the Topic field, such as "Holidays". This new value was not automatically added to the Search/Filter. Therefore I did not see the new value in the panes and you are asking yourself why?

Finally I found out that I had to add it manually to the Search/filter, than it worked. After some thinking I inverted the Search/Filter by selecting the "Exclude" option and excluding the values "Artwork" and "People". Then it worked very well. Every new value added through the panes was immediately displayed.

So it worked, but you need plenty of brain power. It is not obvious right away. I think user's mind is more adapted to include than exclude! A little bir more help would really be a big help!