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[BigCat]

How would I create a smartlist that is 30% of one genre, 30% of another, and 40% of another? I want to do this even though I am dealing with genres on my computer that are very different in size. I see in the smartlist creation dialog that there is a "limit percentage to..." modification.

Can this be done?

Thanks!
BC

[mark_h]

Use the 'mix' modifier

http://yabb.jriver.com/interact/index.php?topic=24288.msg169446;topicseen#msg169446

[BigCat]

Thanks, that works, and is very helpful! However; now I am trying to use the wizard to simplify. I want an easy way to make a smartlist with a balanced ratio of genres.

Under 'Rules', I am setting it to:

Media type is Audio
Genre is any (here I am picking several genres via the easy drop down prompt)

Then under 'Modify Results' I am setting it to:

'Limit percentage to' (here I am choosing a number such as 10%)

Unfortunately; it has no effect on each genre's number of songs.

Is using the wizard going to be possible for this? What does 'Limit percentage to' do? How do I use it in the wizard?

Thanks!
BC

[ferday]

Just saying...

Make your playlist with the wizard then see what it did in the import export window.  It's probably using the mix modifier somehow

[BigCat]

Oh yeah, its been a long time since I've done this. Thanks!

Here is what it says for my test smartlist using the above rules:

[Media Type]=[Audio] [Genre]=[Blues],[Celtic] ~%=50 ~n=20

I don't speak this "language" and I still don't know what 'Limit percentage to' does or how to use it. I am able to create the lists I want copying and pasting from mark_h's link, but it is tedious. I am hoping to use the wizard.

[ferday]

well what you've posted should give you 10 songs each of blues and celtic - doing some quick testing i don't think the wizard is up to the task as it applies the modifications after the genre rules, but you need it applied one after the other.  i always use the code window so i'm not sure if it's possible to set the order through the wizard

what you need is
~mix=20,75%,[Genre]=[Blues],25%,[Genre]=[Celtic]

i.e. expressions are read left to right, but the wizard is putting the % at the end so it's not sticking the % to the proper genre.  so...i'm not sure what "limit %" does either!  i've tried a bunch of combinations but can't get it to work right.

one thing you can do is paste one that is working and save it (to a text file) and then load it from the import/export

[BigCat]

Thanks for the help! Here is what I put together using the oddly named "Import / Export" (shouldn't it have 'Edit' in that name?):

~mix=1000,20%,{[Genre]=[Classic Rock]},15%,{[Genre]=[Alternative]},20%,{[Genre]=[folk]},10%,{[Genre]=[country]},5%,{[Genre]=[sea shanty]},10%,{[Genre]=[acoustic]},5%,{[Genre]=[bluegrass]},25%,{[Genre]=[celtic folk]},15%,{[Genre]=[celtic rock]},10%,{[Genre]=[flamenco chill]},5%,{[Genre]=[hawaiian]},5%,{[Genre]=[middle eastern]},20%,{[Genre]=[hard rock]} ~sort=[Genre]

Obviously the percents don't add up to 100%, but MC is smart enough to make it work. It is a different list of 1000 everytime, staying true to the ratios. Nice!

It keeps adding the ~sort thing at the end. Wish it didn't do that.

I wanted the wizard to handle this for me, but I think it is a bug. As usual, MC is a bit esoteric, but there almost always is a work around to get what you want done.

I wish the wizard was more robust. And I'm still curious what the 'Limit percentage to' thing does.

[glynor]

I've never been able to get the ~mix function to work well in the Wizard. You have to edit these manually.

The ~sort is probably because you have one in the Wizard. Just delete it from the import/export area and it shouldn't come back. Don't edit these lists in the Wizard at all (or if you do, only modify the rules at the "top" of the Wizard), and they should be fine.

I have a whole bunch of them. I wish there was a better wizard for them too, but it would be pretty complicated to do well.