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[marko]

From the Play Doctor poll thread...

I can't seem to figure it [Play Doctor] out in Theatre View (or is it Theater View?) which I use exclusively.

I call it up using MCWS. The fact I also use Zone Switch depending on whether it's video or audio complicated the issue, so the Theater View item runs a bat file that makes sure we're in the "Audio" zone, then runs the Play Doctor command. I'll dig it up later on if that sounds like something you could use? It's a 'set and forget' thing I did several years ago, which is why I can't post it here from memory

If you wouldn't mind, that would be very helpful. Thanks

[marko]

First thing I did, and have never needed to go back to it since v20, was go to Play Doctor in Standard View, and set the required options. For me, "Set rules for files that can be included" looks like this:


If you like to use this as a starting point, you can copy the code below, hit the import/export button and paste in there.

Code: [Select]

[Media Type]="audio" -[Filename]="//" [Last Played]=>7d [Rating]=>=3
What it does:
1. Limits the list to audio
2. Excludes any where the filename contains a forward slash
3. Excludes anything played in the last seven days
4. Playlists I use for managing duplicates and my "Media Center Recycle Bin"
5. Excludes anything rated 1 or 2 stars.

*Notes:
#2 is my way of making sure that no online radio streams I have saved in my library end up in the play chart. No other files in my library contain a forward slash in their filenames.
#4 is of no use to anyone but me, so I removed it from the code string.

Once set the way you want it, play something. I don't know for sure if that is necessary, but I did to make really sure that a, it worked as intended, and b, that the rule would stick.

Happy? I hope so. Let's get Theater View sorted out....

First, paste the code below into Notepad and save as a .bat file.

Code: [Select]

@echo off

MC23.exe "/MCWS/v1/Playback/Stop?Zone=-1&ZoneType=ID"
MC23.exe "/MCWS/v1/Playback/SetZone?Zone=Player&ZoneType=Name"
MC23.exe "/MCWS/v1/Playback/PlayDoctor?Zone=Player&ZoneType=Name"Our HTPC is exclusively for MC, which loads at startup in Theater View. I just saved mine on the desktop.

Three lines...
1. Stop playback in all zones.
2. Sets the zone to "Player". I believe this is the default zone that MC ships with, and is where I want all audio to play.
3. Starts a Play Doctor play chart.

Notes
I can't remember the exact reason zone switch doesn't work here. I think it's because the Play Doctor call is neither video nor audio, so no zone switch occurs, then Play Doctor returns with the prescription, and MC plays it in whatever the current zone is as the 'zone switch' phase is over and done with by that time. Something like that anyway

When I last mentioned #3, in a thread somewhere, way back, it had Matt scratching his head. It shouldn't work, apparently, because it should need a 'seed' track to start with. What's the seed? Matt asked... My answer then, and now, is that I've no idea, but it works, and works well. It just kicks off with 100 tracks... you might need to skip a few right at the start to teach the Doctor what you're in the mood for, and from there, hours of goodness. There's been no need to 'fix' this over the years. Long may that last

In Theater View, mine looks like so:

(Car Radio is the Playlist group that holds the lists that correspond to the Car Radio buttons in Playing Now. It doesn't work properly as the saved Play Charts won't play as play charts when launched from Theater View like this. Which is a shame)

When you click on "Random Music", it runs the .bat file mentioned at the start of the post, and for me, goes directly to Display View and kicks off the music.
In settings, it looks like so:


That's it. Hope it works for you, and, enjoy

-marko.

[JimH]

Thanks, Mark.

[davelr]

Thanks very much, Marko. Looking forward to giving this a try this week.

[Matt]

Another way to start Play Doctor from Theater View is to save Car Radio buttons as Play Doctor lists and then access the playlist group "Car Radio" from Theater View.

[Matt]

You can also pick any file or group of files and select: More Play Options > Play (with Play Doctor).

[marko]

Another way to start Play Doctor from Theater View is to save Car Radio buttons as Play Doctor lists and then access the playlist group "Car Radio" from Theater View.

Is this working now? Last time I tried this it would only play the "Car Radio Play Doctor" lists as a static play list. The Play Doctor magic didn't happen...

[Matt]

Is this working now? Last time I tried this it would only play the "Car Radio Play Doctor" lists as a static play list. The Play Doctor magic didn't happen...

I've got a saved "George Winston" Playchart and every time I leave and reenter it shows new files.  So I think the magic is happening

[marko]

Interesting. Will certainly make some testing time for this, gonna have to be next week sometime I think

[marko]

Another way to start Play Doctor from Theater View is to save Car Radio buttons as Play Doctor lists and then access the playlist group "Car Radio" from Theater View.

You can also pick any file or group of files and select: More Play Options > Play (with Play Doctor).

Had an opportunity for a quick play around with this just now, and, both appear to work ok, but...
ZoneSwitch still fails, which, if I remember correctly, is the only reason I had to resort to the bat file mentioned at the top of the thread.

So, if Play Doctor is being invoked, surely that can only be for audio playback? I can't imagine it being used for any other media type?
Couldn't that be assumed, and fire ZoneSwitch before handing off to Play Doctor?

or... fix the reason I have a video zone at all, which is that without it, when watching a movie, any music is absolutely deafening, and the voices are barely audible...