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Author Topic: NEW: Portable Library  (Read 2458 times)

Matt

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NEW: Portable Library
« on: September 04, 2019, 02:26:12 pm »

In 25.0.100 or higher, there is a new feature under the Library menu in Media Center.  It allows you to use a Mac library on a PC or a PC library on a Mac.

It's called 'Portable Library' and it allows you to configure conversion from one platform to another.

If you save a library on Windows, and then bring it to a Mac, you can just set the rules for conversion and everything will play.

For example, if you have a library on a memory card configured as E:\ on a Windows machine, on a Mac, you can use this new feature to set conversion from E:\ to /Volumes/ESD-USB/.  Everything will then play on the Mac, without changing the library itself.

Importing new files will convert the paths back to the Windows method, so the library will still work on Windows.
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Matt Ashland, JRiver Media Center

glynor

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Re: NEW: Portable Library
« Reply #1 on: September 04, 2019, 11:50:02 pm »

That's pretty awesome.

In case you didn't consider it, I'd really, really love a permanent version of this which worked with a Library Server and connected clients, rather than local Libraries.

My situation is that my main server is a Windows PC, but a few of my common clients are Macs. The issue is that I can't use many of the file-handling functions which are convenient with Windows-to-Windows Libraries and Mac-to-Mac Libraries for working on the files. Drag drop from MC to filesystem locations, Send-to > External, Locate > On Disk, etc.

It hits me nearly every week. Our Mac Mini is in the family's office. When we want to do many common photo management, editing, and printing types of tasks, it is super frustrating that I can't do things like pop files from MC into Pixelmator or Adobe's applications, and I can't drag a playlist of files to a folder or USB stick to upload it somewhere or take with me for printing. I end up having my wife do all of the prep on the Mac, and then I have to do all of the "management" tasks later on my workstation in my office (which means I forget and get in trouble and yada yada yada). It happens the most with photos (and Documents are often useless), but I run into the same types of issues with other Media Types as well.

If this same tech could be utilized to solve that issue, I'd be super-grateful. As it is, I'm considering abandoning MC for photo management for something that works better cross-platform.
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StFeder

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Re: NEW: Portable Library
« Reply #2 on: September 05, 2019, 12:23:47 pm »

This is great. I use a version of MC at the dancing schools Mac from time to time and always had to copy the library and then do a "find and replace" before using it. Would be a real time saver if this isn't necessary any more. And I could more often just take my micro-sd-card for music instead of taking my laptop and external DAC with me to the lessons.
Once again a great new feature :)
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mwillems

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Re: NEW: Portable Library
« Reply #3 on: September 06, 2019, 02:57:54 pm »

That's pretty awesome.

In case you didn't consider it, I'd really, really love a permanent version of this which worked with a Library Server and connected clients, rather than local Libraries.

My situation is that my main server is a Windows PC, but a few of my common clients are Macs. The issue is that I can't use many of the file-handling functions which are convenient with Windows-to-Windows Libraries and Mac-to-Mac Libraries for working on the files. Drag drop from MC to filesystem locations, Send-to > External, Locate > On Disk, etc.

It hits me nearly every week. Our Mac Mini is in the family's office. When we want to do many common photo management, editing, and printing types of tasks, it is super frustrating that I can't do things like pop files from MC into Pixelmator or Adobe's applications, and I can't drag a playlist of files to a folder or USB stick to upload it somewhere or take with me for printing. I end up having my wife do all of the prep on the Mac, and then I have to do all of the "management" tasks later on my workstation in my office (which means I forget and get in trouble and yada yada yada). It happens the most with photos (and Documents are often useless), but I run into the same types of issues with other Media Types as well.

If this same tech could be utilized to solve that issue, I'd be super-grateful. As it is, I'm considering abandoning MC for photo management for something that works better cross-platform.

I'll add a plus one on this.  What glynor's describing would really solve a large number of cross-platform client/server problems and would be a nice way to round off this kind of feature.
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hoyt

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Re: NEW: Portable Library
« Reply #4 on: September 12, 2019, 12:16:26 pm »

How does it identify a different platform?  Can I trick it?  :)

My use case is very similar, but it's the same platform.  I have two libraries.  One with the files on my local NAS and one with the files on my Google Drive.  U:\ vs G:\.  The one with files on my local NAS is the primary, so every once in a while, I duplicate that library and do a find a replace from U:\ to G:\.  I'd love for this to go away and be automatic, but I'm not changing OS platforms in this case.

I then use MCWS from Home Assistant to change libraries when my NAS power state changes (this sort of works, sometimes MC crashes).

If this could somehow be used for this purpose, that would be fantastic. 
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Matt

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Re: NEW: Portable Library
« Reply #5 on: September 12, 2019, 12:49:43 pm »

How does it identify a different platform?  Can I trick it?  :)

The path replacing works independently of the platform.  So the tool will probably work for you.
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Matt Ashland, JRiver Media Center

Matt

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Re: NEW: Portable Library
« Reply #6 on: September 13, 2019, 12:18:09 pm »

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Matt Ashland, JRiver Media Center

leezer3

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Re: NEW: Portable Library
« Reply #7 on: September 13, 2019, 12:48:43 pm »

Would this work with a served library?

Not going to try and setup a MC server at the minute, but if it'd let me get rid of the Windows VM serving the library......
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Cmagic

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Re: NEW: Portable Library
« Reply #8 on: October 31, 2019, 04:51:51 am »

Hey Matt, Hey friends,

Thanks a lot, that's a great addition!
I can finally play my stuff on both my Mac at home and my PC at the lab without constantly relocating files using RMCF which is prone to mistakes.

1 more thing: Would it be possible for the expression IsMissing([Filename]), to apply the portable rules and return the correct result?

All the best,

Christian
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Cmagic

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Re: NEW: Portable Library
« Reply #9 on: October 31, 2019, 05:34:54 am »

Ok....

Looks like I gave an answer to my own question:

If the "IsMissing()" function is used without the [Filename] arguments, the portable rules are applied. That's logical after all.

Have a nice day,

C.
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JimH

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Re: NEW: Portable Library
« Reply #10 on: October 31, 2019, 06:17:17 am »

Cmagic!  Bonjour!
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Cmagic

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Re: NEW: Portable Library
« Reply #11 on: October 31, 2019, 07:21:32 am »

Hi Jim,

Salut, comment vas tu?
Not a very frequent visitor on the Interact lately (.. too busy with grand kids and related stuff), but still using MC.

All the best,

Christian
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JimH

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Re: NEW: Portable Library
« Reply #12 on: October 31, 2019, 08:24:08 am »

Top!
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