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[gulp]

Hey folks, in case someone has a solution for the following problem, I'd be very thankful:

When I  store all album folders (having different names not always specifying artist or album) somewhere together in a directory and later want to move lets say all Rolling stones albums to another directory...is there a way to achieve this e.g. by selecting the category in JRiver and then move the directories by an action?

[EnglishTiger]

Yes - Once you have identified, and selected, a batch of files to Move/Rename you can use MC's Tools >> Library Tools >> Rename, Move & Copy Files Option (F6) to move them to a new location.

[gulp]

Thanks much, but as far as I understood, this just copies/moves the files inside the album folder to another place, not the whole album folder with assets...is there a way to achieve this, too?

[marko]

I'm pretty sure that if you check the option hilighted in yellow below, you will get the result you desire.


Try one before you do many.

-marko

[gulp]

I just tried...unfortunately it copies just the music files without the rest.

[marko]

Someone else will need to step in then. I was sure that that option was introduced to solve this exact situation.

Is there anything special about where these folders are... NAS, external HD, other network location?
Also, if using an MC client/server arrangement, you must perform the action on the server instance of MC, else it won't work.

-marko

[EnglishTiger]

I just tried...unfortunately it copies just the music files without the rest.

What other files/assets are in your folders? I just tried it on a Folder that contains a folder.jpg (Artwork) file that was not imported into MC26 and it got moved along with all of the tracks.

[gulp]

Partly there are only a few jpegs in there, partly there's an own artwork folder in there and partly the music files are spread around several folders for the different discs. If the basic album folder with all its content would be included, this would be fine...but in my try, just the music files were copied to the new directory. This was already obvious in the preview window.

I performed it in the server instance. I have a QNAP release running and a Window release over the same storage. I could use both, but the QNAP version is only JR22 while the WIndows is JR26.

But I just saw I didn't add Marco's rule...do I need that? I think not.

I also recognizes that I can't unselect the yellow marked checkbox, it's grey but checked.
Would be interesting how your preview on the right looks..here it shows just the music files inside the new directory and that's exactly what it does when started.

[gulp]

Also, if using an MC client/server arrangement, you must perform the action on the server instance of MC, else it won't work.

-marko

I thought about it again...isn't any MC version that uses the library of files where this should be performed the server instance? I think I don't understand how an MC version with a library can't be the server instance.

[RoderickGI]

The "Move all non-imported files..." function does not move sub-directories or their contents. Also, sometimes there will be imported files in the directory that you weren't aware were imported. Those imported files also will not be moved.

To do what you want use the Explorer function found in the left Navigation Bar under "Drive & Devices > Explorer".

At the top of that function, select Mode: "Only files in library", and leave the "Show Files In Subfolders" box unchecked.
Drill down to where the music files that you want to move are located.
Now change the Mode at the top to "All files", and tick the "Show Files In Subfolders" checkbox.
Make sure that the destination location you want to move the directory tree to is visible in the MC Explorer tool.
Then click on the root directory of all the files and sub-directories you want to move, then Drag & Drop that directory to the location you want the directory tree moved to, release the mouse button and select "Move" from the popup menu.

MC will move everything in that directory tree and update the Library correctly.

TEST THIS FEATURE CAREFULLY ON A SMALL NUMBER OF FILES BEFORE DOING MASS CHANGES.
MAKE SURE THAT YOU HAVE BACKUPS OF THE DIRECTORY TREE YOU TEST ON BEFORE YOU START, INCASE SOMETHING GOES WRONG.

This is a very powerful tool and how it works isn't always completely obvious. So while you are learning, be prepared to repair any damage done. If you follow the simple sequence above though it should work fine.

Search the forum if you want to understand more about how this function works. It has been discussed in detail. I don't think there is anything in the Wiki.


Note:
This should be done only on a standalone version of MC or a MC Server version, where MC is implemented in a Client-Server arrangement. It can not be done on a MC Client when implemented in a Client-Server arrangement.
Basically, this sort of file maintenance must be done where MC has direct access to the files, either on a local disk drive, or a connected external drive, or a NAS drive.
It can be done from a MC Client via the Network tree in the Explorer function, if you have direct access to the files via a Network Share, but I wouldn't do it that way. It would be very slow to both navigate the views and perform the move.

[gulp]

Thanks very much!

The problem I have with this method is, that I'd need to select the albums I want to copy/move by library tags. With this method as I understood, I already search for the files to copy/move within the directory structure, but this is exactly my problem...I e.g. want to select albumy of a certain label (which I can't see within the folder structure). Or am I blind and it works? But below "Explorer" I'm in the same tree I could use in Windows explorer.

[RoderickGI]

The Search function works in the MC Explorer, so you can still search for Albums with a specific Label while using it. The Search Wizard is there as well, and works well. But be warned, this will be a particularly slow method if you are searching large sections of your disk drive, or large collection.

I know you searched the forum and read up how the MC Explorer works, but to remind you, in brief, MC temporarily imports everything you see in the MC Explorer, into an "Explorer" database, in order to display it. So before MC can search, it must have visibility of all files (Mode: All files) in the selected directory and all sub-directories (Show files in subfolders).

Also, you would have to test which tags are available to MC Explorer for searching. It may just be tags in the files, or it may match files to those imported into the Library, and use Library fields.


Anyway, a better method would be to search in the Main MC database using existing Views and the Main database, find where the albums are that you want to move, and then use my method above to do the actual move. Use tabs in MC. One for the search process, and one for MC Explorer.

[gulp]

"Anyway, a better method would be to search in the Main MC database using existing Views and the Main database, find where the albums are that you want to move, and then use my method above to do the actual move. Use tabs in MC. One for the search process, and one for MC Explorer."

Thanks again for the great help!

I assume the sentence above is a good method because then the library is updated on the fly. Because if that's not a priority, seaching the main database and then open each album externally and move it right away would probably be faster (or not slower) than selecting each album in MC explorer and  move then. So I guess I have to stick with the very slow method you described before. And probably I have to use the Windows client managing a library on my NAS drive by drive mapping because the MC22 Client on the QNAP NAS, although is would be the server version and not a client, might be slower due to the limited 2GB NAS RAM.

One thing I'm curious about ist: how does MC know what's the bas folder of the music files in case the music files are sometimes directly in the album folder and somethimes in subfolders? I guess MC always interprets the folder where the music files are in as base folder, right?

[RoderickGI]

I guess MC always interprets the folder where the music files are in as base folder, right?

MC doesn't really have a concept of Base Folders. That is a construct in your mind. MC just knows about files, and where they are located. All its actions are file based. It doesn't even care where the files are located. As long as it has access to them, it will play them, display them in Views, and so on.

For that reason you will have to work out how to handle situations where the Album folder contains all audio files, with Extra files below that folder, and also situations where the audio files are not in the Album folder, but in some subfolder. MC doesn't do any automatic management of file locations like iTunes does (used to do). It provides the tools for the user to do the management of file locations, such as the "Rename, Move, & Copy Files" function.