Hi wer, I’ve had a few days to work on this and I remain scratching my head as to how to get it to work. I favor you two field approach and the use of user defined fields, which I managed to create. I understand what's going on with the expressions. What I don’t grasp are the machinations relative to entering them. I’m quoting your input so I can ask questions:
So I have two user-defined fields: [GroupSet] and [Grouping]
GroupSet is a set of Groups. "Star Wars Movies" in the example above. Grouping holds individual movies, "The Empire Strikes Back" in the example above.
So for every Star Wars movie, I set its [GroupSet] tag to be "Star Wars Movies" and then I set the [Grouping] tags as appropriate. Not every movie in the Star Wars groupset needs a Grouping tag.
Yes, this makes sense.Then when you configure your view, you create a view level of type Expression, and you fill out the fields as follows:
For Expression to group by:
FirstNotEmpty([GroupSet],[Grouping],[Name])
.
Here, is where I get lost. “Then when you configure you view”
is this what glynor did, configure a view? “....you create a view level”
Again is this what glynor did? How, why and where would I enter this expression? I’m trying to relate what you’re advising to what glynor did and I’m lost as to what to do and how to apply it to my Genre question.For Expression to Display:
If(isempty([GroupSet,1]),FirstNotEmpty([Grouping, 1],[Name, 1]),[GroupSet,1])
So the magic bit is the use of the FirstNotEmpty expression. It picks from amongst the three fields, using the first one that has something in it. This makes the GroupSet and Grouping fields OPTIONAL. You do not have to fill them out for any of your movies. But if you DO fill those fields out, any movie so tagged will be automatically grouped in views defined as I showed you above.
Yes, I grasp the logic of what's transpiring.I’m in the process of modifying the results of 1,000’s of rip'ed movies. My son did the ripping and although he has an IT degree and uses JRiver, he doesn't use its database; choosing to scroll through our files as if he was using Windows Explorer. I know crazy, right! I advise this, because our files contain information randomly applied for a user's manual selection process. This clutters filenames with extrenous information. And because the data insertion is random, it makes views difficult to manipulate without modifications to the tags.
With that said, if fields need to be created so data can be entered to get Theater Views as I would like them, I need to get it right up front or all my data manipulation is for naught. So, I'm looking at hours of tag modifications. What makes matters worse, is that the modifications are mostly manual. I'm sure this is because I unaware of how to automate them. Because I've done enough research to know that MC has massive abilities to automate most any database task. I've spent countless hours researching simpler ways to do things and it has helped some. But I'm sure things could be much easier.
Below, I've the steps I culled from glynor’s ever-so-helpful video. I've inserted
"LOST" as in, I'm confused about what's going on -- why is it being done? Because if I had to transfer from glynor's video each and every step, to another view or task, I wouldn't know how to do so. Especially as it relates to the original purpose of my post. Which was to have
Genre in the Theater View display
ONLY the primary movie, with bonus features etc., sub-tiered
(if you will) behind it.
Lastly, I have what probably is an easily answered question. After successfully implementing glynor's video instructions, artwork/images are seemingly randomly displayed upfront before opening the movie to drill down into its bonus features. In other words, the images are oftentimes different for bonus features, than their movie. Seeing the bonus features images up front, rather than the movie's, makes for disconcerting surfing. How would I force the movie's image to take up-front display priority. The inelegant work-around would be to also attach the movie's image to its bonus features. But I'm sure that's unnecessary. What say you guys?
Tools <selected>
Options <selected>
Theater View <selected>
Movies <selected>
Ok In the "Items To Show" section menu, "Movies" are <selected> and the Edit Search Menu is Shown with the following user's note:
LOST "My Filters are applied to the "parent" Movies view"
Ok Ok is <selected> to get out of the Edit Search Menu
Ok, sort of On the "Items To Show" section: "By Name" is <selected>
Ok In the Details Menu the ADD button next to the "Items To Show" is selected
LOST In the pop-up menu "Library Item" is <selected>
Ok, sort of The UNNEST button is <selected>
LOST "New Library Item" Appears in the "Details"/"Name" menu>
Ok In the "Details"_Name" menu "New Library Item" is replaced by entering "By Fancy Name"
Ok Add button to the right is <selected>
Ok From the pop-up menu, the "Expression" radio button is <selected>
Ok In the "Expression box, the IF(IsEmpty([Series]),[Name],[Series]) expression is <entered>
LOST The "Expression_Name": address bar is clicked and the Name: is changed from "Expression" to "SmartName"
Ok OK <clicked> which takes one back to the "Theather View"_"By Fancy Name" screen
Ok ADD button <selected>
Ok "Episode" is <selected> from the drop-down menu
Ok OK <selected> which reverts back to the original Theater View menu
"SmartName" with "Episode" beneath it (which were previously entered) are seen in the "Details" Section