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[Rutabaga]

I use MC to sort through vast swaths of music and choose what I'm going to play for a freeform radio show.

I have many, many playlists.

5 stars just doesn't cut it for me.

I'm left using

1 star - completely unlistenable

2 stars - ok, but not radio material

3 stars - this is the hard one, basically: I like this maybe use it

4 stars - good

5 stars- excellent.

You can maybe see my dilemma here. Between 'good' and 'excellent' ...there's not a lot of nuance.

I'm left creating dozens of playlists that I have to sort through in a hurry to see what to play next!

Please consider adding the ability to, at least, have 1/2 stars as an option should users prefer more than 5 stars.

Thanks.

[SkGe]

You can choose to use the RatingStars10() as a function, or you can set a new field calling [insert name] and use 10 stars format (edit type). Then you can use that field for you to extend the capabilities of rating a track. But that is finicky because you can't use everywhere, so you need to keep that in mind. It would be a nice addition to have a half star there, but 10 stars it somehow in that direction.
Hope it will help you a bit.

[Rutabaga]

You can choose to use the RatingStars10() as a function

How do I do this? I am looking at this thread:
https://yabb.jriver.com/interact/index.php?topic=98374.0

Is there a better thread I should be reading instead?

I found this one with search:
https://wiki.jriver.com/index.php/Formatting_Functions

...but am too stupid and it doesn't make much sense to me (yet!). Which is sort of the issue. I could spend hours studying, taking time off from other things, buying a house, connecting ssd, hdd, working out, eating, lol, etc.... learning to code JRiver to do what I specifically want/need...but ...I would pay ....10? 20? dollars more if "Ten Star Rating field" was automatically included (at least as an option) in future versions. :-)  Said this years ago...on an account I can no longer even remember the name of...and I guess it wasn't popular enough to gain traction? You'd think it'd be a bigger thing but seems like Matt and JRiver are more interested in MC as a TV thing or the other views besides "library", I have no idea. Not my software. Not my ship to steer.

Anyways...if it's not too difficult I can dedicate about an hour...maybe two... to this side project today.


I got to this JRiver pop-up ("Manage Library Fields"):

https://ibb.co/7gRzN5X

...and am lost (via thread) as to how to proceed to get 10 stars to appear as "Rating" in "My Preset".

Hope it will help you a bit.

If it gives 10 stars as a visible field in "presets" (and I can figure out how to do it)...this will absolutely help out a bit. Thanks for your answer no matter if I can figure it out or get it to work or not!

The dearth of good digital audio players is...shocking. JRiver, MediaMonkey and...that's about it. Foobar2000 is far, faaar above my head. ha. It's been this way for ...ever. 10+ years. JRiver is the best of them all but...there's still a few things it seems like you need to program in to get it to work the way I want it. And ...etc.

Anyways, sorry for the hideously formatted post, I did my best....and thanks again. 

[Rutabaga]

Reading the above post, don't want it to come off like I don't appreciate the hard work people put into JRiver! It's the best audio media player on the market. Handles huge libraries where nothing else will and etc. Love it. Just this one thing.

Anyways, this is what my "Now Playing" view...looks like:
https://ibb.co/bNv7n0n

[SkGe]

Hello.
Like I told you, if you don't know how to workaround on MC in what you desire, it is ok to ask for help. I can show an easy way to achieve your goal. Keep in mind, this is not an automatic process, but close to this one.
First of all go and do some new fields. I called them Rating+ and Rating:10 where the Rating:10 is where it show you the ratings for your specific track.
1. The first field required is this. Call it [Rating+] (or what suit you)
On value side you can copy/pate this information: (0.5;1.0;1.5;2.0;2.5;3.0;3.5;4.0;4.5;5.0);

2. Create another field, and call this [Rating:10] (or what suit you) and add this code inside the field

Code: [Select]

IfElse(
compare([rating+], =, 0), <font face="segoe mdl2 assets"><//font>,
compare([rating+], =, 0.5), <font face="segoe mdl2 assets"><//font>,
compare([rating+], =, 1.0), <font face="segoe mdl2 assets"><//font>,
compare([rating+], =, 1.5), <font face="segoe mdl2 assets"><//font>,
compare([rating+], =, 2.0), <font face="segoe mdl2 assets"><//font>,
compare([rating+], =, 2.5), <font face="segoe mdl2 assets"><//font>,
compare([rating+], =, 3.0), <font face="segoe mdl2 assets"><//font>,
compare([rating+], =, 3.5), <font face="segoe mdl2 assets"><//font>,
compare([rating+], =, 4.0), <font face="segoe mdl2 assets"><//font>,
compare([rating+], =, 4.5), <font face="segoe mdl2 assets"><//font>,
compare([rating+], =, 5.0), <font face="segoe mdl2 assets"><//font>).

Once you have done this, the next thing is to ignore the default rating, or you can still use that, but as you got this new rating type is more in line with what you need.
Here is the end result:

Hope this will help you, and if you need some help I'm glad to show you how to do.
Take care.

[SkGe]

Hello again.
Forget to mention on the previous post. The first field is an editable one, so each time you can edit there the supposed rating, and the second field give you a visualization of the rating for the selecting value.

[DangerJP]

Hi SkGe,

Thanks for your tip regarding half stars, really helpful!

In addition, I'd like to use a "two-tone" half-star character similar to the one attached.

Is it possible with MC ?

Thx !

[SkGe]

Hello. You can use this type of two-tone colour. If this help you, here is modified code of the earlier expression.

Code: [Select]

<font face="segoe mdl2 assets">IfElse(
compare([rating+], =, 0), <font color="a2aebb"><//font>,
compare([rating+], =, 0.5), <font color="de6e4b"><//font><font color="a2aebb"><//font>,
compare([rating+], =, 1.0), <font color="de6e4b"><//font><font color="a2aebb"><//font>,
compare([rating+], =, 1.5), <font color="de6e4b"><//font><font color="a2aebb"><//font>,
compare([rating+], =, 2.0), <font color="de6e4b"><//font><font color="a2aebb"><//font>,
compare([rating+], =, 2.5), <font color="de6e4b"><//font><font color="a2aebb"><//font>,
compare([rating+], =, 3.0), <font color="de6e4b"><//font><font color="a2aebb"><//font>,
compare([rating+], =, 3.5), <font color="de6e4b"><//font><font color="a2aebb"><//font>,
compare([rating+], =, 4.0), <font color="de6e4b"><//font><font color="a2aebb"><//font>,
compare([rating+], =, 4.5), <font color="de6e4b"><//font>,
compare([rating+], =, 5.0), <font color="de6e4b"><//font>)<//font>
You can modify the colour in your desired colour. One cool site is this https://coolors.co/

[DangerJP]

Thank you, I will check this out !

[Rutabaga]

FIRST POST:
ME BITCHIN' AND MOANIN' THAT THIS WASN'T ALREADY INCLUDED *AS AN OPTION*
AND AT HAVING TO LEARN THIS SKILL INSTEAD OF DOING SOMETHING ELSE TODAY

I bought JRiver Media Center because I wanted something that handles a large library of uploaded records, CDs, huge amount of digital music purchased for years over a variety of platforms,  which onlt JRiver can do!

So, huge library.
That I can play randomly.
Rate individual tracks!
and put them in a variety of playlists!
I can't be the only one doing this, right?
Why a better rating system hasn't been included in new releases...
or even the *option* for more stars, in the years I've been here watching this software
and Media Monkey and Music Bee and etc is anyone's guess.
If it's this easy to do why not include it at least as an *option* on future releases?

ALSO, HOW MUCH TIME COULD BE SAVED WITH A SIMPLE 'HOW TO' VIDEO?
WHY, IF THIS WAS MY BUSINESS AND MY SOFTWARE I WAS PROMOTING...


Psychographic marketing. People who know how to code are probably getting Foobar2000 for free and going nuts. JRiver and Media Monkey and all the rest appeal to people who need things set up for them already and don't know how or want to get "behind the face" of the software to learn how it works.

Intuitive as JRiver MC is, creating new fields isn't intuitive at all. Without learning what all these actions and names mean, a simple (to you) set of instructions will lose most non CS majors. Which creates a sub-par experience which limits sales and people buying updates and recommending this great software to their friends.


I bought the software to make things easier to do not get knee deep in learning how to code, etc but...until a better media player ever...ever comes around I guess I'm stuck learning to code this one a basic, new thing that frankly should've been added three years ago when I first started asking for it.

Since that seems unlikely to happen...and why do anything at all? Why fix anything? Whatta they gonna do there's only two options:  Media Monkey and JRiver. And development has seemed to stall on both as people largely started buying paid streaming subscriptions. And only JRiver MC handles large libraries so...with no competition...no real incentive to improve. Etc.

=====

OKAY, GOT THAT OUT OF MY SYSTEM NOW ON TO ...JUST DOING THIS MYSELF. 
INSTEAD OF LOOKING FOR A HOUSE, LEARNING TO PLAY KEYBOARD, ENJOYING MUSIC, ETC.
MILLION OTHER THINGS

[Rutabaga]

OKAY ONWARD AND UPWARD TO GETTING THIS THING FIXED!!!:)

Hello.
Like I told you, if you don't know how to workaround on MC in what you desire, it is ok to ask for help. I can show an easy way to achieve your goal. Keep in mind, this is not an automatic process, but close to this one.
First of all go and do some new fields.

Hi there, and thanks for the reply! Thanks for the help!
As I said before I need a very, very simple step by step guide (or just a *video* would be great), that spells out what these terms being used are because assuming I know how to "do some new fields" is part of the problem. I don't even understand that part!

Tools > Options > Library & Folders > Manage Library Fields?

Then Add a new library field?

How to do this though?


And why isn't my image showing up?  Even figuring out this forum is frustrating! lol.

Here's a link to the image I wish to embed here, on this throwback forum, lol, from Internet 1.0, not intuitive at all, lol:
https://ibb.co/DKLCgxW

"Display"? "Display Plural"? Are these the fields that need to be created? Am I even on the right page?
I don't know what any of this s*** is. lol. Am I going to mess up my purchase and not be able to fix it?

In addition, the "Data" "fields" don't seem to be "alterable". Is this even a "field"? Is that the correct terminology?
I feel like I'm being dragged kicking and screaming into coding. "Learn to code" they said. It'll prevent your Death of Despair they said.

Here I am after all. After all. lol


So anyways! Where tf am I? Is that the right place to be?
Not sure how you got there? As I said in my 2nd post in this thread:


[quote ol Rutabaga (me!)]
Quote from: SkGe on June 18, 2021, 09:11:13 am
You can choose to use the RatingStars10() as a function
[me!]
How do I do this? I am looking at this thread:
https://yabb.jriver.com/interact/index.php?topic=98374.0

Is there a better thread I should be reading instead?

I found this one with search:
https://wiki.jriver.com/index.php/Formatting_Functions

...but am too stupid and it doesn't make much sense to me (yet!). Which is sort of the issue.

I got to this JRiver pop-up ("Manage Library Fields"):

https://ibb.co/7gRzN5X

...and am lost (via thread) as to how to proceed to get 10 stars to appear as "Rating" in "My Preset".
[/quote by ol Rutabaga (me!)]

so...

Do I need to enter code (" [Rating+] ") when naming the field?  ?

Guess I'll check back in a few days and ...we'll maybe get to the bottom of this thing ...in a month, lol.  So silly.

A "how-to video" could solve the issue in minutes but...

I wish there was another option beside MC and that I could've saved my money and not purchased the latest but...whatever here I am. Here we all are. Make the best of it I guess. Thanks for your patience and help! Hopefully it'll work out in the end.
 

[zybex]

You can always pay someone to do IT stuff for you. I don't fix my car, I get a mechanic to do it.

[Rutabaga]

You can always pay someone to do IT stuff for you. I don't fix my car, I get a mechanic to do it.

Didn't I just pay for JRiver MC?

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Comparison_of_audio_player_software

[zybex]

When you pay for a car, does it include driving lessons?
Did you try clicking the Help menu? It takes you to the Wiki. That's the manual.

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Comparison_of_web_search_engines

[Rutabaga]

When you pay for a car, does it include driving lessons?
Did you try clicking the Help menu? It takes you to the Wiki. That's the manual.

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Comparison_of_web_search_engines

How do I do this? I am looking at this thread:
https://yabb.jriver.com/interact/index.php?topic=98374.0

Is there a better thread I should be reading instead?

I found this one with search:
https://wiki.jriver.com/index.php/Formatting_Functions

...but am too stupid and it doesn't make much sense to me (yet!). Which is sort of the issue. I could spend hours studying, taking time off from other things, buying a house, connecting ssd, hdd, working out, eating, lol, etc.... learning to code JRiver to do what I specifically want/need...but ...I would pay ....10? 20? dollars more if "Ten Star Rating field" was automatically included (at least as an option) in future versions. :-)  Said this years ago...on an account I can no longer even remember the name of...and I guess it wasn't popular enough to gain traction? You'd think it'd be a bigger thing but seems like Matt and JRiver are more interested in MC as a TV thing or the other views besides "library", I have no idea. Not my software. Not my ship to steer.

Anyways...if it's not too difficult I can dedicate about an hour...maybe two... to this side project today.

[zybex]

So you read one page and gave up. Driving lessons take longer than that, unfortunately.
Have you tried the Help menu yet? There's an index. Try searching for 'fields' there.

https://wiki.jriver.com/index.php/Category:Frequently_Asked_Questions

[Rutabaga]

By the way even using the 5 stars is not working.
Learning to code for that problem ...would be another week of
1) finding the specific wiki
2) reading this or that wiki
3) a solid month to understand what the wiki is even talking about, lol.
4) for something that'd you'd think could be easily fixed.

If a car you just bought didn't work, and the manual was written for engineers of cars not customers, and there were only two car makers available in the world, and when you politely asked, "hey I'd pay extra if the car would work next time heh" and you were told to just eat dirt and "read the manual hah hah hah!"  When an answer is apparently so simple that anyone here can do it very simply, but it can't be done on future releases of the product. And no, no one can help me do it or make a how to video showing a customer who just paid for it how it's done. Instead, that paying customer is ...well whatever. It was just a suggestion. I guess I should be thankful I'm allowed to buy JRiver. Thank you! Thank you so much! lol.

Glad I even got one person to offer to help me for free even if the advice was still over my head.

The whole thing could be cleared up with one short video showing exactly how it's done.

A good customer service experience. "Hey! Glad you plunked down 75 dollars when there are so many free alternatives! Here, let's help you get your new purchase up and running!" Instead? I get...all this. hahah.

But there's still hope music lovers! Maybe some brave soul will simply make a video!

A picture being worth a thousand words and all! <3 

It's not too late to be a decent person and help me enjoy this "JRiver MC thing" and then go about my life recommending it to everyone I meet! 

Instead of:
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Comparison_of_audio_player_software

Wow. All those audio players! How many charge anything? Wow, almost none do! Dozens of free audio media players! Hmmm. Of those that do charge something, who charges the most? Well, I'll be! JRiver charges, by far, the most money! And it's not even a lifetime subscription!

But surely paying for something means you're getting the very best! Surely, if I buy that one, the one that costs the most money, and it doesn't work or there's something I need help with...they'll be happy to help me! After all, if I bought a Jaguar ...car...I know the analogy is sorta...lacking and doesn't really work but bear with me...if I bought a luxury model car why I'd expect it to be top notch, right? And if it wasn't then when I mentioned this to the sales staff, or the customer service, and if they pooped all over me and told me to "read the manual", why I'd assume it's all a scam and I just got taken. lol.

But, it's not too late to ..yknow...help. 

To make a short, simple video helping out. For all future customers who need or want this feature.

After all it's sooo simple to do!

Or just consider adding it as an option in future releases. Which is what I stated in the OP. 

[SkGe]

@ Rutabaga. Sorry mate if you feel that way, I wanted to help you at that problem, but it seems you need more than help, you need to be taught how to work on MC. Think of MC as a tool, but the tool doesn't do anything if you don't know how to use that tool. When you buy a tool, you know that it will be helping you on whatever you want to achieve. I will try to make a video tutorial if you want to see how to add a new field, call that field and how to workaround on this type of work, I will not promise you that, but I will do my best. But like Zybex told you, sometimes you have to open a book/information to see how to work with this MC tool.

[Rutabaga]

@ Rutabaga. Sorry mate if you feel that way, I wanted to help you at that problem, but it seems you need more than help, you need to be taught how to work on MC. Think of MC as a tool, but the tool doesn't do anything if you don't know how to use that tool. When you buy a tool, you know that it will be helping you on whatever you want to achieve. I will try to make a video tutorial if you want to see how to add a new field, call that field and how to workaround on this type of work, I will not promise you that, but I will do my best. But like Zybex told you, sometimes you have to open a book/information to see how to work with this MC tool.

Thank you SkGe! I certainly appreciate the help you've given so far!

I'm not sure why videos aren't already made for most FAQ topics.

* People more familiar with coding can use Foobar2000 ...for free.

* People without large libraries can use Clementine, MusicBee, AIMP, or etc ...for free.

* And, there's always paid subscription services like Spotify.

Entire "business model" of MC seems to be "you pay us because we've coded a better media player than your pre-installed Windows system did."

That was the appeal of MC, to me, anyways. I assume I'm not alone. I've paid you and now I can automatically import a large collection, play the whole thing randomly, save to playlists, rate ...and I don't need to read a wiki or have to code anything. It's like "skins", y'know? I'm sure you could code your own perfect "skin"...but MC comes with a few "out of the box"...and oh hai here's a page of others that people have already done.

Expanding any of these features and making them easier to adjust doesn't seem like so bizarre a request.
It seems like a no-brainer that would put more more money into the pockets of MC's creators. But what do I know?

Maybe you're using MC for things I don't even know it can do! That'd be cool. I's have just bought more than an audio / video media player.
I get that it plays on a TV (don't really use that function) and that it handles very large libraries (it's main appeal for me).

So...what does this "MC tool" do besides play music and video?

I'd love to know. 

Anyways, regardless if you end up making a "how-to video" or not...and I certainly would apprecaite it if you do...thanks for trying to explain this to me in a friendly manner. JRiver staff should be paying you to help people like me and for making videos explaining their software to their customers! Ha ha ha! Or...just for being a helpful, polite resource explaining how to fix issues.


Seriously.

[JustinChase]

You can maybe see my dilemma here. Between 'good' and 'excellent' ...there's not a lot of nuance.

Actually, no, I don't see any dilemma.  I see you maybe giving too much thought (and stars) to 2 and 3 stars.

If you're using MC for your radio show, it seems you want more granularity in songs you may play on air.  So, make anything you won't play on air 1 star.  all your 2 stars are really 1 stars.  I suggest this...

1 star - not good enough to play on air

2 stars - maybe gets on air

3 stars -  good tune

4 stars - great tune

5 stars - greatest tune

Fighting to add a half star between 4 & 5 is a bit too much work for my tastes.

If that just can't work, try using the comment field, or create a new field of whatever you want to call it, and just type your star description in there, and just create a playlist where it only selects the descriptions you want to play.  Nothing says you have to use stars to designate how much you like a song.

Either way, you have been given plenty of help, but you seem stuck on doing it the way you want, but don't want to learn how to do it that way.  I'm not sure how much more help you will get when your response to help is, I don't want to learn, re-write the program for my needs.

Good luck.

[MusicBringer]

Five stars is just right.
2 stars = fully satisfactory; 1 star is not.
The remaining ratings are scores for good, better, best.
I require nothing more.
😃

[HPBEME]

Rutabaga, I requested a 10-star rating system myself in the MC27 thread earlier this year.
https://yabb.jriver.com/interact/index.php/topic,127672.0.html

And then expanded on that thread in another thread specifically with "Feature Request" as the subject (which others recommended I do):
https://yabb.jriver.com/interact/index.php/topic,127686.0.html

Bottom line is, you can use 10-stars right now with very little effort. And that "how to" video you desperately want... It already exists:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0Fjrf5mTcWg

However, there is 1 big downside for me with using 10-stars: while you can edit the 10-star rating in detail lists and the tag window, you cannot edit the stars directly in the Player Bar (like you can with the default 5-star system), which is by far the most useful/convenient area to change it.  When I am listening to music, I am either in full screen mode or doing other things in MC where I don't have the tag window open, or the main content area is showing something other than the Playing Now window.  This forces me out of full screen mode, or stop whatever else I am doing, and open the tag window or playing now window just so I can edit the 10-star rating, which is highly annoying and inconvenient.  In the 1st thread link above, Zybex even suggests a way it could be incorporated/coded by Matt.

I will take this opportunity to beg JRiver to add this functionality to the Player Bar please! I would like to think I might merit some extra consideration for implementing this request. After all, I invested 600+ hours of my personal time developing the very popular skin, Dream in Blue (with 7 different skin variations built-in no less!), which is JRiver's 1st brand new skin in nearly a decade! https://accessories.jriver.com/mediacenter/accessories.php.  Also see: https://yabb.jriver.com/interact/index.php/topic,128460.0.html

I am not sure anyone from JRiver has acknowledged this massive (free) effort with even a thank you (though a number of users have, which I greatly appreciated). Yeah... I can't lie... I guess I am a little bitter about that.  That said, I know there are a lot of MC users in this forum who have also donated lots of their time too.  Perhaps JRiver should offer some kind of incentive for those who "volunteer" to make JRiver a better product.  Who knows, it might entice folks to... I don't know... make more new skins!?

I humbly await, or not so humbly I guess, to see JRiver make the 10-star rating editable in the Player Bar.

[JimH]

I am not sure anyone from JRiver has even acknowledged this massive (free) effort with even a thank you (though a number of users have, which I greatly appreciated).

Thank you!  We're grateful for your work.  i'm sorry we neglected to say that.

Bob was enthusiastic about it.

[HPBEME]

Thanks Jim, much appreciated.  As the saying goes... better late than never.

If you have not read my original post announcing the skin (https://yabb.jriver.com/interact/index.php/topic,128460.0.html) you may not be aware that, in addition to providing a configurable skin with 7 variations, I also made a "main+comments.xml" which has 300+ lines of comments.

These comments detail numerous aspects of how the skin handles various XML inputs/variables, such as: how and where every single hex color is applied in the skin (80+ places where a hexcode color must be specified!); how certain XML controls affect image position/size; how various inputs interact with each other; etc.  Most importantly...  it documents how numerous inputs change things that are unrelated to the input itself (unrelated because the area affected is "unrelated" to the input name and XML section it resides in).

This comments file alone is worth its weight in gold.  I imagine there are many folks who have attempted to create a skin and gave up... as I almost did several times... because as you edit the XML, things change/blow-up in the skin where you would never expect it to, and it is a nightmare trying to diagnose why.  But I persisted, hunted down every anomaly, and documented them... 1 by 1.  It was pure torture and tedious as hell, but in the end I have given JRiver a roadmap of items they can/should clean up in the skin XML.  If nothing else, it will be invaluable to anyone else who decides to take on the task of creating a new skin. By using my files as a starting point, I estimate the effort required to create an exotic skin (along the lines of DiB) would be reduced by 75% .

[gulp]

Do you know why neither a custom 5 start or 10 star field can be used like this over JRemote (although it's generally possible, as the track rating in the play screen shows)?
The use of this field type would be most useful in JRemote, even more than in JRiver.