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Help setting Library, using Expressions
cochinada:
Hello guys,
Long story short, I'm one of many affected by the Theater View blank or white with Ubuntu 22.04.2 LTS.
In the process of restauration, I ended up downgrading to Ubuntu 20.04.5 LTS but screwed up and lost my Library backups so I had to start from scratch.
Following many suggestions I got Years ago on this Forum, telling that I should not use File location but Tags instead, I think is now the time to try to implement such thing.
I just need guidance for one View and from that I think I can manage to create the others. It is just that I don't get how to use Expressions with all these fields, functions and variables and feel completely lost. I tried many variants to no success so I decided once more to resort to the knowledge of you people here.
I'll try to keep this as clear as possible.
My goal is to create a "Classical" view for displaying all my Classical albums.
My files are stored like this:
Top level is divided into 4 groups:
A-D, E-M, N-Z, (Various Composers).
2nd level has all the composers belonging to the 1st groups chosen, with the exception of '(Various Composers)' which has only the name of the Albums.
3rd level has of course the Albums and is the equivalent to the 2nd level for '(Various Composers)'.
That being said I would like to navigate the same way.
I would like to show first the 4 groups and then be able to drill down.
Unfortunately I can't even get the Top level right! This is what I get with these settings:
Notice the presence of "Classica", "Multimedia" and "Musica" mixed with the groups "A-D", "E-M" and "N-Z". Also, '(Various Composers)' is missing!
I tried many different expressions, like using FileFolder(,3) or 2 or 5, 6, etc. I tried even to use more complex Expressions but clearly I don't have a clue what I'm doing. :(
As for the Thumbnails Text, this is what I get with this Expression:
Nada. Niente! Zilch! Rien! Nothing!
BTW, I'm receptive to alternatives, like using custom Library fields. In fact I have already two: 'Music Type' and 'File Location'. This last one is just not filled for Classical music but I can do it. Is it more efficient this way instead of using expressions?
The thing with custom fields is that I don't know how to setup MC to automatically fill them when importing new files but I know this can be done...
JimH:
Did you find this topic on the wiki?
https://wiki.jriver.com/index.php/Tagging_Classical_Music
cochinada:
--- Quote from: JimH on February 26, 2023, 02:53:48 pm ---Did you find this topic on the wiki?
https://wiki.jriver.com/index.php/Tagging_Classical_Music
--- End quote ---
Thanks.
I'm just about finishing reading it all which is not easy as it is a lot of information because it also refers other links inside. I particularly liked the article "The Zen of Classical Music Tagging" that was indirectly mentioned inside one of those main links. I'm also reading the Wiki for more basic understanding, namely about functions and what not.
The main lesson I take from all I read so far is that there are many ways to skin a cat, and to each, its own. That I knew already but it's always nice to learn about different methods used by different people for inspiration.
I'll quote this magnificent passage:
--- Quote from: wer on March 12, 2021, 03:18:35 am ---The most important thing to understand is that you have to have a structured naming system for your classical music, and you have to enforce it. If you want your information to be automatically parsed out, it has to be systematized. That is essential.
--- End quote ---
In this last weekend I did some housekeeping but only for the "Composer" tag as I had and probably still do, many inconsistencies, result of so many ways that so many data bases use to populate the data, and some caused by human error as well (mine).
So, I'm trying to get my database structured and consistent and begun with Composer. As for the rest, I'm still pondering what custom tags (if any) to create or not.
I also read someone who said he didn't use custom tags at all but would rather rely on the MC Library alone. I'm not quite sure what this means and/or implies but I guess it requires a lot of Expressions to be used everywhere. As I'm not an expert on that topic I'll probably create custom tags whenever it makes sense trying not to overkill.
One very basic doubt I still have, for which haven't found an answer yet, is if it's possible for MC to be clever enough to give as the final result the CD wherever whatever we research belongs to. This sounds a bit awkward but I'll show you what I mean taking this CD as an example:
Brahms: Piano Concerto No. 2 / Mozart: Piano Concerto No. 27
Now, if I can develop some cleaver method for showing me all interpretations I have of let's say Mozart: Piano Concerto No. 27, (e.g. a pane view or equivalent) I'm sure the result will show more albums than just this one.
The problem is that ultimately, when I pick the interpretation I want to listen, I don't want to listen to just this piece or composition "Mozart: Piano Concerto No. 2" but to the whole CD where this particular version is, or at least be given the opportunity to do it! For that to happen, MC has to be clever enough to present me that Album as my final click of the mouse.
BTW, I'm still talking about Standard View, because regrettably my Theater View is still not working as I reported elsewhere but ultimately the goal will be to use this view exclusively.
Suppose
lepa:
FileFolder(,6) as grouping should work to get you started
cochinada:
--- Quote from: lepa on March 01, 2023, 08:52:49 am ---FileFolder(,6) as grouping should work to get you started
--- End quote ---
It doesn't work.
As I wrote, "I tried many different expressions, like using FileFolder(,3) or 2 or 5, 6, etc. "
...and if I expand on the left tree to see what the heck this is...
I guess this Filefolder function doesn't work on Linux.
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