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[JimH]

New in build 51: 
2. NEW: Added Tools > Search DJ to play searches and optionally include Cloudplay files.

Also available on the Playing Now page.

It gives you a consolidated view in which you can select

Artist
Album
Genre
Format
BPM
and then play the results with

Play
Play with Cloudplay [percent]
Play Doctor
Shuffled or not

My main interest in this was to be able to easily play what I want from Cloudplay and to do so with varying mixtures of local and Cloudplay.

We'll add an interface icon for this soon.

Thanks, Matt!  And on a Saturday!

[markf2748]

31.0.51 (9/2/2023)  The new Search DJ tool is very cool.  Thanks.

Suggestions: 
Give it memory (at least of the last search; maybe deeper) so it is easy to recall and modify current/most recent search (and possibly recall previous searches) instead of starting all over again from a blank slate.  Then it would also be helpful to have a "Clear" button.

Show hint that list must be comma separated.  My first inclination was to do semicolon separated for Artist:, which does not work.  Or maybe you should accept both.
Update:  Like your example under Formats:, do the same for Artist:.

MC 31.0.51

[JimH]

I think we will add an option to save the search and name it.

For now, you can save it as a playlist.  That was the first thing I did.

I agree we should be liberal with what the delimiter can be.

[markf2748]

I think we will add an option to save the search and name it.

Agree, but I think auto-recalling the current (i.e. most recent) is a separate and important use case - I certainly was expecting it.  User is highly likely to need modifications and corrections to the current search, especially when first learning the tool.  MC should make that as easy as possible (which also creates the need for a "Clear" button).  For example, Play Doctor auto-recalls its last set of rules.  Alternatively, or in addition, add something like "Most Recent" as the top line of a "Load" previous searches list button.

Percent: should gray out when "Include Cloudplay" is not selected.  That will help clarify its meaning.  Change to smaller entry box, just wide enough to accommodate 100%.

Not clear to me how the "Play with Play Doctor" integration works (I'm not subscribed to Cloud Play).  It always seems to yield "no search results".  Add a Help page to the wiki 

MC 31.0.51

[comox]

Just tried this feature and like it.

I think Search DJ should respect the "Rules for Files That Can Be Included" in the options right next to it.

When I use Search DJ I get files that I don't want like non-audio imported extras and music I have tagged as culls in my library.

[JimH]

Agreed.  It still needs tuning.

[markf2748]

Not clear to me how the "Play with Play Doctor" integration works (I'm not subscribed to Cloud Play).  It always seems to yield "no search results".  Add a Help page to the wiki 

My experience re how it works today:

Any selection rules which are set under Play Doctor > Options > Set Rules... act as a prefilter for Search DJ's "Play with Play Doctor".  In this case only those items which get through the prefilter become candidates for the list displayed by Search DJ.  When Search DJ succeeds in listing something requested, then filtered items which are not explicitly requested by Search DJ may also be displayed ("related items").

Search DJ's "Play" button ignores Play Doctor > Options > Set Rules..., i.e. no prefiltering.

Example:  Set Play Doctor > Options > Set Rules... to "genre contains Jazz".  Then ask Search DJ to list artist Lana Del Rey, whose music I have not tagged for genre Jazz.  No items are found for "Play with Play Doctor", however "Play" lists her material from my collection.  Then ask Search DJ to list artist Miles Davis.  "Play with Play Doctor" lists much of my Miles Davis material, as well as some of my other Jazz tracks.  "Play" lists only Miles Davis.

[JimH]

Without Cloudplay, this feature should be interesting.  But the real payoff is being able to find music outside your collection, but still related.  It creates an annex.

[jctcom]

I am curious.

What would be the difference between the new DJ button and having a smart Playlist configured with whatever options you configured (Or were going to configure in DJ) and selecting that as the basis for a "Play Doctor" with the appropriate percentage of CloudPlay configured?

Carl

[markf2748]

How are input lists treated in Search DJ > Playing with Play Doctor?
More specifically:

It seems there is no guarantee that every artist in the input list will show up with at least one track in the output list, even with "No Variety" checked.  Is that expected?

It seems if two artists in the input list are tagged with different genres, then they "collide" to produce no output list, even without an explicit Options genre rule.

If one artist in an input list violates an Options genre rule, then no tracks at all in the output list.  Expected?

Number of tracks in the output list varies widely.  What governs length of the output list?

Note:  "Include Cloudplay" is unchecked for all these tests (Playing from Main Library only).

Fascinating tool, but it would be most helpful if JRiver gave some guidance as to the rules/algorithm/defaults for Search DJ > Playing with Play Doctor, especially for input lists.

Win11 Pro (64-bit) MC 31.0.56

[whoareyou]

Fascinating tool, but it would be most helpful if JRiver gave some guidance as to the rules/algorithm/defaults for Search DJ > Playing with Play Doctor, especially for input lists.

I agree.  For example, I put in 100% cloudplay and get nothing returned from cloudplay.  Should that happen because of some other rule that is used? 

[JimH]

I agree.  For example, I put in 100% cloudplay and get nothing returned from cloudplay.  Should that happen because of some other rule that is used?

This may be because you don't have the artist in your local library.  We will fix that.

Also, MC31.0.56 works better when a renderer is used.  https://yabb.jriver.com/interact/index.php/topic,136995.msg949662.html#msg949662

[comox]

Just tested DJ with 31.0.56.

I do not understand why DJ does not respect the rules for included files in Options directly next to it.

If you intend to leave it as is suggest you change the wording of "Options" to "Options (applies to Play Doctor only)".

[JimH]

It's still not complete.  And Matt's off next week.  Stay tuned.

[HPBEME]

And Matt's off next week.

Wait a minute… You mean, Matt is like... taking a vacation?  Is that allowed?

I thought for sure you had him chained up in the basement, wired-in and coding and 24/7!  Have you considered the impact on MC's dedicated user base that depends on Matt churning out updates daily?  This is unacceptable!

  Well earned, MC master, well earned.  Hope you do something wonderful during your time off.

HP

[JimH]

Search DJ in build 68 is working pretty well now.  You can enter a list of artists, separated by comma or semi-colon.

The Options button on the Playing Now page applies to Play Doctor.  We still need to change that.  Thanks for pointing it out.