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Author Topic: One library view including 2 different file path locations?  (Read 904 times)

rogueblue

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One library view including 2 different file path locations?
« on: October 21, 2024, 05:11:26 pm »

Is it possible at all to have One library view including 2 different locations?
I had to split my video library up because of limited disc space ... I tied creating a single library view, catergories based on file path, added the 2 different file paths, but library only showed the first (top) category file path.
I also tried making rules, 1 each for each file path location, but then nothing showed, I assume cause then rules were telling MC that both paths needed to be present. So obviously that didn't work.

So any way to have one single Library view, but which includes 2 different file path locations?
For now I've created 2 separate library views. But would prefer to have just one.
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jctcom

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Re: One library view including 2 different file path locations?
« Reply #1 on: October 21, 2024, 10:17:50 pm »

I believe if you use the "Import" function It will remember the location once you have imported.  Or you can set the Auto-Import option to always import new files added to that folder.

If you click on your main library on the left you should see this screen on the right Click Import and select one of the options that works best for you.:



Hope that helps.

Carl
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zybex

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Re: One library view including 2 different file path locations?
« Reply #2 on: October 22, 2024, 03:24:47 am »

You don't need to add filepaths to the view at all, just try without them to show all files.
If you still need to filter the view content you can use any other field/tag to do that, like [Media Type], [Genre], etc.
If you still want to filter by filepath you can add both paths with an OR clause ([filepath]="aaaa" OR [filepath]="bbbb")
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rogueblue

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Re: One library view including 2 different file path locations?
« Reply #3 on: October 22, 2024, 04:02:05 am »

I believe if you use the "Import" function It will remember the location once you have imported.  Or you can set the Auto-Import option to always import new files added to that folder.

If you click on your main library on the left you should see this screen on the right Click Import and select one of the options that works best for you.:

Hope that helps.

Carl

You don't need to add filepaths to the view at all, just try without them to show all files.
If you still need to filter the view content you can use any other field/tag to do that, like [Media Type], [Genre], etc.
If you still want to filter by filepath you can add both paths with an OR clause ([filepath]="aaaa" OR [filepath]="bbbb")

Thanks Carl & Zybex, but I think a misunderstanding is what I'm asking, I probably never described it properly.

I'm aware of Import and auto import etc, import is not what I'm asking.

Specifically want to have a "Custom library views" under Videos in this case, called "Video Categories".
2 Different locations ... like to find out if possible to have 2 different locations under one Custom Library View.
I currently have the 2 separate ... "Video Categories A" and "Video Categories B" ... I'd just like it all under one Custom View i.e. "Video Categories"
See attached screenshot.

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zybex

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Re: One library view including 2 different file path locations?
« Reply #4 on: October 22, 2024, 04:07:17 am »

Yes, my reply is about that issue. How are you defining each view? Just try NOT specifying any path on the view definition.
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rogueblue

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Re: One library view including 2 different file path locations?
« Reply #5 on: October 22, 2024, 04:14:17 am »

Yes, my reply is about that issue. How are you defining each view? Just try NOT specifying any path on the view definition.

But there has to be a specifc path as it for specific video on my system in 2 specific path location ...
This is what I got ... as mention in 1st post, I tried removing path in Category list, but added rule, but that also didn't work ...

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mattkhan

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Re: One library view including 2 different file path locations?
« Reply #6 on: October 22, 2024, 04:21:59 am »

Are you using a directory as a replacement for some other tag? Eg you only put films in e: and you only put some other types of file in f: ?
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rogueblue

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Re: One library view including 2 different file path locations?
« Reply #7 on: October 22, 2024, 04:25:26 am »

Are you using a directory as a replacement for some other tag? Eg you only put films in e: and you only put some other types of file in f: ?

I'm not using tags for this specific video collection, as it's a large amount of random mixed videos I had sorted into different folders. As mentioned I had to split them up into 2 different directory locations as it became too large to have on one disc.
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mattkhan

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Re: One library view including 2 different file path locations?
« Reply #8 on: October 22, 2024, 04:29:54 am »

If you want to filter to only show files from certain paths then just add that to the "set rules for file display" option, is your question that you don't know how to do that?
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zybex

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Re: One library view including 2 different file path locations?
« Reply #9 on: October 22, 2024, 04:35:33 am »

I see, you want to use the View to browse your folders, instead of categorizing by Genre/Year/etc.

There may be other ways to do this, but here's one:
Instead of adding the Paths, add an Expression category with this "expression to group by", replacing the two paths in the expression with your actual paths:
Code: [Select]
replace(replace(filepath(),C:\MEDIA\,,1),D:\MEDIA\,,1)&DataType=[List]
Alternatively you can add a name to each root node (the ending backslashes are important, don't remove them):
Code: [Select]
replace(replace(filepath(),C:\MEDIA\,Old Disk\,1),D:\MEDIA\,New Disk\,1)&DataType=[List]
You can also browse your paths using the Drives&Devices > Explorer tree node. I think there are other ways, but people don't usually group files by their location on disk because that's sort of irrelevant.

EDIT: fixed the expression, it had some [color] tags in it.
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rogueblue

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Re: One library view including 2 different file path locations?
« Reply #10 on: October 22, 2024, 04:41:57 am »

If you want to filter to only show files from certain paths then just add that to the "set rules for file display" option, is your question that you don't know how to do that?

As mentioned, I tried adding rules with was "Contains" path (so all files and subfolders in that path were included) ... but when I added both paths with that rule, I guess they cancelled each other out because then nothing showed, I assume cause all files only contained one of the paths
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rogueblue

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Re: One library view including 2 different file path locations?
« Reply #11 on: October 22, 2024, 04:44:49 am »

I see, you want to use the View to browse your folders, instead of categorizing by Genre/Year/etc.

There may be other ways to do this, but here's one:
Instead of adding the Paths, add an Expression category with this "expression to group by", replacing the two paths in the expression with your actual paths:
Code: [Select]
replace(replace(filepath(),C:\MEDIA\,,1),D:\MEDIA\,,1)&DataType=[List]
Alternatively you can add a name to each root node:
Code: [Select]
replace(replace(filepath(),C:\MEDIA\,Old Disk\,1),D:\MEDIA\,New Disk\,1)&DataType=[List]
You can also browse your paths using the Drives&Devices > Explorer tree node. I think there are other ways, but people don't usually group files by their location on disk because that's sort of irrelevant.

EDIT: fixed the expression, it had some [color] tags in it.

Yes exactly, I want to use the View to browse, I've had it like this for years, was perfect until splitting the locations.

Okay will try the Expressions, thanks ... never used expressions before so not sure exactly what I will be doing, but will give it a try.

TIA
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dtc

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Re: One library view including 2 different file path locations?
« Reply #12 on: October 22, 2024, 07:32:08 am »

As mentioned, I tried adding rules with was "Contains" path (so all files and subfolders in that path were included) ... but when I added both paths with that rule, I guess they cancelled each other out because then nothing showed, I assume cause all files only contained one of the paths

In the Set Rules for Display wizard, you can put in 2 expressions, one for each path. But, as you said, they will cancel each other out since it does one, then the other. However, if you right click to the left of the expression it will give tell you how to either AND or OR two expressions. In particular, if you enclose the expressions in parenthesis it will OR the expressions. So, you can do Filename(Path) contains Path1 or Filename(Path) contains Path2. That should do what you want

This is a hard to find option and it will probably take some trial and error to get it right. But it is a way to include 2 paths in the same rule.
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zybex

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Re: One library view including 2 different file path locations?
« Reply #13 on: October 22, 2024, 07:48:32 am »

That will display all files, but won't create a browsable folder tree.
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dtc

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Re: One library view including 2 different file path locations?
« Reply #14 on: October 22, 2024, 07:57:33 am »

Agreed.

This is what I was addressing. I think OR does that

"like to find out if possible to have 2 different locations under one Custom Library View"
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rogueblue

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Re: One library view including 2 different file path locations?
« Reply #15 on: October 22, 2024, 08:48:00 am »

Agreed.

This is what I was addressing. I think OR does that

"like to find out if possible to have 2 different locations under one Custom Library View"

I wish "OR" was possible cause I think that would have worked, but there is no "or" option from the dropdown menu for Filename(path) ...
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zybex

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Re: One library view including 2 different file path locations?
« Reply #16 on: October 22, 2024, 09:04:17 am »

The Expression works, have you tried it?
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rogueblue

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Re: One library view including 2 different file path locations?
« Reply #17 on: October 22, 2024, 09:15:38 am »

The Expression works, have you tried it?

I have now and it kinda work ... was hesitant at first because I'm unfamilar with expressions and want to learn some more about when I had a chance.

But as mentioned kinda works, it shows both locations (thanks) but shows also oddly from other locations on the disc other than the one I inserted, also shows the 2 parent drives right at the end
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zybex

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Re: One library view including 2 different file path locations?
« Reply #18 on: October 22, 2024, 09:17:54 am »

Yes, that means you have some files outside of those two folders (drill down to see where they are).
You can filter them out using the "set rules for file display" setting.
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rogueblue

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Re: One library view including 2 different file path locations?
« Reply #19 on: October 22, 2024, 09:21:33 am »

Yes, that means you have some files outside of those two folders (drill down to see where they are).
You can filter them out using the "set rules for file display" setting.

Okay thanks alot.
Just curious ... if the expression states a particular filename pat/location ... why would it inclde files outside then?
And which rule is best to use to exclude those that aren't supposed to be there ?
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zybex

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Re: One library view including 2 different file path locations?
« Reply #20 on: October 22, 2024, 09:31:27 am »

A View shows ALL your files, unless you exclude them using the filters.

The expression is not filtering to just those two paths - it's instead just removing the start of each of the file paths so that they show up without the c:/d: drive roots, and then adding a magic "&datatype=list" to tell MC to handle the paths as a list of folders -> this is what creates the Browsable tree view. The expression renames two of your paths, but since you have files that fall outside of those two folders, they will show up using their entire paths, so the root drives are also showing up because they're not picked up by those two replace() calls. You can add more "replace()" functions to the expression to handle all your paths if you want, or set the expression to this to show everything from the roots:
Code: [Select]
filepath()&DataType=[List]
To exclude some of the folders using this method you need to use the filtering options of the view to tell MC which files to exclude. You can add a list of rules like:

Filename (path)    does not start with     c:\unwanted1
Filename (path)    does not start with     c:\unwanted2
Filename (path)    does not start with     c:\unwanted3

etc. This works fine as an AND ruleset, we don't need "A or B or C" here.

Alternatively, filter using an OR expression to include just those 2 paths. Go to "set rules for file display", press "Import/Export", and enter this expression there (replace with your own paths):
Code: [Select]
([Filename (path)]=[d:\collection1" or [Filename (path)]=[e:\collection2")
Then click OK, and notice how a couple of parenthesis appear to the left/right of each rule - that is the OR indication that DTC was talking about.
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rogueblue

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Re: One library view including 2 different file path locations?
« Reply #21 on: October 22, 2024, 09:36:28 am »

A View shows ALL your files, unless you exclude them using the filters.

The expression is not filtering to just those two paths - it's instead just removing the start of each of the file paths so that they show up without the c:/d: drive roots, and then adding a magic "&datatype=list" to tell MC to handle the paths as a list of folders -> this is what creates the Browsable tree view. The expression renames two of your paths, but since you have files that fall outside of those two folders, they will show up using their entire paths, so the root drives are also showing up because they're not picked up by those two replace() calls. You can add more "replace()" functions to the expression to handle all your paths if you want, or set the expression to this to show everything from the roots:
Code: [Select]
filepath()&DataType=[List]
To exclude some of the folders using this method you need to use the filtering options of the view to tell MC which files to exclude. You can add a list of rules like:

Filename (path)    does not start with     c:\unwanted1
Filename (path)    does not start with     c:\unwanted2
Filename (path)    does not start with     c:\unwanted3

etc. This works fine as an AND ruleset, we don't need "A or B or C" here.

Thanks again ... I will tinker with this a bit and see if I can finetune it.
When I have time, will try learn more about expressions,

Thanks
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dtc

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Re: One library view including 2 different file path locations?
« Reply #22 on: October 22, 2024, 10:04:41 am »

I wish "OR" was possible cause I think that would have worked, but there is no "or" option from the dropdown menu for Filename(path) ...

You need to hover to the left of the rule and you will see instructions on how to OR. You need to put () around the rules. It is not part of the dropdowns. It is obscure but does work.

This old post shows some examples

https://yabb.jriver.com/interact/index.php?topic=46456.msg318347#msg318347
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rogueblue

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Re: One library view including 2 different file path locations?
« Reply #23 on: October 22, 2024, 10:22:12 am »

You need to hover to the left of the rule and you will see instructions on how to OR. You need to put () around the rules. It is not part of the dropdowns. It is obscure but does work.

This old post shows some examples

https://yabb.jriver.com/interact/index.php?topic=46456.msg318347#msg318347

Oh wow ... weird how that command is so hidden. Good to know. Thanks very much!
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jctcom

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Re: One library view including 2 different file path locations?
« Reply #24 on: October 22, 2024, 11:50:33 am »

This can all be done much simpler without expressions.  In your screen shot above where you have "Location" remove Location and add "Name" instead.  That will list all your movies by their title regardless of where they are.  You can then add other things like Genre, Actors, etc. etc...

Then you can work on excluding paths that you don't want things showing up with using rules.  But you should not even need that unless you have Auto Import turned on for Paths other than your movie locations.

Personally I don't use Auto-Import at all.  I import each movie, Album etc... individually as needed and then use the rename,move copy function (That I use expressions for) to relocate as needed.

But start with just adding "Name" as your first Category.

I also prefer the "Panes" view.  Makes it much easier to drill down to different categories like Genre, Format, Actor, etc...  whatever categories you add will show up at the top as a different pane.
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jctcom

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Re: One library view including 2 different file path locations?
« Reply #25 on: October 22, 2024, 11:59:53 am »

Actually now that I look at mine again.  You don't even need "Name" in there.  Just another category you want to sort on such as Genre, Year etc...

Here is a look at my main movie view setup (You can see the movies behind the setup screen):

I have also added it as an attachment in case the size is too large with the embedded.




Carl
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dtc

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Re: One library view including 2 different file path locations?
« Reply #26 on: October 22, 2024, 12:15:51 pm »

Oh wow ... weird how that command is so hidden. Good to know. Thanks very much!

You can also click on import/export at the bottom of the Rules windows and write out an expression using the or,

([filename(path)]="first folder name" or [filename(path)]="second folder name")
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zybex

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Re: One library view including 2 different file path locations?
« Reply #27 on: October 22, 2024, 12:21:42 pm »

That's what I posted above :P
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zybex

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Re: One library view including 2 different file path locations?
« Reply #28 on: October 22, 2024, 12:22:59 pm »

jctcom, the ask is a browsable folder tree, which works with a single path or requires an expression for multiple paths (AFAIK).
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rogueblue

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Re: One library view including 2 different file path locations?
« Reply #29 on: October 22, 2024, 12:32:02 pm »

jctcom, the ask is a browsable folder tree, which works with a single path or requires an expression for multiple paths (AFAIK).

Yep that's correct .. want the browsable folder tree, I've already got my folders organizsed from long ago, so too much work to start tagging etc this huge buch of video files. They're not movies, just random videos of internet organized in folders and sub-folders under topics etc
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rogueblue

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Re: One library view including 2 different file path locations?
« Reply #30 on: October 22, 2024, 12:32:31 pm »

You can also click on import/export at the bottom of the Rules windows and write out an expression using the or,

([filename(path)]="first folder name" or [filename(path)]="second folder name")

Also great to know, thanks again
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rogueblue

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Re: One library view including 2 different file path locations?
« Reply #31 on: October 22, 2024, 12:33:33 pm »

Actually now that I look at mine again.  You don't even need "Name" in there.  Just another category you want to sort on such as Genre, Year etc...

Here is a look at my main movie view setup (You can see the movies behind the setup screen):

I have also added it as an attachment in case the size is too large with the embedded.




Carl

Thanks very much for your input and feedback
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jctcom

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Re: One library view including 2 different file path locations?
« Reply #32 on: October 22, 2024, 02:15:47 pm »

Just an FYI because if you can get at least some basic tags on them it would make your life a lot easier.

Are your files all named with a similar format like eg. "Name - Date - Location"?  Or is everything totally random?

If similar you might be able to have JRiver make the tags for you from filename.

If not then I guess the best you are likely to get is with one of the suggestions to link the paths via an expression.
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rogueblue

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Re: One library view including 2 different file path locations?
« Reply #33 on: October 22, 2024, 04:03:59 pm »

Just an FYI because if you can get at least some basic tags on them it would make your life a lot easier.

Are your files all named with a similar format like eg. "Name - Date - Location"?  Or is everything totally random?

If similar you might be able to have JRiver make the tags for you from filename.

If not then I guess the best you are likely to get is with one of the suggestions to link the paths via an expression.

Yes it got the basic tags ... Name, date, Filename (path) etc ... just what was assigned to it when it was imported. They're mostly Youtube videos ...
I just find it easy to manage them via tree and folder/subfolder with little effort ... just run auto-import after dropping them into folder, and done!
One example below ...


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