Print

Please login or register.
1 Hour 1 Day 1 Week 1 Month Forever
Login with username, password and session length

[jack wallstreet]

I am probably being stupid, but would appreciate help anyway.

I have a split pane and use the left pane to display playlists (I have hundreds of them).  For some reason the view layout changes (i.e., the columns change) from playlist to playlist (when I change playlists).  I thought the view was associated with a pane, but it seems to be associated with a playlist.  It seems I have to manually change the view for each playlist (and then it stays that view).  The mass selecting of all playlist does not do anything (may change the first one selected).

How do I set a view (a set column arrangement) that doesn't change no matter what playlist or do I have to manually set the view for each of the hundreds of playlists?  I use a named view so it doesn't take that long to do it manually, but for hundreds it is a pain.

[benn600]

If I recall correctly, this is a feature lots of people are interested in but it still hasn't been added.

I guess the logic is oh, yes, we want to give more control to the users and let each playlist have a different view scheme.  Unfortunately, this means that setting up new playlists can be a big pain for people who have very specific desires or tastes for how to view their media.  I end up constantly editing the view settings when I create new playlists or schemes.  It would be really cool if you could right click on a playlist/view scheme/playing now or whatever and click something like Quick Setup.  Then, users could create a few quick setups that would include the layout, view settings, and sort settings.  This would be very cool!

[datdude]

This is actually quite easy in MC. 

You first need to take a playlist view you like, right click in the list then go to View Settings -> View Layout -> Save Current layout.

Then go to the top level playlist group you want to apply to settings to all child playlists, right click the list View Settings -> View Layout then either select the layout you just saved and/or then click the Apply this layout to child view option.

There you go!

[benn600]

Very good tip.  Thanks for that!

[jack wallstreet]

This is a good tip, but it doesn't always work.  The typical playlist is not listed under a playlist group (unless you create one - and that has its own issues).  The "playlist" master category which includes "recent playing now" and "smartlists" does NOT allow a view on a right click (unless I am missing something) and does not allow a view to be set.  Only for a playlist group can you set the view parameters. 

I used to use playlist groups but dropped that when I found that the playlist group name got added to playlist name when I exported to a portable device.

So... this is a very good tip, but I am still hoping there is another solution such as:

1. Allow a default view to be set for ALL playlists (the master playlist category), or
2. Allow playlists to be mass selected and the view set that way.

[Matt]

Playlist group names no longer get used for device upload.  This changed recently, so make sure you have the latest.

Also, make sure you're looking at the menu available from the title text at the top of every view.  It's always there, and easier than a right-click.  (so in Audio, put your mouse over the word "Audio" in the view header and you'll get a menu)

Finally, the latest build allows multiple selection of playlists in the tree for drag-n-drop to quickly move them in or out of a group.  Shift+Click / Ctrl+Click just like a list control.

[jack wallstreet]

Matt,

Thanks very much.  The not using of group names in the device upload is nice.  I will have to try it out.

The other features you name do not always seem to work as described.

    a: The main "playlists" view (i.e., if you have clicked on "playlists" - the main playlist group, does not give you access to a menu in the view.  It is one of the few selections (the only?) that does not.

     b: While you can select multiple playlists (thank you!), it does not work for a mass selection of the view layout (i.e., the views does not mass change).

[jack wallstreet]

Based on Matt's comments and what appears to be some limitations to the new features, here is what seems to be a work-around for those who are following this thread.  I haven't actually tried this yet.


1. Create a playlist group name (it can be anything)
2. Use the new mass select ability to move all playlists into the group (unless your structure already provides for groupings)
3. right-click on the group name and assign a preset view.

Might even be able to move them back out of that group to wherever you want them, once the view is assigned - I don't know whether that will work.

[jack wallstreet]

Well, the workaround (see above post) doesn't work as expected.

The group can be created and the playlists can now be mass selected to move the playlists very easily to a group.  Also the group name can be selected as expected and the pane menu has an option to name a view at the group level.  HOWEVER, once that is done (a name view selected), on my system, it does not always change the view for every playlist in that group.  It appears (a guess) that if a playlists has been manually set to a particularly view, that view will not reset to the view at the group level.  Setting a view using the grouping name works in part - just not in total.

Also, if after you change the view at the group level, if you then move the playlists back to not be in a group (or maybe a different group - didn't test that), the view is NOT retained.

Conclusion (a guess): the group level view is not copied to each playlist but is kept at the group level and is used only if there isn't a manually set view at the individual playlist level.  That appears to be how it is acting.  Maybe Matt or someone can say what is really happening.  I am wondering if there is a way to force an indiviual playlist to use the group view.

[Matt]

Make sure you pick: View header menu > View layout > Apply This Layout To Child Views when looking at the playlist group.

Let us know if that does the trick.

[jack wallstreet]

Matt,

YES, This new command (.279) seems to do the trick very well.  Thank you.  This kind of response is extremely impressive.  Wow!

[Matt]

Just to clarify how things work:

If a child has settings (columns, sorting, etc.), they are used.

If the child has no settings, the settings of the parent are used.

If you look at a view and pick "View Layout > Default", it will go back to looking like its parent.

If you're at a parent and pick "Apply This Layout To Child Views", it removes settings from the children.  This causes them to look like the parent again.

This means that if you create a new playlist in your playlist group, it'll look like the group.  But you also have the ability to customize the child if you want, and also uncustomize it again.