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Author Topic: Tracking file path changes  (Read 1476 times)

Two Wire

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Tracking file path changes
« on: July 17, 2008, 10:12:37 pm »

I want to reorganize my files on the hard drive without having to manualy change the path for each file moved. This is the only way I have found to change the path, and it has become a very ltedious endevor. Is there a way to have MC track the file's new location and still maintain the intregrity of the library? Are there easier options?
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marko

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Re: Tracking file path changes
« Reply #1 on: July 18, 2008, 12:45:50 am »

Select a file > Right click > Library Tools > Rename, Move & Copy Files

It's pretty intuitive and works just as well with 1000's of files at once as it does with one.

If you have any questions about it, just ask.

-marko

Two Wire

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Re: Tracking file path changes
« Reply #2 on: July 18, 2008, 08:25:53 am »

Thanks, Marko. I have used this option before but how would it batch process, for example, ten  different files being moved to ten different locations?

Here is the problem. I have files organized by individual’s names on my server. For example, I have all of Carol’s videos in the Carol sub folder. You get the picture. Now, I have about a hundred different files I want  to transfer to my server. If I put them in their correct folders on the initial transfer, then I lose  track of the new files  added without making a paper trail to keep track of what went where. So I dump them in to a holding work folder on my server and import them into MC. I then locate them by using the Recently Imported option. It is here I make the tag changes,etc.. At this point I  want to transfer them from the holding folder to their final resting place, and have MC recognize the new location. As I said above,  this could mean ten different files going to ten different locations. 

What I really need to do is to make the initial transfer into the correct folder and from there import them into MC. But, keeping track of the new files added is the challenge. If there was a way to sync my library to my server, then I could identify the new files added, make tag changes, and  be done with the process.






 
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bspachman

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Re: Tracking file path changes
« Reply #3 on: July 18, 2008, 09:11:04 am »

Won't the 'Recently Imported' playlist still fill your need to track of newly added files? It will be populated with everything that MC has recently found, regardless of whether it's in a holding work folder or your users' actual folder(s)...

You could also create a smartlist to show you files that have a [date imported] more recent then 'x'....

The 'Move/Copy/Rename' feature is exceedingly powerful when combined with MC's expressions--you can use 'if...then' statements and nest them to create an expression to 'move them all'--but it can get involved quite quickly.

See http://wiki.jrmediacenter.com/index.php/Media_Center_expression_language for details about that.

Best,
Brad
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hit_ny

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Re: Tracking file path changes
« Reply #4 on: July 18, 2008, 09:46:59 am »

Expressions will work if you can limit where you want things placed and always do it that way.

In short you specify rules like

if tag is a then move here
 else move somewhere else
   otherwise yet elsewhere

This way it will be very fast & efficient, of course you would need to import all files in the folder into MC prior to moving them, otherwise some will be left behind and create a bigger headache. Also this method depends on the files being properly tagged.

Failing that there is always the manual drag from the tree, which will maintain library integrity. If you move files outside MC then you need to set the option 'update for external changes', but i prefer not to depend on this.

As far as a paper trail is concerned i'm not sure how you could record in MC where a file got moved to. There is no record of a before or after location, just current location only. You could implement something like this by creating a custom field and then doing a move/copy field but this would be required for all files and would have to be carried out manually each time you move files.

Part of the reason i don't use the automated move feature is the manual checking required to verify everything went fine afterwards. You don't have to verify but i prefer to :)

The alternative is manual dragging and as you already know is slower more tedious work, then again there is instant feedback whether a move suceeded or not. This is helpful but its the 'knowing' things ended up in the right place that matters in the end.
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Two Wire

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Re: Tracking file path changes
« Reply #5 on: July 19, 2008, 09:37:04 pm »

Hey all, Thanks for the input. I got it figgured out.
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lalittle

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Re: Tracking file path changes
« Reply #6 on: July 20, 2008, 04:41:35 am »

Hey all, Thanks for the input. I got it figgured out.

How did you end up doing it?

Thanks,

Larry
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