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[fitbrit]

Hi

I'm really hoping someone can help me here. I want either one of two things:

1) To be able to change image filename data from within list view, just like any other tag, preferably using a move/copy/change type functionality.

2) To be given instructions on how to change the default directory for video screengrabs.

Some of my thumbnails are screengrabs, and currently only the HTPC they were taken on can use them as video file thumbnails because of where the default directory is. All other cover art is stored on a server, shared between my main PC and the HTPC.

Can this be done, please?
I'm fine for the changes to be made for MC13, as I'm going to upgrade. However, I've had so many problems with cover art/thumbnails changing or renaming itself that it's getting frustrating. I thought I knew what was going on, but now I'm close to my wits' end with having to re-add cover art for hundreds of files yet again. If anyone needs more info I'll be happy to try and provide. Otherwise, just being able to do either of the above is sufficient. Thanks, guys.

[Alex B]

I use the "Save screengrab to file" feature. It allows to select the location. After the image has been saved it can be linked like any other cover art image.

A rather easy way to link an image file with a video file is to place Windows Explorer and MC side by side, select the video file (or files) and drag & drop the image from Explorer to Action Window > Tag >  Image (click the small thumbnail placeholder in Tag to show the Image window).

In MC12 you can mass edit the Image File field values by exporting/editing/importing an MPL playlist of the media files. An MPL file contains all field values in XML format and it can be edited with a text editor. Only the File > Import Playlist tool can update existing library files from MPL. If you edit the image files' path only the links are changed. You need to move the actual image files outside MC.

EDIT

In addition, an MPL playlist can be used as a sidecar file that preserves all metadata. I always export an MPL file after having a video tagging session. Naturally I also store library backup files, but only MPL can transfer video tags from a library to another.

[fitbrit]

Alex, you're a saint. You've helped me before with similar issues and your assistance then was invaluable.
The first two paragraphs of your reply were similar to the way I do things usually:

With most of my ripped movies etc., I download the DVD cover art and do the MC/Explorer side-by-side tagging method like you suggest. In fact, it was your suggestion from a previous thread of mine.
With captured TV shows, I usually take a 'save screengrab as thumbnail', and more recently I've been saving the screengrab to a file as well, for backup. I like the 'save screengrab as thumbnail' as it's a one-step option. However, I cannot choose where the screengrabs end up, so I'd resolved to save to a file and then do a side-by-side cover art tagging.

The latter part of your reply (and edit) are going to be very useful to me next time I do some tagging. I've never used an mpl file before, so it'll be a learning experience. Thanks a lot!

Now that I've calmed down a bit, I think I know what's been happening. A couple of weeks after tagging video files with external cover art images, the way you outline above, I found that the image file field had been changed to a date! I had meticulously arranged all my video files and tagged the album field appropriately too, in case there was any chance that MC would automatically rename my cover art to the old [album]-[artist] nomenclature. I've been running MC13 on another computer and using backups of my HTPC library on it. The files themselves are in shared network folders. I'm thinking that maybe MC13 had been renaming my image files because of its settings and then saving tags in the shared folders' video files.
I'd like the MC13 preview computer to open libraries in read-only mode, without having to have the HTPC on all the time. Is that possible?