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[pwantzel]

I recently updated most of my movies with information from PVD.  It found and imported cover art for most of them.  This cover art displays as the thumbnail for the movie in MC.  The name of the .jpg file appears in the list of tags when in tag mode, but it isn't editable.

Then I save library to tags to import all these changes on my other computer.  The other changes write into the sidecar file and import to the other PC (well, most of them do).  But the image file information doesn't get transferred.  I had to manually update the cover art on the second computer. 

Is there a way to get the cover art file name to export with the other tag data?

MC 14.0.50, WinXP Pro on both computers.

[rick.ca]

Same answer as for your other problem...

Have you considered installing PVD on your second computer and loading a copy of your database from the first? You could rescan the media on the second machine to update the file paths. Then use PvdImport to import the metadata and posters—exactly as you did with the first computer.

[pwantzel]

That would be possible, but...  The reason I do it the way I do is that I'd have to sit on the floor in front of the living room TV to do this (normal viewing position is too far away to read the standard-view screen), and it's much easier at the desk in the office. 

And, for some movies, where PVD doesn't find cover art, I have been finding it elsewhere and inserting it directly into MC.

And I'm not quite sure how I'd "rescan the media on the second machine to update the file paths".  The Tools/Scan folders function in PVD doesn't seen to do anything for movies that are already in the database.  But I haven't tried it on the other machine.

[rick.ca]

The reason I do it the way I do is that I'd have to sit on the floor in front of the living room TV to do this (normal viewing position is too far away to read the standard-view screen), and it's much easier at the desk in the office.

I understand PvdImport will be updated to include an "autoupdate" mode. I imagine that should make it functionally equivalent to what you're doing now in importing from sidecar files.

And, for some movies, where PVD doesn't find cover art, I have been finding it elsewhere and inserting it directly into MC.

Okay, that will create a difficulty. But with a number of different plugins for downloading posts, and any number of custom Web searches, PVD is unquestionably the better tool for finding posters.

The Tools/Scan folders function in PVD doesn't seen to do anything for movies that are already in the database.  But I haven't tried it on the other machine.

Since you would be telling it to scan folders on a different computer, it should detect them all as changed (or if the paths are coincidentally the same, it doesn't matter).

But... I'm just outlining an alternative. I understand why you're doing it the way you are. Your original question is perfectly valid. Hopefully, someone has an answer to that.

[Daydream]

Doesn't it work via Options - File Location - Cover art - "In a specified folder"? Set one such folder, bring the coverart in by any method, select all your movies, etc, right click - Coverart - Save coverart to external location. Will copy everything to the selected folder.
If you see the folder from both machines just set it up as the specified folder for Coverart on both. Otherwise copy it over and everything should pop up. If it doesn't appear then right click - Cover art - Quick Find in file/ Cover Art Directory should definitely bring the covers up on the second system.

Side note: a certain part of the original question remains valid: will the sidecar files export everything at some point, including the current locked fields - which hopefully won't be locked anymore or at least we'd be given a reason why it is so?

[pwantzel]

I have been keeping the cover art files in the same folder as the file.  I could certainly change it to use only one specified folder.  And then I could try this.

Cover art - Quick Find in file/ Cover Art Directory should definitely bring the covers up on the second system.

This is what I ended up doing on the second computer.  It found the correct image most of the time, but not always.  For some movies I had to manually adjust the cover art.

[raldo]

I have been keeping the cover art files in the same folder as the file.  I could certainly change it to use only one specified folder.  And then I could try this.
This is what I ended up doing on the second computer.  It found the correct image most of the time, but not always.  For some movies I had to manually adjust the cover art.

It's probably better to manually update the coverart in PVD when all plugins fail. Then you can import from PVD to all computers.

Rick: Since the PVD database is exposed on the local network via the firebird server, could it be possible to simply connect PvdImport directly from the client computer to the location where the server runs? Did you try this? I only have one PC so I cannot test this.

[rick.ca]

Rick: Since the PVD database is exposed on the local network via the firebird server, could it be possible to simply connect PvdImport directly from the client computer to the location where the server runs? Did you try this? I only have one PC so I cannot test this.

I can't test this either, but I don't see why not. I was going to suggest it at the outset, but it wasn't clear the "two computers" were networked, or how they were being used. It seems the media exists on both computers, rather than being shared. I'm not sure, but I imagine PVD's "Replace folders in file paths" configuration feature would effectively remap the file locations.

[pwantzel]

The two computers are networked, and the video files exist only on the Office PC.

[pwantzel]

Where in PVD do I find "Replace folders in file paths"?

[rick.ca]

The two computers are networked, and the video files exist only on the Office PC.

Oh. I assumed otherwise—because of the nature of your problem. I assume MC should have no problem finding the posters if you tell it where to look. I prefer the more direct option of setting PvdImport to "Do cover art" "InTheSameFolderAsTheFile." This puts the poster "beside" the media file, where it's impossible to miss.

Where in PVD do I find "Replace folders in file paths"?

Preferences - Folders. I suppose it may still be relevant to your situation. Have a look at this post.

[maid]

If we add the cover art to the specified folder how do we not keep duplicates??

Cheers

[raldo]

The two computers are networked, and the video files exist only on the Office PC.

After some rethinking: For your setup, a good  solution might be:
(i) Share your media folder on your LAN. The Music folder can be accessed from both PCs via \\[Computer Name]\[Share Name]
(ii) In PVD, rescan with \\[Computer Name]\[Share Name] as base address.
(iii) In MC, move files to \\[Computer Name]\[Share Name] .
(iv) Put the MC database in the shared folder. Access it from the HTPC as read only. Access it from the office PC as usual.

Number iii is easy if you can reimport. Can you? Otherwise, there are some "tricks".

An alternative to iv could be to set up a Tremote (i suppose) but someone else will have to provide instructions on how to do that and what the limitations are in such a setup.

With this solution, you don't have to worry about drive mappings ("G:") and the trouble those cause.

[pwantzel]

Raldo:

This is an interesting idea.  If I understand correctly, you're suggesting that I use the network path names for the files even on the computer (office PC) where they're located?  So that the HTPC can use exactly the same pathnames?

(ii) In PVD, rescan with \\[Computer Name]\[Share Name] as base address.

The point being to update the video file locations in the PVD database? 

(iii) In MC, move files to \\[Computer Name]\[Share Name].
Number iii is easy if you can reimport.

Don't quite get the point here.  I thought if I moved files within MC that reimport would not be necessary?  But the files are all on the Office PC's hard drive, so I guess that reimporting could be done.

One thing: I have my media files in several folders (for images and audio and video) but each is shared on the network.  I don't think this should affect your suggestions?

One more thing:  If I do this, I probably can't run both copies of MC at the same time (using the same database).  Or can I?

[raldo]

This is an interesting idea.  If I understand correctly, you're suggesting that I use the network path names for the files even on the computer (office PC) where they're located?  So that the HTPC can use exactly the same pathnames?

Yes.

The point being to update the video file locations in the PVD database?

Yes. So that PVD gets the same filenames with the \\[Computer Name]\[Share Name]  name convention.

(I use windows home server, so all my media files are accessed via \\Server\[folder structure] )
 

Don't quite get the point here.  I thought if I moved files within MC that reimport would not be necessary?  But the files are all on the Office PC's hard drive, so I guess that reimporting could be done.

Moving the files within MC would be fine as that preserves database locations. It may take a long time, though. If you test on a few files, make sure the moved files follow the \\[Computer Name]\[Share Name] convention. I don't think it should be a problem to have different [share name]s

One thing: I have my media files in several folders (for images and audio and video) but each is shared on the network.  I don't think this should affect your suggestions?

I don't think so either.

One more thing:  If I do this, I probably can't run both copies of MC at the same time
(using the same database).  Or can I?

I think you can. I've never done it on different computers, only two instances of mc on one computer.

[pwantzel]

Moving the files within MC would be fine as that preserves database locations. It may take a long time, though.

I guess Windows is going to think the files are moving to a different disk, so it will actually copy the files, instead of just updating the directory (like it would normally with a move in the same partition).  So you're right, it could take a while.  I guess I could reimport most of the files, and only move where it's really necessary (like for files without internal (or sidecar) storage of tag information).  What other "tricks" were you thinking of?

I can see that this would be a multi-step and fairly complicated process.  So I should do it on COPIES of the MC and PVD database files.

[raldo]

I guess Windows is going to think the files are moving to a different disk, so it will actually copy the files, instead of just updating the directory

Exactly.

What I was thinking of goes as follows:
o Backup your MC DB before you start
o In mc menu\tools\options\library&folders\fixbrokenlinks ----> set to yes (protect network files) This means that missing files aren't removed from the library
o Rename all top level folders in the file structure where media is found so that MC cannot find the files!
o When you've done this, you can do a search and replace on the [filename] field in MC, so that all filepaths follow the \\[computer]\[sharename] convention. Since the files cannot be found, MC cannot move the files.
o Rename the folders back to their original name.

[pwantzel]

(i) Share your media folder on your LAN. The Music folder can be accessed from both PCs via \\[Computer Name]\[Share Name]
(iii) In MC, move files to \\[Computer Name]\[Share Name] .

Can't get this to work.  When I import a directory "\\[Computer Name]\[Share Name]" on the computer where it exists it actually uses the local file name in the library.  So when I use this library on the other PC it (of course) can't find it.

Help?

[raldo]

When I import a directory "\\[Computer Name]\[Share Name]" on the computer where it exists it actually uses the local file name in the library.  So when I use this library on the other PC it (of course) can't find it.

I just tested this at home: I shared the folder c:\test\movies and named the share "Movies". In MC i imported a single folder (tools\import\"import single folder") and entered \\Dionysus\Movies as the import folder. Dionysus is my computer's name. After the import, the [Filename] of "Cold Souls.avi" was "\\Dionysus\Movies\Cold Souls.avi"

Similarly, in PVD I i selected tools\"Scan folders ..." and selected \\Dionysus\Movies by navigating to the share in my local network, *not* the local file system! The file imported into PVD with the same filename as in MC.

Both MC and PVD are located on the same machine, in c:\"program files"

[maid]

Hi guys,

I am also trying to get help using the PVD plugin.

Mine keep telling me it cant find the file in MC

My system is networked, I tag in the office My HTPC is in the lounge with the library and folders.

I have tried setting up the plugin on both machines and still the plugin tell me it cant find the file in MC.

I can play the files from either MC or PVD.

Cheers

[pwantzel]

I finally got MC to use the network path names for all the files.  Now the same database works on both computers.  It turns out what was happening is the following:

When I selectd "My Network Places" in Windows to select the share name(s) to import, I was using the list of sharenames on all nodes of my network that displays.  When I selected a share from there, it did not insert this name into the database; it translated it to the local pathname.  When I selected instead "Whole Network" and navigated down to the proper share location one step at a time, it did properly insert the network path name.  I guess this is a Windows thing??

Still working on PVD.  So far I can't get it to change the name.  It might still be a Regex problem with the file name, which I had to fight for many hours to get to work in the first place.  How do I see in PVD what filename it assigns to a given movie?  I have been changing something, then exiting PVD and running MC and trying it, to see if the name is found in PVD.  This is a hassle to say the least!

[rick.ca]

So far I can't get it to change the name.

What happens when you scan the share where the movies are located? Doesn't it detect the changed file paths? If you just changed the location of the whole set of files (from local to network pathnames), then it seems to me the same regex should work.

How do I see in PVD what filename it assigns to a given movie?

The Scan folders... routine presents a confirmation dialog showing how the files have been matched to existing movies. Afterwards, the filename is shown in the File Path field.

[pwantzel]

I found the basic problem.  I had imported into PVD in a test database I made for that purpose, but had not changed MC to use that database.  When I changed this, the PVD information imported correctly.

I would still like to understand these other questions, though.

What happens when you scan the share where the movies are located?

Nothing.

The Scan folders... routine presents a confirmation dialog showing how the files have been matched to existing movies

I see no confirmation dialog.

Afterwards, the filename is shown in the File Path field.

The "File Path" field shows (when in edit mode) but there's never anything in it!

[rick.ca]

I would still like to understand these other questions, though.

Your first two observations are consistent with all the files found matching existing movies. If all the movies are correctly imported to MC, this must be the case.

I've never heard of the File Path field not displaying its contents. Please post a description of the problem in the PVD forum so we can investigate. Tell us what happens if you add the file using Add video files or enter the file directly into the field.