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[chrisjj]

I was hoping auto-import was automatic i.e. it continuously monitored the target folders. But here (XP SP2) changes to the folders are not picked up unless I do run auto-import myself.

So... is auto-import supposed to run automatically?

No answer would in the wiki, where the topic http://wiki.jrmediacenter.com/index.php/Import_Files is apparently years out of date.

Thanks.

[Mr ChriZ]

I was hoping auto-import was automatic i.e. it continuously monitored the target folders.

It should be, you sometimes have to press refresh on a view.

[JimH]

I was hoping auto-import was automatic i.e. it continuously monitored the target folders. But here (XP SP2) changes to the folders are not pickedup unless I do run auto-import myself.

So... is auto-import supposed to run automatically?

It is.  It does work.  It may take a few minutes.  Double check your settings.

[chrisjj]

> It is.  It does work.

Great! Thanks.

> It may take a few minutes.

Meaning it takes a few minutes between checks?

[Vocalpoint]

Chris,

I was also baffled a bit by how this works. It seems it does work if you wait long enough but there are still issues with some of the auto-import settings - particularly for me - the Analyze Audio item.

For the past year or so - I have had Auto Import on along with the usual options. I really like the ReplayGain that MC puts into the file metadata and I thought Auto Import would take care of that - automatically - but after dealing with my two main libraries for a long while - I was still finding tracks that were not analyzed...even months after being placed into the main library location and presumably having Auto Import run against them - since it was on all ther time.

However - after struggling a bit with that - and getting my head blown off by rogue tracks with no volume leveling metadata applied - what I do now is:

1. Turn Auto Import off - for all libraries
2. Run Auto Import manually
3. Run Analyze Audio manually.

This works perfectly and ensures that all tracks are correctly processed in real time.

Cheers!

VP

[chrisjj]

Thanks VP, but my problems comes before Analyse.

I'm finding there are a number of issues here: My initial test was

1) using a library on a SUBST drive - MC may have problems there
2) deleting a playlist - MC fails to spot this
3) deleting a tag frame - again MC fails to spot this. Anyone know a workaround?

Now, a test on C: by adding a WMA file does succeed, albeit with a mysterious delay, suggesting MC is not using the Windows immediate FS change notify mechanism that you'd expect, but instead slowly polling. I'll have to work out the boundary of working fucntionailty and see if I can live inside it.

[Vocalpoint]

Now, a test on C: by adding a WMA file does succeed, albeit with a mysterious delay, suggesting MC is not ising the Windows immediate FS change notify mechanism that you'd expect, but instead slowly polling.

Trust me - there is some kind of "slow" polling going on. As I mentioned - I would prep some files..copy the folders to the library location (with MC running on another PC in that library) and with full Auto Import on...it certainly doesn't react right way...in most cases - I let 5 or 7 minutes go by and eventually all the new targets show up in the library...some analyzed - some not...some never.

Never saw any issues with playlists or tag frames (what exactly do you mean by that?) . However - after finding the issues that I mentioned earlier - I find a manually fired Auto Import forces everything into line - no matter if it's analyzing the files, removing targets, dead folders ...everything seems to work great using that method.

Cheers!

VP

[JimH]

Trust me - there is some kind of "slow" polling going on. As I mentioned - I would prep some files..copy the folders to the library location (with MC running on another PC in that library) and with full Auto Import on...it certainly doesn't react right way...in most cases - I let 5 or 7 minutes go by and eventually all the new targets show up in the library...some analyzed - some not...some never.

I wonder if the difference could be files you have imported by playing them.  MC has an option for this (whether to import on playback).

[Vocalpoint]

I wonder if the difference could be files you have imported by playing them.  MC has an option for this (whether to import on playback).

Jim,

Not sure on that. I can confirm that every single track is prepped, tagged etc without ever touching MC. This all happens on my main workstation. Once everything is in place - I simply do a bulk copy out to the server and then fire up MC locally and force an Auto Import...once the files are in the library - I run Analyze on the new entries as a group and then all PC's can playback the new tracks - taking advantage of the album art work, volume leveling etc. Works great.

Cheers!

VP

[chrisjj]

> I wonder if the difference could be files you have imported by playing them.

Thanks for the thought, but I have imported none by playing.

[JimH]

... I simply do a bulk copy out to the server and then fire up MC locally and force an Auto Import...once the files are in the library - I run Analyze on the new entries as a group ...

Audio analysis can be done during import.  But you're not doing that?

[Vocalpoint]

Audio analysis can be done during import.  But you're not doing that?

Correct. I did have it "on" for the longest time. But - I conducted a test recently (this would have been 14.0.140 or so). I copied 100 tracks in my library location and forced a "manual" import - including having Analyze Audio set to "on"...I timed this and it probably took a good 3-4 minutes (maybe more) to perform a full analysis and get everything set.

Conversely - if import the same 100 tracks...force an Auto Import with no Analyze on...the tracks appear in library immediately. Then I multi-select all the new targets and right click them and choose Analyze Audio - MC burns through the analysis on these 100 tracks in a minute or less...

Again I would have to test this again to get some hard facts...but the difference was significant...so that's how I do it now....

Cheers,

VP

[Alex B]

1) using a library on a SUBST drive - MC may have problems there

I use only substed local or mapped network drives. I use substed drives for creating my standard drive letters on any PC independently of the actual drive letters. I have not seen any problems. (Though I usually keep the background importer disabled and run auto-import by starting it manually.)

For instance, when I mount my two external media hard drives on my laptop I run four SUBST commands from a bat file. That creates the W:, X:, Y: and Z: drive letters that are referenced in my MC library.

When I use the same database on LAN I map the server shares and create the same W:, X:, Y:, and Z: letters.

2) deleting a playlist - MC fails to spot this

As discussed in the other threat, this is intentional, not a bug. You can request different functionality.

3) deleting a tag frame - again MC fails to spot this. Anyone know a workaround?

This is intentional, not a bug. MC doesn't constantly read the file tags and compare them with the database field values. It only imports all tag values if it is set to monitor changed files.

Also, the database fields don't have any stored attributes that could tell if the field originally existed in the file tags. One of the great things in MC is its capability to store all kinds of data in its database independently of the possibly existing support for physical file tags. (The tagging support varies greatly from a file type to another. Some can store any custom tags, some can store only certain tags and/or only limited tag values, and some cannot store tags at all.)

If you want use an external tagger a workaround could be to tag the files with a value like #remove# instead of removing the tag. Then you could use the Find and Replace tool for replacing all #remove# values in all tags in all files with nothing (i.e. use empty "Replace:" box in the tool's settings).

Now, a test on C: by adding a WMA file does succeed, albeit with a mysterious delay, suggesting MC is not ising the Windows immediate FS change notify mechanism that you'd expect, but instead slowly polling. I'll have to work out the boundary of working fucntionailty and see if I can live inside it.

I have seen some sluggishness in the background auto-importer. In addition to occasional slow detection of new files the automatic thumbnail creation can sometimes take very long (and I am not speaking about CPU intensive video thumbnailing, just standard audio importing).

Personally, I usually keep the background importer switched off and simply press the "Run Auto-Import Now" button on the top toolbar at a preferred time. (The button can be added there.)

[chrisjj]

> I use substed drives for creating my standard drive letters on any PC
> independently of the actual drive letters. I have not seen any problems.

That's good to know, since your SUBST setup is much like mine.

> This is intentional, not a bug.

Note: the docs disagree:

Update for external changes
If a file that is already in the library has been modified outside of Media Center, checking the box will update the library with the changes.

> MC doesn't constantly read the file tags and compare them with the database field values.

MC doesn't need to constantly. It needs to only when it detects file modification.

> It only imports all tag values if it is set to monitor changed files.

I thought "[X] Update for external changes" means it is set to monitor changed files. Is there another setting for this?

> Also, the database fields don't have any stored attributes that could tell if the field originally existed in the file tags.

Whoops. How it was expected to work as described then, goodness only knows!

> If you want use an external tagger a workaround could be ...

Thanks, but it is not so much a case of me using an external tagger, as me using MC as an external syncer. I really would prefer it to just take the data it is given, and me not have to change that data to flush its store of old data just because it has omitted to keep track of what data it entered v. I entered. Currently to do this I have to clear the Library, which of course defeats auto-import. If I cannot find an alternative then yes like you and quite a few people here I shall forego auto-import, and run it manually. I may anyway be forced to do that to workaround auto-imports non-deletion of old playlists, since I'll have to clear the entire list before every import.

Thanks again for your help!