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[Niacin]

Is there any way of permanently omitting tracks from being picked up in a Smartlist? I have a few soundtrack albums which I will never want to participate in any of my Smartlists. I have the best part of 100 Smartlists, using such criteria as Year =1665 or Decade = 70s, Rock only. These would obviously pick up tracks from the Soundtrack albums based on year or based on rules such as "not pop".

I would like to apply rules to certain albums/tracks such that they would be exempt from Smartlists. I cannot see any way of doing this and obviously I don't want to have to edit every existing Smartlist to put an exception in.

[rick.ca]

Exclude them from the view you use your smartlists in, and include them is some other view.

[Niacin]

Exclude them from the view you use your smartlists in, and include them is some other view.

I'm not sure what you are suggesting here Rick. What do you mean by "view" in this context? perhaps I don't understand how a "view" relates to the database?

[rick.ca]

"View" as in your primary Audio view. Select Customize View>Rules for file display and add rule to exclude the soundtrack albums. You could add a rule to exclude an "Exclude List" playlist, and then just add whatever you want excluded to that playlist.

[Niacin]

Sorry - I'm wanting to be spoon-fed here - how do you add a rule that will exclude something?

[rick.ca]

Spoon...

[glynor]

That's one way to do it (the Blacklist playlist method).

I rate them 1 star, which essentially means (for me): "Songs that I don't want included in any mixes."  I then exclude 1 star rated tracks from all of my various Smartlists, via the same method Rick used in the image above (instead choosing "Rating is not 1" as the rule).  My star ratings generally equate to:

1: Bad tracks that I want to keep for some reason (usually for "completeness" of an album, or mediocre quality live tracks).
2: Regular tracks (I consider this equal to "unrated")
3: Better than average tracks
4: Great tracks
5: The best songs of all-time

Since you can easily rate tracks from both within Theater View and from the playback scrub bar in Standard View, this makes it very easy to exclude stuff on the fly while you listen.  If a particular smartlist comes up with songs you don't like (and you don't want to just delete it), simply rate the song one star and then hit the next track button and it'll never return.

[Niacin]

Spoon...

Yes, that bit's straightforward - but where do I apply it? Does that have to be for the case view i.e. "Audio"? Or do I set up a new view with those advanced rules? Cos that looks like I have to apply it to everything which would mean editing a stock rule...which I'm reluctant to do (only through lack of confidence)

[MrC]

Any time you desire to test out how a view works, create a new one (under Audio in this situation).  Then, add, modify, and test until it meets your needs.

Take a look at

http://wiki.jriver.com/index.php/View_Schemes

but do note there are changes in MC since this was written.

Once you've become comfortable, you can overwrite the existing views as you see fit.

[glynor]

Nothing to do with views, really.  I mean, it can be, but you asked about Smartlists.  For those, simply edit the settings of the Smartlist itself.  Right click on the Smartlist in the tree, and choose Edit Smartlist.

[MrC]

Right, I got distracted.  But the same concept applies - copy and paste the smartlist to play with; work on the original once confidence is gained.

[rick.ca]

Yes, that bit's straightforward - but where do I apply it?

That's the dialog you'll see when you select Customize View>Rules for file display. There's no reason to be afraid of changing Rules for file display. All they do is filter the items in your library. If a change them doesn't produce the result you want, just change it back. They have no impact whatsoever on the contents of your library. Or do as MrC suggests—experiment on a copy or new view first.

I assume you're using your 100 smartlists with your main audio view. So if you don't want some files being selected by those smartlists, the exclusions would have to apply to that main view. You can create another special child view that does not exclude them, or includes only them, as you prefer. Either way, you would not select Use parent scheme rules for file display for that view. In other words, you would have a main view that excludes soundtrack albums, and a separate child view for "Soundtracks" or one for "All, including soundtracks."

For those, simply edit the settings of the Smartlist itself.

He doesn't want to edit his 100 smartlists.

I rate them 1 star, which essentially means (for me): "Songs that I don't want included in any mixes."  I then exclude 1 star rated tracks from all of my various Smartlists, via the same method Rick used in the image above (instead choosing "Rating is not 1" as the rule).

I use that trick in a more global way. "Rating is not one star" is one of my Access Control rules. My access control is normally on, so I see no files in any views that have been rated one star. This allows me to rate anything one star and—poof—it disappears. As you say, it's very convenient for "on the fly" use—like when using Theatre View with a remote. Using Access Control has the advantage of not requiring the rule to be added to all applicable smartlists and Rules for file display. Whether it's applicable to this situation is a matter of preference. Having to turn it off to see soundtrack albums may not make any sense—unless you really hate them.

[glynor]

I use that trick in a more global way. "Rating is not one star" is one of my Access Control rules. My access control is normally on, so I see no files in any views that have been rated one star. This allows me to rate anything one star and—poof—it disappears. As you say, it's very convenient for "on the fly" use—like when using Theatre View with a remote. Using Access Control has the advantage of not requiring the rule to be added to all applicable smartlists and Rules for file display. Whether it's applicable to this situation is a matter of preference. Having to turn it off to see soundtrack albums may not make any sense—unless you really hate them.

That's a cool trick.  I think, personally, I prefer to see my whole library and just filter my few important lists, but that is certainly a good way to do it globally.  Very cool.

[glynor]

He doesn't want to edit his 100 smartlists.

Yeah, sorry... I read poorly.  

Do the same on the view.  Rick had it right, but consider the 1 star method instead of the blacklist playlist method.

Wait... How do you get a Smartlist into a view that you can filter without making a bunch of reference views under the "regular" part of the tree?  Playlist Groups can't be filtered like regular MC views.  I didn't think of this at first, because I don't use any "true" Smartlists for my "radio" like mixes.  I create them as Views under the Audio part of the tree, so that I can use panes to filter them, and filter them in groups like that.

[Niacin]

I'm trying not to be obtuse here!!!!

I thought..........that the views were just ways of displaying the entire collection - either in it's entirety or by applying filters - either way it's just a display.  I have already played with views to attain certain desired results. As I see it, any and all Playlists work on the collection independently. I didn't think that they had any relationship with a view. What is baffling me is if, as suggested by some, I amend a view, how does that have any bearing on what a playlist has access to? It'll still "see" all files, regardless of what a view displays! Phew!

[rick.ca]

You posted as I type, Niacin. You understand correctly. Sorry for the confusion.

Wait... How do you get a Smartlist into a view that you can filter without making a bunch of reference views under the "regular" part of the tree?

Oops! I had an uneasy feeling about this one, but it must have been too obvious...

You're absolutely right, playlists are completely separate from regular views, and cannot be configured in the same way. So I suppose the best answer is to simply change the smartlists to do what's desired (i.e., exclude soundtracks). But that begs another question that's been bothering me: Why 100 smartlists? Those lists can't be very smart if so many are necessary. I'd need a smartlist to help me chose which smartlist.

There is a way to incorporate a smartlists in a view—by adding a Search List Category to the view. A search list not one playlist, but a list of expressions, each one of which can be a smartlist. So in a Panes View, there would be a pane listing smartlists (actually, any kind of list or selection) from which one can (and only one) be chosen at any time. In a Categories View, they would appear as a category level—which I wouldn't consider as intuitive or easy to use. It would be difficult to maintain and impractical for a large number of smartlists, but I find it very convenient for frequently used ones. The screen shot shows how I use these in my main audio view.

[Niacin]

But that begs another question that's been bothering me: Why 100 smartlists? Those lists can't be very smart if so many are necessary. I'd need a smartlist to help me chose which smartlist.

I haven't stopped yet with all the smartlists! One of the main reasons I wanted to add computer based audio to my listening habits was this. I am big on nostalgia and for travelling back in time to certain periods from my youth. I always wanted to make playlists for a chosen set of years so that I could, in effect, replicate a radio station of any given year, playing all the hits as they happen. So, I have smartlists for each year between 1966 to 1976 (ish) where the genre is pop. I also have smartlists for each year where the genre isnot pop. I also have them for groups of years (e.g. 1967-68, 1968-76) and also for some periods where the genre is psych or psych and prog. there are also ones for decades - 60s, 70, etc etc
I also have smartlists for one particular genre, others for notable records labels, others for bootlegs, others for country of origin, some for country of origin during a set time period.
Some of the best smartlists are where I used to have an album which has never been released on CD but I am able to re-compile it by using digital copies.

It did take me a while to get a set structure to the smartlists. But then as they grow I suspect we all must change the way we file them. It would be particularly nice if we could have a directory structure, So I could have a playlist section called "Year" and then drill into that for the particular period.

[Niacin]

What I would like is a function to right-click, anywhere within the application - the album, a single track etc and have the ability to exclude from all playlists. I admit it's a little obscure and perhaps the developers would not deem it useful enough.

[rick.ca]

I haven't stopped yet with all the smartlists...

I think you might be getting a bit carried away with the use of smartlists. Using a Panes View, you can easily select files using any combination of Genre, Style, Year, Rating and any other criteria you might often use. That's probably quicker than finding the smartlist that does the same thing, and much more flexible.

...others for notable records labels, others for bootlegs, others for country of origin, some for country of origin during a set time period.

For this sort of thing—assuming these are too infrequently used to justify creating panes—you could use a Search List. That could include an item for excluding specific files from whatever selection you otherwise make (except for other searches in the list—only one can be selected).

I admit it's a little obscure and perhaps the developers would not deem it useful enough.

That's probably true. Have you considered the other solutions suggested? They seem equally effective to me.

[Niacin]

I think you might be getting a bit carried away with the use of smartlists. Using a Panes View, you can easily select files using any combination of Genre, Style, Year, Rating and any other criteria you might often use. That's probably quicker than finding the smartlist that does the same thing, and much more flexible.

I don't like the panes view - from an aesthetic point of view - it would also mean that I have to create a playlist each time I want a certain variable. How I have it at the moment is perfect - my many Smartlists are grouped together and can be found at a seconds notice. Let's face it, the Smartlists are there to serve and that's just what they are doing. I fully expect to create another 50 or so in the coming days, to flesh out my needs, as it were. As it stands I have a set standard of nomenclature for the lists and with that they are easily and quickly navigated. Hell, it's one of the best features of the software and one that led me here, having been overly disappointed with other applications.

[rick.ca]

...it would also mean that I have to create a playlist each time I want a certain variable.

Sorry, I have no idea what you mean by this. It seems to me that's what you're already having to do by shunning Panes View. I can select any Genre/Style(s) in any Year(s) of any Rating(s) and/or in any Billboard Top 100 list as fast as you can select a playlist. The advantage is not only that I don't have to create a playlist to do so, but that I can modify such a selection on the fly in any manner I choose. It seems to be a lot to give up for "aesthetic" reasons.

But, to each his own—and that's another thing to be appreciated about MC. I just want to be clear about the options available, for the sake of others reading this.

[Niacin]

Well you are using panes to create playlists on the fly - but each time you have to select the criteria. I use Smartlists to create a list that I want to use often. Once created I go down the list and select play - it takes a couple of seconds and three clicks to get to the list and another right-click to start playing. The whole point of using Smartlists extensively is to build up a wide selection of lists that I can play repeatedly. It's the navigating to the Smartlists section that takes the longest time in the process..

And I never said I shunned panes entirely. I have a certain number of pre-determined lists that I go to repeatedly. I am never going to want to modify a list on the fly whilst I am listening. Why do that when I am actually playing exactly what I have asked the app to do?

As you said - each to his own and this suits me down to the ground.