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[Urbanito]

I have a Sinology NAS server where I placed all my music files. It is connected to a router to whom I have my 3 Computers connected, each one with MC installed.
I mostly use my Laptop to listen to music and I created a library named NAS from where I import all my musics.
All the albums were tagued and with their covers prior to put them on the NAS.
To listen to miusic, I imported all the albums (not the content, just the covers and track names (sorry to not be more explicit, but I have done things right and I have all my albuns organized and I have excellent sound, without using my computers memory.
The problem comes when I go to another computer and about half of the covers are missing. Then. I go to each one and use get cover art from internet. On almost all cases I find the cover art, but it is a very time consuming task.
The worst happens when I come back to my Laptop and the cover art is missing from about half of the albums.
I am sure that I am doing something wrong and that MC have a way to solve this problem, but I don't know how.
I will be very thankfull if someone could explain how to solve this problem.
Joao

[Urbanito]

No one?

[Urbanito]

Help,please.

[InflatableMouse]

I don't have a clue, but I'm wondering where your MC library is located? Does each PC maintain its own library or did you share your MC libary via your NAS as well to each PC?

[MrHaugen]

You should use a library server, and connect other clients to this one. Using a laptop as a server might not be the best solution, because I guess you take this laptop out of the house sometimes? The server should be a computer you can always have turned on. At least the times you want to access the media.

IF you do use library server and clients today, and you update the cover art on the clients, those covers are deleted at next startup. You need to update cover art on the library server.

[eddyshere]

You should use a library server, and connect other clients to this one. (...)

MC for linux !! there are plenty of NAS & Synology's out there...

[Urbanito]

ThanksThank you very much for your support.
I was absent for a couple of days and just arrived.

1- My MC library is on the NAS and just on the NAS. I access it from my 3 computers, when I need to listen to music. Of course, I only use one at a time.
2-So, I don't use my laptop as a server, neither any of the other computers. My AS server is always switched on.
3-I keep updating my library, when I have more files to add, using my laptop, connected to the NAS, using the only way to connect to it.
4- When there is a problem like the one I am facing, I come back to my library and update it always from the same computer, just reposing the cover arts that were lost.

So, and at risk of repeating me, hen I listen to the music that is on the NAS server, using my laptop, everything is OK. If I go to my mane PC to listen to music, about half of the covers are not there anymore.
 in advance for more support.
Joao

[MrHaugen]

There is just a couple of reasons that I can think of.

1. Do you have the option "Update for external changes" so the other clients pick up the changes done?

2. Do you store the cover art inside the files, and/or as files with the albums? This was not totally clear from your description I think.
If you store the cover art as image files, you might have selected to store them in different folders. Perhaps locally. You need to have the same cover art directory on all clients. I only store inside files so I do not know for sure, but I think that you can store files next to the albums, in the files them self or in a specific cover art folder. All clients have to be pointing to the same location; a cover art directory on the share. If you do not store the cover in the files that is. I'm not sure what the Library field for the cover art was again. But check some tracks, and you might see some logical problems.

I'm not an expert on this field, so I'm making a lot of guesses here. But I guess it's better than no help at all

[Urbanito]

Thanks a lot:
You raised very interesting questions and I don't know if I understood them all.
1-Where is the option "Update for external changes" and how should it be?
2-I don't know were I do store the the cover art. How do I store them inside the files? May be I do, but I don't know. What I have is a folder on "my pictures where I have all my cover art. When I donīt get the cover art, I go to images (Google), find the cover art and save it on that folder. Once it is there, I go to the album where the cover art is not present, right click it and choose get from file (I guess).
Then, I double click the cover art and I accept it as the cover art for the particular album. Then it fixes on the album and it is done.
I am sorry, because my English was not good enough to explain the process and I may have confused you.
By way,the folder that I have on "MY Pictures"in one computer may not be exactly the same as I have on the other computer.
Please be patient and try to understand the mess I may have and the lack of knowledge. I had to learn by myself.
Kind regards
Joao

[MrHaugen]

Remember the search function in options. It could find most of what you need

Update tags when file info changes are an option under Edit. It got an check mark next to it, or not.
File Location and Cover art gives you the store options for the cover art. You can try to store inside the files here, or you can ensure that all clients point to the same location on the NAS.

I've mapped a share to my Z drive, and have all art work under a Cover Art folder on this drive. But because I store the art work inside the files, there are no cover art in my "Z:\Cover Art\Albums" folder.

When you store the cover art in the "My Picture" folder, this is a totally separate folder for each client. This might very well be the reason for your trouble.
Either 1: Store the cover art inside the files, or 2: select a Cover Art location that is the same for each clients, that point to the same share on a NAS

The third option would be to run a library server. That is a better option in the long run in my opinion. But that require that you have a computer that is on most of the time, and never leaves the home

[Urbanito]

Thank you very much for your assistance.
Due to the difference of hours, I can only reply now to your post.
I propose to go slowly and explore each option.
1.I have ticked (by default) "Update tags when file information changes".
2. There is also the possibility "Also store images in the files tag" . Shall I also tick this option?
3. Should I change the actual Folder Location: C:\Users\Joao Urbano\Pictures\a  where I have my cover art, for
   \\Diskstation\pictures\a (\\Diskstation\music is the address of my NAS for the music files)-and use this location instead of the first one?

Kind regards

Joao

[InflatableMouse]

Maybe I'm mistaken but I don't think its a good idea to place your library on a NAS share and access it with multiple clients.

If I were you I would either use a home server running MC that can share its library to clients or have each client maintain its own local library and enable 'Update tags when file info changes' under Edit as MrHaugen suggests. You can store cover art in the tags too so these get picked up automatically on all clients.

The main reason I think for your cover art to dissapear is because its not stored in the tags currently and you're storing them locally. So on the other client MC gets confused because things have changed but it can't load the changes properly.

[Urbanito]

Thank you very much for your support.
So far I didn't have problems related to the NAS server. So, I am tempted to keep it.
I already ticked "also store cover art in the files tag", but I don't know if MC will do it for the several files that I already have, or if I have to do anything to apply this to the files already existing.
Could you explain?

Thanks in advance.

Kind regards  Joao

[MrHaugen]

I do not think Urbanito has the actual MC library on a NAS, but rather that he have a local library for each client that access the Media on the NAS. Or am I mistaken? If you somehow have managed to configure the location of the library to a place on the NAS, and accesses this now an then from different clients, I would strongly suggest you to stop that. I can't believe this is a good solution.

Remember that a NAS is far from a server. It's a network attached storage device. It's for storage only. As long as JRiver does not do something like porting the server part to be run on Linux OS based NAS', you'll still need a server or client to access the media. If you have a computer you can use as a server, I would suggest doing that. It will limit your problems (at least some of them), and it will open a lot of different features and options.

If you still want to run each client with it's local library and access the same media on all clients, I would suggest that you set the cover art location to a NAS share (the same on all clients), AND select the Store in file tags. So, the answer for these would be:

2. There is also the possibility "Also store images in the files tag" . Shall I also tick this option?
3. Should I change the actual Folder Location: C:\Users\Joao Urbano\Pictures\a  where I have my cover art, for
   \\Diskstation\pictures\a (\\Diskstation\music is the address of my NAS for the music files)-and use this location instead of the first one?

2. Yes. The files will increase, but the cover art should stick
3. Yes. I would do that as well. On all clients. Point to the same location.

[NickF]

I propose to go slowly and explore each option.
1.I have ticked (by default) "Update tags when file information changes".
2. There is also the possibility "Also store images in the files tag" . Shall I also tick this option?
3. Should I change the actual Folder Location: C:\Users\Joao Urbano\Pictures\a  where I have my cover art, for
   \\Diskstation\pictures\a (\\Diskstation\music is the address of my NAS for the music files)-and use this location instead of the first one?

I agree that the simplest and most reliable solution is to store the cover art in the music files.  I assume you would need this option set on each of your instances of MC.

For option 3, I think you need to use the correct folder naming.  Set this up in Tools > Options > File Location > Cover Art.  The top level folder name should be Cover Art.  Your music covers should be in a folder inside Cover Art named Albums.  This can be on the NAS.  Again, you would need to set this up on each instance of MC.

I agree that it would be simpler to have one of your PCs acting as a library server.  It doesn't need to hold your music files but it would give you one place where your music is organised and tagged.  Your other instances of MC would access and use that library.  They would need to be given access using the Access Key from the library server.

Nick.

[Urbanito]

To Mr. Haugen:
I have to clarify the word library:
Previous to have the NAS, I had all my files and MC on my Laptop. I assumed that the library was composed by the files, tag information, etc.
After a wile, i created another library on my PC, exactly with the same files and another MC license. It worked fine.
Ripping more and more CD to my MC, I begun to miss disc space. One of our MC fellows, suggested me to purchase a NAS, acting just as a server (not using any of the software that comes with it). I kept my library on the Laptop, just in case, until I learned and feel confident with the NAS.
Keeping MC on the PC (never on the NAS), I created another library named DISKSTATION and deleted the one I had on the PC. Then I instructed MC to import form the AS, not the files, but just the disc images (cover arts) and the functionalities to organize my albums and play them. It was also very successful. I had to create another library, named DISKSTATION where all my albums on the NAS were accessed.
Just when I deleted my original Library from my Laptop and connected it to the NAS, I started to loose cover art. If I had all cover arts on the Laptop and went to the PC and oppened MC, I saw that a lot of Cover Art was missing. I used "get cover art from the internet" and recovered all cover art.
But when I went back to the Laptop, a bunch of cover art was missing.
Then, I asked for HELP.
Does this explanation clarifies things? t least that I just have a Library, that it is on the NAS and I acssess it from several computers havinh MC installed?
I even acssessed my NAS from the outside using the NET, an URL and a passwrd supplied by MC.
Kind regards,
Joao

[NickF]

I have to clarify the word library:
Previous to have the NAS, I had all my files and MC on my Laptop. I assumed that the library was composed by the files, tag information, etc.

We will continue to have confusion with this definition.  The MC Library does not include the media files.  It contains metadata (tags or fields which describe the files).

After a wile, i created another library on my PC, exactly with the same files and another MC license. It worked fine.

Here, I assume you mean you copied the media files from the Laptop to the PC.  You also created a MC Library with the same information about those files as you had on the Laptop.

Ripping more and more CD to my MC, I begun to miss disc space. One of our MC fellows, suggested me to purchase a NAS, acting just as a server (not using any of the software that comes with it). I kept my library on the Laptop, just in case, until I learned and feel confident with the NAS.

Here, you still had the files and the original MC Library on the Laptop but you copied the media files to he NAS.

Keeping MC on the PC (never on the NAS), I created another library named DISKSTATION and deleted the one I had on the PC. Then I instructed MC to import form the AS, not the files, but just the disc images (cover arts) and the functionalities to organize my albums and play them. It was also very successful. I had to create another library, named DISKSTATION where all my albums on the NAS were accessed.

I assume DISKSTATION is an MC Library name.  You deleted your original MC Library.  It isn't clear what you imported.  You say "just the disc images".  Were these folder.jpg files in the same music Album folders?  If you didn't import the audio files, what was the purpose of this library?  I think you should have imported the audio file information and chosen not to ignore the folder.jpg files.

You then say you created another library called DISKSTATION.  Is this another MC Library?  It sounds as though you imported the audio files into this one.  You didn't say whether you also included cover art files.

 
Just when I deleted my original Library from my Laptop and connected it to the NAS, I started to loose cover art.

You haven't said how you set up your MC Library on the Laptop.  Is it the same as the PC?  If so, we don't really know what info you have imported.  If you didn't import the cover art into the same library as your audio files, it probably isn't surprising.

If I had all cover arts on the Laptop and went to the PC and oppened MC, I saw that a lot of Cover Art was missing. I used "get cover art from the internet" and recovered all cover art.
But when I went back to the Laptop, a bunch of cover art was missing.

You seem to have set up separate MC Libraries on the Laptop and MC.  These won't be synchronised so changes you make on one won't appear on the other.

I suggest you rethink this setup.  

Is the PC always on?  If so, I suggest you make this your MC Library Server.

Decide whether you want to store your cover art in the files.  If so, you will need to do this one Album at a time.  If you want to store them in a Cover Art folder, set this up on the PC then select all your files in MC and get the art from the Internet.  This will be stored in the Cover Art/Albums folder.

On your Laptop,  choose to load a new library and enter the Access Key from MC on your PC.

I hope this helps.

Nick.

[MrHaugen]

To Mr. Haugen:
I have to clarify the word library:
Previous to have the NAS, I had all my files and MC on my Laptop. I assumed that the library was composed by the files, tag information, etc.
After a wile, i created another library on my PC, exactly with the same files and another MC license. It worked fine.
Ripping more and more CD to my MC, I begun to miss disc space. One of our MC fellows, suggested me to purchase a NAS, acting just as a server (not using any of the software that comes with it). I kept my library on the Laptop, just in case, until I learned and feel confident with the NAS.
Keeping MC on the PC (never on the NAS), I created another library named DISKSTATION and deleted the one I had on the PC. Then I instructed MC to import form the AS, not the files, but just the disc images (cover arts) and the functionalities to organize my albums and play them. It was also very successful. I had to create another library, named DISKSTATION where all my albums on the NAS were accessed.
Just when I deleted my original Library from my Laptop and connected it to the NAS, I started to loose cover art. If I had all cover arts on the Laptop and went to the PC and oppened MC, I saw that a lot of Cover Art was missing. I used "get cover art from the internet" and recovered all cover art.
But when I went back to the Laptop, a bunch of cover art was missing.
Then, I asked for HELP.
Does this explanation clarifies things? t least that I just have a Library, that it is on the NAS and I acssess it from several computers havinh MC installed?
I even acssessed my NAS from the outside using the NET, an URL and a passwrd supplied by MC.
Kind regards,
Joao

Yes. That explains that you think a MC library is a mix of tags, media and other things. It's understandable that there can be confusion of the terms. There's lot's of confusion here. I'm not that sure NickF is totally on the page here. I'll summarize the terms:

1. MC Library is the database with all the information about the Media. This is normally located under the users folder and the hidden App data or something? Moving this to another folder or f.eks. a NAS is possible, but it's not gonna run great over a network I think.
2. You have your Media Files as well as Cover art on the NAS. This is totally normal and sort of a best practice for bigger libraries.
3. The thumbnails that MC create based on the Cover art (on the NAS) are stored locally in the user folder. It's most often those that are viewed in MC.

This is what's going on:
You have a different local library on several clients, that access the same media. Even though the libraries are different, most tags are "synced" because you have the "Update for external tag changes..." marked. This should not be a huge problem, even though it is somewhat safer to use a Server Library and sync, and you loose some functionality. You should consider, as NickF says, to run a library server. It would help you in several ways. Anyway; if you insist on doing it this way..

What you do is that you change the cover art option to "Store in a specific location as well as inside files". Then you change the cover art directory on all the clients to: "\\DISKSTASJON\Cover Art"
Download and update one cover art for one album, and see how MC stores the file. It will probably be something like "\\DISKSTASJON\Cover Art\Album\Artist - Album Name.jpg"

Then you can import all your current cover art from the old folder to MC. Then use the "Rename, Move and Copy tool" on them. Set the base path to "\\DISKSTASJON\Cover Art\Album\" and set the file name rules so it matches what MC need.

Go to Options and search for Build or Thumbanails. Start the process of building the thumbnails on all clients. This often takes some time. Especially for video. When this is done, all cover art should be perfectly fine, and changes to one cover art should be reflected to other clients.

[Urbanito]

Thanks a lot.
I have just returned home and need some time to "digest" all the information and concepts you both gave me.
So, I beg you that time but, even now, I think there are several things that I don't understand, reflecting my lack of MC knowledge, witch is my main problem.
Anyway, I will be very grateful if you could enter in my computer to try to understand and solve my problem.
Since I don't pay phone calls after 9 PM, London time, it will be intersting if you accept to give me your phone number in order to have voice contact during the "lesson".
Kind regards,
Joao

[NickF]

Thanks a lot.
I have just returned home and need some time to "digest" all the information and concepts you both gave me.
So, I beg you that time but, even now, I think there are several things that I don't understand, reflecting my lack of MC knowledge, witch is my main problem.

Don't worry, Joao, I am still learning!  Just ask your questions and we will do our best to answer them.

Nick.

[Urbanito]

Thanks again to Mr. Haugen and Nick F.

Trying to explain better the situation, let me explain again and, I hope, On a more clear way.

1- I am in full agreement with Mr.Haugen definition of Library. It is how I understand it.

2- Before purchasing the NAS, I had my Library on the default MC "main Library". The files were stored on Windows "My Music", after I ripped my CDs using MC. Then, I used the Import button, configuring Auto Import, to import the albums (not the files) to my MC Library. Most of the times the information available in the CDs was correct but other times the Cover Art an other information was missing.
For the Cover Art I used "Images" and when the cover art was found, I use to send it to a Folder created on "my pictures" in the form of JPEGS.
This was the source to find the missing Cover Arts and to "glue" them on the albums.
I started to do this in my Laptop. Later on, I backed up all my music files on an external hard disk and putted them on my PC, after installing MC. I did the same with this computer as with my Laptop, using the import button to have the albums in the "main library". Everything was very smooth, except that I was using the Laptop to rip more and more CDs and it was quite hard to keep the PC library up to date.
At a certain point, I had no more disk space and I considered the idea of using the PC, with 1TB of memory as my server, but it was necessary to keep it on all the time and I didn't like the idea and the electricity consumption will be quite high.

3- Than came the idea of purchasing a NAS and a fellow from MC even suggested me the model to purchase and helped me, with the seller, to set it up.
Since it was not possible nor desirable to install MC on the NAS, it was used as a storage device and just this, where my music files will be stored as they were before on Windows "My Music". The NAS was connected to my Router through a Gigabyte cable and. from the router was created a network, connecting all my computers (3), either by cable, either wireless.

4- My first step was to transfer all my music files to the NAS (very simple to do) from my Laptop.
   Then I had to create another library on the Laptop (I gave it the name "DISKSTATION") and using the same method, I imported the albums (not the files) to the new library.
Since some of the cover art was missing, I used the same way to get it, using the same Folder created on "My Pictures", of my Laptop, where I had (still have) all my cover art.
It was fine and I could play my music without any flaws.

5- The next step was to use my PC the same way. This was simpler, since I already had all the files on the NAS. I created a new library and imported the albums(I call them albums, since the files were not imported).
Everything went well, except that I was missing a lot of cover arts. I corrected the situation, updating all the cover arts and also creating a Folder for them in "MY Pictures".
When I got back to the Laptop, the Cover Arts were missing there.

6- I didn't create a folder on the NAS with the Cover Arts and the problem may be there.

I am sorry to take so many time of yours and expect the kindness of more support, now with more knowledge of my situation.

Best regards

Joao

[NickF]

Joao,

Your problem is only about Cover Art.  I think we have given you the options to solve it.  You have two options:

• Store the cover art in the file tags.  This is recommended by JRiver.  With this solution, it doesn't matter how many PCs you have with MC.  When a MC Library is created, it will find the art in the files.  It is also useful when you copy the files to portable storage or music players so the player can display the art for each track.  MC must be set up to store the art in the music file tag for new rips.
   
• Store the cover art files in a folder on the NAS where all PCs and copies of MC can find them.  You must name the folder correctly and set up each copy of MC to find that folder.  You must also name the files correctly.  For new rips, MC must be set up to store the cover art in this folder.

Read the wiki page on Cover Art here: http://wiki.jriver.com/index.php/Cover_Art

Nick.

[Urbanito]

Thanks Nick.
Can you explain how do I store the cover art in the file tags? It was not very understandable for me the wiki "instructions"?
Thank you in advance

Kind regards

Joao

[MrHaugen]

If you want help, it's about time you try to do what we've suggested multiple times. If you run into problems then ask questions, but I will not wast my time writing the answers again if you don't want to follow them. I've already given you a suggestion as to how you can solve this.

What you do is that you change the cover art option to "Store in a specific location as well as inside files". Then you change the cover art directory on all the clients to: "\\DISKSTASJON\Cover Art"
Download and update one cover art for one album, and see how MC stores the file. It will probably be something like "\\DISKSTASJON\Cover Art\Album\Artist - Album Name.jpg"

Then you can import all your current cover art from the old folder to MC. Then use the "Rename, Move and Copy tool" on them. Set the base path to "\\DISKSTASJON\Cover Art\Album\" and set the file name rules so it matches what MC need.

Go to Options and search for Build or Thumbanails. Start the process of building the thumbnails on all clients. This often takes some time. Especially for video. When this is done, all cover art should be perfectly fine, and changes to one cover art should be reflected to other clients.

Most options can be found with the search box in the Options window. Good luck.

[NickF]

Joao,

Just adding a little detail to what MrHaugen has said:

• On one of your PCs, set up the cover art location by going to Tools > Options > File Location > Cover Art > Audio Mode and click on the down arrow.  Click on In a specified folder".  Below this, select the option to define the folder location and use the pop up window to browse to the location of your NAS Pictures folder.  Use the "Make New Folder" button and create a folder called "Cover Art".  Click OK.  Check the option "Also store image in the file's tag.  Click OK to close Options.
• in Audio > Albums, choose one album with the art missing and right click and select "Cover Art" then Add from file" and browse to your Pictures folder where you have your cover art stored now and select the correct art file.  MC should store this in each of the album music files and in the new Cover Art folder inside a folder called Albums.
• Check this has worked by closing MC then re-opening.
• Now open MC on one of your other PCs and set the Cover Art location as above.
• Go to File > Library > Import and select "Run auto-import now".  The cover art you set up should show.

If this has worked, you need to repeat this for each album.

Let us know how you get on.

Edit: note that MrHaugen has suggested using "Rename, move copy" tool to copy the art files to the new folder.  What is the format of your art file names in your current Pictures folder?

@ MrHaugen - if Joao does this, how do the cover art images get stored in the tags?  I haven't tried this myself.

Nick.

[Urbanito]

Mr. Haugen:
With all respect, please give me permission to follow the NAS way and, if you can and/or have the knowledge, please help me. But consider that the future is on NAS solutions and not to have a PC dedicated to be a server. It is expensive and doesn't have the flexibility of a NAS. There must be a solution to deal with the cover art with a NAS solution and it is for that that I am asking for support.
Anyway, thank you very much for your support and be sure that I don't want to waist your valuable time.
Kind regards

Joao

[Urbanito]

Nick:
Thanks a lot.
Let me try your proposal and I will come back with the results.
Kind regards,

Joao

[MrHaugen]

Oh my god. If you actually read my suggestion you have a simple yet functional solution (I think) as how to set it up your way. WITH NAS. I've never ever given you instruction of how to use a library server. This is just a question of setting a couple of options right, updating the files from library and updating the library from the files, perhaps change the location and naming of the pictures and BAM.

Do not expect me to answer more in this thread. This is just to much...

[eddyshere]

Am following this thread and am also impressed by the patience Mr. Haugen had.
Joao, you need to understand some basics regarding tagging. All recommendations given to you during this thread are absolutely correct. From what I see your setup is a little bit confused right now regarding cover art.

Don't know if you are aware of it but understand that cover art gets stored in the audio file (tag). All audio files (flac, mp3 etc...) do this even .wav (where it is not genuinely included).
When you import an audio file into MC, MC reads the cover art stored in your audio file first. If there's no cover art it will search for an image file in the directory (for example folder.jpg) of your audio file. Also MC stores cover art in a separate directory (but this you shouldn't care as long as your audio file holds the cover art inside (tag).

you have issues because most likely your audio files are not properly tagged and by each time you update cover arts from one of your pc's it somehow messes up the others that's why you have cover arts missing here and there depending on which PC you are.


If I can give you a practical recommendation I would just start all over again :

1. Your music files are all stored on the NAS.
2. Delete all MC Libraries you have on your PC's. (CAREFULL just delete the library and not your audio files)
3. Take your laptop and make a new library.
4. Import (point to your audio files) your files from the NAS.
5. Identify which files have cover art missing
6. To be perfectly sure switch to windows explorer + use a special tagging software (I use mostly DBpoweramp : this will allow you to click on the "bad" audio file from windows explorer and see/edit all the tags in the file) - see. example.jpg.
7. Correct the tags of the files which are wrongly coded (with DB-Poweramp under ID-Tag).
8. Delete your library again (CAREFULL...not the files)
9. Run through points 3-4 again on your three computers.

Now all your audio files are correctly tagged, the 3 MC libraries will all display the correct cover arts and you will no longuer have a mess.

  

[MrHaugen]

That's an extremely ineffective and risky method, when it could all be done in minutes with MC.

[eddyshere]

@mrHaugen : Agreed but maybe it helps him understand as the understanding is the "weak spot" right now. Actually was impressed by your patience but had to smile when I read your "...over and out" posting

[Urbanito]

Eddy:
Him has a name and deserves respect.
So, please, either you can and want to help, or you want to cause trouble.
This him is the proud CEO of a big University Hospital and a consultant for the World Bank and he is not used to be treated like a thing. At least you used him and not it.
You are not welcome to my threat.
Regards,
Joao

Mr. Haugen:
I know that your proposed solution works fine. I already had it in place, but my computer staff told me that the use of a NAS is the future.
And MC also supports the idea. Please ask Scolex about.
I am very sorry of not going to your proposal, but everything is working, but the Cover Art issue. It is for solving it that I am asking for support.

Kind regards

Joao

[MrHaugen]

Please stop saying that Urbanito. I know I mentioned moving to a library server setup, but that is not what the instructions was for. The instructions I gave was for YOUR setup as it is TODAY. Please understand that, or I will go nuts. I'll try AGAIN:

What you do is that you change the cover art option to "Store in a specific location as well as inside files". Then you change the cover art directory on all the clients to: "\\DISKSTASJON\Cover Art"
Download and update one cover art for one album, and see how MC stores the file. It will probably be something like "\\DISKSTASJON\Cover Art\Album\Artist - Album Name.jpg"

Then you can import all your current cover art from the old folder to MC. Then use the "Rename, Move and Copy tool" on them. Set the base path to "\\DISKSTASJON\Cover Art\Album\" and set the file name rules so it matches what MC need.

Go to Options and search for Build or Thumbanails. Start the process of building the thumbnails on all clients. This often takes some time. Especially for video. When this is done, all cover art should be perfectly fine, and changes to one cover art should be reflected to other clients.

Try this and then leave this thread dead. Ask concrete questions if you enter problems, in a NEW thread. This thread only serves as bad example of written communication can be troublesome.

By the way, eddyshere is not here to cause trouble. He just shares my view that this is getting a bit ridiculous, but he still tries to help you. So, do not let the blame on him please. I will not write another sentence before you show some willingness in trying what's been suggested.

[Urbanito]

Mr. Haugen:
I agree with you that the communication is not going well. For the part that is of my responsibility, I am very sorry sorry. I owe special apologies to Eddyeshere, since I didn't read his post trying to help me. Looking back, he gave me a very clear explanation, the one I now understand best.
Eddy, please forgive me. I am ashamed of myself for the rudeness of my comment.
To Mr Haugen again:
I wanted to do what you suggest, but, surely due to my bad English understanding, I can't do what you are proposing.
You say that I store my files in a specific location as well as inside files.
What I was doing before was to store the cover art in a specific location. I never changed the Cover Art directory to: "\\DISKSTATION\Cover Art". It is still on "C:\Users\Joao Urbano\Pictures\a". a is the name of the folder where I keep all cover art.
The same directory is on the main PC, but the content may be different, since when I miss some albums cover art, I search it and put it on that folder. So, the content of both places is not necessary the same.
I don't understand what follows. How do I do what you are sugesting? Could you explain on a step by step process? I think that this will be the only way for me to accomplish your instructions.
I am asking you a bit more of patience.

I appologize again for the confusion I am creating and specially for my unscusable rudness to Eddy.

Kind regards,

Joao

[MrHaugen]

I'm probably gonna regret this....
You have to use the search in options window. This would help you find most, if not all, of the things I've mentioned. I used the words "this is what you need to do". Not what do you do today? I've been told that many times, and it really does not matter much. If you wish to solve this you have to do something about it. Not explain more.

You go to this options and change or do what I write. Start with the PC and library you normally download cover art from.

1. File - Library - Backup Library

2. Go to your Cover art directory and COPY those to another folder. Do not move them.

3. Options -> File Location - Cover Art
Audio mode: In  a specific folder
Folder: "C:\Users\Joao Urbano\Pictures\a"
- Check the box for "Also store image in the file's tag

4. Right click after selecting all albums, and select "Quick find in File/Cover art directory"

5. If there is album covers missing, you'll have to paste the local images to the tracks, or right click and get thumbnail from the built in downloader.


Once all is tagged.... Do the following:

6. Options -> File Location - Cover Art
- Audio mode: In  a spesific folder
- Folder: \\DISKSTATION\Cover Art\
You'll have to create the "Cover Art" directory on the share

7. Right click all the selected tracks and choose Cover Art - Save cover art to external location specified in options

8. In MC, select all your audio tracks and right click. Choose Library Tools and then
- Update tags (from Library) and then..
- Update library (from tags)
This will make SURE that the files are containing all the right tags, and that the library are updated from the file tags. I'm sure this is not necessary, but still...

Your one client should now be 100% working, as long as another client don't ** it up. It should be safe to delete the old cover art location, but make sure you keep a backup just to be sure. Also check that the new cover art directory on your NAS looks ok.

Now you need to change the setting on the other clients as well. I would have taken a backup of the settings in the main library and restored this backup with setting to the other clients. But you might have some different settings on them, which will cause more work for you. In that case, do the following.

9. ToolsOptions -> File Location - Cover Art
Audio mode: In  a spesific folder
Folder: "\\DISKSTATION\Cover Art\"
- Check the box for "Also store image in the file's tag

10. In MC, select all your audio tracks and right click. Choose Library Tools - Update library (from tags)

11. Tools - Options- Tree & View - Thumbnails - Build missing thumbanils

In the case the old library is causing problems, and the libraries on the different clients should be identical, you could delete the library and import the files again. That would probably be the easiest.


If this instructions are not clear enough, I seriously need help from someone else. Because I can't spoon feed you more than this

[eddyshere]

@Joao: No problem   . no need to be ashamed for your comment. i suppose we all are here to help as this is an amazing piece of software. As MrHaugen said he gave you advice to solve your issue in and with MC. He knows MC way more and better than me. I only tried to give you another way to do it as reading through your questions I sensed that you hadn't integrated some basics. I'm happy to see that you could take some understanding out of it.
Also please don't take the "him" in my last post as disrespectful. That was at no time the intention.

So we are all good.

Joao you should have all to succeed with your library. Looking at the last post of MrHaugen you really have a perfect tailor made step by step guidance.

[Urbanito]

Eddy:
Thank you very much for your generosity.

Mr. Haugen:
Your work and support was fantastic. Thank you very much for that and you will not go to regret, I promised.
There is one of the steps that I don't understand:on 6 you say that I have to create the "Cover Art" on the share. What does "on the share" means? How do I create that directory?
I think I can deal with the other steps. If I find any problem I will come back to you.
Warm regards

Joao

[NickF]

There is one of the steps that I don't understand:on 6 you say that I have to create the "Cover Art" on the share. What does "on the share" means? How do I create that directory?

Joao,
He means on your NAS.  You can do this with Windows Explorer or when you set the location for your cover art in MC.  I explained this in my post earlier in this topic in the first bullet point here:
http://yabb.jriver.com/interact/index.php?topic=74053.msg502976#msg502976

Nick.

[Urbanito]

Hi everybody who helped me:

Many thanks to you. You were outstanding persons and were patient to keep helping even when I didn't deserved it, to my behaviour.
Please have in mind that even if I am quite fluent in English, wile speaking, there are a lot of words that I don't understand easely.
One of the things that I was told to do - to create a Cover Art on my NAS - I couldn't find how and only discovered that it was due to my Windows 7 was in Portuguese.
But, finally, I think I have succeeded in solving the Cover Art problem, with your support.
Thank you again and if I will face more problems I will come back.

My warmest regards

Joao

[NickF]

That's good news.  Well done, Joao.

Nick.