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[NuB]

Hello all,

Great product.  I am running out of patience adding and tagging my music library.  I would like to create a view on my server that is the default that I retrieve from my clients.  

Music and Video is located across four disks on the server.  Here are some examples of how my files are organized.  

My collection is organized as:

root1:/server folder/music/artist/artist - date
root2:/server folder/music2/artist/artist - date
root3:/server folder/video/artist/artist - date
root4:/server folder/video2/artist/artist - date

In foobar for example, I have the music, music2, video, video2 folders selected to be monitored and arrange the default view by "file structure".  

Is there an equivalent that can be done in JRiver to avoid tagging all of the contents.  

Many thanks, NuB

[Matt]

The stock Audio > Files view in MC is folder based.  You can browse using the tree or panes.  You can customize the starting base path.

You can create also create new views built on filename.  You want a 'File Path' category in the view.

[NuB]

Thank you.  I am looking now at the File List View. 

Customize View > View As "File List"

Would these options be in the "Settings" to configure?

I am very much an amateur at customizing J River, but would be more than happy to give it a try.   

[Matt]

Look at Audio > Files in the tree for an example.

If it's not there, reset views in Menu > View > Add View > Reset All Views

[glynor]

Do you want this for only audio files, video files, all file types mixed, or some other configuration?

[NuB]

I am following you so far.  The "Location" view pane is what I am really looking for. 

A picture is worth a thousand words, so here are a few test files in a new library that I am working with. 

It would be great to just have a list of the artists.  In the picture they are in two different boxes because they are on two separate disks. 

____

I would like to have the video mixed in at some point, but have more audio - so that's what I would like to figure out first. 

Thanks again, see attached

[Matt]

It would be great to just have a list of the artists.  In the picture they are in two different boxes because they are on two separate disks.

Then you could use Library Tools > Fill Properties From Filename to fill the artist.

After that, create an Artist category instead of a file location category.

[NuB]

Most of my recordings don't have any tags, so I'm kind of out of luck to use the file names.

Any ideas on how to get this type of list using the directory structure alone?

[NuB]

Most of my recordings don't have any tags, so I'm kind of out of luck to use the file names.  Would that work from having it reference the directory structure?

Here is another picture showing some of the file names and the rest of the directory structure.

[MrC]

You can pull the artist from the folder paths.  Create an expression column, and add the expression:

   filefolder(,1)

If I've counted correctly, this should pick up the Artist component from your folder path.  FileFolder(,0) is the parent, FileFolder(,1) is the grandparent, etc.

[NuB]

Many thanks.  The large majority of my collection goes only 'two layers deep'.  There are some areas that go 'three layers deep'.  I would have to take some time and try to figure out how to create that column and circle back. 

Would this custom column be dynamic and refresh at the ~artist folder level if I add a new folder within it?

[glynor]

Most of my recordings don't have any tags, so I'm kind of out of luck to use the file names.

Any ideas on how to get this type of list using the directory structure alone?

I think you misunderstand.

The Fill Properties from Filename tool is used to create tags from a file/folder structure on disk.  It is essentially, a specialized tool for extracting tags from that folder structure, so that you don't have to use such a strict structure to browse your files anymore.

You can certainly set up a view for what you want, but I'd use it to create the tags (together with Fill Properties from Filename), so that you can use the other, more powerful, Views.  Make sense?

[MrC]

Many thanks.  The large majority of my collection goes only 'two layers deep'.  There are some areas that go 'three layers deep'.  I would have to take some time and try to figure out how to create that column and circle back.

A more complex expression can be built, that tests how many path components there are, and it can conditionally show the correct Artist folder.  Show a couple full paths for these cases if you could, and I'll put provide you with the expression.

Would this custom column be dynamic and refresh at the ~artist folder level if I add a new folder within it?

Yes.  The function looks at the Filename field in MC, which is filled when you import a file.  FileFolder() just returns a piece of the path for you.

[NuB]

It sounds like I have reached the starting line.  Time for me to sit down and try to figure this out when I have some more free time.  I will circle back and let you know if I get it figured out or have more questions.  Thanks for all responses. 

[glynor]

Music and Video is located across four disks on the server.  Here are some examples of how my files are organized.  

My collection is organized as:

root1:/server folder/music/artist/artist - date
root2:/server folder/music2/artist/artist - date
root3:/server folder/video/artist/artist - date
root4:/server folder/video2/artist/artist - date

You should probably review this thread:
http://yabb.jriver.com/interact/index.php?topic=78206.msg531763#msg531763

I go into a bunch of detail on Fill Properties from Filename there.  It feels like a monumental task at first blush, but if you have a reasonably sane folder scheme, it should be easy to extract whatever metadata is there in the folder system you have.  Even if you don't, just a little elbow grease should be able to extract some of the data, and can make it a lot more manageable.

At least, you can make it usable, and break the "job" down into smaller batches.

That's the other advice I'd have... Don't try to tackle the whole thing at once.  Attack it in smaller pieces.  Divide the job into the largest "sections" where the files on disk have naming structure in common, and then select all of those and attack them.  Mark them as "done" somehow, so they just filter out of your "working View" (adding, or removing, a [Keyword] works quite well for this).

Ask if you need more help.