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[glynor]

I've been internally grumbling about these things for quite some time now, but a recent thread reminded me to actually try to do something about it, so here goes...

MC's Rename, Move, and Copy Files tool is incredibly powerful and useful, but there are a few things I'd love to see that would make it dramatically more useful and powerful.  More importantly to me personally, these things impact my current workflow and make it clumsy.  These needs revolve primarily around limitations when using MC in a client/server environment, as you'll see.

1. Automation

Right now, the only effective way to apply these changes is manually while sitting at the console of the server.  This was not a major issue in the past because you'd almost always want to add tags manually before applying filesystem changes anyway, so you'd be there at the console.  Over the years though, a few things have changed such that you're no longer always at the console when these tagging changes happen, and in many cases, they are fully automated.  By this I'm, of course, referring to Carnac (automatic filename parsing on ingest), Automatic Metadata lookup, and Tag-on-Import, though you could also include the older changes of allowing manual tagging from the client-side and the presets/profiles in Rename, Move, and Copy.

As it stands, for the VAST majority of new files my systems auto-import on a daily basis, all the metadata needed for determining the destination (long-term storage) filename is already available moments after import.  But, until I remember to manually sit at the server's keyboard and click through the dialogs, the filesystem changes aren't made.  This results in a huge backlog, in most cases.

I'd like a command line option where I can apply a particular (named) Rename, Move, and Copy preset to a given Playlist or Smartlist, so that this can be scheduled to run daily/hourly/weekly or however I'd like via the Windows Task Scheduler.  I'm thinking something like:
mc19.exe /rename <preset name> <playlist path>

2. Client-Side Access

Another issue is that running MC in a client-server environment means that you can only access this powerful tool while sitting at the console of the Server.  This is troublesome if you are running the server on a VM or headless box, or some other similar setup.  Or, even in a "more common" setup (where maybe your HTPC is the server), there are often instances where you'd like to be able to apply changes to the server's filesystem from another connected copy of MC.  It seems like the coming "Linux stuff" would serve to make these needs much more common (a linux-based server in a NAS or something won't provide easy access to the MC UI).

Likewise, the Rename, Move, and Copy Files tool would be incredibly handy for creating local copies of files on a client.  Yes, you can drag-drop the files from MC to your desktop on the client to create a copy, but then you lose any metadata "embedded" in the filesystem structure.  It would be very handy to be able to use the Copy function of Rename, Move, and Copy to create local copies of files on a client machine, with all of the normal tag-based "filename manipulation" available.  I'd use this a TON on my laptop.  And, combined with the Automation option above, it could be a powerful "backup and duplication" system as well.

If accessing this via MCWS is the main limiting factor, I don't see a problem with only allowing this access when the client in question has direct (network storage) access to the files in question, much like the existing Play Local File when One That Matches feature works.

3. Name Filtering Patterns

The last thing I need is admittedly a bit more specialized in my case, but I think with the current OSX version and the coming Linux stuff, this would also be a "Very Good Thing" to target for general use as well.  It is easiest to explain by relating my specific use-case...

I use MC at work to manage content on two Wowza Streaming Servers.  These servers provide Video-on-Demand for our public and Internal websites, and they do an awesome job, but they provide no mechanism to manage the filesystem structure or file metadata at all.  So, I point MC at the servers' /content/ directory and use it to manage the files there (which gives me metadata, auto-import, search, and all sorts of other handy tools).  However, since these files are being embedded in HTML, the filesystem path of the files cannot contain spaces in any way (or any other character not valid in a URL), or the address of the file will be an ugly mess.

So, in order to use tags to define "folder structures" via Rename, Move, and Copy in MC, I have to carefully and manually ensure that the tags I use contain no spaces.  And, I have to ensure that no other user uploads new content into the system with a space-containing filename (which is challenging, as you might guess).

It would be wonderful if Rename, Move, and Copy could have a setting to automatically apply things like CamelCasing or Replacing_Spaces_with_Underscores, and other similar "filename cleaning rules".  This could, if needed, be accomplished with a few additions to the existing Clean() expression functions, and tagging trickery, but I think considering the differing filesystem conventions of OSX, Windows, and Linux, it would be more useful to have the feature "built into" the Rename, Move, and Copy tool itself in some way.  If the user is "serving" from Linux, but wants to ensure the filenaming structure will work as-is on a Windows box as well, this would be an essential function.

Thanks, in advance, for any consideration.

Even one of these for MC19 would dramatically improve my workflow in a ton of places.  All three would be a dream!

[glynor]

No comments from anyone?

[MrC]

#3 becomes a little problematic, I think.  Do these settings apply to both file name and path?  And how would it deal with directories that already contain spaces (and rightly should)?  Should spaces be removed from only the non-existing path components?  The UI might become a mess with toggles and settings.

For your stated workflow, your users should probably dump into a Staging area, where you have a script that sanitizes the file names before placing them into your import area.

I'll hazard a guess that you're going to get push back here, as it might not be a goal to make the Rename tool into something that is well-supported by other mechanisms.  Most of these tools within MC provide basic or limited functionality, and that's probably more than sufficient for the majority of users?

[InflatableMouse]

I hadn't read it before.

1. My workflow is different so I have no need to run a rename on a scheduled basis. But it wouldn't change the way I do my stuff so I'm not against it either . Stuff that is automatically imported (movies, series, pictures) is already in the correct folder with the correct name (another program does that, moved/renamed to a media folder included in auto import). For Music, I import manually, correct tags and do a rename/move to their final location. I wish I could do that from a client connection though, I have to revert to VNC.

2. Yes.

3. So basically, you want the clean() function tacked to rename/move/copy dialog box? Can't you already do that by using expressions in the fields? What would be the difference if its "built into" the feature? I think I'm missing how that would be different than using expressions to accomplish a clean filename?

[fitbrit]

Down with 1 and 2. Kinda down with 3 - would probably use it if it were there.

[glynor]

#3 becomes a little problematic, I think.  Do these settings apply to both file name and path?  And how would it deal with directories that already contain spaces (and rightly should)?  Should spaces be removed from only the non-existing path components?  The UI might become a mess with toggles and settings.

I don't disagree, and I originally hesitated to even include it.

I do think it could be done "cleanly" by simply adding one checkbox ("Clean metadata before applying" or something like that), with a "..." button that provided the "cleaner" options.  Likewise (as I mentioned), I could accomplish much of what I need using the existing Expression capabilities.  It would be nice if Clean() had a few more modes...  Otherwise to get my CamelCasing, I'd have to use your help to craft some RegEx magic.  Oh, and a Trim() function, while they're at it. 

So... Let's leave #3 behind for now, as that was certainly the lowest-priority need for me in my original request, and I think everyone pointed out reasons why it might be troublesome.  I think this will be best served by whining for new options for Clean() instead.

I'd still really, really love #1 and #2.

For music, I agree with you, generally, Inflatable.  I don't really have a need to do it automatically for music.  But for Photos and Videos, it would be a huge help to be able to craft a Smartlist where, for example:

if [Media Sub Type] = TV Show &&
[Series] != empty &&
[Season] != empty &&
[Episode] != empty &&
[Filename] contains "M:\incoming\..."

then, run the Rename using the TV Show profile on this Smartlist once per day (or week or whatever).  That, combined with #2 (the ability to do it from a client), would be an ideal situation.

But, to solve my actual problem at the office, all I really NEED is #2.  Of course, it'd be a heck of a lot less work for everyone if I had #1 and #2.

[terrym@tassie]

A big +1 to number one on the list- I'd really like to rename/move automatically.

[gvanbrunt]

I know this is old, but I was just going to change my workflow and researching how to automatically invoke rename/moves files. Darn, wish this was available. I'll have to do manually it seems.

[glynor]

I agree.  Moved it to the MC20 board for more visibility.

[Ninouchka]

Ah, I was planning on buying 2 extra SDD's for my htpc client and copying only the audio files from the server to the client on these,
including the tags, thumbs, audio analyze tags etc. So that the client can act as a sort of standalone, when my server gives me again a BSOD
when it comes out of sleep.

So #2 is not possible yet?