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More => Old Versions => Media Center 11 (Development Ended) => Topic started by: MarkCoutinho on February 09, 2004, 05:34:58 am

Title: Connecting covers to files
Post by: MarkCoutinho on February 09, 2004, 05:34:58 am
The songs I have in MC are based on the Dutch charts, so I do not use the album-specific things in MC much.
Especially with the cover-part that's a problem for me.
I've collected some 2,000 covers of 7''-singles now and I've named them exactly like I've named my mp3's. (of course the covers have a .jpg-extension).

Does someone know how I easily tell MC to use the correct .jpg-file for all these songs in just one command?

For instance: Iggy Pop - Lust for life needs the image Iggy Pop - Lust for life.jpg.

Of course I can do this 2,000 times for each song, but I'd like to do it in a batch.

Suggestions please!
Title: Re:Connecting covers to files
Post by: KingSparta on February 09, 2004, 05:52:04 am
when you use the get cover art from the internet, select in the combo box get from local (not the exact words).

they should be placed in the MC default cover art folder

media center\data\cover art\

not sure but case may matter
Title: Re:Connecting covers to files
Post by: lise on February 09, 2004, 11:07:01 am
1. Go to Tools > Options > File Location and point the Track Image location field to your image directory.

2. Select a bunch of files, right click, and select Image > Quick Find in File/Cover Art Directory
Title: Re:Connecting covers to files
Post by: MarkCoutinho on February 10, 2004, 02:03:13 am
Thanks King and Lise, but your suggestions do not work for me.

The 'move/copy fields' option gets pretty near where I want to go, apart from that at the end the image field is filled with .mp3-extensions instead of .jpg.
Do you know how I could play with this option?
Title: Re:Connecting covers to files
Post by: alias on February 10, 2004, 05:49:06 am
All I have ever done is place the jpg in the same folder as the track and on import it finds it straight away.

Cheers
Title: Re:Connecting covers to files
Post by: MarkCoutinho on February 10, 2004, 07:26:40 am
You're right - that does work.

But... I've got some 11,000 mp3's in just one folder and to put all these .jpg's in that one too would make my Windows Explorer extremely slow on accessing this directory the first time.
I know, I know... I could make subdir's, but for organizational reasons I'd rather don't.

So, anyone another suggestion, please?
Title: Re:Connecting covers to files
Post by: hit_ny on February 10, 2004, 01:13:32 pm
Quote

But... I've got some 11,000 mp3's in just one folder and to put all these .jpg's in that one too would make my Windows Explorer extremely slow on accessing this directory the first time.
I know, I know... I could make subdir's, but for organizational reasons I'd rather don't.


This is the part i dont get...why dont u create subdirs ?

Besides if your using a FAT32 system it wont work after 14,000 files.

I'm sorry i cant offer any suggestion, every album that I have lives in its own subdir along with album art.
Title: Re:Connecting covers to files
Post by: Quisp on February 10, 2004, 05:56:05 pm
I know, I know... I could make subdir's, but for organizational reasons I'd rather don't.
 ?
Title: Re:Connecting covers to files
Post by: Nolonemo on February 10, 2004, 06:21:47 pm
Mark, I'm confused now.  Are you saying that you put all your cover art in MC's cover art directory, highlighted all the target tracks and clicked "Tools->Image->quick find in file/cover art directory" and that did not associate the covers with the tracks?
Title: Re:Connecting covers to files
Post by: lise on February 10, 2004, 07:37:43 pm
Of course, the image filenames have to include the album, I think (or maybe the process is smart, and looks to any tags). I have mine named "Bob Dylan - Highway 61.jpg" for example.

And various artist albums might have to be named (Multiple Artists) - Lock, Stock & Two Smoking Barrels Soundtrack.jpg

With these naming structures in place, Quick Find in File/Cover Art directory always works for me, at least with the latest versions. I was having problems with covert art about 4 versions ago and prior to that.
Title: Re:Connecting covers to files
Post by: jleerigby on February 11, 2004, 07:33:58 am
Quote
But... I've got some 11,000 mp3's in just one folder

As hit_ny says you are soon going to run into all sorts of trouble with a filing system (or lack of!) like that.  Virtually every jukebox program, player and plug in recommends a directory structure of Artist\Album with MC including the useful feature that stores compilation albums under artist name 'assorted'.  I think a big 'rename files from properties' might be in order.
Title: Re:Connecting covers to files
Post by: kwake on February 11, 2004, 10:47:41 am
Hi all,

I was reading this thread and started to ask myself if I maybe shouldn't be storing cover art within my MP3s, even though it is very handy when moving files here and there. I also store lyrics within the files.

I thought this would be the best thread to ask it, since it seems everyone participating use external cover art.

Can someone fill me in on why you prefer to keep the art out of the MP3 file?

Thanks,
Kwake
Title: Re:Connecting covers to files
Post by: jleerigby on February 11, 2004, 12:58:40 pm
Hi all,

I was reading this thread and started to ask myself if I maybe shouldn't be storing cover art within my MP3s, even though it is very handy when moving files here and there. I also store lyrics within the files.

I thought this would be the best thread to ask it, since it seems everyone participating use external cover art.

Can someone fill me in on why you prefer to keep the art out of the MP3 file?

Thanks,
Kwake
I've listed a few reasons in this thread (http://yabb.jriver.com/interact/index.php?board=3;action=display;threadid=19119).  There could be more e.g. performance reasons but I'm not sure about that.  A benefit of storing inside file is that they are easily ported to another application should MC lose favour with you in future.  However, I'd be surprised if other players are not sophisticated enough to find the folder.jpg file in the album folder.
Title: Re:Connecting covers to files
Post by: kwake on February 11, 2004, 01:59:02 pm
Thanks, you make good points there JLee.

Maybe when my library gets so big that it's a real issue for me I'll have to consider it.

And you're right, I don't see myself moving to another Media App in the near future (unless it happens to have everything MC9.1 has plus the stuff I've been asking for since I bought it).  ;)
Title: Re:Connecting covers to files
Post by: MarkCoutinho on February 12, 2004, 01:24:22 am
Hi Nolemo, I did do that indeed - to no avail.

But as JLee stated, I guess I'll start a big rename/replace action, and put the associated .jpg's in the same directory as the .mp3's.
That does work.

I rather would keep these two items in separate directory's though...