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[carbo]

Hi,

For years I've been using the "import a mpl playlist" feature to synchronize some files between 2 instances of media center (mine and my father's).

My steps are the following:
- create a mpl file from the first MC with all desired files
- copy the files manually to the same tree folder structure on the second computer
- remove from the second MC all files previously imported (that way I'm sure to always have the latest tags)
-  import the playlist on the second MC

But recently it doesn't seem to work anymore in MC25.
When I import the mpl, no files are imported. They are correctly displayed in the "playlist imported" but not in the library.

Here are the steps to reproduce my problem:
- have a folder with several image files
- import it manually in MC
- filter a view to display only half of the files (for example only the landscape)
- create a mpl file from this view. Store paths relative to playlist location
- remove all folder images from MC
- import the playlist
- playlist appears in the "imported playlist" with the files filtered and the correct tags.
- search in MC, the files have not been imported.
- delete playlist from MC
- import the folder
- only the files that were not in the playlist are imported !

It's maybe not related but I've noticed a strange thing :
- when I run auto import, the "analyzing library" step has more files than the library in the final report.

Am i crazy or this is weird ?

Guillaume

[blgentry]

MPL import is kind of weird.  I haven't full characterized how it all works.  But I can tell you for certain, that under some circumstances, you have to run the import *TWICE* for the files to show up.

So you might try the import a second time and see what happens.

Brian.

[wer]

Hi Carbo,

If your goal is to synchronize from one pc to the other, why don't you just import the folder directly, instead of trying to use the playlist in that way?  I mean, you've already copied the files over.  As long as you're saving all the relevant info in the file tags, you could just import the folder tree and MC will grab the new files, and update the ones that have changed.  The playlist seems unnecessary.  Even deleting the files first from the 2nd PC is unnecessary, unless you are changing file names or paths.

[carbo]

I'm doing this in order to transfer files only once. Tagging process can be pretty long and iterative as far as I'm concerned. So I don't want to transfer files each time I've changed my mind in my tag organization 
Also I'm using custom fields and I'm not sure they are stored inside files.

[wer]

I guess I'm not able to understand what your procedure actually is from your description, because based on your description, whether you're transferring files once or many times, the playlist is irrelevant and unnecessary.

But your steps are:
"- copy the files manually to the same tree folder structure on the second computer
- remove from the second MC all files previously imported (that way I'm sure to always have the latest tags)"
so it would seem you are copying files more than once, because you have to delete ones previously imported.  What files exactly are you copying in the above steps??

Further, if you are using a file format that fully supports tagging, like FLAC or MP3, then you can save any or all of your custom fields into the file tags.  When you are managing your library fields, in the configuration screen for each field, there is a checkbox that says "Save in file tags (when possible)".  Check it for all your custom fields, and then you can do "Update Tags from Library" and all your custom fields will be written to the tags.

What file format are you using for your media files?

You could even configure auto-import on the 2nd pc so that the mere act of copying the files would cause the library to be updated.

Or is what you were trying to say when you described your procedure is that you're deleting from the library the previously imported PLAYLIST files?  Are you only copying PLAYLIST files to the 2nd PC (to get the tags) and NEVER COPYING MEDIA FILES?  That point was not in your description.

So when you say transfer files, what type of files are you transferring?  Be precise.

[carbo]

Ok I'll try to be clearer:

My father and I share pictures we both take from our family (format is jpg).
The idea is to both have pictures of common interest and to use the other computer as a backup.
In both computers we have a tree structure like this:
-Father\year\month
-Son\year\month
We have around 50 000 files each.
Regularly we transfer new files to each computer.
That way, a file is only transferred once.
But as said before, tagging is a long run effort and I can tag files from 2014 in 2019.
And I don't want to transfer each time every file.

Maybe I can change the way I synchronize things but the original idea of this post was to report that a thing that was working perfectly fine for years is now broken. If it's wanted, I would find another way but it could simply be a bug
Admit that the behavior is strange: once you've imported a playlist, you can't import a file that was in it in the library !
It's as if MC keeps a trace of that file somewhere...

[wer]

So first of all, I thought you were talking about audio files.  But you're actually talking about JPEGs.

But there's something you're not being clear about.  You said:
"Regularly we transfer new files to each computer.
That way, a file is only transferred once.
But as said before, tagging is a long run effort and I can tag files from 2014 in 2019.
And I don't want to transfer each time every file."

So here's what you're still not telling me... When you tag 10 images from 2014 in 2019, and you want to get that updated info to your father, which of these do you actually do?

A. Copy 10 image files to your father, along with one .MPL file which is the smartlist.

B. Copy 1 .MPL smartlist file to your father, and no images files.

Pick one.  Tell me the answer.  When I said be specific about what files you are copying, that's what I meant.

If what you do is A, I think I know exactly what is going on.

Now, MC actually does "remember" files you've deleted. Create a smartlist, and when you configure it, hit the import/export button, delete all the text you find inside, and paste this in instead:
~d=r

Click OK and then view the smartlist.  That's every file that MC remembers you as deleting.  Delete them from that smartlist, and your will erase MC's memory of that file.

One more thing.  On the computer that's doing the importing, Go to File->Library->Import->Configure auto import  and you will see these two options.  Ensure they are checked or not checked exactly as I show you here, and click OK.

[carbo]

I'm doing A

Or to be more precise:
I copy 10 images files the 31/12/2014 and a mpl which contains the tags at this date
In 2016 I import a newer mpl that contains updated tags
In 2019 I import a newer mpl that contains updated tags
The files are still the ones copied in 2014.

I didn't know the trick of the smartlist ~d*=r, I'll try after work.
As for the options mentioned, I'm a 100% sure the first one is unchecked, not sure about the second one.

Thanks !

[wer]

No, you're doing A, then B, then B.  Because:

In 2014 you copy 10 JPEGs and a MPL
in 2016 you copy just an MPL
in 2019 you copy just another MPL.

If that's what you're doing, then in 2014 you don't need the MPL file, but in 2016 and 2019 you do (if you want to avoid copying the JPEGs in 2016/19, which you said you do).

However, in 2016/2019, it is NOT necessary for you to delete the JPEGs from the library before importing the new playlist.  The library will be updated with the tags from the new playlist (although it will not "delete" tags; a tag you set as empty in the playlist will not override that same tag if it has a value in the library).

After you do this MPL import, you should still write the tags out to the files.  There is good reason for this:  If the files ever get deleted from the library (either accidentally or for other reasons) or if they are moved to a new computer, the updated tags from the MPL could be lost.  Write those tags to the files, and the file and MC will both have the current state.

[carbo]

Ok so I've found my files !
Actually I didn't found them with the search ~d=r but with ~d=a. I don't known exactly what it means...
If I remove them from library they appear on the playlist ~d=r
If I remove them again, I can import them properly in the library !

So the behaviour has clearly changed with the recent builds of MC25 but with your playlist trick, I have a workaround.

Thanks a lot!

[wer]

I think you did something weird and don't realize it, Carbo.

When you look at ~d=a  you are looking at all entries in the database.

So if you see something in ~d=a and do not see it in ~d=r, that means the file is actually IN the database, meaning it has not been deleted.  You thought before you had deleted them, but you had not.

When you removed them from ~d=a, they were removed from the database and the entries were moved to ~d=r (as a memory).  If you delete the ~d=r entries, MC will forget them.

So it seems when you were trying to import them, they were already in the db and therefore not imported again.

I can't explain how that happened because I wasn't there watching you, but the fact is if they were in ~d=a they had not been deleted from MC.

You could achieve the appearance of what you described if you had changed the media type for the files, so that they no longer present in the VIEW you expected to find them in, for example, and there are other ways.

Be careful messing around in that ~d=a view.  You can really shoot yourself in the foot in there.

That option "Ignore files previously removed from library" is important.  If it is checked, MC will NOT re-import something that has previously been deleted.  How does it remember it had previously been deleted, you ask?  It's on the ~d=r list!  Delete it from that list, and you delete the memory, and MC will re-import it the next time asked to.  But better to make sure that option is unchecked.

Congratulations on finding your files...

-Will

[carbo]

I was indeed wrong about thinking it was a problem about removed files from library.
The problem is that MC don't import files contained in a previously imported mpl playlist.

Here are the (precise) steps to reproduce:
- from your existing library, create a mpl playlist with 2 images.
- create a new empty library.
- import the playlist
- files are not in the library but you can see the playlist with the 2 files under "imported playlists"
- try to import the folder that contains the files > they are not imported
- create a view with ~d=mcterusibk (everything BUT a) > files are not displayed
- modify the view to have ~d=a > files are displayed
- remove them from library > they appear on ~d=r
- import the folder with auto import option "Ignore files previously removed from library" unchecked > files are still not imported
- remove them from the view ~d=r
- import the folder > files are imported

Do you agree it's weird ?