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[glynor]

I'd like to ask for another reasonably small change.  I use MC's Handheld Sync tool to create a copy of my entire (or almost entire) Music library, which is then imported into iTunes.  However, this same folder is also synced to my Laptop, which runs MC.

I'd like two things:

1. Playlist Formats

Tools > Options > Handheld > Files, Paths, & More > Playlist format does not offer MPL and MPL (relative paths) as options. Can this be added?

I'm sure it is because the system was designed for syncing to handhelds, and no handhelds out there can read MC's proprietary MPL playlist format.  However, it sure would be handy to have it auto create MPLs when used to sync to another copy of MC!

Seems like this should be super-simple to add.  MC can already export MPLs.  It just doesn't let you pick that format in the Handheld setup dialog.

2. OSX and Windows MPL Formatting

Right now, I'm syncing from a Windows copy of MC to my Laptop, which has both the Windows and Mac versions of MC installed, but I generally use the Mac version unless I want to use Theater View or something else that doesn't work on the Mac version. But, the Mac version can't use the Windows MPL files, and vice versa.

It would be really nice if when MC imports a MPL with relative paths, if it would automatically fix the "directory" slashes for the current platform as part of the import.

In other words, if MC Mac imports a MPL with windows-style relative paths, it could fix this itself without any user interaction.  Obviously this doesn't work for full paths starting with a drive letter or UNC path, but for relative paths it would work fine. And, though I don't do it, it would be handy going the "other way" (from a Mac-formatted MPL to Windows).

You don't have to (and shouldn't I'd say) actually write these changes to the MPL file on disc.  Just switch the filename slashes as needed on the fly as you import the list.

I also have one question:

3. Is there a way to automate importing MPL files?  Via MCWS or whatever?

[pahunt]

I'm loathed to say this as I'm probably missing something obvious but isn't this what the Sync Library feature does?

[glynor]

No.  The Sync Library tool isn't really the same thing.  It requires that my Laptop pull data from the server via MCWS.  I have to initiate it from the machine "receiving" the files (plus I can't automate it and it won't convert videos and images).  It also syncs the two Libraries.  I don't want anything to go "from" my Laptop's drive back to my main Library.  The Laptop's Library is "transient" (it doesn't matter if I up and delete the whole thing).  It's just for when I'm offline on my laptop, basically, otherwise I'd just connect to my real home library.

The Handheld Sync converts to a drive attached to my server computer, and then I run (actually, it is scheduled and runs automatically every day) MCiS to sync this directory with iTunes.  It makes, essentially, an iTunes "cache" of my entire music library.  iTunes can't directly use my music files in my "real" library because (1) iTunes is terrible and I don't want it to touch my real files, and (2) iTunes can't play a large percentage of my music files because they're FLAC and other formats.

So, I have this big folder of duplicates on my server's hard drive in the "iTunes Cache" directory.  I copy these same files to my laptop, so that I always have a local copy of all of my music on my laptop's drive (shrunk to MP3 -V5), but I don't initiate that manually.  Goodsync running on my laptop just "does it" when I bring my laptop home and plug it in to power.  Whenever Goodsync detects that it is on my home LAN, it syncs any changes from the folder over to the Laptop's drive.

The problem is metadata.  MC re-imports the files it finds "from scratch", and the Handheld Sync tool strips out most of the custom MC tags when it makes the synced files.  That wouldn't be a problem if the Handheld Sync could write MPL files, and if the Mac/Windows MPLs would automatically fix themselves.

[glynor]

Bump.

[Matt]

1. Playlist Formats

Tools > Options > Handheld > Files, Paths, & More > Playlist format does not offer MPL and MPL (relative paths) as options. Can this be added?

I'm sure it is because the system was designed for syncing to handhelds, and no handhelds out there can read MC's proprietary MPL playlist format.  However, it sure would be handy to have it auto create MPLs when used to sync to another copy of MC!

Seems like this should be super-simple to add.  MC can already export MPLs.  It just doesn't let you pick that format in the Handheld setup dialog.

I think we can probably add that.  Please bug me again in a week if it hasn't been done.

[TCube]

@ Glynor

Quote : - "I'm sure it is because the system was designed for syncing to handhelds, and no handhelds out there can read MC's proprietary MPL playlist format. "

Oh really ? When did You find out ?
Luckily these XLM/State files are peanuts in size 😉

Tc

[glynor]

I think we can probably add that.  Please bug me again in a week if it hasn't been done.

Thanks, Matt!

I can use MrC's Perl script to convert the MPLs cross platform.  It would just be nicer if it was built-in (especially since he's gone).  Seems like find-and-replace "\" for "/" would be pretty simple when trying to import them.

[Matt]

Coming next build:
NEW: Added MPL as a playlist format for handhelds.