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[BigCat]

Hi all,

I have been using the Car Radio buttons as a way to make MC more user friendly for the household. Can they be set up as smartlists, or are the buttons limited only to playlists? When you hover the mouse over them the UI references playlists only.

The smartlist is my favorite part about MC; smartlists are self updating. How can I make the buttons use smartlists?

Thanks!

[blgentry]

Just copy any playlist into the Car Radio playlist group.  Then give it a name that starts with a number and a period.  Like:

10. My Great Smartlist

That will make it the 10th button.

Brian.

[BigCat]

OK, thanks (again) Brian! I think I have got it working. Instead of working with it at the obvious UI buttons themselves, you must go work with it under Playlists/Car Radio. I should have anticipated that. I copied the rules from an existing smartlist (by exporting, then importing) and created a new button that is a smartlist instead of a simple playlist.

However; if I change the rules of one of my main smartlists, it appears I would have to remember to separately go change the smartlist in the Playlists/Car Radio area. My original smartlist and the new smartlist are unrelated/not connected. Is there an easier way to just set the Car Radio button to an existing smartlist or playlist? That way I only need to maintain one set of lists.

[mark_h]

Note that there is some caching logic currently applied to the Car Radio buttons such that pressing the button will not refresh the smartlist...

[Matt]

Note that there is some caching logic currently applied to the Car Radio buttons such that pressing the button will not refresh the smartlist...

I created a smartlist "06. Random Files" under my Car Radio buttons.  It's just "~n=10".

Pressing the button results in a different list of tracks every time.

[RD James]

I created a smartlist "06. Random Files" under my Car Radio buttons.  It's just "~n=10".

Pressing the button results in a different list of tracks every time.

Does this also apply to clients, or only on the server?
It does not apply to JRemote. The smartlist is only refreshed the first time you play it.

[JimH]

Note that there is some caching logic currently applied to the Car Radio buttons such that pressing the button will not refresh the smartlist...

When you save a smartlist to a radio button, you have a choice of whether to save it as a list of the current tracks or as a smartlist.

[Matt]

It does not apply to JRemote. The smartlist is only refreshed the first time you play it.

I'm not sure what JRemote calls, but MCWS/v1/Playlist/Files resets the search cache when it's called.

[blgentry]

Instead of working with it at the obvious UI buttons themselves, you must go work with it under Playlists/Car Radio. I should have anticipated that.

As another poster noted, there's something going on so that the button's text might not be updated immediately.  To be sure, stop and restart MC, then you should see the button labeled with your smartlist name.

However; if I change the rules of one of my main smartlists, it appears I would have to remember to separately go change the smartlist in the Playlists/Car Radio area. My original smartlist and the new smartlist are unrelated/not connected. Is there an easier way to just set the Car Radio button to an existing smartlist or playlist? That way I only need to maintain one set of lists.

That's a very good observation.  As far as I know, there is no way to connect a Car Radio playlist (or smartlist) with a playlist in another area.  It would be an interesting feature if the car radio buttons could be linked to lists, instead of being their own separate area.

Brian.

[BigCat]

That's a very good observation.  As far as I know, there is no way to connect a Car Radio playlist (or smartlist) with a playlist in another area.  It would be an interesting feature if the car radio buttons could be linked to lists, instead of being their own separate area.

Brian.

This!

Please consider this as a feature request. It would be consistent with the program. It has always seemed odd that you couldn't just right click on a radio button and have some choices, including selecting from any existing smartlist or playlist. Then as those existing lists evolve over time, the radio buttons evolve, too. Other options could include renaming, etc.

Again, the Car Radio's purpose (as I understand it) is to make the software more user friendly. It has helped in this household (belated thanks!), but it should be more integral to the program and complete.

[mark_h]

I created a smartlist "06. Random Files" under my Car Radio buttons.  It's just "~n=10".

Pressing the button results in a different list of tracks every time.

Yes, that worked for me also, but if the smartlist calls a playlist in its rules, the results are always the same... which severely limits the functionality...

[jgreen]

This is a great idea that has been talked about in the past (ie I've asked for it).  The "car radio" interface is a wonderfully intuitive way to create and manage lists.  However the functionality does seem to stop short of what it could be.

As it is, car radio is my preferred method for creating lists.  In addition to full smartlist management, it would be nice to see Play Doctor integrated into it.  Er, if it is already then spare my feelings and don't tell me.

[Matt]

In addition to full smartlist management, it would be nice to see Play Doctor integrated into it.

Well if you hold down a button, it provides a dialog for saving.

One of the choices is "Playchart -- Play Doctor plays a new mix of similar music each time."

That seems pretty integrated with Play Doctor!

[jgreen]

I asked you not to tell me!

[BigCat]

Well if you hold down a button, it provides a dialog for saving.

One of the choices is "Playchart -- Play Doctor plays a new mix of similar music each time."

I finally tried this (if I am understanding what is being said here) and I now wonder if my JRiver is messed up. When I hold down a Car Radio button in Playing Now (left click and hold), I am presented with a dialog box called "Save Preset". It has a field to add a name, then says "save current playlist as:" Then there is only one choice - a pre-selected radio button:

Playlist:
Plays the same static list each time

There is no reference to Play Doctor or anything else.

Could I be missing out on some of the functionality? I still want this dialog box to give me access to existing smartlists and playlists so I only have to maintain one set of lists.