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Author Topic: Editing metadata  (Read 5515 times)

rgmorse

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Editing metadata
« on: August 14, 2016, 02:12:06 pm »

I edited metadata by going to "Drives and Devices" finding the file I wanted to edit and bringing up the list view.  I edited the metadata, sometimes using the Tag editor in the Action Window, and sometimes by double clicking on the item in the list view and changing it. 

All of the edits were showing in the list view.  However, when I closed MC and reopened it, all of the edits were gone. 

What have I done wrong, and how do I get MC to same the metadata edits. 
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eddyshere

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Re: Editing metadata
« Reply #1 on: August 15, 2016, 05:02:53 pm »

what's the format (file ending) of the files you were tagging ? wav, flac  other ??
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rgmorse

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Re: Editing metadata
« Reply #2 on: August 15, 2016, 05:35:10 pm »

All flac. 

I have edited a lot of files in the past with MC21, and it worked perfectly.  This time both MC21 and MC22 would not keep the edits.  I expect that in my blundering about that I must have changed a setting. 

One thing may have changed.  In the past I may have been editing metadata on the server where the files were housed.  This time, I was editing on a different machine, but using the same Library from the server.  I synced the library on my machine to the server before the restart. 
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eddyshere

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Re: Editing metadata
« Reply #3 on: August 15, 2016, 05:53:58 pm »

strange...updated to MC22 and do the same as you (ie. tagging files on server from another mc client) and it's working.

What I noticed is that after I updated the server to MC22 I had on 1 of the clients to re-link (ie delete server library in library manager on client and add back again) as the client did no longer display all cover arts.

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rgmorse

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Re: Editing metadata
« Reply #4 on: August 19, 2016, 11:02:14 pm »

I tried a number of things, and metadata edits made on my computer are not being saved. 
-I deleted the Library from the server, and reinstalled it. 
-I made sure that the Access Key for the server matched that on my computer. 
-I checked the Authentication box under Media Network. 
Metadata edits made on my computer are still not saved to the file. 

I am accessing the files I am trying to edit by way of Drives & Devices in the tree on the left.  Maybe that has something to do with the problem.  The files are not located on my Server.  They are working files in a different location.  Once I have the metadata edited, I plan to copy them over to the server. 

I then edited the metadata using MC22 on the server machine.  This time the metadata changes were saved. 

Any suggestions about what I should try next? 
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blgentry

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Re: Editing metadata
« Reply #5 on: August 20, 2016, 08:29:06 am »

I'm not sure of the details, but Client metadata editing has some well known limitations and problems.  I think, in general, it's not recommended to edit metadata from a client.

Do some research and you'll certainly find threads about this limitation.

Brian.
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eddyshere

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Re: Editing metadata
« Reply #6 on: August 20, 2016, 11:01:51 am »

Clearly i believe your clients should try to work only with unc paths. In my case all files are on my server. Locally on the server they are for ex m:/dvd-bd collection/music and concerts/artist/concert/.....index.bdmv.

I shared the dvd-bd collection folder.

But file path in mc in the library of the server is \\ip of the server\dvd-bd collection\.....index.bdmv.

This is therefore also the ONLY file location which all mc clients use....like that i can edit any metadata from any client and almost never ran into an issue.

You could try one or two files like that...on the server if i understood correctly you have the files on an external drive. Make a folder there and share it. BUT this time don't share it with it's mapped drive letter but with \\ip (or hostname) of your server\newly created folder.

Import the test files in mc library on the server and check that the file path is without mapped drive letter.

Your clients will show the new files ...try to edit one of these but on the left hand side under for ex video , file of the remote library and not under drives and devices.

For me it works

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rgmorse

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Re: Editing metadata
« Reply #7 on: August 21, 2016, 11:57:48 am »

This all makes sense, and I will try it, but I am enough of a newbie that I don't know how.  Can you help?

My files are all on the server, but in mapped drives.  My server's hard drive is mapped into three logical drives: C: Programs, D: Data, E: AV.  All of my media files are in E: AV, so this is the drive I want to point to.  If I understand this correctly, I need to change the file path for the library in MC to \\ip of my server\AV. 

I don't know how to change the path for my library, how do I do this. 

Is there a way to see what the current path is, and to edit it? 

Do I have to delete my existing library and start over with the new file path, or is there someway to edit my existing library.  I am anxious to keep my existing library as I am years into it.  It has about 11MB of data. 

Thanks for the help. 

 
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rgmorse

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Re: Editing metadata
« Reply #8 on: August 21, 2016, 12:30:06 pm »

Sorry, I misspoke. 

The files that I have been editing are not on my server, but rather, on a separate hard drive under a subdirectory named WorkingFiles.  I edit the files there, and once they are cleaned up copy them to the server. 

Rather than accessing the files through Audio at the top of the tree on MC, I am accessing them through Drives & Devices toward the bottom of the tree. 

I am going to try moving my working files to the server and editing the metadata there to see if that helps. 
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rgmorse

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Re: Editing metadata
« Reply #9 on: August 21, 2016, 02:04:15 pm »

I copied my working files from the remote hard drive onto my server.  It showed up as a mapped drive at the top of the tree: Audio\Files\E:\WorkingFiles, or at the bottom of the tree as: Drives & Devices\Explorer\AV (Y:)\WorkingFiles. 

If I edit the metadata under Audio at the top of the tree everything works, and the files are updated with the new metadata.  If I edit the metadata in the same files, but under Drives & Devices, the edits are not saved to the files.  This behavior is the same on all computers, the server, and all clients (I tried on two different clients). 

I suspect that my problem with the Drives & Devices route for editing metadata results from my relative ignorance about networks and how MC works with networks. 

I can live with doing my metadata editing under Audio at the top of the tree, but it bothers me that there is something going on that I don't understand.  Is there someplace that I can go to better understand MC and networking.  At this point I don't know enough to even ask a specific question.   
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eddyshere

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Re: Editing metadata
« Reply #10 on: August 22, 2016, 01:15:23 pm »

OK. Using UNC paths makes sure that there is always one clear way to a file. It is more important in a client server relationship than on a single computer.

You could easily keep your files on your external drive as long as it is shared by your server. But it is clearly better to have it on a local drive. The problem with removable storage is that you are never sure if Windows reallocated it the exact same way once it has been removed and plugged in again.

Now let's assume if I got you correctly that all your media files are located on your server (or on an external drive attached to your server) and that on said server in explorer you see E:\working files

I added a picture of my local server drives (see pic 0) my AV media is on the N drive

on your server :
1. share your folder
2. once it is shared watch closely the path windows has attributed. You'll see the UNC path (see pic 1)...locally my share has N: as drive letter but the UNC network path is \\EDNET01\dvd-bd collection

in MC on your server
3.  select file>library>import>configure auto-import. select add
4. you can then point to your folder.
5. now her comes the important part : in the target folder field you need to enter the UNC path from point 2 and NOT click on browse and select your E drive

Finally you can check if all is good in the library (for instance displaying the field Filename) you should see only UNC paths (see pic 2)

Once your server is setup like this you can add as many MC clients as you like..once they are linked to your server's library they will always point to one and only file. Should you once change the local disk letter of your media share on the server it will break nothing. No need to map the server shared folder on a client or such stuff.

As a result if you happen to edit metadata on a client (which de facto displays your server's library) the metadata edits get applied on the unique source file and for me....it has worked flawlessly.

Hope this helps

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rgmorse

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Re: Editing metadata
« Reply #11 on: August 22, 2016, 02:27:25 pm »

Wow!  I am blown away.  Thank you so much for this.  It will take me a bit to implement this, but with your last post, I now know what to do. At least, I think I do.  I can't thank you enough. 
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