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[jwc905]

Hi All,

I'm new to Media Center, using it as a replacement to the TiVo HMO server as well as with winamp and XMMS, so I think I'm getting my money's worth
 
I love the Smartlist feature and would like to set up two generic kinds:

A vanilla playlist which plays random songs from the entire collection with some rules to make sure things stay interesting.  This part I think I have a handle on.

I would also like to play the tracks from complete albums in order.  I created a list of complete albums, but I want to be able to shuffle the actual albums, I mean who wants to listen to their collection in alphabetical order?  Is there a way to do this directly using the album name or perhaps using a playlist which pulls in playlists of the actual albums?

Thanks,
Jeff

[marko]

how about..

[media type]=audio [track #]==1 ~sort=[random] ~a

if you want to limit the number of albums returned, you would add the limiter before ~a, so,

[media type]=audio [track #]==1 ~sort=[random] ~n=5 ~a

would return 5 random albums.

You could also play around with ~limit ...

[media type]=audio ~limit=6,-1,[album]

would return 6 random albums, but the list sorting under "customise current view" might require some attention.

-marko.

[jwc905]

Works Great!  Thanks! 

Already have about 5 variations: not recently played, top rated, genre, etc...  The "language" makes so much more sense once you have a few examples.

Is there a place out there where people post interesting expressions they've come up with?

- Jeff

[marko]

It sounds like a simple question doesn't it? It's one that gets asked over and over, and smartlist sharing refuses to take off.

It's a frustrating thing when you first start, but as you begin to realise the possibilities on offer via MC's library, you'll begin to understand why. One of two things will happen, you'll dabble, be impressed, then set about exploring the possibilities (i think this applies to you) or you'll dabble, not get the expected results right away and say "sod that for a game of soldiers" and turn your back on smartlist creation.

The reason sharing won't take off is, imho, because they are mostly personal. You tailor your searches to suit your individual needs, they have the ability to get quite intricate and can use many custom library fields.

It can help if you go to the library options and edit some of the fields you find you use the most by adding keywords (bottom right of the edit dialogue). FX.. I have things like:
aaa= for [album artist (auto)]
fnn= for [filename (name)]
mt= for [media type]
ft= for [filetype]
I've used those last two for so long I can't remember if they're default or not.

It makes smartlist typing a whole lot quicker. If your search is getting a tad lengthy, I find it helps a great deal to use an external editor instead as it's easier to keep track of what's going on. Remember that as you read from left to right, each search operator filters the list in the order they appear, so in my example above, if we had placed ~n=5 after ~a, the result would be 5 tracks, not 5 albums.

links you might find useful:
"why reinvent the wheel" has some examples to get you rolling.
New Smartlist Limit rule
New Mix Smartlist Rule
New Expression Evaluator

-marko

[jwc905]

I can see how they would be highly personal.  Of course it helps everyone just to see what other people have come up with if just for the sake of stealing bits and pieces for their own creations or for inspiration on just what sorts of things can be done.

To that end I'd like to submit a few that I've created based on your kind tips:

This one will create a playlist with one DVD's worth of albums in random order all in ogg (since Red Hat doesn't support MP3 anymore)...  Obviously it could be easily tweaked to create a CD of MP3s for the car as well...

[media type]=audio [File Type]=[ogg] [track #]==1 ~sort=[random] ~a completealbum==1 ~nodup=[Artist],[Name] ~s=4450

This one creates a shuffled album list consisting of albums I haven't played in the last week (to keep it interesting).

[media type]=audio [track #]==1 ~sort=[random] ~a ~nodup=[Artist],[Name] [Last Played]=>=10080

[slipknot]

I've been using this expression since it was posted, using the "Last Played" field to limit selections to 120 days.

It worked perfectly in 11.0, but seems to ignore the Last Played limitation in 11.1.

Anyone got any ideas?

I can see how they would be highly personal.  Of course it helps everyone just to see what other people have come up with if just for the sake of stealing bits and pieces for their own creations or for inspiration on just what sorts of things can be done.

To that end I'd like to submit a few that I've created based on your kind tips:

This one will create a playlist with one DVD's worth of albums in random order all in ogg (since Red Hat doesn't support MP3 anymore)...  Obviously it could be easily tweaked to create a CD of MP3s for the car as well...

[media type]=audio [File Type]=[ogg] [track #]==1 ~sort=[random] ~a completealbum==1 ~nodup=[Artist],[Name] ~s=4450

This one creates a shuffled album list consisting of albums I haven't played in the last week (to keep it interesting).

[media type]=audio [track #]==1 ~sort=[random] ~a ~nodup=[Artist],[Name] [Last Played]=>=10080

[marko]

http://yabb.jriver.com/interact/index.php?topic=30193.0
MC 11.1 -- New syntax for search by date

change your [last played] rule to read:

[last played]=>=120d

and all should be good again

[datdude]

I think smartlists would take off if you could categorize them and rate them.  When looking at certain syntax people really don't know what it is going to do so they don't even try.  However if they could be categorized/sub categorize and then also rated on the quality/usefulness/coolness that would help.  Problem is that we can't do that here currently on this board.

[brossmac]

I think smartlists would take off if you could categorize them and rate them.  When looking at certain syntax people really don't know what it is going to do so they don't even try.  However if they could be categorized/sub categorize and then also rated on the quality/usefulness/coolness that would help.  Problem is that we can't do that here currently on this board.

Hear, hear!  I've been using MC for quite some time but haven't gotten into Smartlists.  Some user-created ones would help to get things going, I think....

[zxsix]

Rightclicking on Playlists in the tree and selecting "create stock smartlists" will get you about 30 to start with.  Copy those and use as templates, then trick them out.

[Dutch Peter]

Marko:

I am using the following expression you posted earleir:

[media type]=audio [track #]==1 ~sort=[random] ~n=5 ~a

How can I add that it only take songs <where Album is Not Empty>?

[jgreen]

The topic of this thread is "Treat albums atomically in Smartlists".  Do you really want to select albums "atomically", by atomic weight or valence?.  I think you mean "anatomically".  I too would want to order my abums anatomically.  I'm always trying to find "Electric Ladyland" or Herb Alpert's "Whipped Cream", or the Bow Wow Wow albums (Anabella Lwin, not Lil Bow Wow).  On the other hand, I would appreciate a tool to screen out such items as Lennon&Ono, "Two Virgins".

[marko]

Marko:

I am using the following expression you posted earleir:

[media type]=audio [track #]==1 ~sort=[random] ~n=5 ~a

How can I add that it only take songs <where Album is Not Empty>?

[media type]=audio -[album]=[] [track #]==1 ~sort=[random] ~n=5 ~a

[slipknot]

http://yabb.jriver.com/interact/index.php?topic=30193.0
MC 11.1 -- New syntax for search by date

change your [last played] rule to read:

[last played]=>=120d

and all should be good again

THANKS SO MUCH.  When I don't know what I'm in the mood for, I always use this and when it stopped working, I didn't know how to pick music....  Thanks again.