Print

Please login or register.
1 Hour 1 Day 1 Week 1 Month Forever
Login with username, password and session length

[lise]

I'm having a heck of a time creating view schemes where a string field is to be limited.

The problem is with fields that are shared amongst different types of data, like the album field, for example.

The minute I create an Image View Scheme that has to select an album or two the drop down list displays every album in my database, including over 5,000 audio albums.

So when I create an Image rule to include my Spain and Italy (photo) albums I have to go through a HUGE list of all audio, data, video, podcast and image albums to find it.  It is too unwieldly.

To fix this I've already started adding some custom album fields to deal with this issue, such as Cooking Albums, Woodworking Albums and I was about to create a Photo Albums field when it occurred to me that I'm creating even more problems by doing this.

I already have a rule to rename/move my files after import that uses [genre]\[album] directories.
Now I'm going to have to have [genre]\[cooking album],  [genre]\[woodworking album], [genre]\[photo album] etc.  One problem is being fixed only to create more complications on the other end.

Is there any way to have smartlist rules respect either the first rule in the smartlist (Media type = Image) such that selecting Album after that would only display the Image albums in the drop-down list? Or can the view scheme smartlist respect the parent scheme rules?

[Matt]

Just make the first rule in the search / smartlist "Media Type is Image".

Following rules will filter based on this.

In the case of child views that inherit a search like "Media Type is Images" from a parent view, it's possible this filter should just be baked into the search wizard so even the first rule is filtered this way.  This change could also lead to confusion, so I'm not sure.

[lise]

Just make the first rule in the search / smartlist "Media Type is Image".

Following rules will filter based on this.

I think this is broken, because my first rule is Media Type = Image, and when I select albums I get all my audio albums as well.

[Matt]

Unfortunately I can't reproduce this.

What if you make a new, simple smartlist.  Add only a media type rule, then add an album rule.  Does that album rule work?

I'm wondering if you have 'OR' clauses or other complex modifiers that could disable the filtering.

[lise]

I do use an OR, but unrelated to media type.  I'll try what you suggested. In the meantime, here's my issue:  (couldn't get the screenshot to include the drop down of albums, but trust me, my music albums are all there---unless it's looking at the cover art for the albums which I do not have imported into MC?)

[lise]

If album is first after Media Type=Image, it only displays Image albums.

If Places is first, then album is second, only those albums that are relevant to the selected places display.
If a parenthesis surrounds both Places and Album and then the Album drop-down is selected, all albums including music are displayed.
Same for keywords or anything else.

So the problem, of course, is that you can't use "or", because it will ignore all previous filters, including those that have an implied "and" as in Media Type=Image AND (x is this OR y is that).

[rick.ca]

So the problem, of course, is that you can't use "or", because it will ignore all previous filters, including those that have an implied "and" as in Media Type=Image AND (x is this OR y is that).

Make the required drop-down selections, then add the OR.

[lise]

Make the required drop-down selections, then add the OR.

That will not work. Without the or, the only items available in the drop down are the ones filtered from the previous selection, so in this case 3 items. The only way to get the 2nd rule's drop-down to include other items is to place the parenthesis.

Example
Rule 1: Media Type = Image
Rule 2: Places = Cleveland, Buffalo
Rule 3: Album = Jay's Funeral

If I put a parenthesis before Rule 2 and After Rule 3 then the albums Jay's 50th Birthday, Trip to Chicago, etc are displayed and I can select them. However, they are displayed among the thousands of albums including all music albums.

See the dilemna?

[rick.ca]

See the dilemna?

OIC. Without the OR, the values in Rule 2 are properly restricted. But after setting those, the values in Rule 3 are improperly restricted by the selection made in Rule 2...

So select nothing for Rule 2 so Rule 3 is properly restricted by Rule 1, then select the values for Rule 2, then add the OR...

Okay, it would be nice if the drop-down lists were filtered. Trying to imagine the logic of that and how it would work on-the-fly makes my brain hurt, but hey, not my job.

[lise]

I'm not sure why it should present a problem really.
Seems like a bug in that the first AND isn't being respected, ie

Rule 1 media type = images
AND
(Rule2 or Rule3)