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[Steef_V.]

I'm almost sure I've read something about this subject before, but SEARCH doesn't help me further here (I always have problems with SEARCH because I hardly ever seem to be able to find the right keyword).

My issue is: I would like to "mark" 2 or more sequential tracks of an album in such a way that they are always played "together" (in the same sequence). And if I put one of the tracks in a playlist, both (or all) marked tracks should go there - in sequence....

Should not be too hard I would guess? But in the multitude of options I cannot find it. I admit I am a long time user of MC (since release 8 or 9 or so) but because of a lack of time I am still in the "newbie" stage.....

Cheers, Steef

[Z0001]

I'd also like to be able to do this with a bunch TV series episodes that i have as separate MKV files, I thought about MKVmerge, but a playlist solution such as that sought by the OP would be preferable since I would still have the separate files.

Thanks

[imugli]

Just to be clear...

Are we talking in the case of say Queen - We Will Rock You and We are the Champions?

Sort of like "Pinning" 2 (or more) tracks together?

If so, that seems like a good idea :-)

I'm picturing the following...

Highlight all necessary tracks > Right Click > Pin Tracks Together.

[wig]

There was another thread on this recently. Rick.ca had a good proposal for how to handle it

http://yabb.jriver.com/interact/index.php?topic=71196.msg481096#msg481096

[Z0001]

I'd imagine such a pinning or, the play previous-play next idea would work well, but it would require the tracks or video files to be organized in a sequential way, like a music album is, and given an "Album" tag to bind them together in that order.

[rick.ca]

There was another thread on this recently. Rick.ca had a good proposal for how to handle it

OMG, that was almost a month ago, and it hasn't been implemented yet! 

I'd imagine such a pinning or, the play previous-play next idea would work well, but it would require the tracks or video files to be organized in a sequential way, like a music album is, and given an "Album" tag to bind them together in that order.

How likely is it one would want to pin together tracks from different albums? If they're on the same compilation album, and you feel strongly they should be played together, you could re-sequence the album.

[Z0001]

In the case of video episodes I think there may be more reason - think of a set of MKV files of a TV series, pinning them would allow me to press play and have them roll and then pause or stop and come back to the same location, rather than having to find the next episode, a bit like the DVD menu option "play all", but better because it could capture a whole season not just a disc. This would be great for kids TV shows which tend to be short.

[rick.ca]

In the case of video episodes I think there may be more reason - think of a set of MKV files of a TV series...

Episodes should already be presented in episode number order (i.e., a Season of Episodes is just like an Album of Tracks). Why would you need to pin them? Or play them with a smartlist? (And I question whether the pinning should apply at all if the file is selected for play manually.)

[Steef_V.]

Thanks for everyone's input.

Reading that Rick.ca's proposal (in the mentioned other thread) has "not been implemented yet"...., I take it that what I would like to do is not currently feasible?

Let's hope then that it can / will be implemented in a future release.... I will continue to "combine" this type of tracks manually for the moment.

[imugli]

In the case of video episodes I think there may be more reason - think of a set of MKV files of a TV series, pinning them would allow me to press play and have them roll and then pause or stop and come back to the same location, rather than having to find the next episode, a bit like the DVD menu option "play all", but better because it could capture a whole season not just a disc. This would be great for kids TV shows which tend to be short.

You can already do this (except for the "Stop" option). If you're in Theater View and you have your episodes sorted into Series - Season, instead of drilling down to the episodes and pressing enter x 2 to play, simply press play with the required season or series highlighted. This plays ALL files under that selection in order.

[JustinChase]

You can already do this (except for the "Stop" option). If you're in Theater View and you have your episodes sorted into Series - Season, instead of drilling down to the episodes and pressing enter x 2 to play, simply press play with the required season or series highlighted. This plays ALL files under that selection in order.

Yes, but, it starts at the first episode, even if you've already watched the first 18, so you either skip 18 times, with a slight pause between each one to confirm if you've already seen it, or you go to episode 19 an hit play because there is no 'play from here onwards' option.  It then dumps you back to the menu when finished.

I am not suggesting the original post request would resolve this, just pointing out a sorely lacking feature

[rick.ca]

I am not suggesting the original post request would resolve this, just pointing out a sorely lacking feature

I don't think either one can be characterized as a "sorely lacking" feature. If 'play from here onward' is important, then presumably finding 'here' is as well. Both are resolved by using a view that includes only files not (fully) played. Then you get exactly what you want by playing the season or with 'Play All'. The view could also be restricted to the season currently being watched, thereby eliminating the need to select a season. A companion view could include only the episodes watched, those excluded from the first view, or all of them (i.e., the same view being used now).

[jgreen]

Isn't this what a Playlist does?  I'm just asking here.

Not clear to me whether some of the posters have a "bunch" of items they'd like to play in order, or a bunch of pairs of items.  You can certainly have two-item playlists and no one's going to arrest you for it, and I think you'll get the kind of organization you're looking for.

Regarding "pinning", what really does this mean?  Every time you add one member of a "pin" to playing now, they all follow?  Or do only the subordinate pin members follow (track 3 will follow when track 2 is added, but track 1 will not)?

IMO--and I say this with my MegaFeatureRequester Badge out and fully polished--this seems like a lot of complexication without any clear benefit.   

[rick.ca]

IMO--and I say this with my MegaFeatureRequester Badge out and fully polished--this seems like a lot of complexication without any clear benefit.

The glare from your badge (why don't I have one!) must be blinding you.

The purpose is to select the tracks together in sequence when any one of them is a 'hit' in a smartlist. Yes, if a user were creating a playlist, they would just make these decisions as they're picking the files. If they're creating a smartlist, however, they have no way of specifying that certain tracks should be played together.

Consider my suggestion. While I agree the need isn't a burning one, it's a simple, flexible solution that might be used for more than the simple pinning of two files together. (I like to keep my MegaList short by recommending where I can solutions that solve multiple issues of incalculable benefit to all users.) 

[JustinChase]

I don't think either one can be characterized as a "sorely lacking" feature.

I don't think we need to debate the degree of necessity.  Suffice to say, it's inclusion would be beneficial to some users, myself included.

If 'play from here onward' is important, then presumably finding 'here' is as well. Both are resolved by using a view that includes only files not (fully) played. Then you get exactly what you want by playing the season or with 'Play All'. The view could also be restricted to the season currently being watched, thereby eliminating the need to select a season. A companion view could include only the episodes watched, those excluded from the first view, or all of them (i.e., the same view being used now).

We can already find 'here' well enough, but we cannot easily start playing from a random location in a video playlist.

Your suggestions are appreciated, but none of them give me anywhere near "exactly what I want"

Once I have finished watching a season of a show, the view restricting inclusion to only un-watched becomes useless.  In addition, the time it would take me to craft the required views, including learning the language to write the expressions will take longer than the amount of time I'm trying to save.

I think a 'play from here' choice would be very useful, in a few different situations.  If JRiver agree, I'll see it one day.  If they do not, I will live without it, like many things in life

In getting back to the original question/request, I wonder if a particle could span files, instead of just including part of one.  If it could, you could create a particle that included the 2 tracks you want to 'pin' together.  Sort of like a reverse que file.  I still haven't played with particles yet.

I suppose the real trick would be that if either part of the particle is called by a play/smart list, it forces the inclusion of the entire particle.  I assume the intention is to 'permanently' combine some tracks 'automatically', so they are always heard together, without specifying or creating special playlists just for these few instances.

[JustinChase]

Consider my suggestion. While I agree the need isn't a burning one, it's a simple, flexible solution that might be used for more than the simple pinning of two files together.

I had not seen that, very clever also.

[rick.ca]

Your suggestions are appreciated, but none of them give me anywhere near "exactly what I want"

I have little expectation you'll appreciate my suggestions, and even less that you would follow them. My primary motivation for commenting is to ensure others will understand the matter in a more balanced light. Most would assume a "sorely lacking feature" is one close to being essential for any normal use of the program—not a situation where there are many viable options available to satisfy a variety of preferences.

Frankly, I find the use of "it's not exactly what I want" as valid basis for requesting a change or new feature to be silly and draining to discuss. Why would anyone care exactly what someone else wants, or agree that's a sufficient basis for determining what changes merit consideration? I'm not suggesting what someone wants isn't sometimes exactly what 'should' be done, or that users don't have the right to express what they want. It just doesn't follow one person wanting something suggests the program is deficient or warrants any change. Such discussions would be easier to take if it weren't for the fact MC is far more powerful and flexible than any of it's competitors, and most applications in general. Because of this, there are thousands of different situations where users may claim "it's not exactly what I want." Right. But it's far closer to what you want for far more things than any other software. It didn't get there by attempting to be exactly what everyone wants.

Once I have finished watching a season of a show, the view restricting inclusion to only un-watched becomes useless.  In addition, the time it would take me to craft the required views, including learning the language to write the expressions will take longer than the amount of time I'm trying to save.

Here you're being completely disingenuous. You indicated what seemed to be a clear need/preference for a view where you could focus on and play episodes of series you're currently watching. Even if you don't, others surely do. (I can't believe I'm being forced to say this to the author of the mind-numbing tome [How-to] Hands-free commercial skipping for JRiver & Windows Media Center.) With one dirt-simple change to your existing view, you would have one that presents exactly what you want and plays them the way you expect.

[JustinChase]

Wow, your vile contempt is almost as large as your ego.  Good luck with that.

Jim, when will this forum get an "ignore" feature?

[Z0001]

All I'm trying to find is a way for my wife to put Thomas the Tank Engine or Fireman Sam on from the point where it was last stopped so my toddler can watch what he has not recently seen and so she can get some peace while she feeds the bub without having to think about whether aforementioned toddler has seen episode A or B.  I'd consider this high value.

[rick.ca]

All I'm trying to find is a way for my wife to put Thomas the Tank Engine or Fireman Sam on from the point where it was last stopped so my toddler can watch what he has not recently seen and so she can get some peace while she feeds the bub without having to think about whether aforementioned toddler has seen episode A or B.  I'd consider this high value.

Sorry, I don't follow. Bookmarking will do that, and I don't see how pinning two such videos together will help. Unless the view you're using includes other titles not appropriate for a toddler. If that's the case, configure a separate view that includes only appropriate titles. Then she can 'Play All' from the last viewed file (that should have a bookmark if it hasn't been played through completely).

[Z0001]

Sorry, I don't follow. Bookmarking will do that, and I don't see how pinning two such videos together will help. Unless the view you're using includes other titles not appropriate for a toddler. If that's the case, configure a separate view that includes only appropriate titles. Then she can 'Play All' from the last viewed file (that should have a bookmark if it hasn't been played through completely).

Ok, so does bookmarking allow me to combine all the episodes on say 5, 20, or y DVDs (i have them as iso and MKV files, whatever works best) in one "title" or "Series" called "Thomas" and pick up from that last point viewed. We use the main view more than Theatre view. Thanks so much for the input. The debate always helps with understanding.