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[Fred1]

I know how to auto import only mp3s or apes but i don't know how to configure auto import to only import 4-Star and 5-Star rated titles into a new library.

Would you please help me?

Thanks!

[glynor]

Why do you want to do this?

[MrC]

Aside from the Why, I don't think there is a simple way to do this.  You could use auto-import rules to place these files in some other folder, which you can ignore in MC, or delete those items.  This would allow you to treat these newly imported lower-star rated files differently than the files currently in your library.

[glynor]

Yeah, I asked why because the answer would determine the best course of action.

I'm thinking the most likely explanation is that the OP doesn't realize you can make new views and filter them, so is trying to make a Library that shows only highly-rated tracks.  That's silly, and we'd just teach him how to make new views.

But, there could be other possible reasons... So, why is the essential question.

Aside from the Why, I don't think there is a simple way to do this.  You could use auto-import rules to place these files in some other folder, which you can ignore in MC, or delete those items.

Easier would be to have auto-import import them all, then have a Smartlist that shows all files < 4 stars.  Then, schedule a task in Windows to run MCFileRemover repeatedly pointing at that smartlist.

But, that's ridiculous unless there is a good reason to do so.

[Fred1]

...
But, there could be other possible reasons... So, why is the essential question.
…

You're right, i should have told you my reason.

The reason is, i have a really huge library with about 250,000 items.
These are mostly very small sound snippets that i use for sound-collages.
I'm heavily tagging these files and i'm pestered by the delays that occur for every single field change.
This is not the case with moderate sized libraries.

I know the features of MC pretty well, so filtering, smart lists or views are no foreign words for me .

Another reason to reduce the input for a library: Every auto import has to pass through all titles of the library.
That is very time consuming, especially if you add titles very often, like i do.

Even deleted titles are still contained in a library.
You can test that when you remove all titles from the library and then auto import new titles.
All old titles are tested again in spite they should have gone already.
If you clone a huge library, then delete all items, and afterwards import new titles, it takes forever until the library is ready.

My reasons (in short words) why i want to keep my active library as small as possible: I want to reduce latencies when tagging.

[MrC]

If you use auto-import, and those folders contain non-4 or 5 star tracks, MC will have to consider those tracks.  They will be imported, and either placed in the Main database, or after you remove them, placed in the Removed database.  Either way, there's an entry.

To keep them out of MC altogether, you'll need to move them out of the import folders before MC has a chance to see them (either don't manually import them, or don't keep them under auto-import folders).

[glynor]

Another reason to reduce the input for a library: Every auto import has to pass through all titles of the library.

Just a note: no it does NOT, if you use the regular Auto-Import system.  It only does this when you do the Run Auto Import Now.  The regular auto-import system uses Filesystem events, and only acts on what actually changed on disk, it does not need to parse the entire library.

I don't have a library with quite that number of assets, but I know Matt has done extensive responsiveness testing with libraries well beyond that size.  I'm also pretty sure the deleted items database is completely separate, and has no impact on runtime performance.  The way you access them seems to indicate that they're in totally different tables, anyway.

What kinds of delays are you seeing when changing tags?  Because I don't think it is because of what you think it is...  I certainly could be wrong, but MC's Library should scale to libraries substantially larger than 250k (I think millions).

As far as your core question... There is no way.  Not directly, anyway.  MC won't know what the rating of a file is until it imports it, so it can't selectively import by tag.  File type is filesystem metadata, so you can filter on that, but not really by much else.  It isn't designed for that.

You could, if you are crazy, use MCFileRemover as I described above.  But I'd recommend against it for this purpose (and it could wreak havoc if you switch back to your "master" Library).

Let's figure out why it isn't responsive for you with that Library instead.

[Fred1]

It's correct that MC only would have a chance to filter out files on import if it would read the tags in advance (which isn't the case obviously).
So there will be no way to do what i would have liked.

My terminology was wrong when i wrote "auto import".
I always use "run auto import now" because i want to control when imports occur.
One point is, the imports take very long when the library is huge.

The other point is tagging in huge libraries.
There is a lag every time you update a field.

Let's assume i want to tag a list (F2).
I alter the name then go to the next name in the list (down arrow).
It can take a second or two until the field in the next line accepts input.

MC is certainly able to handle very huge libraries - but tagging can be a pain sometimes.
(iTunes takes ten times as long if it even handles a huge library)

My Libraries are located on the internal SSD drive, the Data is on an internal hard drive of the PC.
The behavior is the same on a Mac (updates are a bit slower here).

If the library is small, however,  then there are nearly no latencies to observe.

[MrC]

If you think Run Auto Import Now is slow, it will be vastly slower if MC has to pre-read file tags.

You'll have to do this at the filesystem level (by placing items in different folders ahead of time).  But I wonder if this is something you're willing or able to do (since it may negatively affect you in other ways outside MC).

[Fred1]

If you think Run Auto Import Now is slow, it will be vastly slower if MC has to pre-read file tags.

You're right.
But i don't think it's slow. It only takes a long time with huge libraries.

You'll have to do this at the filesystem level (by placing items in different folders ahead of time).  But I wonder if this is something you're willing or able to do (since it may negatively affect you in other ways outside MC).

You are right again .