music import meta masks

[kevl]

Hi

Am new to Xlobby.

Am trying to import my music into music database.

Directory structure is

d:\music\artist1\album1\track1
d:\music\artist1\album1\track2
d:\music\artist1\album1\track3
d:\music\artist1\album2\track1
d:\music\artist2\album1\track1
d:\music\artist2\album1\track2

etc.

i.e. I have

\artistname\albumname\tracks_on_album

and

\artistname\albumname\folder.png

All music is stored as .wav files. Each album directory contains a file called folder.png which has the coverart for the album.


Since I have no mp3s I have no tags.

I have tried reading about meta masks on the forum and elsewhere but cant seem to make sense of it.

I would be grateful if someone could point me in the direction of an explanation for the syntax or write me out the metamask string to achieve file import.


Regards

Kev

[rembetis]

If your folders are all meticulously named (artist, album, and track names fully spelled out, etc.) you might be able to get by w/o using any meta masks at all.

1. Go into Setup (F2) > Databases > Import.
2. Click "New Template" then choose that Template from the drop-down menu (rename if you like).
3. Put .wav in the Extensions field and .png in coverart.
4. Under Import Type click Custom, and under Folder choose Container
5. Choose Music from the Import to DB dropdown and Add paths to your files (D:\music). If you want to use Genres to filter you will need to sort your artists into Genre folders.
6. Click import.

[kevl]

many thanks for your kind reply.

files are all meticulously named.

I will give it a try.

Many thanks

Kev

[rembetis]

I just did a quick test and it looks like the method I outlined will not propagate the database with tracknames, so you willl probably need a metamask after all. I'll see what I can come up with...

In the meantime, if you don't mind me asking, why did you choose not to use a lossless compression format like flac? That would allow you to tag, save a ton of space, and avoid a lot of headache.

[dgemily]

to use full audio fonctions in xlobby, you will have some problems if your files are not tagged....
look at those topics :
http://www.xlobby.com/forum/viewtopic.php?t=3704
and
http://www.xlobby.com/forum/viewtopic.php?t=4436

later

[rhinoman]

I use "tag and rename" to create a tag from the filenames that I had. Now they are tagged properly they import into xlobby (or anything else) just fine.

With tag and rename you can do a mass retag in one go of hundreds of albums with a single step, well worth doing.

[S Pittaway]

if they are stored as wavs you wont be able to tag them...

out of interest, why are you using wavs? There are a couple of lossless codecs out there that that will save disc space and let you tag them WITHOUT effecting the sound quality...

for example, i have encoded all of my cd into flac files (free lossless audio codec) and normallised them using replay gain (do a search, its very usefull and again does not effect the actual sound data). Tags have been added using mp3tag and they work great with xlobby / winamp.

Size wize it drop a cd down from 640mb to ~230mb so it makes quite a big diffeance.

And did i say that the sound quality is the same?


Sean.

[kevl]

Hi

Many thanks for your help guys.

Rembetis. I tried your method and It did import some info into database but it wasn't what I expected and didn't quite work.

I saved all my music files in wav format only because I wanted to keep the files uncompressed (to my ears MP3s sound really bad) and I have no worries about disk space - its free. I was unaware of the lossless compression formats - and maybe they did'nt even exist when I started playing with digital audio.

Dgemily. I will look at the info in your links.

I'm surprised XL cant just do this import. I think my file structure is text book - though I dont have a genre top level.

The other thing I noticed while experimenting last night was that the coverart seems to get into places I didn't expect - like duplicated over all of the tracks on an album - rather than just at one level of the hierarchy- say at just the album view - though this may be skin dependant.

I suppose it is the oft encountered problem of where there is great flexibility there is often great scope for error.


Kev

[S Pittaway]

i know that the storage requirements of cds are not that big (i have a 2TB server for sticking dvd's on) but it just doesnt feel right to "waste" space

i could use 350gb for storing my music, but 170Gb feels "better"

Hell, i even compress the credits on my dvd's to save the odd mb

[kevl]

Yes I suppose I could compress them and tag them etc - but what about the wear and tear on my disk. The heads would be blunt by the time the process was complete and all to save a measly 30megs

I guess I'm just really surprised XL cant simply sort this out. I've never had this issue before.

The other thing that occurs to me re the best format for the music database might actually be two tables rather than one. One table to store album name, track info, path etc and the other table to link coverart to album name.

Ive tried reading the documentation but much is not explained.


Kev

[dgemily]

I'm surprised XL cant just do this import. I think my file structure is text book - though I dont have a genre top level.

in fact you can do it, the problem is: to use all audio fonctions (links to winamp or/and foobar) you need specials fields in your audio database:

Code: Select all

<type>album</type>
<type>track></type>

but I have no idea about how to add these fields using meta mask .....

I posted a topic in the "Feature Requests" section : http://www.xlobby.com/forum/viewtopic.php?t=3704

[kevl]

in fact you can do it, the problem is: to use all audio fonctions (links to winamp or/and foobar) you need specials fields in your audio database:
Code:
<type>album</type>
<type>track></type>

but I have no idea about how to add these fields using meta mask .....

Found this in the help files.

Code: Select all

 category>music>
 page
 Displays the current music category page text
 
 category>music>
 cover
 Displays the current music category coverart
 
 category>music>
 albumname
 Displays the current music category albumname text
 
 category>music>
 year
 Displays the current music category year text
 
 category>music>
 artist
 Displays the current music category artist
 
 category>music>
 genre
 Displays the current music category genre
 
 category>music>
 display
 Displays the current music category display text
 
 category>music>
 parameter
 Displays the current music category parameter text


Presumably meta masks are expressions to get all of the above fields filled with data on the basis of the pathname of the file.

Unless all the fields are filled then the music screens wont work properly.

maybe the reason your "album" and "track" field doesn't work is that it is not in the list of given field names.

Maybe album should be albumname and track should be parameter - just a guess though. The descriptions of how the fields is used is too terse to be sure.

Not sure what the structure of the data. If the data was in a spreadsheet would it be 1 sheet or several?

Cant help feeling this learning process - while interesting - is more difficult than it ought to be

Kev

[dgemily]

in fact you can do it, the problem is: to use all audio fonctions (links to winamp or/and foobar) you need specials fields in your audio database:
Code:
<type>album</type>
<type>track></type>

but I have no idea about how to add these fields using meta mask .....

maybe the reason your "album" and "track" field doesn't work is that it is not in the list of given field names.

nope, <type> fields are special fields, you to need to use these fields with these variables (<type>album</type> and <type>track></type>) then xlobby will know that is an audio database and will use his audios fonctions ( foobar plugin and/or winamp communication). if not, xlobby will interpret as a normal database.
anyway you can use an external programme with xlobby ( using an even "os:execute file" assigned to your database/categorie) in the aim of playing your file with an audio player but you will not have all fonctions and information that you have with the audios fonctions of xlobby, like information about nowplaying etc....

this is an example of how is built an audio database for xlobby (only one item...) :

Code: Select all

 <item>
 <parameter>\\Media77\E\MUSIC\HIP HOP\Daara_J\Boomrang</parameter>
 <coverart>\\Media77\E\MUSIC\HIP HOP\Daara_J\Boomrang\cover.jpg</coverart>
 <display>Daara J / Boomrang</display>
 <type>album</type>
 <subitems>
  <item>
  <parameter>\\Media77\E\MUSIC\HIP HOP\Daara_J\Boomrang\01 - Boomrang.mp3</parameter>
  <display>Boomrang</display>
  <type>track</type>
  <information>
   <tracknumber>1</tracknumber>
   <trackname>Boomrang</trackname>
   <trackfilename>01 - Boomrang.mp3</trackfilename>
   <artist>Daara J</artist>
  </information>
  </item>

[kevl]

Many thanks for the info

I think I may have to do a lot more reading of the help files.

I may be some time.

Kev

[kevl]

Did some more experimenting.

Found that XL correctly imported my music as wav files using the use directory structure setting in the id3 settings.

Coverart was correctly imported by adding png in the coverart file type box.

Was initially confused by the fact that the use directory structure settings was in the id3 tags settings in the menu.

Hence didn't need any mask strings - which is lucky as I cant work out how to use them.

Many thanks anyway.

Kev