"Album" Art - beyond albums

[Dieter Stockert]

There are several features that I think should be a given, for example MinimServer scanning the library, showing a list with all tag fields, and let the user decide which to add and in which sort order.

[Ian]

Hi all
I have just started using Minim Server & HiFi Cast after years of using Logitech Media Server. I came across this thread as i searched for ways to customise the artwork display that I see in HiFi Cast.
i had not realised until I stopped using it how good LMS is at handling the artwork display on the control point.
For instance in the Album Artist browse window all the Album Art work is displayed in a circular fan shape for Each Artist. The artwork was extracted from the tag data of all the albums with the same AlbumArtist tag. My library structure is a Single folder containing a single layer of folders named by Artist - Album. I never made any effort to provide a separate cover.jpeg in each folder. My collection has very little classical in it so the complications of Composer/Orchestra/Conductor/Soloist/Venue etc are not something i have to consider.

I dont pretend to know how this was acheived but it does look fabulous and leads to a more intuitive interaction with the control point.

As I said I am new to my current set up so hopefully it will improve as i get to grips with the programs. i also chose Minim over Asset as I felt it provide a more flexible Library manager.

Cheers
Ian

[aliasname]

(11-09-2017 16:31)Dieter Stockert Wrote:  I disagree. The main thing for me would be a user interface that allows changing simple and basic settings without having to study a manual.

Too true If only the MinimWatch Server Properties Windows would have hyperlinks against names on the left side, so that ticking 'indexTags' or 'aliasTags' and so on would warp one onto Simon's help pages dealing with that topic.

I'm always that intelligent that I need more than 3 attempts until I reach the correct page where the wanted item is explained. But perhaps that only happens to me.

Just got stuck when I see that one of my indexTags entries got a "+" in front. And I remember it has since Simon told me so when I had a problem. But don't ask me which help section this is described in. Trial & Error starts now until I get the correct page.

[simoncn]

If you go to this page, there are direct links to descriptions of all the properties, sorted by property name.

[dukdukgoos]

I have mixed feelings about this request. I like that Synology Audio Station and DSaudio have images associated with Artist, Genre, Composer, etc. But I HATE that they are not configurable in any way and are chosen semi-randomly by the indexer and are impossible to change. MinimServer's best feature is configurability... any additional image association features should live up to that approach.

[mdp]

I once suggested that it would be nice to let minim server look for pictures to put in the artist list, like twonky and asset does.

First it should look in the artist folder; if there is one jpg included in the tree beside the album folders, this should be used as art for the artist.
If not it could pick first jpg in first album folder or the best quality jpg or the newest.

Then you can choose your self to whether to put a jpg in the artist folder or let Minim pick one for you.

[Peter StreamMagic]

(22-01-2018 11:04)dukdukgoos Wrote:  I have mixed feelings about this request. I like that Synology Audio Station and DSaudio have images associated with Artist, Genre, Composer, etc. But I HATE that they are not configurable in any way and are chosen semi-randomly by the indexer and are impossible to change. MinimServer's best feature is configurability... any additional image association features should live up to that approach.

I totally agree.
I have no problems with extra images,but the user should have the choice which images and where to put them.
The Lumin UI e.g. chooses images for Date/Genre/ Audio data etc.
I would rather see no picture then a randomly chosen one (Although there might be a relation between image and category).

Peter

[paultaylor]

(03-02-2018 16:06)Peter StreamMagic Wrote:  I have no problems with extra images,but the user should have the choice which images and where to put them.

I totally agree it needs to be configurable. Since it is generally the case that at folder level files are organized albumartist/album there is a fairly straightforward solution for albumartist that is used by other upnp servers. But what I am really interested in is a more flexible solution that can be used for composer/conductor as well, and ideally a solution that can be used to assign artwork for any tag that has been indexed.