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MergeFolderAlbums superfalse option?
24-04-2020, 23:45
Post: #1
MergeFolderAlbums superfalse option?
I am new to Minumserver and decided to learn how to customize as I have reripped my whole 1500+ CD collection in 4 different formats (FLAC, WAV, MP3/192, & MP3/320).

I have started the tagging process of these 70,000 files and along with Minum server, I am loving the results. I have one little bug that is preventing me from seeing what I would like, though.

I went through other thread for other ideas and used one of the idea for Formatting songs and applied it to Albums, so I can see format on the Album name rather than the song names.

Album.displayFormat={$album^^^$#Audioformat^ [^^$#Audiodata^|^]^}

So, for my different formats of AC/DC Back in Black I get

Back in Black [FLAC|16/44100]
Back in Black [MP3|~192k]
Back in Black [MP3|~320k]
Back in Black [WAV|16/44100]

This is working fantastic for what I want to see, as my PS3 does not recognize FLAC files, so I can easily avoid them on that one device. The FLACs are still there indexed and available for my other devices. The one irritating thing about my PS3 is that tagging WAV files causes a second or so of static at the end of songs. Ick.

My Minimserver issue is with folder Merging. When I have a multidisc album I am trying to figure out how to apply this album display format and still keep the different album displays separate. My best Idea so far is just to treat the multidisc set as one disc in numbering and naming, which is fine for things like concerts.

But when there are multidiscs with different Subtitles, I would like to keep the same disc set grouped together, but keep the whole group separated by format type like my single disc albums.

Some examples of this issue are with the recent Bad Company Special Editions, Prince Purple Rain Special Edition, Stevie Ray Vaughan Legacy Editions and AC/DC Backtracks. These usually have a second disc with Bonus tracks I would like to identify, and Backtracks has a Studio Rarities disc and a Live Rarities disc which would also be nice to identify with Subtitles.

So I get this merging(with all 4 formats of tracks inside main group and subtitle groups) :

Backtracks [FLACMP3WAV|16/44100~192~320]

Where I want this without merging (with subtitle groups):

Backtracks [FLAC|16/44100]
Backtracks [MP3|~192k]
Backtracks [MP3|~320k]
Backtracks [WAV|16/44100]


Right now, the only way I know of to keep the displays of the different formats of these albums separate is to give a separate name to every separate discs Album tag. I would rather see them grouped with Subtitles, though. The problem is that as soon as I add disc number of greater than 1 or Disc subtitle, Minim server merges all my different formats into one album and instead of 4 albums of different formats, I have one albums with 4 formats of every song.

Is there a way to stop Folder Merging cold with no exceptions? That would fix this problem for me.

I was also trying to do an Album.indexFormat similar to my display format, thinking maybe Minim would not merge if did not see the same album names. This might work if Minim processes the indexFormat before deciding to merge. I cannot quite get the syntax right, though.

What are your thoughts? Is there a way to stop folder merging in EVERY instance, no exceptions? Will getting the indexFormat statement I described correct fix my issue, and what would the correct syntax be? I would really like to utilize the Subtitle feature, but also keep my formats separate if possible. Any other ideas?

Thank you, I have really enjoyed learning Minim server, and some of these threads have been fantastic helps! FYI, I am running Minimserver on a QNAP server, about 5 years old.

I am only about 20% of the way through tagging my collections, so a solution will give me direction while completing that process.

Thanks!

Chris
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25-04-2020, 00:22 (This post was last modified: 25-04-2020 00:23 by Alandbush.)
Post: #2
RE: MergeFolderAlbums superfalse option?
Hi and welcome.

Would the following be the answer?

Merging will occur if the folder match filters (if present) are the same.
A match filter is an optional suffix appended to a folder name.
The form of the match filter is ['<filter>']

The match filter is used to prevent unintended merging in some special cases, such as two copies of the same album in different audio formats.
For example, the folders named "MyAlbum ['24/96 download']" and "MyAlbum ['CD rip']" won't be merged, because they have different match filters suffixed to the folder name.

Above extracted from the User guide
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25-04-2020, 03:56 (This post was last modified: 25-04-2020 04:03 by Chrobar13.)
Post: #3
RE: MergeFolderAlbums superfalse option?
Alandbush,

Thanks for the thought, but I did try that, too. Once I put a disc number greater than or equal to 2 or use a Subtitle tag, that activated the Merge for that folder. I would like to stop the merge and still use those devices (Subtitle or disc numbers) in a folder.

Thanks, keep those ideas coming!

Chris
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25-04-2020, 09:36 (This post was last modified: 25-04-2020 09:38 by simoncn.)
Post: #4
RE: MergeFolderAlbums superfalse option?
Match filtering should prevent merging for all albums to which it is applied, whether or not they have multiple discs. A disc of a multidisc album would be merged only with other album discs that have the same match filter. I will try this myself to confirm and post back here.
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25-04-2020, 10:19
Post: #5
RE: MergeFolderAlbums superfalse option?
I have tried this and it is working as expected. Any folder can be prevented from merging by giving it a unique match filter. Also, merging can be restricted to a selected subset of other folders (such as other discs from the same "group") by using the same match filter for each disc of that group.

In your Backtracks example, you could have folder names such as:

Backtracks Studio Rarities ['FLAC 16/44100']
Backtracks Live Rarities ['FLAC 16/44100']
Backtracks Studio Rarities ['MP3 192k']
Backtracks Live Rarities [''MP3 192k']
Backtracks Studio Rarities ['MP3 320k']
Backtracks Live Rarities ['MP3 320k']
Backtracks Studio Rarities ['WAV 16/44100']
Backtracks Live Rarities ['WAV 16/44100']

or alternatively, using subfolders for discs:

Backtracks FLAC 16/44100
---Studio Rarities ['FLAC 16/44100']
---Live Rarities ['FLAC 16/44100']
Backtracks MP3 192k
---Studio Rarities ['MP3 192k']
---Live Rarities [''MP3 192k']
Backtracks MP3 320k
---Studio Rarities ['MP3 320k']
---Live Rarities ['MP3 320k']
Backtracks WAV 16/44100
---Studio Rarities ['WAV 16/44100']
---Live Rarities ['WAV 16/44100']

In the second case, there is no need for the top-level album folders to have match filters because they don't contain any audio files.
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25-04-2020, 14:24
Post: #6
RE: MergeFolderAlbums superfalse option?
Hi Chris,

Firstly, I assume you have a good reason for storing various copies of the music given MimimStreamer can transcode them for you; although this is now going to be a paid addition, so maybe that's a good enough reason?

I too had frustrations with the merging behaviour but for different reasons. I looked at various workarounds (including those mentioned above) but I was happy with my file layout and tagging strategy and didn't want to compromise it just to have it look pretty in the control point.
So, the only way I worked around this is to create a new tag that uniquely identifies what I want to call an album, and then use that in place of album in MinimServer so it can perform the album grouping how I want it to be performed, and then use tag formatting to display the actual album name in the control point.

So in your scenario, I'd:
Create a new tag called ALBUMUNIQID comprised of album||codec||bitrate/sample_rate (or whatever you need)
Then in MinimServer have:
aliasTags: Album:inAlbum,ALBUMUNIQID:Album
itemTags: inAlbum
tagFormat:Album.displayFormat={$inAlbum^^^$#Audioformat^ [^^$#Audiodata^|^]^}

Instead of the actual text values in ALBUMUNIQID I use foobar to CRC the values and create a 10 digit number instead.

Given this tag is easily automated (depending upon what tool you use) for me it was a good compromise.

Happy to help with any tagging queries as I went through a similar exercise myself just over a year ago :-)

Simon
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25-04-2020, 21:23 (This post was last modified: 25-04-2020 23:23 by Chrobar13.)
Post: #7
RE: MergeFolderAlbums superfalse option?
Simon and Simon,

Thank you for the responses,

Simbun, your point hit home a little. My first plan for music on the server was simpler, indeed. I was only going to point to the higher quality, probably FLAC only plus all the MP3s I could no longer create FLACS for. Once I got into Minimserver I saw the possibilities of keeping them all pointed to. The story behind the other types is this:

For years I only did MP3 at 320 because I thought it was the compromise between storage and sound quality. But it left me wanting the better sound, but I also bought devices that I wish I could have put more music on. So when I had the chance I decided to go to the extremes. Make a set of MP3 192 for devices I wanted more songs on, and have FLAC and WAV for quality. FLAC because it is more easily tagged and WAV because it is more traditionally the standard I can rip from if I even want to do another standard without using original CDs and also my PS3 does not play FLAC.

Once working with Minimserver, I did get a little obsessed with having them all available, but it is true that I would rarely use the MP3 options in my home setup. Going through the Forums, I did see possibility of access Minimserver remotely through apps, and that may have enforced the idea of keeping them all indexed, too.

I like having the most options available and will keep working toward that if possible and when I have all the final options, I will adjust my reality. Thanks for reminding me my original intentions. Minimserver has been so much fun the last two weeks since I found out how to change properties, I want to try to use it to the fullest. I am a computer programmer by trade.

I will test both theories. I just have one question for Simoncn, where can I find documentation on what a 'Match filter' consists of? Maybe my assumption on what is causing the matching being done is wrong. I will post what I discover.

Thanks, again, to all.

Chris

(25-04-2020 14:24)simbun Wrote:  Hi Chris,

Firstly, I assume you have a good reason for storing various copies of the music given MimimStreamer can transcode them for you; although this is now going to be a paid addition, so maybe that's a good enough reason?

I too had frustrations with the merging behaviour but for different reasons. I looked at various workarounds (including those mentioned above) but I was happy with my file layout and tagging strategy and didn't want to compromise it just to have it look pretty in the control point.
So, the only way I worked around this is to create a new tag that uniquely identifies what I want to call an album, and then use that in place of album in MinimServer so it can perform the album grouping how I want it to be performed, and then use tag formatting to display the actual album name in the control point.

So in your scenario, I'd:
Create a new tag called ALBUMUNIQID comprised of album||codec||bitrate/sample_rate (or whatever you need)
Then in MinimServer have:
aliasTags: Album:inAlbum,ALBUMUNIQID:Album
itemTags: inAlbum
tagFormat:Album.displayFormat={$inAlbum^^^$#Audioformat^ [^^$#Audiodata^|^]^}

Instead of the actual text values in ALBUMUNIQID I use foobar to CRC the values and create a 10 digit number instead.

Given this tag is easily automated (depending upon what tool you use) for me it was a good compromise.

Happy to help with any tagging queries as I went through a similar exercise myself just over a year ago :-)

Simon
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25-04-2020, 22:47 (This post was last modified: 25-04-2020 22:49 by simoncn.)
Post: #8
RE: MergeFolderAlbums superfalse option?
(25-04-2020 21:23)Chrobar13 Wrote:  I just have one question for Simoncn, where can I find documentation on what a 'Match filter' consists of? Maybe my assumption on what is causing the matching being done is wrong. I will post what I discover.

A match filter is a suffix at the end of a folder name (not an album title) conforming to a specific and unusual pattern (so that it is not triggered accidentally). The pattern is

folder title [' match filter ']

If a folder has a match filter in its name, all files in the folder can only be merged with other folders that have the same match filter in their name. See this section for more details and some examples.

The match filter was designed specifically to handle the use case you are describing.
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25-04-2020, 23:29
Post: #9
RE: MergeFolderAlbums superfalse option?
(25-04-2020 22:47)simoncn Wrote:  
(25-04-2020 21:23)Chrobar13 Wrote:  I just have one question for Simoncn, where can I find documentation on what a 'Match filter' consists of? Maybe my assumption on what is causing the matching being done is wrong. I will post what I discover.

A match filter is a suffix at the end of a folder name (not an album title) conforming to a specific and unusual pattern (so that it is not triggered accidentally). The pattern is

folder title [' match filter ']

If a folder has a match filter in its name, all files in the folder can only be merged with other folders that have the same match filter in their name. See this section for more details and some examples.

The match filter was designed specifically to handle the use case you are describing.

Simoncn,

I could have sworn I tried that and it did not work. The key is probably the single quotes. I may have used the brackets and not the quotes. Will give it a try and report.

Thank you!

Chris
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26-04-2020, 10:06
Post: #10
RE: MergeFolderAlbums superfalse option?
It originally just had brackets (this was a long time ago) but some users had folders named this way that were unintentionally triggering match filtering.
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