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Topic: Using "Tag/Rename from List" with "Create Lists"< Next Oldest | Next Newest >
C Man
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Posted: Feb. 02 2006,09:59

Most of my files are in this format:

Artist\[Year] Album -- TrackNumber. Title

Steve Morse\[2002] Split Decision -- 01. Heightened Awareness.mp3

What I'd like to do is get rid of the track numbers for the majority of my files (with a  few exceptions, like Dark Side of the Moon).  

I'd like to know if I can do the following...

1. Use the "Create Custom Lists" tool to catalog my files as they are now
2. rename/remove the track numbers from the files
3. Import the information from the "Create Custom Lists" tool that included the track numbers into the "Tag/Rename from List" tool to restore the track numbers at a later date if I decide I want the track numbers back.

Is this possible?

Edited by C Man on Feb. 02 2006,10:00
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Magnus Brading
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Posted: Feb. 02 2006,16:22

Sure, it's very possible indeed. :)

If you have some more specific questions about it, please let me know and I'll try to help.

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C Man
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Posted: Feb. 02 2006,18:53

Ok, thanks.  I've never used either of those tools before so I just wanted to make sure I could do what I wanted to do before I got too involved with them.  Hopefully I'll be able to figure it out on my own. Thanks again.
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C Man
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Posted: Feb. 03 2006,10:34

Ok, I'm having some trouble here.  I like working these things out myself but I'm stumped so I guess I have to ask for your help.  As I said in my first post, the file format template I use for the majority of my files is this:

<Artist><\>[<Year>] <Album> -- <TrackNr>. <Title>

I have it stored in the Direct Rename Files tool advanced mode so I can access it easily from the drop down menu in the Output File Name Format box, and I've used it many times with no problems whatsoever.  However, when I copied & pasted it into the Create Custom Lists "File Row Format" box it appears in red and won't let me use it and I don't understand why.

I wanted to use SOME kind of template so I could create a sample list and then mess around with removing the track numbers and then replacing them, so I chose "<Filepath absolute>" from the right-click menu.  This is an example of the list it gave me:



Then I manually removed the track numbers from those 6 files, and the files appeared in alphabetical order when viewing them in Windows Explorer, which is what I wanted:



So far so good.  But I ran into problems when I tried using the list I created along with the Tag/Rename From List tool.  In the File Row Format box I used "<New name>".  The problem seems to be that it wants to take the current file order (alphabetical) and merge that with the original file order (numeric), resulting in all the files having the wrong names!  You can see what I mean by looking at the image of the MP3TS file processing preview:



This is where I'm stuck at and don't know what to do.  Any help you could provide would be much appreciated!
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Magnus Brading
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Posted: Feb. 03 2006,10:56

Your first problem (with the template) is that you're trying to use an input template (parsing template) in a box that expects an output template (string building template). Please read about the differences of these two kinds of templates in the help file for further info.

Your second problem (with the file order) comes from the fact that templates containing only "new name" fields can only be used in this tool when the file order is the same as is originally was when creating the list, otherwise you need to also include an "old name" field for the program to know which file it should rename to the new name, see what I mean?

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C Man
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Posted: Feb. 03 2006,18:48

What you said about problem #2 makes sense, so what I need is to have both the old and new file names in the list, like this:



I used the above list to put the track numbers back into the file names and it worked perfectly.
However, I had to use "<Filepath absolute> *** <Filename>" in the File Row Format box and then manually remove the track numbers from the file names in the created text file.
I tried to use "<Filepath absolute> *** [<Year>] <Album> -- <Title>.mp3" but it didn't work.  It let me use it, it didn't appear in red, but there was a problem with the <Year> field as shown below.



I thought perhaps my using square brackets around the year in the file name was causing a conflict since they're also a part of the [NEWLINE] field, but when I changed them to parentheses I still had the same problem, so I'm stumped again and need your help.
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C Man
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Posted: Feb. 06 2006,20:33

Geez, I've tried several more times but I just can't get it to recognize the Year with the template I'm using and I can't figure out why.  It still shows up like in my last screen shot above.  Could this be a possible bug?  I've "accidently" found a couple bugs in the past.  Any ideas?

Edited by C Man on Feb. 06 2006,20:37
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Magnus Brading
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Posted: Feb. 07 2006,11:30

Sorry for the delay. I find your (next) last post a little confusing though. Could you please do the following:

Post an example with just one filename, exactly the list row you are trying to use for processing this file, and the exact template you're using, and I will help you further.

Also, please don't post any more images of filename list or other things that can be represented with pure text instead, please use a "code" or "quote" field with the real text in it instead (due to server space issues).

Thanks.

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C Man
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Posted: Feb. 07 2006,22:08

Sorry about the images.  I know they're physically big but I tried to keep the file size small.

I want to do this:
1. Use the Create Custom Lists tool to catalog my files as they are now.
2. Remove the track numbers from the files.
3. Import the created list into the Tag/Rename From List tool to restore the track numbers at a later date if I decide I want the track numbers back.

From reading your suggestions and from what I've tried so far, it seems that to accomplish that goal I need to have both the old & new file names in the custom list I create because of the way the file order switches after removing the track numbers.  I understand, makes sense to me.

Original file name:
[1977] Elegant Gypsy -- 01. Flight Over Rio.mp3

Desired filename with track number removed:
[1977] Elegant Gypsy -- Flight Over Rio.mp3

In the Create Lists tool I used this template in the File Row Format box:
<Filepath absolute> *** [<Year>] <Album> -- <Title>.mp3

The resulting list I get is this:
E:\MP3s\A\Al Di Meola\[1977] Elegant Gypsy -- 01. Flight Over Rio.mp3 *** [] Elegant Gypsy -- Flight Over Rio.mp3

As you can see, the year field gets left empty, and that's where I'm confused, because the syntax appears to be correct.

Edited by C Man on Feb. 08 2006,04:19
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Magnus Brading
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Posted: Feb. 09 2006,16:50

First of all, to avoid mistakes with badly tagged files, you should really use only the real filenames when creating the list, and the parse away the track numbers with an input template instead when using the list for the renaming/retagging.

So, the output template will simply be like this instead:

Code Sample
<Filepath absolute> *** <Filename>


Second, my guess is that your files simply don't have any track numbers defined in their tags (only in their filenames), and hence the output of that tag field is blank. Am I correct? I had no problems whatsoever when I tried that template anyway.

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C Man
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Posted: Feb. 09 2006,21:11

All of my MP3s have track numbers in their tags, but they don't have a YEAR defined - is that what you meant?  I didn't realize that the tags had anything to do with the list tool, I thought it worked on the filenames alone.  I went back and added the year to the tags of the files I've been experimenting with, and the output template I've been trying to use...

<Filepath absolute> *** [<Year>] <Album> -- <Title>.mp3

...worked perfectly, so thank you for that information.

Quote
You should really use only the real filenames when creating the list, and the parse away the track numbers with an input template instead when using the list for the renaming/retagging.

I guess February must be my own personal "dumb month" because I'm still having trouble understanding a few things.  I really do apologize, because I've used MP3TS several times and figured everything out for myself, but for some reason I'm not doing too well with this particular situation.

Most of my music files aren't MP3s, they're encoded with a lossless codec and don't have tags at all, but they do follow the same filename scheme I mentioned in my initial post.  Using the output template you suggested...

<Filepath absolute> *** <Filename>

...could you explain how to parse away the track numbers with an input template when using the Create List tool for later use with the Rename From List tool?  For some reason it just isn't making sense to me.
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Magnus Brading
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Posted: Feb. 10 2006,12:35

First of all, yes, I meant "Year" and not tracknumber, sorry about the typo.

Second, you parse things out of the text file in the exact same way you parse it out of filenames, with common templates.

To be honest though, I'm getting a little confused again about what you want to do.

Here is what you say in your initial post in this thread:

Quote
1. Use the "Create Custom Lists" tool to catalog my files as they are now
2. rename/remove the track numbers from the files
3. Import the information from the "Create Custom Lists" tool that included the track numbers into the "Tag/Rename from List" tool to restore the track numbers at a later date if I decide I want the track numbers back.


So, for item 1 you simply export the list as mentioned in my last post, nothing removed, just saving the full filename (which in turn contains the track number).

For item 2, I'm not sure if you want to remove the track numbers from the filenames, from the tags, or both? You just say "from the files". I need to know this to be able to help.

Item 3 is dependant on the info I'm missing for item 2, as described above, i.e. do you wish to restore the tracknumber in the tags, the filenames, or both?

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C Man
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Posted: Feb. 10 2006,18:49

Sorry for not being more specific.  I'm a moderator of a fitness forum and it drives me crazy when people post questions like "what should I do to get in shape fast???"   :shocked:

Anyway, I want to remove the track numbers from the filenames.  As I said, most of my files don't even have tags, so I'm not concerned about that part.  I can always remove them from the MP3 files with the Mass Clean Up Tags tool (believe it or not, I do actually have SOME understanding of how your program works   :D   )
So for the sake of discussion, just assume that none of my files have tags at all.
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Magnus Brading
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Posted: Feb. 11 2006,16:28

Ok, in that case, for item 2, simply use the "Direct rename files" tool with templates e.g. like these:

Input:
<Custom1> -- <TrackNr>. <Custom2>.mp3

Output:
<Custom1> -- <Custom2>.mp3

And for item 3, simply import the list created in item 1, with the templates discussed above.

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C Man
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Posted: Feb. 12 2006,07:31

Ok, more confusion and problems (this is really frustrating).  As per your last message....

Item 1 - Create a list with this template: <Filepath absolute> *** <Filename> saving the full filename (which in turn contains the track number).
Done, no problem.

Item 2 - Use the "Direct Rename Files" tool to parse the track numbers out of the file names.
Done, no problem.

Item 3 - Import the list created in item 1, with the templates discussed above.
PROBLEMS!

When I use the list created in step one, I get the following error message:
File to be renamed did not exist: E:\MP3s\A\Al Di Meola\[1977] Elegant Gypsy -- 01. Flight Over Rio.mp3

I get that error message for all the files.  And they don't exist of course, because the track numbers were parsed out.  The only way the created list would work would be if the track numbers were also removed from the <Filename> portion of the list.  Two messages ago you mentioned that, saying "you parse things out of the text file in the exact same way you parse it out of filenames, with common templates," but I still don't understand how to do that with the CONTENTS of a text file, so I need your help.


PROBLEM 2
I tried creating a list of some non-MP3 music files with the same <Filepath absolute> *** <Filename> template and it wouldn't work, it created a blank list.  I got this error message:
Initializing progress meter statistics
No files containing the chosen data found!


I could get around the problem by temporarily changing the extensions of those files to MP3, but I wanted to know if that was my only solution.

Thanks.

Edited by C Man on Feb. 12 2006,07:33
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Magnus Brading
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Posted: Feb. 13 2006,17:02

Problem 1:
You parse out things from a list row in the exact same way as from a filename in e.g. the auto tag tool. The following template example should work fine in your case:

Code Sample
<Old name AP-1[| -- ]> -- <TRASH>. <Old name AP-2[|]> *** <New name>


Problem 2:
Mp3/Tag Studio only creates lists from mp3 files, sorry.

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calberga
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Posted: Feb. 24 2006,22:59

Sorry for the late post, but I just got home from a trip.

I've posted this before, I think, but there is a nice FREE program that will make lists of your non-mp3 (and mp3) files.

Check out:

http://freeware.prv.pl/

and download "Directory Lister".  Remember that Mp3/Tag Studio may not create a list with non-mp3 files, but it will rename such files.
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C Man
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Posted: May 07 2006,04:56

I've been screwing around with this off and on since February and still can't get it to work.

If I use the code sample you posted 2 messages ago this is what I get in the Processing Results Preview:

Source Filename                                                                     Target Filename
[1977] Elegant Gypsy -- 01. Flight Over Rio.mp3
[1977] Elegant Gypsy -- 02. Midnight Tango.mp3                             [1977] Elegant Gypsy -- 01. Flight Over Rio.mp3#2
[1977] Elegant Gypsy -- 03. Mediterranean Sundance.mp3                  [1977] Elegant Gypsy -- 02. Midnight Tango.mp3#2
[1977] Elegant Gypsy -- 04. Race with Devil on Spanish Highway.mp3     [1977] Elegant Gypsy -- 03. Mediterranean Sundance.mp3#2
[1977] Elegant Gypsy -- 05. Lady of Rome, Sister of Brazil.mp3            [1977] Elegant Gypsy -- 04. Race with Devil on Spanish Highway.mp3#2
[1977] Elegant Gypsy -- 06. Elegant Gypsy Suite.mp3                       [1977] Elegant Gypsy -- 05. Lady of Rome, Sister of Brazil.mp3#2

All the target filenames get 'moved down one spot' and the last file doesn't get renamed at all, and the track numbers don't get parsed out.

Can I send you a txt file of my file list so you can try to get it to work?

Edit: sorry, it looks like crap on the screen but you said you didn't want any more images posted.

Edited by C Man on May 07 2006,05:01
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calberga
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Posted: May 07 2006,10:54

That one may be simple, although I've tripped over it a lot of times myself.

The results you are getting look as if you are NOT specifying a old-filename.  If I am wrong, ignore what follows, but could you post the exact patterns you used to
a: create the list
b: perform the rename from list?
I can't reconcile the "shift" (possibly explained below) with the pattern in magnificant author's post.  Possible a lack of understanding on my part.

If you look at the file you will find a line at the top which contians the names of the fields (tags) you specified when you created the list.  When you do a tag/rename from list without a filename specified the program used the first line of the list for the first file, the second line for the second, etc.  But the line corresponding to the first file is the second line, which matches your observation.  

So, edit the list in a text editor (or, if you use a wordprocessor, be sure and save it as a text file -- in WordPerfect use "save as", and set the file type, I don't have Word) and deleat the first line (which will NOT be a file name).  Then everything should work.

Edited by calberga on May 07 2006,11:07
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C Man
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Posted: May 08 2006,00:22

Calberga, thanks for adding your input.  I'll take advice from whomever can help me.  I deleted the first line, the header or whatever it's called, and that got rid of the file name shifting, but I'm still having trouble.

If you don't want to re-read this whole thread, what I want to do is remove the track numbers from the file names (NOT the tags - there are no tags), but I want to be able to put them back later if I want to.  Renaming the files by parsing out the track numbers is easy, it's putting them back in that's causing me grief.

Magnus said I should create a file list with the real file names, and then parse the track numbers out of the list with an input template. That makes perfect sense to me but I just can't seem to make it work.  I created my file list with this template:  
Code Sample
<Filepath absolute> *** <Filename>

So as an example, I get this: E:\MP3s\Al Di Meola\[1977] Elegant Gypsy -- 01. Flight Over Rio.mp3 *** [1977] Elegant Gypsy -- 01. Flight Over Rio.mp3

Up to this point I'm fine and have no problems.  But when I input the created file list into the Tag/Rename From List tool to parse out the track numbers from the file names in the list, it doesn't work.  A few messages ago Magnus suggested using this template:
Code Sample
<Old name AP-1[| -- ]> -- <TRASH>. <Old name AP-2[|]> *** <New name>

When I use that template and 'preview' the results I get an empty preview box, and the status info says that all the files were already named correctly.  That's where I'm stuck.  I'm guessing the suggested input template isn't quite right, but I don't know what to change because I don't completely understand all of the syntax in it.

So just to clarify, what I need is for the created file list to go from this:
E:\MP3s\Al Di Meola\[1977] Elegant Gypsy -- 01. Flight Over Rio.mp3 *** [1977] Elegant Gypsy -- 01. Flight Over Rio.mp3

To this:
E:\MP3s\Al Di Meola\[1977] Elegant Gypsy -- 01. Flight Over Rio.mp3 *** [1977] Elegant Gypsy -- Flight Over Rio.mp3

If you can help, thank you very much!
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calberga
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Posted: May 08 2006,01:56

First, I'm going to ask a dumb question.

Why do you want the files to be tag-less?  If you were to tag them (at least with title and track) the whole thing would be trivial.

On the other hand, assuming the list you describe, would you try:

<Old name AP> *** <New Name-1[| --] -- <TRASH>. <New name-2[|]>.mp3

I don't have any files named as yours are, but I don't see why this won't work (but I've been wrong before!;).

If you are amenable to tagging the files, then run a "tag from file name" with the pattern:

[<Year>] <Album> -- <TrackNr>. <Title>.mp3

then do a rename from tags with:

[<Year>] <Album> -- <Title>.mp3

and Bob's your uncle.

To restore the current names rename again with:

[<Year>] <Album> -- <TrackNr>. <Title>.mp3

If you want a more complete tagging then the first pattern should be:

<Artist><\>[<Year>] <Album> -- <TrackNr>. <Title>.mp3

but the re-tagging pattern should not include the artist.

Let me know if I'm right, or not, I've got no ego involved.
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calberga
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Posted: May 08 2006,01:58

PS -- with any luck the almighty author will be back tomorrow and tell us both where we have been wandering in the wilderness!
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C Man
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Posted: May 08 2006,02:27

It's not that I want the files to be tagless, but the files aren't MP3s.  They're lossless audio files (WavPack) that don't use ID3v2 tags.  I've changed the extensions of the files to MP3 (temporarily renamed) so that I can use the Create Custom Lists tool.

I will try your template and report back.
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Posted: May 08 2006,03:11

Ah, I'm afraid I missed the file-type problem in my scan of the thread.  This is actually rather odd, as the filter on create custom list has a "only process files with file type xxx".  If the function only works on .mp3 files then I don't see the point (to work on .mp2 files -- perhaps).  On the other hand I don't see why it shouldn't work on, say .flac files if the pattern contains no tags, only file-name entities.  Note that the rename from list has no such limitation, it happily renames .jpg, .bmp, etc. files (which I do once in a while).

Let me know if my ideas worked.
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C Man
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Posted: May 08 2006,08:04

Sorry, but unfortunately the template you came up with was unusable.  It appeared in red when I copy & pasted it into the File Row Format box.
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calberga
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Posted: May 08 2006,09:49

Yes, a missing ">".  It should be

<Old name AP> *** <New Name-1[| --]> -- <TRASH>. <New name-2[|]>.mp3

Sorry about that.
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C Man
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Posted: May 08 2006,20:57

Well, there's good news and more questions!

Sorry I didn't see the missing ">", I should have noticed that.  Adding it allowed me to use your template, but I did have to tweak it just a little.  I had to add a {space} after the double dashes inside the brackets, and for some reason I also had to remove the ".mp3" extension at the end.  It wouldn't put the extension on the file name with ".mp3" in the template, but when it was removed from the template it DID add it to the filename.

So from this:
<Old name AP> *** <New Name-1[| --]> -- <TRASH>. <New name-2[|]>.mp3

To this:
<Old name AP> *** <New name-1[| -- ]> -- <TRASH>. <New name-2[|]>

I do have something to think about though.  Even though I now have a template that does exactly what I want it to (and thank you very much), I was thinking about what you said a few posts ago about how if the files had tags I could just tag them with all the information, then parse out the track numbers from the file names, and then if I ever wanted to add them back I could just do a rename-from-tags operation.

After doing some reading last night I found that my WavPack files DO support APEv2 tags, and I was able to find a program that tags the files with the required info.  So now I can either use the template you've worked out for me here, or use that program to tag the files, then parse out the track numbers, and then do a rename-from-tags operation in the future if I want to.

I'm actually thinking that doing it with the other program might make more sense, because there's no need for a file list, and I can move the files to a different directory or PC altogether and not worry about having to edit the file list to reflect the new path.  What do you think?
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Magnus Brading
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Posted: May 20 2006,14:20

I'm very sorry for the delayed answer, I have not been able to see new posts for more than a week due to technical problems. :( Thanks a lot for the assist Calberga!

About the template confusion, my suggested template above is the one you should use to restore the tracknumber in the file names at a later point, after you have removed them, which I understood was your original wish? Carlberga's templates on the other hand seems to only remove the tracknumber from the file names, which could instead be done much easier with a simple Direct Rename operation?

I might have misunderstood something though, so please tell me what, and I will to my best to help again.

And like you say, if you have a program that can do auto-renames/auto-tags for the non-mp3 file format you are using (APEv2 tags in this case) this would probably be a good solution for this case too.

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calberga
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Posted: May 20 2006,16:31

First let me apologise for not responding to C man's last post, but the day before it appeared I came down with shingles.  (I don't know what it's called in anything else but french, were it is zona.)  Anyway, I've been moping around, doing very little, somewhat spacy due to the cocktail of meds I was on, antivirial, general pain killer, specific medicine for nerve pains, etc.  I'm somewhat improved, and the medicine load is a bit lighter, thought I'm still sleeping a lot and a bit out-of-my-head.  I am glad that it was just a software problem and that our omnipotent author wasn't suffering from any similar maladly!

I guess I should have looked at direct rename, but I was focusing on the problem as stated.  Further, the list is needed anyway for the possible later reinsertion of the track numbers, so I just went from there.

Magnus, could you check (or tell me you things are broken as designed) on the file-type filter?  As far as I can see the only thing it will do is eliminate .mp3 files, but I couldn't get it to include non-mp3 files in the list.

For example, I went to "create custom list", openned the filter set-up and checked "Filter file extension" and set the value to "FLAC" (without the ", and without the . -- maybe that's what's wrong?).  Anyway, running it on a directory containing .FLAC files I got an empty list.  So, what is the "Filter file extension" supposed to be used for?
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Posted: May 20 2006,19:05

Quote (Magnus Brading @ May 20 2006,08:20)
About the template confusion, my suggested template above is the one you should use to restore the tracknumber in the file names at a later point, after you have removed them, which I understood was your original wish? Carlberga's templates on the other hand seems to only remove the tracknumber from the file names, which could instead be done much easier with a simple Direct Rename operation?

Magnus, you're correct, I spoke too soon.  Calberga's template does remove the track number from the filenames, but as you said, it's easier to do that with a direct rename (I was aware of that).  The problem I still have in using your template is that when I 'preview' the results I get an empty preview box, and the status info says that all the files were already named correctly.  The track numbers still need to be removed from the filenames within the .txt file list in order to use your template.  To use the same example I've used before, I create a file list and get this:

E:\MP3s\Al Di Meola\[1977] Elegant Gypsy -- 01. Flight Over Rio.mp3 *** [1977] Elegant Gypsy -- 01. Flight Over Rio.mp3

Then in order to use your template I need the track numbers to be removed from the filenames from within the file list so that all the files in the list look like this:

E:\MP3s\Al Di Meola\[1977] Elegant Gypsy -- 01. Flight Over Rio.mp3 *** [1977] Elegant Gypsy -- Flight Over Rio.mp3

So THAT'S where I've been stuck seemingly forever.  Before you try to help me with that, please read below...

Quote (Magnus Brading @ May 20 2006,08:20)
And like you say, if you have a program that can do auto-renames/auto-tags for the non-mp3 file format you are using (APEv2 tags in this case) this would probably be a good solution for this case too.

I think that's the best solution for my case.  I was able to very easily tag all of my non-MP3 files and parse the track numbers out of the file names.  If I want them back it's just a simple matter of renaming from tags - no file list is needed and I can move the files to a different directory or drive without having to worry about editing the path in the file list.

If you'd still like to try to get things to work using a file list and templates (just for the sake of conquering the problem) then I'd still be interested in messing around with it just for the satisfaction of making it work.  On the other hand, if you'd rather just let this issue die right here and now then I understand completely.  Thanks for all the help you've provided to me, I do appreciate it.
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Magnus Brading
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Posted: May 25 2006,00:44

Calberga, about the filter, it will always only refine the current set of processed files, i.e. make it smaller or equal to what it originally was. Some of the tools already only process files with certain extensions, and thus, the filter can never add files to this set of files chosen before the filter is applied, see what I mean?

C Man, about the templates, what I understand you wanted to do was this:

1.
Create the list.

2.
Remove the tracknumbers from the filenames (i.e. the actual names of the files).

3.
Restore the tracknumbers into the actual filenames, from the list.

The third step is what my suggested templates should do, but in order for it to work, you must already have removed the tracknumbers from the filesnames since the point in time you created the list, otherwise the names will be identical with the current ones, since the whole idea was to restore them to their  original format. See what I mean?

So, did you really remove the tracknumbers from the filenames before trying my template (but after creating the initial list)?

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C Man
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Posted: May 25 2006,01:49

Magnus, you are correct in understanding what I wanted to do.

1. I made the file list with the <Filepath absolute> *** <Filename> template.

2. Then using Direct Rename Files, I removed the track numbers from the files.

3. Then I used your template, but it doesn't work 100% correctly because I have the same problem I had back on page 1 of this thread - since the files now appear in alphabetical order, the template renames them in the wrong order.  6 becomes 1, 1 becomes 2, 5 becomes 3, and so on.

The way I've come to understand the problem is that the track numbers also have to be removed from the file names in the text file list in order for the template to work.

So using <Filepath absolute> *** <Filename> I create the file list and get this:
E:\MP3s\Al Di Meola\[1977] Elegant Gypsy -- 01. Flight Over Rio.mp3 *** [1977] Elegant Gypsy -- 01. Flight Over Rio.mp3
E:\MP3s\Al Di Meola\[1977] Elegant Gypsy -- 02. Midnight Tango.mp3 *** [1977] Elegant Gypsy -- 02. Midnight Tango.mp3
E:\MP3s\Al Di Meola\[1977] Elegant Gypsy -- 03. Mediterranean Sundance.mp3 *** [1977] Elegant Gypsy -- 03. Mediterranean Sundance.mp3
etc., for all the files.

In order for the renaming to work correctly, the file list has to look like this:
E:\MP3s\Al Di Meola\[1977] Elegant Gypsy -- 01. Flight Over Rio.mp3 *** [1977] Elegant Gypsy -- Flight Over Rio.mp3
E:\MP3s\Al Di Meola\[1977] Elegant Gypsy -- 02. Midnight Tango.mp3 *** [1977] Elegant Gypsy -- Midnight Tango.mp3
E:\MP3s\Al Di Meola\[1977] Elegant Gypsy -- 03. Mediterranean Sundance.mp3 *** [1977] Elegant Gypsy -- Mediterranean Sundance.mp3
etc.

And that's where I've been eternally stuck, because I don't know how to remove the track numbers from the file names in the file list.  Like I said in my last post, if you'd like to work through this just for the sake of conquering the problem then I'd still be interested in messing around with it just for the satisfaction of making it work, but if you'd rather let the issue die right here and now then I understand.
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calberga
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Posted: May 25 2006,12:52

Given your list with the original name (complete with track number) included twice, seperated by " *** ", how about a "rename from list" with the template:

<New name> *** <Old name-1[ -- |]> -- <TRASH>. <Old name-2[|]>

I admit I haven't tried it, as I don't have any files with comperable names, but it seems to me that it should work.

Magnus?  Am I misunderstanding things, as usual?
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Magnus Brading
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Posted: May 26 2006,22:41

Well, someone must be misunderstanding something anyway, because I just tried it with those exact filenames, and it worked like a charm... :)

C Man, are you sure you used the right suggested template for the "Rename from list" operation?

This is the one that I suggested last in this thread, which works perfectly, without having to edit anything, just as desired:

Code Sample
<Old name AP-1[| -- ]> -- <TRASH>. <Old name AP-2[|]> *** <New name>


Once again, the full procedure:

1.
Create the list. resulting in file list lines of the following type (this is the exact line I used for my test):

E:\MP3s\Al Di Meola\[1977] Elegant Gypsy -- 01. Flight Over Rio.mp3 *** [1977] Elegant Gypsy -- 01. Flight Over Rio.mp3

2.
Remove the tracknumbers from the filenames (i.e. the actual names of the files).

3.
Restore the tracknumbers into the actual filenames, from the list, by using a "Rename from list" operation with the exact template above.

4.
The original filenames, including the tracknumber, are now restored, works perfectly?!

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C Man
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Posted: May 26 2006,23:15

I don't know what to tell you, Magnus, but it doesn't work.  I tried it by key entering your template above, and also by copying & pasting.  I get the same thing every time...
I'm looking at the preview box as I type this and it wants to rename them in the wrong order as I mentioned in my last post.

Oh, I see I can right-click in the 'Status' box and save the list contents to a file.  I did, and this is what it says:

Initializing progress meter statistics
Sorting files in working directory (target files not specified in template)...
Successfully renamed [1977] Elegant Gypsy -- Elegant Gypsy Suite.mp3 to E:\MP3s\Al Di Meola\[1977] Elegant Gypsy -- 01. Flight Over Rio.mp3
Successfully renamed [1977] Elegant Gypsy -- Flight Over Rio.mp3 to E:\MP3s\Al Di Meola\[1977] Elegant Gypsy -- 02. Midnight Tango.mp3
Successfully renamed [1977] Elegant Gypsy -- Lady of Rome, Sister of Brazil.mp3 to E:\MP3s\Al Di Meola\[1977] Elegant Gypsy -- 03. Mediterranean Sundance.mp3
Successfully renamed [1977] Elegant Gypsy -- Mediterranean Sundance.mp3 to E:\MP3s\Al Di Meola\[1977] Elegant Gypsy -- 04. Race with Devil on Spanish Highway.mp3
Successfully renamed [1977] Elegant Gypsy -- Midnight Tango.mp3 to E:\MP3s\Al Di Meola\[1977] Elegant Gypsy -- 05. Lady of Rome, Sister of Brazil.mp3
Successfully renamed [1977] Elegant Gypsy -- Race with Devil on Spanish Highway.mp3 to E:\MP3s\Al Di Meola\[1977] Elegant Gypsy -- 06. Elegant Gypsy Suite.mp3
List import process complete

I tried Calberga's template too and got the same thing - files renamed out of order.

Edited by C Man on May 26 2006,23:19
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Magnus Brading
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Posted: May 26 2006,23:26

The following line in your status output indicates that you are indeed not using my template:

"Sorting files in working directory (target files not specified in template)"

Please show me a screenshot of the Mp3/Tag Studio window just before you perform the rename from list operation. :)

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C Man
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Posted: May 26 2006,23:56

Here's a screenshot (hosted at Photobucket.com).  Sorry about the size and quality, but it says PNG images aren't accepted here.

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Magnus Brading
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Posted: June 03 2006,23:14

Thanks for your persistence C Man, I've looked into it further now, and this last problem with the file order was actually a bug in Mp3/Tag Studio! :)

I've fixed it now anyway, and it will work in the next release.

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C Man
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Posted: June 04 2006,05:25

Quote (Magnus Brading @ June 03 2006,17:14)
Thanks for your persistence C Man, I've looked into it further now, and this last problem with the file order was actually a bug in Mp3/Tag Studio! :)

Ok, sounds good, but...

Quote (Magnus Brading @ May 26 2006,16:41)
Well, someone must be misunderstanding something anyway, because I just tried it with those exact filenames, and it worked like a charm... :)

...how'd you get it to work last time then?
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Magnus Brading
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Posted: June 04 2006,12:01

I only tried it on a file with one line in it, and thus, the sorting could not be done wrong.  :)

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