getmusicbee.com
Support => Questions => Topic started by: Parallax on April 09, 2014, 08:58:11 PM
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Hi,
Just wanted to start off by saying I'm new to using MusicBee, so hopefully this question has an easy answer (I was unable to find a clear answer by searching the forum or in the wiki) :D I'm coming from a long term relationship with Winamp, but I quickly fell for the very visual interface and possibilities of MB - still have a huge amount to learn though.
I'm using version 2.3.5188 with the Compact Player mode as seen here:
- Link to screenshot (http://postimg.org/image/vnj1mzf5z/)
(the first column displayed is the Track#)
As you can see from the screenshot, the track order does not show correctly. When I test this multiple times, the tracks shift around (never randomly though; for instance 5-12 followed by 1-4). When I add new music to Now Playing, in this instance a whole album, I usually just drag&drop the items into the "Now Playing" area.
My question is: how can I make sure the sort order in "Now Playing" always appear in order of Track# when I add new tracks? (1 through 12 in this case)
(I have tried setting the Sorting options to Track#, but it does not seem to work properly or I am misunderstanding how it is supposed to work)
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Welcome to the forum!
It would be helpful to see the tags in the Tag Editor. Can you show one of the top ones and one of the bottom ones?
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Maybe you want to first check how they look in Album & Tracks layout in the main panel. If they are not sorted by track#, then check your Grouping setting under preferences that sets how you define an album.
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Hi again and thanks for the quick replies - I'm adding some more information before heading off to work :)
Here is a screenshot from the tag editor of the top and bottom tracks:
- Link #1 (http://s10.postimg.org/l3389g1dl/capture1.png)
- Link #2 (http://s9.postimg.org/lre715qb3/capture2.png)
I am also including various settings:
- Sourting/Grouping (http://s14.postimg.org/rykkrv2ld/capture3.png)
- Shuffle (http://s23.postimg.org/gnrp6oojv/capture4.png) (it doesn't seem to do shuffle in "now playing", but is there an off button?)
- Album&Tracks (http://s29.postimg.org/40ypsqb2f/capture5.png)
Album & Tracks in the Main Panel is the pane that end with a #-menu that has the settings "Keep columns sized to panel" and "Auto size all columns" among other things, is that right? If so, that area is empty, I guess since I use Compact Player with Now Playing directly.
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Shuffle is toggled on and off via the button in the player panel, or in the right click menu for the player panel.
I don't think it has anything to do with your compact player settings, but your Album & Track settings don't make much sense. More info here: http://musicbee.wikia.com/wiki/Album_and_Tracks_View
Rather than using Track# as your sorting criteria, I suggest using the "Album" sorting preset. It includes Track# in its logic and won't mix up tracks from different albums. If that doesn't help your sorting problem, I will have to ponder it some more, or wait for someone else to have any idea.
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Your grouping setting includes Album Artist and Album name, which means your album must have the same album artist and album name to be sorted properly by track #. Check if those tracks have the same album artist, or try removing album artist from grouping setting.
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BTW why did you add Track# as grouping header for your Album & Tracks view? That's doesn't make any sense unless you want to group tracks with their track#.
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All the tracks does indeed have the same tags for Artist and Album.
Here are my current settings:
- Sorting/Grouping (http://s28.postimg.org/l4ss1yhst/capture2.png)
- Album & Tracks (http://s23.postimg.org/5e59wjinf/capture3.png)
Sometimes when I change the above settings, I get the following error:
- Error Message (http://s28.postimg.org/pqanlpi8t/capture.png)
Now that I go into Album & Tracks, the Grouping Header is reset back to "Album Artist"
Even when I am able to change it (to "Album") without error - it doesn't seem to have much effect?
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What happens if you go to the Now Playing List in the main panel (found under Playlists), add Track# (not "#", which is playlist order) as a column, and click to sort it? Can you post a screenshot of that?
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Here is the result after I click to sort the track# column (they appear in correct order, but only after sorting manually):
- Main Player screenshot (http://s27.postimg.org/w7b899vzn/capture.png)
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That's helpful, thanks. In the Now Playing List (as shown), add the # column so that you can see the playlist order, then Right Click > List > Update Play Order Automatically. That should make the # column match the Track # column. If it doesn't, sort by Track # again.
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Here's the new result (with # column and Automatically Update Play Order turned on):
- Main Player: Now Playing screenshot (http://s13.postimg.org/xk0xf3y2f/capture2.png)
It shows how it looks with the tracks added initially. If I click to sort by Track# - both column values does match.
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As shown by your last screenshot, your sorting problem has not been fixed yet. Is this album the only exception? In Album & Tracks layout, are other albums sorted properly according to track# (without sorting by it manually)?
If so, try this. Select all tracks in that album, re-enter album name, and save them. Also if you keeping getting the error message, copy the whole message and report it to the bug reports board.
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It seemed like it, but today I reinstalled MusicBee because of the error I got when updating the settings - just to be on the safe side.
I tested again with a new album and then with the same one. They are both loaded with the tracks in the correct order in the Library Pane (I guess what I might "Library" is actually the Album&Tracks layout).
So that appears correct, but as you can see they are still jumbled when I add them directly to the Now Playing pane.
- Test #1 (http://s17.postimg.org/z66ns5cdr/capture1.png)
- Test #2 (http://s28.postimg.org/70wg9wypp/capture2.png)
(note that the # column is gone in the Library Pane, I seem unable to find it again under Other Fields for some reason)
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It seemed like it, but today I reinstalled MusicBee because of the error I got when updating the settings - just to be on the safe side.
I tested again with a new album and then with the same one. They are both loaded with the tracks in the correct order in the Library Pane (I guess what I might "Library" is actually the Album&Tracks layout).
So that appears correct, but as you can see they are still jumbled when I add them directly to the Now Playing pane.
- Test #1 (http://s17.postimg.org/z66ns5cdr/capture1.png)
- Test #2 (http://s28.postimg.org/70wg9wypp/capture2.png)
(note that the # column is gone in the Library Pane, I seem unable to find it again under Other Fields for some reason)
There is no # column for library, because the library does not have a play order. If sorting the Now Playing List by Track # solves the problem, why not just do that? What is it sorted by in your screenshots?
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I have no idea what causes that.
Just make sure,
1. In the main panel (either track details view or album & tracks view), they are sorted correctly by track# without manually sorting by it.
2. But if you select those files and add to now playing list, then they split into two groups and their sort order is changed.
Is this correct? And did you try re-saving their album name with tag editor as I suggested?
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Yes, I just tried to re-save the album name of the tracks with the tag editor (marked all the tracks, hit edit, and then clicked save).
1. The tracks now sort correctly in Main Panel by track# without manually having to "sort by"
2. The tracks remain out of order when added to Now Playing.
Btw thanks for being patient with my questions/case :)
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Could you post your Now Playing setting under Preferences?
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Here are my Now Playing settings:
- Screenshot (http://s2.postimg.org/fndbpqoux/capture.png)
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Nothing special with your settings.
1. How do you add tracks to now playing list?
2. Do all of your albums work the same way or there are some working correctly?
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1. I basically select all tracks in a folder, then drag&drop them straight into the "Now Playing" field.
(I have my music organized into a folder containing subfolders like this: Artist->Albums->Tracks. Files are usually named "Track Number - Title")
2. I have tested drag&dropping about 15 different albums into "Now Playing". They always sort the same way as in the previous screenshots.
Now I'm wondering: is this by design, or should MusicBee actually be able to sort by track# in Now Playing?
Just testing: when I am in Main Player and I have the Navigator shown; I browse to an album folder, then drag&drop straight from the Library Pane to the Now Playing Pane - the songs does indeed automatically sort the right way.
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1. I basically select all tracks in a folder, then drag&drop them straight into the "Now Playing" field.
(I have my music organized into a folder containing subfolders like this: Artist->Albums->Tracks. Files are usually named "Track Number - Title")
Are you saying you drag & drop files from Windows explorer?
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That's what I figured. Here's what Steven said about dragging from Windows Explorer.
tracks are drag/dropped in the order they have been selected. In the main panel, if you do the initial selection in one go (eg. clicking on an album picture or using the shift key) then that will be the order the files are displayed. If you do the initial selection from Windows Explorer, then windows has a (what i think) wacky scheme where (if i recall correctly) the ordering starts from the file you are pointing to when you start the drag and wraps the ordering around to the first file.
Then I'd consider your problem's now resolved.
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That's what I figured. Here's what Steven said about dragging from Windows Explorer.
tracks are drag/dropped in the order they have been selected. In the main panel, if you do the initial selection in one go (eg. clicking on an album picture or using the shift key) then that will be the order the files are displayed. If you do the initial selection from Windows Explorer, then windows has a (what i think) wacky scheme where (if i recall correctly) the ordering starts from the file you are pointing to when you start the drag and wraps the ordering around to the first file.
Then I'd consider your problem's now resolved.
Wow, that's actually it! I wasn't aware of such behaviour, but that is actually very useful to know! ;D
I have tested several times right now - and that makes perfect sense now... I just tested with a few album, and drag&dropped with the mouse over the first tune in an album, and that makes them add correctly to Now Playing.
I feel a bit dumbfounded, but thank you so much for clearing this up!
I have marked the topic as [solved] - now my next step is to donate to help keep this wonderful player alive. <3 MB :)
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Glad it's sorted out! Actually I never tried and saw such behavior either. I learned something too :)