Print Page - Ability to Add PDFs to Library

General => MusicBee Wishlist => Topic started by: cartman005 on April 29, 2011, 12:45:06 AM

Title: Ability to Add PDFs to Library
Post by: cartman005 on April 29, 2011, 12:45:06 AM

It would be nice to be able to add PDF files to the library for album booklets. Is this something that you would consider?

Title: Re: Ability to Add PDFs to Library
Post by: munkee on May 03, 2011, 01:24:14 PM

+1 This would be useful for me 8)

Title: Browser for other JPGs, PDFs in the album folder
Post by: Greb on December 01, 2012, 05:17:16 AM

The cover is not the only jpg file in the album folder. Many times, in the folder or in some subfolder, there's other interesting jpg or pdf files.

How about a 'red/green light' that tells you about those files and allows you to click on and browse them.

Something like:

(http://i50.tinypic.com/2z5ru42.jpg)

And then you click and browse

(http://i49.tinypic.com/x51qi9.jpg)

Title: Re: Browser for other JPGs, PDFs in the album folder
Post by: adekker on August 16, 2013, 09:58:06 AM

I don't understand why pdf support is not standard in all media players. I really would appreciate a player that supports my music booklets (typically in pdf format) that reside in the album folder.

Title: Re: Browser for other JPGs, PDFs in the album folder
Post by: Zak on August 17, 2013, 07:37:25 AM

Quote from: adekker on August 16, 2013, 09:58:06 AM

I don't understand why pdf support is not standard in all media players.

Because a PDF isn't a media file. Why should a media player know what to do with a PDF?

You can assign a shortcut to "General: Locate Selected Track in Windows Explorer" which would be a quick way to access any other files stored with the track.

Title: Re: Browser for other JPGs, PDFs in the album folder
Post by: adekker on August 19, 2013, 10:33:48 AM

Maybe PDF is not a media file according your definition, but it is digital information that accompanies the other media files.
If I bought a gramophone or a cd in the pre-digital era, I also knew what to do with an accompanying booklet, why should a media player not understand what to do? At least what the media player could do is indicating that there is additional information in the folder.

Title: Monitoring .pdf files
Post by: KissCool on February 01, 2014, 04:04:50 PM

Could MusicBee monitor .pdf files, plz?

My point is not to read pdf file with MusicBee.
But being able to launch a 3rd party software for reading my Digital Booklets with MusicBee would be nice.
(like we can do for video files):
http://imageshack.com/a/img838/526/5pea.jpg

The Digital Booklet should be listed under the last track (like iTunes Store does):
http://imageshack.com/a/img31/7659/hkxi.jpg

So, monitoring .pdf files (and maybe .cbr / . cbz files) and being able to launch an external software for reading them would be nice IMO.

[mod: image tags removed due to altered images which were very large]

Title: Re: Monitoring .pdf files
Post by: boroda on February 01, 2014, 04:11:53 PM

Big +1. It will be better to allow user to add any extensions for monitoring/manual adding to MB. Of course external app should be used to open unsupported files.

Title: Re: Monitoring .pdf files
Post by: blau on February 01, 2014, 05:30:27 PM

Title: Re: Monitoring .pdf files
Post by: vzell on February 02, 2014, 03:21:15 PM

Title: Re: Monitoring .pdf files
Post by: Alumni on February 02, 2014, 09:49:51 PM

Good suggestion. Being able to open the liner notes directly from MusicBee would be super.

Title: Re: Monitoring .pdf files
Post by: Bigmelwalter on February 02, 2014, 09:52:37 PM

Title: Link to pdf booklet with album in library, please please
Post by: Bunthorne on November 23, 2016, 12:31:23 AM

Hi,

I have been using Musicbee for a a couple of years now, and in most ways I like it so much more than iTunes and other players. But there is one thing that has prevented me from using it as my main organizer for my huge library and forces me to keep iTunes on the computer too.

I would really love to have the file scan pick up pdf booklets that are in folders with albums and link the album art from within the library, so that a pdf reader can be launched with the booklet when clicking on it. Searching in windows explorer isn't the same. Often one does not even remember which albums came with booklets, so closing musicbee to search for a booklet adds many extra steps.

I understand the argument that pdf files are not media files, but they are part of albums and they provide important reference points while listening. Anything that increases their accessibility is good. Is it very difficult to program links into the library?

Thank you for considering this.

Title: Re: Link to pdf booklet with album in library, please please
Post by: CritterMan on November 23, 2016, 01:59:41 AM

I could see the value in this, specifically for those who have a lot of albums from HDTracks.

Title: "Booklet" Tab and Panel
Post by: Plaxmol on March 21, 2017, 03:46:39 PM

Hi!

I have a lot of music with Booklets in .pdf. A panel to access those files directly and a tab on edit mode will be a great idea.
Is there other people using Booklet?

Thanks!

Title: Re: Ability to Add PDFs to Library
Post by: MusicMee on January 11, 2021, 07:05:49 PM

+1

I have several pdf booklets that go unused because I forget I have them. Displaying them with an album (as the online service providers do) would be awesome! I'd be good with a simple link that launches a 3rd party viewer, it's more about knowing they are available when I am looking at/listening to an album. Of note: there are a few post similar to this one, which I think minimizes the requests (appear smaller than they would collectively). A quick search for "PDF" brings up at least 3 other similar feature requests.

Title: Re: Ability to Add PDFs to Library
Post by: The Incredible Boom Boom on January 11, 2021, 09:13:23 PM

Title: Re: Ability to Add PDFs to Library
Post by: Bee-liever on January 12, 2021, 12:10:14 AM

Quote from: MusicMee on January 11, 2021, 07:05:49 PM

I'd be good with a simple link that launches a 3rd party viewer, it's more about knowing they are available when I am looking at/listening to an album.

+1
Maybe something could be added to "Highlighting" to allow a rule
Folder> contains> PDF

Title: Re: Ability to Add PDFs to Library
Post by: psychoadept on January 12, 2021, 12:10:34 AM

+1, I have a growing number of PDFs associated with my library

I also merged the half dozen or so other topics to this effect.

Title: Re: Ability to Add PDFs to Library
Post by: frankz on January 12, 2021, 12:49:05 AM

+1 - I never realized I wanted this, but I do.

Title: Re: Ability to Add PDFs to Library
Post by: vzell on January 12, 2021, 07:00:20 AM

Title: Re: Ability to Add PDFs to Library
Post by: MusicMee on January 12, 2021, 03:24:45 PM

Quote from: psychoadept on January 12, 2021, 12:10:34 AM

+1, I have a growing number of PDFs associated with my library

I also merged the half dozen or so other topics to this effect.

Thanks psychoadept!

Title: Re: Ability to Add PDFs to Library
Post by: hiccup on January 12, 2021, 03:58:00 PM

I am guessing the intended purpose is to be able to quickly open booklets of releases?

If so, more often those will not be pdf's but image files containing scanned pages.
Or there can be several pdf's, or a mixture of pdf's and jpg's.

So I am not sure if a solution should be restricted to the pdf filetype.
Perhaps a shortcut to open a folder named 'booklet' (or something) if present and residing in the same folder as the music files would work better?

Title: Re: Ability to Add PDFs to Library
Post by: psychoadept on January 12, 2021, 04:55:47 PM

Quote from: hiccup on January 12, 2021, 03:58:00 PM

If so, more often those will not be pdf's but image files containing scanned pages.

I'm getting a lot of booklets these days that are native pdfs, sometimes the source files used for printing booklets or just a virtual booklet, never printed.

I'd love to see something as simple as a PDF icon in the corner of the artwork that I could click to open in the default pdf viewer. Or even more basic, indicate presence of the pdf with an icon but right click to open it from the artwork menu. The most important part is the visual indicator of a pdf, in my mind.

Title: Re: Ability to Add PDFs to Library
Post by: MusicMee on January 12, 2021, 05:08:11 PM

Quote from: hiccup on January 12, 2021, 03:58:00 PM

I am guessing the intended purpose is to be able to quickly open booklets of releases?

If so, more often those will not be pdf's but image files containing scanned pages.
Or there can be several pdf's, or a mixture of pdf's and jpg's.

So I am not sure if a solution should be restricted to the pdf filetype.
Perhaps a shortcut to open a folder named 'booklet' (or something) if present and residing in the same folder as the music files would work better?

Most of my booklets are PDF (Qobuz's, HDTracks and iTunes all use the format, if I am not mistaken.) That said I think you make a good point. There are many booklets that are available via discogs, etc, that are collections of lose scanned images. It sounds almost like two unique asks...

Title: Re: Ability to Add PDFs to Library
Post by: frankz on January 12, 2021, 06:28:45 PM

I would like a visual indicator that does not mar the album artwork if possible.

Title: Re: Ability to Add PDFs to Library
Post by: psychoadept on January 12, 2021, 07:28:23 PM

I mean, you can already embed or link as many image files as you want so I feel like that's covered. I don't think pdfs can be embedded, but I don't see any reason they couldn't be linked to files the same way as images. I imagine in the tag editor you would just see a generic PDF placeholder in the artwork tab, maybe with the filename on the chance there's more than one.

Title: Re: Ability to Add PDFs to Library
Post by: frankz on January 12, 2021, 08:11:38 PM

Quote from: psychoadept on January 12, 2021, 04:55:47 PM

I'd love to see something as simple as a PDF icon in the corner of the artwork that I could click to open in the default pdf viewer.

I was responding to this. I would not like an icon overlaid on the artwork (if that's what you meant).

Title: Re: Ability to Add PDFs to Library
Post by: MusicMee on January 12, 2021, 08:57:30 PM

Apple and Qobuz both handled differently and both appear to work:

Apple allows for multiple booklets, perhaps to be included with groupings or subfolders (disc1, etc):

(https://routenote.com/blog/wp-content/uploads/2018/10/Music-metadata-digital-booket-in-PDF-format.jpg)

Qobuz, on the other hand, include an icon along with the album info (I couldn't find an image but here is a url):
https://play.qobuz.com/album/ys96i2ayewnpa

Both have their pros and cons. I imagine the qobuz approach would be easier to implement. The iTunes approach, on the other hand, I believe, offers more flexibility - ie booklets tied to groupings, multiple booklets tied to an album/box set, etc... the iTunes approach would also allow you to potentially manage the file name, the same track filenames are managed

Title: Re: Ability to Add PDFs to Library
Post by: Steven on April 10, 2022, 04:48:46 AM

What i have done is added an option to the Track Info panel to show a PDF file indicator. So when there are PDF files in the same folder as the music file the icon displays and is clickable to open the PDF file
Its in the next v3.5 update

Title: Re: Ability to Add PDFs to Library
Post by: Steven on April 10, 2022, 09:09:24 AM

https://getmusicbee.com/patches/MusicBee35_Patched.zip
unzip and replace the existing musicbee application files

note that its been updated to now use .NET 4.8
if you have any issues please let me know

Title: Re: Ability to Add PDFs to Library
Post by: phred on April 10, 2022, 01:08:23 PM

Quote from: Steven on April 10, 2022, 04:48:46 AM

What i have done is added an option to the Track Info panel to show a PDF file indicator.

Very nicely done, Steven. Thanks.

I have one grammatical suggestion for the configuration window. Since the PDF option is on the same line as "show track properties" the use of the word "and" implies that both track properties -and- pdf indicator have to be enabled. Perhaps get rid of the "and" and use the work "show" instead.
(http://i.imgur.com/6Y2KXcDl.jpg) (https://i.imgur.com/6Y2KXcD.jpg)

Title: Re: Ability to Add PDFs to Library
Post by: hiccup on April 10, 2022, 02:04:03 PM

Quote from: phred on April 10, 2022, 01:08:23 PM

Perhaps get rid of the "and" and use the work "show" instead.

- The same for "and 'Love' status" in that same panel.
- I am guessing many users that appreciate this feature have such pdf's (same as for example multiple jpg's of booklets) in an underlying folder named something like 'artwork'. The indicator will currently not work for such underlying folders. I think it would be better if it did?
- And a skinning request: could we have a customisable icon for the pdf indicator?

Title: Re: Ability to Add PDFs to Library
Post by: Steven on April 11, 2022, 11:11:22 AM

- wording change for the setting
- it now looks in the music folder and also immediate sub-folder for any pdf files
- when multiple pdf's exist, clicking on the icon now shows a popup-menu to select which pdf file to open
- skin element: PDFIndicator to override the icon

https://getmusicbee.com/patches/MusicBee35_Patched.zip
unzip and replace the existing musicbee application files

note the new MB versions now use .NET 4.8

Title: Re: Ability to Add PDFs to Library
Post by: phred on April 11, 2022, 01:51:54 PM

WHOA! Thanks for enhancing the enhancement! Having the multiple files popup is wonderful.

Title: Re: Ability to Add PDFs to Library
Post by: hiccup on April 11, 2022, 06:25:40 PM

I notice that the contrast settings for 'show file url', and 'show track properties' no longer seem to work.
Not a biggy to me, but I thought to mention it whilst this item has the attention.

Title: Re: Ability to Add PDFs to Library
Post by: Steven on April 12, 2022, 10:36:58 AM

Quote from: hiccup on April 11, 2022, 06:25:40 PM

I notice that the contrast settings for 'show file url', and 'show track properties' no longer seem to work.

working fine here - maybe the colours used dont show it well?

Title: Re: Ability to Add PDFs to Library
Post by: hiccup on April 12, 2022, 09:27:35 PM

Quote from: Steven on April 12, 2022, 10:36:58 AM

working fine here - maybe the colours used dont show it well?

I found that it is not related to this update, and that it is also not only affecting the two bottom entries.

What is happening is that if a skin uses the 'ContrastBoost' element, none of the contrast adjustment in the Track Information panel work anymore.
I hope that can be fixed.

Title: Re: Ability to Add PDFs to Library
Post by: Steven on April 12, 2022, 10:54:50 PM

Quote from: hiccup on April 12, 2022, 09:27:35 PM

Quote from: Steven on April 12, 2022, 10:36:58 AM
working fine here - maybe the colours used dont show it well?
I found that it is not related to this update, and that it is also not only affecting the two bottom entries.

which skin are you using? It should still be working

Title: Re: Ability to Add PDFs to Library
Post by: hiccup on April 13, 2022, 11:04:32 AM

Quote from: Steven on April 12, 2022, 10:54:50 PM

which skin are you using? It should still be working

You should be able to verify it if you take e.g. the Sample Skin, and then add:

Code

<element id="ContrastBoost">0,2</element>

The contrast adjustments will then get ignored.

Title: Re: Ability to Add PDFs to Library
Post by: Steven on April 13, 2022, 11:10:31 AM

0,2 is going to be treated as 0 for most people
if you use 0.2 it should work but i realise now 0.2 might not work for some european country conventions. I will look to put in code to handle both

Title: Re: Ability to Add PDFs to Library
Post by: hiccup on April 13, 2022, 11:14:46 AM

Quote from: Steven on April 13, 2022, 11:10:31 AM

i realise now 0.2 might not work for some european country conventions.

Ah yes, that's an old foe that has caused issues before.

Title: Re: Ability to Add PDFs to Library
Post by: cartman005 on April 14, 2022, 03:54:46 AM

Hey, I just realized that this was my request. Thank you so much Steven!

Title: Re: Ability to Add PDFs to Library
Post by: IrnoicBez on May 12, 2022, 01:59:29 PM

Quote from: Steven on April 11, 2022, 11:11:22 AM

- wording change for the setting
- it now looks in the music folder and also immediate sub-folder for any pdf files
- when multiple pdf's exist, clicking on the icon now shows a popup-menu to select which pdf file to open
- skin element: PDFIndicator to override the icon

https://getmusicbee.com/patches/MusicBee35_Patched.zip
unzip and replace the existing musicbee application files

note the new MB versions now use .NET 4.8

Hey Steven, just wanted to ask you if you could implement the same feature for txt files too. Didn't feel like creating a new topic since my request is very similar to the one in the OP.
I am asking because I have a bunch of .txt files in my folders that I use to save additional information about some release (alternate tracklist orders, stories about the making of albums, interesting reviews etc..)

I Love MusicBee, I've been using it since 2013 and never looked back. Even if you don't have time to do this just know I really appreciate your hard work on this piece of software.

Title: Re: Ability to Add PDFs to Library
Post by: phred on May 12, 2022, 02:21:49 PM

Quote from: IrnoicBez on May 12, 2022, 01:59:29 PM

Hey Steven, just wanted to ask you if you could implement the same feature for txt files too.

I'm not sure how necessary this is. You can copy and paste text into the Comments tag.

Title: Re: Ability to Add PDFs to Library
Post by: IrnoicBez on May 13, 2022, 02:33:52 AM

Quote from: phred on May 12, 2022, 02:21:49 PM

Quote from: IrnoicBez on May 12, 2022, 01:59:29 PM
Hey Steven, just wanted to ask you if you could implement the same feature for txt files too.
I'm not sure how necessary this is. You can copy and paste text into the Comments tag.

Title: Re: Ability to Add PDFs to Library
Post by: Steven on May 29, 2022, 06:52:48 AM

for the next v3.5 update, there is a new "has PDF?" field what can be used as any display tag/ filters/ highlighting rules etc
I will make it available after more testing and that might be a while

Title: Re: Ability to Add PDFs to Library
Post by: Steven on June 19, 2022, 05:40:23 AM

https://getmusicbee.com/patches/MusicBee35_Patched.zip

Title: Re: Ability to Add PDFs to Library
Post by: phred on June 19, 2022, 01:13:42 PM

Quote from: Steven on May 29, 2022, 06:52:48 AM

for the next v3.5 update, there is a new "has PDF?" field...

Thanks for adding this, Steven.

Title: Re: Ability to Add PDFs to Library
Post by: Dalinar on June 21, 2022, 10:45:36 AM

That is true, I usually use comments when the text length is small, but I haven't found a practical way to read really long texts in the comment box. It would also make me have a lot of redundant info if I have to put the same text in the comment tag of every song in an album for quick retrieval. But I get your POV, it's not really a fundamental feature. I figured I'd ask since the code for pdf files is already there and would only need some little refactoring.
[/quote]

I have... I have! well not in the comments box per-se.. but can read it nevertheless.

You have to hover over certain areas and a huge tooltip containing the entire comment will appear (I have some long long comments and it works mostly great)

for Example, if you have comments in Track Information.. hover over that one line of comment and a tool tip will appear. Same with comment columns in the playlist in compact mode.

It works almost perfect the one problem is if the comment tooltip is so big that it touches the bottom of the screen it will disappear immediately.

Title: Re: Ability to Add PDFs to Library
Post by: Dalinar on June 21, 2022, 10:47:24 AM

I haven't been following this thread so I don't know how pertinent this is but I do have a tool I wrote that I use in musicbee that will open files from the song folder. it takes various command line parameters.. mostly I use it as a toolbar button that will open all images and text files. I can't remember if it supports PDFs but I can add that easily. If anyone is interested pm me.

Title: Re: Ability to Add PDFs to Library
Post by: ebbremmer on September 01, 2022, 12:30:30 PM

Hello,

I've downloaded the patch. Unfortunately, the "has PDF" indicator is not shown anyware. I'm using 3.5.

Any suggestions?

Thanks!

Eric

Title: Re: Ability to Add PDFs to Library
Post by: Steven on September 01, 2022, 12:40:39 PM

it a field that can be displayed in the main panel like any other field but you have to include it using "Set Displayed Fields"
or it can be displayed in the Track Info panel, but again you need to enable it in the track info configuration

Title: Re: Ability to Add PDFs to Library
Post by: smann on October 20, 2022, 12:53:55 PM

Just tested this out with a random PDF thrown into one of my album folders.

I ticked the option to show PDF indicator, restarted MB and it showed up fine, went to delete the PDF from that folder since it was just a random test and not related to the album, restarted MB, annnddd... Much of the track info for the first track on the album was blank (Title, Year, Track and Disc numbers, Publisher, Comments). Not the biggest thing as I could easily add back in. But then I also noticed the song's time saying the total time for the whole album and listing the bitrate as unknown. Playing it shows the correct time in the top bar. Had to move the song out of the library, delete it from the library's list, restart MB, and re-add to get it back to working properly, minus losing play count which is fine. The actual metadata for the song wasn't changed at all, just in the MB library. Not sure if the PDF somehow utilizes some aspect of the first track on an album for indexing or so and this broke that.

Title: Re: Ability to Add PDFs to Library
Post by: phred on October 20, 2022, 01:40:23 PM

Quote from: smann on October 20, 2022, 12:53:55 PM

PDF somehow utilizes some aspect of the first track on an album for indexing or so and this broke that.

What version of MB are you using? (Help > About) INCLUDE THE LETTER (if any) AFTER THE NUMBER
How was MB installed? (Store, Installer, Portable)

I've been using the PDF "link" since it was first introduced and can't reproduce what you're seeing.
I've added PDFs and I have removed PDFs and none of the music files change, nor does any data disappear.

Title: Re: Ability to Add PDFs to Library
Post by: MusicMee on October 20, 2022, 03:37:24 PM

I love this addition! An additional suggestion:

In addition to the "album covers" view -> "show the tracks..." -> "directly under the selected album..." -> "enable all artwork to be selected and displayed"
It would be great to include an option to display a link/icon to each PDF there. Something like:
In addition to the "album covers" view -> "show the tracks..." -> "directly under the selected album..." -> "enable all PDF booklets to be selected and displayed" (or whatever language makes sense)

Ideally, it would display icons for PDFs and images in the same way, as a single strip of clickable icons. This would allow me to drill down into images and PDFs in a single, seamless and consolidated way. While I realize displaying a thumbnail might not be possible, an icon would be enough, imo. Hopefully, that description makes sense...

Title: Re: Ability to Add PDFs to Library
Post by: phred on October 20, 2022, 04:31:23 PM

Perhaps i haven't completely digested what you're asking for, but the way it works currently is that more than one PDF can be in an album's directory. When the PDF icon is clicked, it shows which PDFs are present.
(http://i.imgur.com/u42XZexl.jpg) (https://i.imgur.com/u42XZex.jpg)

Title: Re: Ability to Add PDFs to Library
Post by: smann on October 20, 2022, 04:34:08 PM

Quote from: phred on October 20, 2022, 01:40:23 PM

What version of MB are you using? (Help > About) INCLUDE THE LETTER (if any) AFTER THE NUMBER
How was MB installed? (Store, Installer, Portable)

I've been using the PDF "link" since it was first introduced and can't reproduce what you're seeing.
I've added PDFs and I have removed PDFs and none of the music files change, nor does any data disappear.

3.5.8328, just unzipped the patch today to try it out. I thought it was weird as well because I don't know why it would link to any of the songs except maybe to verify that it shows up for the correct album in some way. Hmmm now it won't do it. A one-off event apparently. Maybe I did something weird the first time.