Visual glitch/ behavior

[Pickles7853]

Been using MusicBee perhaps three weeks now?  And while I am not experiencing an error (per se) I do notice some unexpected behavior when using double click to reset my playlist.  I do not think a screenshot will help, but just in case...



Left side is a thumbnail browser showing artist, middle is album/ track info, and right is now playing.

Tracks which are grayed out and without any track length information are stub files (placeholders) for tracks I have not downloaded yet.
These are standard blank mp3 files of 1 second length duration with appropriate tags.
All of these are set to not play (edit tags >> settings >> exclude from playback >> full ban).

If I double click an artist in the thumbnail browser, the now playing list will clear and populate with songs.  All good here.  No stub files are added.

If I instead double click the album art, the now playing list will clear and populate with songs including (at least one) of the stub files.
After... a 1/4ish second they are removed.  It happens fast enough that I cannot tell if the track actually played or if the filters kicked in and just removed them.

I consider this a visual glitch as it does work (I think)... just with a delay.

[tjinc]

Welcome to the forum Pickles7853,

Could you explain these 'stub' files a little more (maybe share one): When I add a 1 sec silent mp3 file to my library it shows up as a standard track (not greyed out and with a time of 0:01).

And to be clear, 'banned' tracks should still be added to the Now Playing list but with a '-' symbol added to identify that they will be skipped.

[Pickles7853]

Could you explain these 'stub' files a little more (maybe share one): When I add a 1 sec silent mp3 file to my library it shows up as a standard track (not greyed out and with a time of 0:01).

This is correct.  It is just a standard mp3 file.  You are missing a couple of steps though.
First:
Add a custom tag - edit>>preferences>>tags(1)
[Display name: TimeStub] or whatever.  [Save to music file as tag: Stub].
In the tags of the music file edit this field with the time you want to display [3:45] or whatever.

Second:
Add a virtual tag - edit>>preferences>>tags(1)>>define new tags
[Label: TimeS] $IsNull(<TimeStub>,<Time>,<TimeStub>)
Note: this displays a fake time.  If you want it blank, like in my screenshot, change to: $IsNull(<TimeStub>,<Time>,>

Edit column display to show <TimeS> in place of <Time>.
Now if the Stub tag in the file has something in it, this will be displayed instead of the usual time.

For the grey effect edit highlight rules - edit>>preferences>>tags(1)>>highlighting: define rules.
name: Stub File >> rule: Time < 0:05 >> gray color >> + text?: check

And to be clear, 'banned' tracks should still be added to the Now Playing list but with a '-' symbol added to identify that they will be skipped.

Ok... that was not clear.  I was basing my observation on the way the thumbnail browser was adding files as I expected and assumed they would behave the same.  Perhaps I should look closer at the documentation.  In my humble opinion, if they are not going to be played, they probably should not be added to the now playing list at all...

Edit -
After some reading I am undecided on my original post.  According to another thread this should work as I intend as I am using an auto-playlist <https://getmusicbee.com/forum/index.php?topic=5412.0>

Bans also work for autoplaylists and AutoDJ, but in this event they are not added to the list at all (as opposed to added and skipped, as above).

[tjinc]

Ok, thanks for the explanation on your 'stub' files - I would never have worked that out.

Auto-playlists/Auto-DJ should not select banned tracks and therefore these cannot be added to Playing Now list.

One setting that also effects what is displayed in the Playing Now list:
If your Playing Now panel is set to 'Upcoming Tracks', banned tracks should not be added.
If your Playing Now panel is set to 'Playing Tracks' then banned tracks will be added and skipped as I described previously.

TBH I am not clear on what you are saying now - you never mentioned auto-playlists in your first post.

[Pickles7853]

Please excuse my ramblings.  I am likely getting terminology confused and stating the wrong thing.

But, hope this clarifies my original question: my Playing Now panel is set to 'Upcoming Tracks'.  The banned tracks are added then, after a very brief delay, removed.  It results in some unsightly flashing as tracks are shuffled around.  I think this may be a known issue from years back.  Hard to tell.  I am thinking either (1) If it was a known issue it was never fixed or (2) In my quest to show all album tracks I am likely using files in a manner not anticipated by the developer.  So they might not be fully bug tested because of the way I am using them.

My end goal here is have album views much like MusicBrainz Picard when you identify songs and they move to the right side panel.  All tracks for an album are listed even though you might not have them all.  I am, slowly, working through the different options I can think of to make it work.  My first attempt was using cue files.  Huge failure for reasons I will not outline here unless someone wants to know why.

So far the stub files work best.  Except for the glitching. It is... annoying... but I can live with it.  Especially considering MusicBee is the only software I have found which is configurable enough to actually make it work.

[hiccup]

Have you looked at using asx files instead of short and empty mp3's?
That might be a better and more efficient option for this purpose.

(not saying it will solve the issue that you reported, your bug report may still be valid)

[tjinc]

Just a thought on your 'glitch':

I have noticed previously that when a selection of tracks is played, if the first in this selection is a banned track, it will nonetheless be added to the Playing Now track list and will play. Any following banned tracks are skipped as expected.
I am wondering if your 'glitch' is just one of your 1 second silent mp3 tracks actually playing.

For example, when double clicking on the Oasis album in your screenshot, the 1s silent track placeholder 'Hello' will play before proceeding with Wonderwall.
Could this be the issue you are seeing?

[Pickles7853]

I have not tried ASX as of yet.  Actually, until now, I was blissfully unaware of their existence  

Not really sure what I would gain from using it though.  From what I can see it is simply a meta file (XML?) with pointers to an actual file somewhere else.  So exactly the same as CUE files -- which I already tried and do not work.  I am blandly assuming, being a similar format, that MusicBee would treat them the same way.

It is easy enough to work with a blank MP3 file.  I already created it so... just make a copy, load album in Picard, add it into proper track slot and save tags.  Done.  And a blank MP3 is what... 5k size?  I have plenty of hard drive space and an extra ~100k per album will not be noticed.  Heck some my album covers are 2meg.

[Pickles7853]

I have noticed previously that when a selection of tracks is played, if the first in this selection is a banned track, it will nonetheless be added to the Playing Now track list and will play. Any following banned tracks are skipped as expected.
I am wondering if your 'glitch' is just one of your 1 second silent mp3 tracks actually playing.

Is this a known thing?  I suppose it must be or you would not have mentioned it.  It very well could be what I am seeing.  It flashes rather fast so it is hard to follow what it actually happening.  Strange that adding them by artist does not exhibit the same behavior.  It must use different logic to populate the Playing Now list.

If it is known that is fine.  I will simply wait and see if I get lucky with a fix in the next update...

[tjinc]

Interesting that it does not happen when double-clicking on the artist in the thumbnail browser - I hadn't noticed that.
This issue has come up a couple of times in the past but I'm not sure it has ever been reported as a bug. I guess it has now so hopefully Steven can have a look at it.


For clarity what I have noticed:

With an album whose first track is 'banned', on double-clicking on the cover:
In Album Covers view and in Album and Tracks view (set to detailed list) the first (banned) track will play regardless.
Using Artists view and Album and Tracks view (set to compact grid) the first (banned) track is skipped as expected.