Author Topic: "Replace file" feature  (Read 34470 times)

paq

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If I'm not mistaken, isn't this sort of already possible using the File Converter and the option "when the output file already exists, skip conversion and synchronize tag values only"?

It was added during a similar request: http://getmusicbee.com/forum/index.php?topic=6054.0



Zak

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If I'm not mistaken, isn't this sort of already possible using the File Converter and the option "when the output file already exists, skip conversion and synchronize tag values only"?
Never really noticed that before and while it sounds like it could be made to do the same thing, it would be a lot trickier. To replace old files with new copies ripped from a CD for example, you'd have to rip to a lossless format, import those files into MusicBee, then use MusicBee to convert to your desired target format in order to replace the low quality originals.  :(

I don't know about anyone else, but I want to replace old files with one that could have come from any program, not necessarily MusicBee.
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Steven

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having played around with this a bit more now i am going to make it 2 menu items:
Choose a File to be Replaced...
Choose a File to Replace the Selected File...

redwing

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having played around with this a bit more now i am going to make it 2 menu items:
Choose a File to be Replaced...
Choose a File to Replace the Selected File...

1. Currently it's working kind of opposite way to what I'd expected. I suggested a file in music library is replaced by a new file, not vice versa. I'm afraid the suggested "2 menu items" could be confusing. I don't think "Choose a File to be Replaced..." option would be necessary at all.
2. If you agree with #1, confirmation window should state this will be replaced by that.
3. When right-clicked, "Folder (Replace)" should not be grayed out.
4. Personally I think inbox would work better than the file browser dialog. It's a pain to find the new source file's path every time with the dialog.

Bee-liever

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synchronize tag values only

I knew I had seen this option, but couldn't remember where.

Couldn't you select a file in the main menu, right-click and have a "synchronize tags" option which would open a file browser to select the other file you want to synchronize with. After selection, a screen could show both tracks with a check box and a delete and/or replace option selectable for each file?

NB I can do a mock-up of what I mean (if it's not to late)
Last Edit: January 20, 2013, 08:30:57 PM by Bee-liever
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Steven

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new menu item added as described above, and the older version wasnt rewriting the tags of the replaced file
http://musicbee.niblseed.com/V2_1/MusicBee_Exe_Patched.zip

lnminente

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CTRL+C is for copying tags
CTRL+V is for pasting

What about CTRL+X for "moving" the audio stream to a destination file when we apply CTRL+V over it? (Confirmation dialog should be needed to explain what is going to happen)

Bee-liever

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NB I can do a mock-up of what I mean (if it's not to late)

guessing I'm to late. I'll just scrap that mock-up  ;)
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Zak

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4. Personally I think inbox would work better than the file browser dialog. It's a pain to find the new source file's path every time with the dialog.
Looking at the latest version, I think you'll find the newly added command will let you work this way. You can right-click a track in the Inbox and use it to replace a superseded file. You'll still have to use the file dialog to find the older file though.
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redwing

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new menu item added as described above, and the older version wasnt rewriting the tags of the replaced file
http://musicbee.niblseed.com/V2_1/MusicBee_Exe_Patched.zip

I tried the new version, and wondered how it handles file format. It seems that the original file extension is retained after being replaced by another format file. And sometimes the new file can play and sometimes can't. I think it should not try to retain original file format by converting the new file. Instead it should simply copy and follow the new file's format. That's the point of updating audio stream. For instance, if I replace Skyfall.mp3 with Skyfall.flac, the replaced filename should be changed to Skyfall.flac and it should be a flac file, not mp3.

Another issue is the grayed-out "Folder (Replace)" command when right-clicking any tracks in music library. But it is not grayed out for tracks in inbox. I don't know why it's grayed out, and when it's grayed-out it's difficult to move the mouse to the next step to find the two replace commands.

psychoadept

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What are they doing there? I'm just curious.

I'm sorting through them to decide what to keep.  Once I've gotten through them once, the number should remain much lower and I might use the Inbox more like others do.  But in the course of breaking away from iTunes, I wanted to finally deal with these all files that had been sitting on my hard drive for years and years.
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redwing

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What are they doing there? I'm just curious.

I'm sorting through them to decide what to keep.  Once I've gotten through them once, the number should remain much lower and I might use the Inbox more like others do.  But in the course of breaking away from iTunes, I wanted to finally deal with these all files that had been sitting on my hard drive for years and years.

I see. I had a similar experience at one point. I tried to sort them out, but it never happened. Finally I decided to send them to music library while keeping them in several special playlists. That way I was able to enjoy those music just like other library tracks as well as use inbox normally even for handling those files. It took several months to be done...just my two cents.

Zak

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I think it should not try to retain original file format by converting the new file. Instead it should simply copy and follow the new file's format. That's the point of updating audio stream. For instance, if I replace Skyfall.mp3 with Skyfall.flac, the replaced filename should be changed to Skyfall.flac and it should be a flac file, not mp3.
Second this.

Also, I replaced an MP3 with a FLAC and ended up with a FLAC file with an ID3 tag (albeit with an MP3 extension), when it should really use the tagging library native to the new file format.
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Steven

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yep thats a bug which i will fix for the next update