Foobar2000 - Support and Discussions

s_k · 01-09-2011, 07:56 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by noise

the main benefit for me is the new playlist capabilities it offers. the Columns playlist panel is quite a lot more powerful in terms if customization than the Default one.

Columns also provides new ways to access your music via Filters, it has a better art viewer, more flexible usage of the status bar, tighter control over panel placement, and lots of other little benefits. i don't think i could ever go back to Default UI after using Columns

here's a hint: View - Layout - Live Editing

Will try that out soon.
Problem is, even though I have a library, I still think the most brilliant thing about foobar is 'sort by folder structure'.
I'm the kind of guy who doesn't want iPhoto (if I had iPhoto) to organize his pictures. Want to do it myself, dammit!
And my windows XP was always gray and without animations.
So I guess Columns won't do much for me that foobar can't.
Using foobar from now on though. I love the standard interface

Can anyone tell me, step by step, how I should get foobar to update the 'watch folders' as they're called in winamp, automatically? I read somewhere it doesn't do that by itself.

Guybrush · 01-10-2011, 01:50 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by s_k

Will try that out soon.
Problem is, even though I have a library, I still think the most brilliant thing about foobar is 'sort by folder structure'.
I'm the kind of guy who doesn't want iPhoto (if I had iPhoto) to organize his pictures. Want to do it myself, dammit!
And my windows XP was always gray and without animations.
So I guess Columns won't do much for me that foobar can't.
Using foobar from now on though. I love the standard interface

Can anyone tell me, step by step, how I should get foobar to update the 'watch folders' as they're called in winamp, automatically? I read somewhere it doesn't do that by itself.

I haven't noticed that it doesn't actually. If I add something to my library, then search for it in foobar, it comes up.

Zer0 · 01-07-2011, 09:12 AM

On the same preferences page as the Quick Setup button there is an area that says FCL importing and exporting, there is an import button to import a .fcl skin. The only thing about some fcl skins is that you're required to download and install some other components. Yeah it can get complicated sometimes

s_k · 01-07-2011, 09:17 AM

But what does it do for me other than look pretty?
Because if that's all, I'm fine with the original looks.
I'm messing around with the scratchbox now. Just discovered that when you make a divider, you can't seem to delete it. Starting all over :P.

Guybrush · 01-07-2011, 09:31 AM

There's certainly a lot to learn!

Columns UI with additional plugins is likely the way you wanna go. Your foobar could look marvellous, but you can also choose and pick what kind of functionality you want. Some typical ones might be a panel where you get additional information about the artist you are listening to, a panel displaying the lyrics and/or various vizualisations.

When I started with foobar, I created my own skin from scratch. Sometimes I borrowed code from others, but I always learned what it did and changed it in some way and I had a great time doing all that. It took a lot of time before I had a player I was starting to get happy with though. Now I mostly just tweak other people's skins to my needs.

s_k · 01-10-2011, 10:08 AM

Allright. I'll try that first, then

.

Steezebe · 02-21-2011, 12:59 AM

WOW. :thumbs:

Ok first, i've just gone through this entire thread, and this has answered so many problems that google wasn't really giving me.
THANK YOU to tore and Noise for your wonderful help.

now until I can post images of my current foobar setup (i need 15 posts) i am looking for some scripting help.

I have made the switch to foobar2000 from iTunes as I don't need it to sync to my phone any more. However some parts of iTunes were nice, and didn't make the transfer. Specifically, three things have not made the switch: play counts, date added and (this is the big one) album artists. Since I group all of my soundtracks with 'original soundtrack' as the album artist, it allows me to sort my library so all soundtracks stay together. I also use the play counts to make autoplaylists for my favorite songs.

so here's what i know:
1) SOME of the album artist metadata has come over, but not very much (like 5%) and I haven't found out a pattern to it.
2) iTunes stores some of the more unique data, such as play counts, in an xml file and not on the metadata for each file

so any ideas/ help on how to transfer that info over to foobar2000? i've been fighting this for about a week now...

Guybrush · 02-21-2011, 02:23 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Steezebe

WOW. :thumbs:

Ok first, i've just gone through this entire thread, and this has answered so many problems that google wasn't really giving me.
THANK YOU to tore and Noise for your wonderful help.

now until I can post images of my current foobar setup (i need 15 posts) i am looking for some scripting help.

I have made the switch to foobar2000 from iTunes as I don't need it to sync to my phone any more. However some parts of iTunes were nice, and didn't make the transfer. Specifically, three things have not made the switch: play counts, date added and (this is the big one) album artists. Since I group all of my soundtracks with 'original soundtrack' as the album artist, it allows me to sort my library so all soundtracks stay together. I also use the play counts to make autoplaylists for my favorite songs.

so here's what i know:
1) SOME of the album artist metadata has come over, but not very much (like 5%) and I haven't found out a pattern to it.
2) iTunes stores some of the more unique data, such as play counts, in an xml file and not on the metadata for each file

so any ideas/ help on how to transfer that info over to foobar2000? i've been fighting this for about a week now...

Play counts and date added are sadly lost I assume since itunes likely saves that information in it's database file which foobar won't read. There could be a way to import that data with a plugin, but I doubt it.

You should figure out a way to easily find all your various artists albums, whether they're soundtracks or mixed artist compilations like Top Hits of the 70s. For me, it would be a breeze since I also keep that information in the filename. F.ex :

\Music\!Mixed Artists Compilations\The Last Nightingale [Studio album, 1980s]
\Music\!Soundtracks & Scores\1930s\1939 - The Wizard Of Oz [Movie, Musical, 1995 rerelease]

I often use the foo_quicksearch searchbar to find my music and it allows for scripts, so if I wanted to find all mixed artist compilations, I could simply search for for : %path% HAS \Music\!Mixed Artists Compilations\

That search would return every file and album stored in that directory. If you don't have this level of organization over your files, it becomes a bit trickier. You might have to start doing other searches like "%album% HAS soundtrack" or "%path% HAS soundtrack" to find the ones where soundtrack is part of the album name.

I'm sure there are more ways, but that's what came to my mind at least

noise · 02-21-2011, 04:03 PM

hey Steezebe, download MP3tag and open your library in there. tell me how much of your metadata you see. it could just be that your metadata is stored in a tag format that foobar doesn't like.

i think tore's right about playcount, but you can get a plugin for foobar that keeps track of playcount and date added. you'll have to start over with your stats though.

Steezebe · 02-21-2011, 04:57 PM

mp3tag. PERF.

it gives me @ 75% ID3v2.4, @20% MP4, and a few 2.3apev2, 2.3 and 2.2.

That 75% is mp3 formatted, and all have an album artist showing up in mp3 tag, but NOT foobar.

That 20% MP4 is Apple lossless, which is held in the MP4 container. Ergo, all of those have the MP4 tagging, and the album artist shows up for SOME of them. For example, the album "Everyday" is tagged with "Dave Matthews Band" under album artist in iTunes, but the album artist is blank in mp3tag. Thing is, all of my Dave Matthews tagging is MP4. And since my tagging in iTunes is 100% full for album artist, the fact that it's not there in the tag is rather weird. My only guess is that iTunes is storing it either in another meta field, or another database file.

I also found a source of my confusion: I use Columns UI, and it has the Column Playlist. In there, it shows album artists in the column, but the way the script works is that if an album artist tag doesn't exist, then it just shows the artist, which is why I was confused about it existing in my playlists.

Basically, what should I do?

ps:
I'm wordy, I know.

01-07-2011, 09:12 AM	#3 (permalink)
Zer0 ∞ Join Date: Sep 2007 Location: Ireland Posts: 3,792	On the same preferences page as the Quick Setup button there is an area that says FCL importing and exporting, there is an import button to import a .fcl skin. The only thing about some fcl skins is that you're required to download and install some other components. Yeah it can get complicated sometimes __________________ Last FM \| RYM \| The Final Sound

01-07-2011, 09:17 AM	#4 (permalink)
s_k Music Addict Join Date: Nov 2010 Location: The Netherlands Posts: 2,206	But what does it do for me other than look pretty? Because if that's all, I'm fine with the original looks. I'm messing around with the scratchbox now. Just discovered that when you make a divider, you can't seem to delete it. Starting all over :P. __________________ Click here to see my collection

01-07-2011, 09:31 AM	#5 (permalink)
Guybrush Juicious Maximus III Join Date: Nov 2008 Location: Scabb Island Posts: 6,525	There's certainly a lot to learn! Columns UI with additional plugins is likely the way you wanna go. Your foobar could look marvellous, but you can also choose and pick what kind of functionality you want. Some typical ones might be a panel where you get additional information about the artist you are listening to, a panel displaying the lyrics and/or various vizualisations. When I started with foobar, I created my own skin from scratch. Sometimes I borrowed code from others, but I always learned what it did and changed it in some way and I had a great time doing all that. It took a lot of time before I had a player I was starting to get happy with though. Now I mostly just tweak other people's skins to my needs. __________________ Something Completely Different

01-10-2011, 10:08 AM	#6 (permalink)
s_k Music Addict Join Date: Nov 2010 Location: The Netherlands Posts: 2,206	Allright. I'll try that first, then . __________________ Click here to see my collection

02-21-2011, 04:03 PM	#9 (permalink)
noise thirsty ears Join Date: Sep 2009 Location: Boulder Posts: 742	hey Steezebe, download MP3tag and open your library in there. tell me how much of your metadata you see. it could just be that your metadata is stored in a tag format that foobar doesn't like. i think tore's right about playcount, but you can get a plugin for foobar that keeps track of playcount and date added. you'll have to start over with your stats though. __________________ my flac collection

02-21-2011, 12:59 AM	#7 (permalink)
Steezebe Groupie Join Date: Feb 2011 Location: Colorado, USA Posts: 0	WOW. :thumbs: Ok first, i've just gone through this entire thread, and this has answered so many problems that google wasn't really giving me. THANK YOU to tore and Noise for your wonderful help. now until I can post images of my current foobar setup (i need 15 posts) i am looking for some scripting help. I have made the switch to foobar2000 from iTunes as I don't need it to sync to my phone any more. However some parts of iTunes were nice, and didn't make the transfer. Specifically, three things have not made the switch: play counts, date added and (this is the big one) album artists. Since I group all of my soundtracks with 'original soundtrack' as the album artist, it allows me to sort my library so all soundtracks stay together. I also use the play counts to make autoplaylists for my favorite songs. so here's what i know: 1) SOME of the album artist metadata has come over, but not very much (like 5%) and I haven't found out a pattern to it. 2) iTunes stores some of the more unique data, such as play counts, in an xml file and not on the metadata for each file so any ideas/ help on how to transfer that info over to foobar2000? i've been fighting this for about a week now...

02-21-2011, 04:57 PM	#10 (permalink)
Steezebe Groupie Join Date: Feb 2011 Location: Colorado, USA Posts: 0	mp3tag. PERF. it gives me @ 75% ID3v2.4, @20% MP4, and a few 2.3apev2, 2.3 and 2.2. That 75% is mp3 formatted, and all have an album artist showing up in mp3 tag, but NOT foobar. That 20% MP4 is Apple lossless, which is held in the MP4 container. Ergo, all of those have the MP4 tagging, and the album artist shows up for SOME of them. For example, the album "Everyday" is tagged with "Dave Matthews Band" under album artist in iTunes, but the album artist is blank in mp3tag. Thing is, all of my Dave Matthews tagging is MP4. And since my tagging in iTunes is 100% full for album artist, the fact that it's not there in the tag is rather weird. My only guess is that iTunes is storing it either in another meta field, or another database file. I also found a source of my confusion: I use Columns UI, and it has the Column Playlist. In there, it shows album artists in the column, but the way the script works is that if an album artist tag doesn't exist, then it just shows the artist, which is why I was confused about it existing in my playlists. Basically, what should I do? ps: I'm wordy, I know.