Browse By Art 4.9 [MM2]

[Teknojnky]

This seems to be mostly working for me Trix (first time yay!), thanks for all your effort.

One quick suggestion, while it might seem easy to assume anyone using this script has read this thread, I suggest making a note/comment in the browse by art options about how to disable the active x warning thingie...

edit:

btw, this takes nearly 10 minutes to 'cache on start up'..

While it's doing the caching, MM is basically doesn't startup until it completes... I do have auto play enabled so it will start music, but the MM window/gui doesn't show up till later..

Is there any way to implement the caching as a 'background' task, like for example the monitor folder 'start up scan'?

edit 2:
Got an error:
there was a problem querying the database:
22018:Microsoft obdc microsoft access driver - invalid pattern string

This happened when I clicked on the album node. I am assuming there is an album and/or artist name it doesnt like.

edit 3:
Daaaaamn I've been playing with this for a few minutes and it FREAKING RULES!

I am now starting to go through my albums with missing art (I unhide the missing art option) and adding them via google art finder!


edit 4:
here is a debug log of the error in edit 2..

Code: Select all

<LOADING START>
Width=1288
Node=[
Parent=Album
BGCol=#AAAAAA
FGCol=#000000
ALCol=#000000
AVCol=#000000
ImageSize=200
ImageMode=0
CacheMode=0
ClickMode=0
SortMode=0
OrderMode=0
GroupMode=1
NoArtMode=0
TitleMode=0
DebugMode=1
TipsMode=1
TBarMode=0
 
Head[1]=[
 
Time=6.171875sec
<LOADING END>

[trixmoto]

Thanks as ever Teknojnky for your extensive testing. Your comments are always valuable.

I don't think it's necessary to put a note about the activex warnings on the options pane itself, but I will add a note to the top of the script, and on my website.

I will look into making caching a background task. I thought it was already, but I'll have a look. I might mean having a second scriptfile which is triggered independently.

It appears that my SQL queries don't like the [ character - I will investigate this and try to get it fixed for the next version.

Glad you like the script - me too!! It's really starting to take shape now!

[runtherisk]

Trixmoto, thanks for all the work! Perfect right off the start...it actually cached a bit faster for me....don't know if that helps.

[djragman]

Hi Trixmoto,

really great work !!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
It works without any problems on my systems.

A really big Thank you,
Ragman

[trixmoto]

Well I'm glad it's working well. Do let me know if you have any problems, and also if you have any suggestions for new features or improvements!

[runtherisk]

Don't know if I'm just lazy, but with a growing library sometimes it would be nice to have a "top" link next to each letter (it browsing by artist), genre, year..etc. This may be the "tool tip"..apologies for not knowing. That way, if I'm browsing by all artists and scroll down to "N"..and realize I need to go to "B"..I can hit the top. Once again, just lazy I suppose.

Also, when I add albums (manually or through monitor) They show up blank at first. I need to go to the album, hit "edit album art" and simply hit okay (apply to all tracks) I don't tag them again..just hit apply....then it shows up. I'm probably doing something wrong...no big deal..love the script.

[Sammy20]

Just tried this script for the first time (version 3.0), and WOW! really nice. Added alot of style, color and fun to mediamonkey. Dont think I could use MM without it now.

One thing...if you choose any size other than 200x200 the image looks all pixelated.

[trixmoto]

@runtherisk - "top" links sounds like a good idea - I'm lazy too!

Needing to hit apply will probably be because my script checks album level artwork, not track level artwork. Maybe you need to "apply to all tracks" for the album level to be populated?

[Teknojnky]

My album art doesn't seem to update (in the album art view) if I update a blank album, but recaching at startup seems to work.

I don't know if this is an IE cache issue or something else.

I'll have to play around with it some when I get a chance.

A 're-cache now' command/link would be a nice addition.

[rovingcowboy]

My album art doesn't seem to update (in the album art view) if I update a blank album, but recaching at startup seems to work.

I don't know if this is an IE cache issue or something else.

I'll have to play around with it some when I get a chance.

A 're-cache now' command/link would be a nice addition.

i got this same problem some times and i don't use this script so it has to be the IE.

[Teknojnky]

More ideas for consideration:

Add optional text indicators of how many tracks in that album.. this will make it easier to see which are bigger/more complete albums... possibly the total tracks in library and the highest track number (to see if if you have incomplete albums). There is a MN node around somewhere which does a fair job.

If you really wanted to be detailed, a total of albums next to the artist too.

and the year would be convenient too.

Could be as part of the album link or non-linked text next to it.

IE:
Pink Floyd (10 albums)
Wish You Were Here - 1975 (5/5)
<album art>

If you do not want to clutter up the text, maybe put it in the mouseover text so you can see it there instead.


edit:
also just noticed, in the artist & album viewers, the artists & albums appear to be sorted reverse alpha.. is this intentional? Nevermind, I guess I should pay more attention to the options! LOL

Might happen in other nodes, I havent checked.

[trixmoto]

What do you mean by "blank albums"? I'll have to check to make sure the update is working correctly.

I will look into adding more text, as options, but I was hoping to have an uncluttered look. Maybe just one option to show extra details will suffice?

[Teknojnky]

What do you mean by "blank albums"? I'll have to check to make sure the update is working correctly.

I mean when the option 'hide albums with no artwork' is unchecked, it displays a plain white square with [none], I click the album which takes me to the album node, I use google art finder to add art. I use the "BACK" arrow above the tree view to go back to the relevant album art window and when it reloads there is still the plain white box with [none] indicated.

Clearing the IE cache doesn't seem to have an effect, the only way to get new art to show up is to enable 'cache on startup' and restart.

I will look into adding more text, as options, but I was hoping to have an uncluttered look. Maybe just one option to show extra details will suffice?

Ya I noticed you have full/short/none on the option sheet, I'm not sure what the difference between long and short is tho. I didn't notice anything different.

Anyway, it's no big deal I just thought it would be neat to see those kind of details.

-------------------

A another new idea for consideration (it it hasn't already been thought of)

Now Playing BrowseByArt Node

[trixmoto]

Well the update process should update the image so it loads properly next time. It's possible that you simply didn't give it enough time to update - I haven't really tested the speed yet. I will however do a full check to make sure it's all working as it should, so hopefully this will work as expected in the next version.

What would you want from the NowPlaying artwork mode? You'd have to have a dockable panel I guess which you'd have instead of the now playing window. But what would you want the window to show exactly? Lots of information on the current track, or listing all the tracks in the list with their album art?

[trixmoto]

Forget to answer your other question! The short mode cuts long lines shorter adding .. at the end. For example my "Lock, Stock & Two Smoking Barrels" soundtrack appears (in short mode) as:

Soundtrack
Lock, Stock & Two..
[IMAGE]

I will add "Detailed" to this list which will display a lot more information.