Desired Player behavior

**TheJack** · 02-08-2005, 12:29 AM

May have been covered somewhere, but I couldn't find anything searching.

I'm looking to get a particular player (any player, but preferebly one that works with current FrontEnds) to act in a way that I can't seem to get any player to behave.

I'm not totally sure how to verablize what I am talking about, but I'm going to give it a shot. Easiest way is to explain a device that works the way I am looking for a player to work.

My headunit plays MP3 CDs. Let say I insert a CD that has the following Directory structure:

\MP3 (no mp3s in here)
\MP3\Disturbed (no mp3s in here)
\MP3\Disturbed\Believe (no mp3s in here)
\MP3\Disturbed\Believe\Tracks *
\MP3\Disturbed\Sickness (no mp3s in here)
\MP3\Disturbed\Sickness\Tracks *
\MP3\Godsmack (no mp3s in here)
\MP3\Godsmack\Awake (no mp3s in here)
\MP3\Godsmack\Awake\Tracks *
\MP3\Godsmack\Faceless (no mp3s in here)
\MP3\Godsmack\Faceless\Tracks *
\MP3\Linkin Park\ (no mp3s in here)
\MP3\Linkin Park\Hybrid Theory (no mp3s in here)
\MP3\Linkin Park\Hybrid Theory\Tracks *
\MP3\Linkin Park\Meteora (no mp3s in here)
\MP3\Linkin Park\Meteora\Tracks *
\Another Directory

When I insert this CD, the player looks for MP3s in the root, doesnt find any.. So it moves to the first child directory \MP3\Disturbed. Doesn't find any here, so it again goes down to \MP3\Disturbed\Believe and starts playing the tracks in filename order. Once Believe is done, it moves to \MP3\Disturbed\Sickness and plays those tracks in filename order. Once all the albums (folders) in Disturbed has played, it would then move out to Godsmack and starts playing the albums (folders) in that directory. and on and on

Basically, it treats directorys just like a changer treats CDs On the remote, there is Album up/Album down buttons. Using the button tells the unit to select the next "same-level" directory, above or below current. If there are no "same-level" directorys, it moves to the next parent. On the remote, there is Track UP/Track down. Using the button tells the unit to play the next track in the same directory, above or below current. If there are no track in the same directory, it moves to the next same-level directory.

Say I double click on \MP3\Disturbed\Sickness\Track 1. Winamp/WMP will play \MP3\Disturbed\Sickness\Track 1 and stop. I want it to just start there and keep going... "Walking" directories. I just want whatever I select for it to play to be a starting point.

All players have playlists, and I hate the way these work (atleast for my car.) I want the players base function to behave like a CD changer. I want my MP3 directory to be like a huge CD changer. Also, I am working on a serial interface to allow my HU to control CarPC with it's CD changer BUS (so I want Album UP/Down to work).

I may want to make a playlist of some choice songs and be able to run that playlist, but base function should "walk/recurse" directories.

Hopefully, atleast you get the idea. Also, hopefully, you have an idea on a plug-in or something I have overlooked. I suppose I could just write the directory-walk program and use it to control Winamp/WMP through their APIs. I just hate to code something that likely exists already.

**TheJack** · 02-08-2005, 12:55 AM

Forgot something... I think Frodoplayer has this setting, but I'm not sure it is working. Settings1, Browse by Directory, "Recursion" or "Do not use recursion".

I can't get this setting to change behavior. When the last track in a directory has played, it is just starting the directory over again at Track 1

**frodobaggins** · 02-08-2005, 01:07 AM

Originally Posted by TheJack

Forgot something... I think Frodoplayer has this setting, but I'm not sure it is working. Settings1, Browse by Directory, "Recursion" or "Do not use recursion".

I can't get this setting to change behavior. When the last track in a directory has played, it is just starting the directory over again at Track 1

No, recursion just adds everything in the directory to the list, including
subdirectories.

**TheJack** · 02-08-2005, 01:16 AM

Frodo... Is this possible. Specially in Directory/Directory2... when last song in directory ends, to move to the next same-level directory (or next up-one-level directory, if current was last same-level)

**DarquePervert** · 02-08-2005, 06:39 AM

Why don't you make a playlist of all your music, or at least all the music you want to play in the manner you described?
That's what playlists are for....

**omar** · 02-08-2005, 02:07 PM

@TheJack,
That is a great idea. I think I'll implement that. My head unit has the same behavior.

**TheJack** · 02-08-2005, 03:10 PM

Darque...

Unfortunately, a playlist for allmusic would simply list all songs in all albums. It would not keep them within the structure of an album.. and the ability to move from Album to Album. With all music in a single playlist, skipping to the next Album would take hitting next thru 15-20 songs.

**TheJack** · 03-15-2005, 03:53 PM

I tried to put something together, but I unfortunately just do not have the time.

I would (they may not realize, but I think everyone one would) LOVE this feature intergrated into current frontends (FP, CF, etc.)

Here is kind of the design concept.

* Implement a TreeView control as the music browser.

* Single-click to expand each node of Tree.

Artist
----Album
---------Song
---------Song
----Album
---------Song
---------Song
Artist

* Double-click and Play button to play current highlighted Directory or Track. Playing a directory will locate the first Track beneath it, even if the Track is in lower child directories.

* Album-Up/Album-Down Controls: Tells player to stop current selection and start play at first track in a peer directory, either above or below current directory(album) respective to the Album-Up or Down. If current directory is the last item in that collection, moves out to the next parent-level directory.

* Track-Up/Track-Down Controls: Self explanatory. Except if the current track is last in current collection, player will move out to next same level directory. If current directory is the last item in that collection, moves out to the next parent-level directory, etc etc etc.

* Recursion to support continuous play: Once current track has played, player moves to the next track in the same directory or, if all tracks in the directory have played, moves out to next same level directory. If current directory is the last item in that collection, moves out to the next parent-level directory, etc etc etc.

Basically, click on a song or directory, this is just a starting point. Player will "Walk" the Tree, artist by artist, album by album, song by song.

I think this would be the most desirable browser/player mode, as it works more closely like a CD Library/Changer or Jukebox. "All Song Playlists" are not the same. "All Song Playlists" lose their Album Structure and you couldn't skip a full album at a time.

Imagine: Click play on \ (say root is c:\mp3) and your player will play every Album, every song in order from AC/DC to ZZTop.

**HostileJava** · 03-15-2005, 03:57 PM

I think that's an awomse idea, and if I make a new mp3 or a friend has one, I could just insert and start playing it without messing around.

**TheJack** · 11-22-2006, 07:01 PM

Bumping a really old post of mine.

Has anyone made this? Guino? Centrafuse?.

I'm about to make my next FE leap, and really want this...

I made a "proof-of-concept" sample... Just WMP and Treeview control on a simple on "project board", but it works. I'm ok with quick and dirty script, but don't have the skills for polish and certainly not for a full FE.