Better shuffle ctrl in playlist / song properties

Posted by: Captain_Chaos

Better shuffle ctrl in playlist / song properties - 14/05/2001 14:31

I'd like to have better control over the shuffling / non-shuffling of tracks. Specifically:

1. It'd be nice if I could mark single tracks / entire playlists as 'don't play this when shuffle mode is on'. I would use this for audio books that I have on the player, and for intro / interlude tracks (such as the first track on Americana, the Keith B Real tracks on Big Willie Style, etc.). I don't want to hear those tracks when I'm shuffling because they don't have any relation to the surrounding music, but when I'm playing single albums I do want to hear them to recreate the atmosphere of the original album.

2. Somewhat lower on my wish list, but still handy, would be a 'never shuffle this playlist' setting. I would set this on the above mentioned audio books. This way, I would not have to unset shuffle mode when I want to listen to a book (or something else that I would never want to have shuffled) and then set it when I want to return to listening music.

An unrelated wish:

3. When I select a playlist, and the song that is currently playing is contained in that playlist, it would be nice if the player would just continue playing the current song as opposed to selecting a new one from the new playlist.

Are these wishes automatically seen by Empeg, or do I have to send this somewhere else to bring them to their attention?

Regards,
Pepijn Schmitz

Posted by: tfabris

Re: Better shuffle ctrl in playlist / song properties - 14/05/2001 14:49

Are these wishes automatically seen by Empeg, or do I have to send this somewhere else to bring them to their attention?

They are automatically seen by Empeg. They do read this BBS and the wish list forum, and they do pay close attention. They don't always respond directly here, but rest assured that they're listening.

Your specific list of wishes, although not specifically addressed in 1.1, will be mostly handled by upcoming features in 1.1. To wit:

When I select a playlist, and the song that is currently playing is contained in that playlist, it would be nice if the player would just continue playing the current song as opposed to selecting a new one from the new playlist.

Version 1.1 will have a "search by playlist" feature, and it will also let you select the insertion mode of the searches. Instead of just "search" and "append", you'll also get "insert".

So, in 1.1, to do what you want, you simply need to select "insert by playlist", and the playlist you select will be inserted after the current song.

It'd be nice if I could mark single tracks / entire playlists as 'don't play this when shuffle mode is on'. I would use this for audio books that I have on the player. (...) 'never shuffle this playlist'

There is a way around this now, although somewhat inelegant, and 1.1 will have a more interesting way of handling it.

As I understand it, the root of your problem is the separation of books and music.

Right now, you could just create two main playlists off the root. One called "Books" and the other called "Music". When you decide you want to shuffle all your music, it's only one extra click to do it. You could even go the extra step and tag this playlist and all its subfolders as "always randomize".

In 1.1, there will be a feature called "Wendy Filters", allowing you to choose various things to include or not include. You could tag all your audio books with a Wendy flag named "book", and then create two Wendy filters: one that included only books, and one that specifically excluded books. A few clicks would select the desired filter.

In both cases, you would need to turn off shuffle yourself, but that's just one click on the remote control ("0" key).

___________
Tony Fabris
Posted by: Captain_Chaos

Re: Better shuffle ctrl in playlist / song properties - 14/05/2001 15:07

Yeah I know, I'm already using that method to separate my books and music, but it would be nice if I could just press the big round button three times to play all my music, especially while driving...

Also, it doesn't solve the problem of single tracks that I don't want to play when shuffle is on, but I can see how those 'Wendy filters' would solve both problems. Thanks for the info!

I have two new questions though:

1. Did you just happen to be online, or do you read these forums 24 / 7? :-)

2. Where does the name 'Wendy filter' come from?

Regards,
Pepijn

Posted by: tfabris

Re: Better shuffle ctrl in playlist / song properties - 14/05/2001 15:30

Did you just happen to be online, or do you read these forums 24 / 7?

I use a little VB program that monitors the BBS. During the day, while I work at my computer, it periodically checks the BBS in the background. When new messages are posted, it blinks a tray icon. That way I can still be productive at work while keeping half an eye on the BBS.

Where does the name 'Wendy filter' come from?

Ex-girlfriend of Hugo's. Do some searches on the BBS...


___________
Tony Fabris
Posted by: muzza

Re: Better shuffle ctrl in playlist / song properties - 14/05/2001 17:10

Tony was also used by the millitary in testing sleep respressive drugs. He has now no need of sleep and uses his 'spare' time to monitor this BBS and fight crime in black latex suits.
Thank heavens he uses his power fo good instead of evil. mwaa haa haahaa haaa

Murray 06000047
I don't think, therefore I am not.
Posted by: tfabris

Re: Better shuffle ctrl in playlist / song properties - 14/05/2001 17:50

I think I'm probably more like "invisible boy" in Mystery Men...

___________
Tony Fabris
Posted by: peter

Re: Better shuffle ctrl in playlist / song properties - 15/05/2001 03:03

Yeah I know, I'm already using that method to separate my books and music, but it would be nice if I could just press the big round button three times to play all my music, especially while driving...

The player has an option for "Ignore as child", which if you set it on your Books playlist would do exactly what you're asking. Sadly, the tickbox for that option in emplode is missing .

This is fixed in 1.1.

Where does the name 'Wendy filter' come from?

From Hugo's then girlfriend Wendy; the feature's first intended use was to pretend, whenever Wendy was in his car, that he didn't have any Carter USM tracks on his player. The feature took so long to implement that Hugo's now not seeing Wendy any more, and I don't believe his current girlfriend has any great objection to Carter USM, but the name has stuck. (Tony, should this be a FAQ? Perhaps when 1.1 is actually released?)

Peter


Posted by: Roger

Re: Better shuffle ctrl in playlist / song properties - 15/05/2001 03:20

This is fixed in 1.1..

I happened to have emplode v1.0x open at the time, so it's fixed in v1.0x as well, now.

It'll get released with the next version of the v1.0x branch (which I guess will be v1.03), along with support for the new tuner module.



Roger - not necessarily speaking for empeg
Posted by: Geoff

Re: Better shuffle ctrl in playlist / song properties - 15/05/2001 04:07

To wit:
To woo... (the mice scatter, looking skywards...)


Geoff
---- -------
Got one of the first Mark 2 empegs...
Posted by: SE_Sport_Driver

Re: Better shuffle ctrl in playlist / song properties - 15/05/2001 06:48

So what is the deal with Carter USM? Do they have a bad name in the UK?

32GB (JUST UPGRADED!) Mk. II BLUE
Detroit, MI USA
www.PfeifferBeer.com
Posted by: peter

Re: Better shuffle ctrl in playlist / song properties - 15/05/2001 07:00

So what is the deal with Carter USM? Do they have a bad name in the UK?

No, I just think Wendy didn't like them very much. The only song of theirs I know is "Only Living Boy In New Cross", which I quite like (although it does have the unfortunate side-effect that I can't stop humming it when I walk through New Cross, and I imagine most of the locals have tired of it by now).

Peter


Posted by: tfabris

Re: Better shuffle ctrl in playlist / song properties - 15/05/2001 08:47

(Tony, should this be a FAQ? Perhaps when 1.1 is actually released?)

Depending on how the Wendy Filter UI ends up in the final release, there may be an entire page on the Wendy filters alone.


___________
Tony Fabris
Posted by: altman

Re: Better shuffle ctrl in playlist / song properties - 15/05/2001 09:05

Wendy really hated jimbob's voice, which is obviously an acquired taste... great band though, pity they are no more... their lyrics were always the right mix of clever, witty, and cutting :)

Hugo