Is it possible to customize how dMC File Selector Retains the folder structure?

[Wetzel]

I keep my music library in APE for archival purposes on a large hard drive, and I have it sorted as
F:\My Documents\Music\Monkey's Audio\Artist - Album\TrackNumber - SongTitle.ape

I have been using dMC to convert large numbers of files to wav to transfer to a sony minidisc (since i have to use their software). I use file selector so I can retain the folder structure (using "keep path when convert") and select many files to run through at once, but there is no way to customize how it lays out the folder structure. I want to output my files to a folder called
F:\My Documents\Music\TEMP DECODES

and I only want to keep one layer of folder structure, so, say
F:\My Documents\Music\Monkey's Audio\Van Morrison - Back On Top\03 - In The Midnight.ape

would be decoded to
F:\My Documents\Music\TEMP DECODES\Van Morrison - Back On Top\03 - In The Midnight.ape

but instead, File Selector copies all the folders up to the root, so I get
F:\My Documents\Music\TEMP DECODES\My Documents\Music\Monkey's Audio\Van Morrison - Back On Top\03 - In The Midnight.ape

Of course I can manually move all the files to the top directory, but this is an extra step that shouldn't be necessary. I know I could use a re-organize by tag function, if wav files had tags, but they don't. Is there any way to customize File Selector, or another part of dMC, to control how it lays out the folder structure?

Thanks

[xoas]

Re: Is it possible to customize how dMC File Selector Retains the folder structure?

I know this issue has come up in the past but I can't find the thread and I don't remember whether there was a resolution for it. Perhaps when Spoon gets back from vacation he can help address this (unless a user with a better and longer memory than mine can find the thread(s).
Best wishes,
Bill Mikkelsen

[petriburg]

Re: Is it possible to customize how dMC File Selector Retains the folder structure?

I'm not sure whether this will help or not, but at least have a look at:
http://forum.dbpoweramp.com/showthre...+file+selector - some of the replies go back a long way (enough to tax anyone's memory, xoas !) but worth a few minutes of your time.

[xoas]

Re: Is it possible to customize how dMC File Selector Retains the folder structure?

Thanks for finding that Petriburg!
I am hopeful Wetzel will find a solution to his problem there.
Best wishes,
Bill Mikkelsen

[Unregistered]

weRe: Is it possible to customize how dMC File Selector Retains the folder structure?

[Wetzel]

Re: Is it possible to customize how dMC File Selector Retains the folder structure?

unfortunately that thread doesn't seem to adress my issue
it just seems to be a fix for getting the files in the same directory they originated.

unless i'm misreading something?

thanks for the replies anyway

[xoas]

Re: Is it possible to customize how dMC File Selector Retains the folder structure?

Sorry. It seemed like post #2 in the thread discussed a problem that was very similar to yours and that Spoon's reply in post #4 seemed to offer a possible resolution (although the user who posted the problem was apparently unable to implement the proposed resolution, at least short of upgrading to dMC r10 beta1, for other reasons (dMC r10.1 is the current non-beta version available).
But if you have tried Spoon's tip in post #4 of the thread and it has not helped (or if it is what you are already doing), then we'll keep trying to see if there's a better fix for your problem. Perhaps another user has some idea. Spoon should be back soon and perhaps he might have some ideas as well.
Best wishes,
Bill Mikkelsen

[RossRoy]

Re: Is it possible to customize how dMC File Selector Retains the folder structure?

From what I understand of how file selector works, there's nothing you can do about that problem Wetzel. You could move your TEMP DECODES folder to the root of your C: drive, eliminating the first set of My Documents/My Music but it still doesn't do what you want..

An alternative could've been to decode all the file without using the keep path option, and then use the file arranger, but then, since you are decoding to WAV, it doesn't retain the tags, that won't work either.

I guess you will really have to keep doing it manually until Spoon gets back and works his genius on your issue, 'cause I'm stumped on this.

[xoas]

Re: Is it possible to customize how dMC File Selector Retains the folder structure?

I think I have a solution.
It goes like this:
1. Open dMC File Selector;
2. Browse to find the folder or files you wish to convert (in Wetzel's case it will be:F:\My Documents\Music\Monkey's Audio\Artist - Album\TrackNumber - SongTitle.ape);
3. Select the files to convert;
4. TURN OFF (uncheck the box for) "Keep Path when Converted";
5. Click on Convert To, set your compression settings;
6. Where it says Output To, click on the button that says folder and in the box adjoining enter your New folder (in this case it will be something like "F:\My Documents\Music\TEMP DECODES";
7. To check whether this is going to end up how you want it click on the button that says Rename Files. If you have done this right you will see the proper end file names (such as "F:\My Documents\Music\TEMP DECODES\Van Morrison - Back On Top\03 - In The Midnight.ape" in this example) in the left column under the heading Convert To;
8. In the unwholsome event that the resulting output is not what you wanted you can either try step 6 again (until you get it right) or you can redo the correct file track file by file from the Convert To column of the screen in step 7 (which is admittedly tedious if you have any number of files to fix).
9. Then check your remaining settings and click on your Convert button.

This will not work with "Keep File Path When Converted" is checked.

Please let us know if you run into any trouble with this.
Best wishes,
Bill Mikkelsen

[Wetzel]

Re: Is it possible to customize how dMC File Selector Retains the folder structure?

xoas, thank you very much for your help
but that now just removes all folders, so if i want to convert four folders in one go (and so go out for lunch while it's running) the files will all be put in one folder together, instead of remaining sorted into individual albums

i guess just copying the files out of the extra directories made by the program when "keep path when convert" is set isn't such a hard thing to do, but thanks a lot for your help guys.

i guess i'll see if spoon thinks there's an exisiting fix, or if it's worth any more time messing with.

[Wetzel]

Re: Is it possible to customize how dMC File Selector Retains the folder structure?

*bump*
is spoon back yet?

[Spoon]

Re: Is it possible to customize how dMC File Selector Retains the folder structure?

The only way I would know is to convert them all to one folder, then use the Arrange Music Codec to put them in the folders you want.