Folder View / Home Videos

[UnknownAX 1]

Hi,

 

When I view my home videos in folder view sometimes the folders don't show, please see below for an example.

 

So 2015 and 2017 will display fine, however 2016 and 2018 instead of showing me a folder it will show me the file "File_Name2016A". It seems to only do this if there is only one item in the folder. Is there a way to have a true folder option so it will display every single folder regardless of the number of files within the folder? 

 

2015

--> File_Name2015A.mp4

--> File_Name2015B.mp4

--> File_Name2015C.mp4

--> File_Name2015D.mp4

 

2016

--> File_Name2016A.mp4

 

2017

--> File_Name2017A.mp4

--> File_Name2017B.mp4

--> File_Name2017C.mp4

--> File_Name2017D.mp4

 

2018

--> File_Name2018A.mp4

 

[Happy2Play 8296]

If I remember correctly this can be done, but it is/can be destructive as the database needs to be purged to activate the folder flags.

 

Shutdown Emby

Change system.xml <CollapseVideoFolders> to "false" (Newer installs this is set to true and globally overrides per library setting)

Change per library options.xml <CollapseSingleItemFolders> to "false" (the libraries you want this to be applied to.) C:\Users\user\AppData\Roaming\Emby-Server\programdata\root\default\libraryname

Start Emby do a library scan, note this is destructive, so database items will be purged and re-added.  At least all the libraries that have <CollapseSingleItemFolders> to "false". 

 

Any customized images and metadata that does not reside with media will be lost for libraries that are reset.

 

This is what I did on my test machine and got the results you are looking for.  These xml setting may vary depending how old your installation and libraries are.

 

 

 

@

[UnknownAX 1]

Thank you Happy2Play, what you suggested worked. As I'm on a Synology NAS it's slightly different but here is what I did when I found the location.

 

Hopefully this can help somebody else if they encounter this.

# Navigate to folder where Emby is installed
cd ./volume1/@appstore/EmbyServer/
 
# Run Grep to search through files to find the words below
sudo grep -nrs '<CollapseVideoFolders>' . > /volume1/ShareLocation/output.txt
sudo grep -nrs '<CollapseSingleItemFolders>' . > /volume1/ShareLocation/output1.txt
 
# Run vi to edit the config XML files
sudo vi ./var/config/system.xml
sudo vi "./var/root/default/Libraries/options.xml"

Edited December 16, 2019 by UnknownAX

[Luke 37106]

This is actually intended behavior. That flag is not meant to be a personal preference. One day it will go away.

[UnknownAX 1]

This is actually intended behavior. That flag is not meant to be a personal preference. One day it will go away.

 

Why? Surely folder option should show all the folders? What's currently happening is it's showing the folders, and if the folder only has one file then it shows that file. IMO that's stupid, no other media software does. 

 

Folder view should be folder view, I don't see why anyone would want it the way it was enabled as standard, what would the benefit be from doing it that way?

[Luke 37106]

Well I tend to agree that folder view should be folders.

 

The problem is many of our users don't and anytime I try to make changes heading in that direction it is always met with significant push back.

[UnknownAX 1]

If people don’t agree that folder view should be folders then I don’t know. I think at the very least it should either be left in the code like above, or have a toggle setting.

 

I appreciate you can’t please everyone but I mean windows folder view is how it is. Plex is the same, I can’t think of one software platform where if there is only one item in a folder it replaces the folder with the file?

 

Is your mind completely made up on removing the option to resort to a true folder view like above, or do you think you would keep it or add a toggle button to keep both sides pleased?

[Happy2Play 8296]

At least from a content type Home Videos standpoint it should always be pure folder view.

[Luke 37106]

At least from a content type Home Videos standpoint it should always be pure folder view.

Well there's a counter argument that there isn't really much reason to have the different video types be inconsistent with each other. Nowadays home videos are the same thing as movies but without internet metadata and that has helped reduce confusion about what features apply to what types.

[UnknownAX 1]

So what would you do in future? I know you said above it’s going to be removed but does that still stand or will you keep it for those that want a true folder experience.

[Luke 37106]

It just depends on the cost of the option as well as the size of the audience that wants it. This one in particular has a number of downstream effects in other areas that make it a hard one.

[UnknownAX 1]

Surely the cost of keeping it as is would be nothing?

 

If you had to add a toggle button then yeah there would be a cost involved.

 

Maybe we need a poll on what the community would prefer? I’m guessing that’s how you gauge what direction to go?

[Happy2Play 8296]

But you have a lot of users that want a true folder view.  So to me collapsed has to be optional.

[UnknownAX 1]

Also I’ve had a search and can’t find any posts on the forum in support of the collapsing?

[Happy2Play 8296]

Most of them were about the Metadata Manager View. I want to say there were some on Music videos also.

Edited December 16, 2019 by Happy2Play

[UnknownAX 1]

Isn’t there now a Music category? I can’t see what issues having the folder show all folders as requested can cause :S