Reorganizing media

[tuvx 14]

I need to reorganize my media, changing file locations.

 

I currently have the nfo settings:

"Save image paths within nfo files" checked

"Enable path substitution" checked

Under manage library (for Movies and TV):

"Automatically refresh metadata from the internet:" set to Never

"Metadata savers:" set to nfo (checked)

"Save artwork into media folders" checked

 

Will re-arranging the files maintain the identity and chosen images for my media?

[Luke 42085]

If your media has images in the media folders and nfo metadata files, then yes.

[levander 97]

I need to reorganize my media, changing file locations.

 

I currently have the nfo settings:

"Save image paths within nfo files" checked

"Enable path substitution" checked

Under manage library (for Movies and TV):

"Automatically refresh metadata from the internet:" set to Never

"Metadata savers:" set to nfo (checked)

"Save artwork into media folders" checked

 

Will re-arranging the files maintain the identity and chosen images for my media?

 

If you have your own, manually made collections you could lose those by relocating media.

 

 

@@Luke, will there be some changes in the future regarding collections' linking by id instead of path? I like to make my own collections and they all disappear when media files are relocated.

[Guy 7]

"This is a known issue as the system doesn't always know when you move something.

 

It is on the list for improvement but isn't a simple problem and needs to be designed carefully so as not to cause performance issues all the time for a rare case."

 

https://emby.media/community/index.php?/topic/60833-legacy-collectionboxsets-gone-in-new-update/?p=600834

[Luke 42085]

Collections will always be linked by path. Imagine if you create your own music playlist in m3u,wpl, or any music playlist format. The playlist contains links to the files inside. If you then move the files, the playlist is not going to play.

 

Now there are probably ways that we can come up with where you can tell us you're moving the files and this will allow the collections to be rewritten. That's the kind of improvement that ebr was alluding to.

[levander 97]

I don’t understand why keep that principle when path can be changed and id shouldn’t. Also collections became really, really sluggish on my system it is hard to use them, especially when putting cast and crew to collections and that is only thing I use now because no problems with paths.

[Luke 42085]

The performance of collections will be resolved in Emby Server 3.6 and that won't be an issue anymore.

 

Paths make the most sense. IDs will be unique to the server installation. If you uninstall the server and then reinstall, you may want to keep your existing collections and that's why writing the files with paths is the most universal approach.

[levander 97]

The performance of collections will be resolved in Emby Server 3.6 and that won't be an issue anymore.

 

 Good to hear. Thanks.

 

 

 

Paths make the most sense. IDs will be unique to the server installation. If you uninstall the server and then reinstall, you may want to keep your existing collections and that's why writing the files with paths is the most universal approach.

 

When you put it that way it makes sense. Thanks for the explanation. Still, keeping existing collections after reinstall is facing same problem as with relocating files. I hope you find the solution to this. 

 

 

Btw, regarding collections: when you think about future support for smart playlists is there room to think about "smart collections" possibility? I like to think of collections as some kind of advanced playlists but for movies [advanced movie lists] So to be able to use tags, genres, cast, anything from metadata actually to automatically create personal collections would much improve emby collections.

[Luke 42085]

Yes we are interested in smart playlists for the future. Thanks.

[levander 97]

Yes we are interested in smart playlists for the future. Thanks.

I know, what about smart collections?

[Luke 42085]

We already have ways of achieving something very similar. if you want automatic collections based on moviedb collections there is the Autoboxset plugins.

 

if you want automatic collections based on genres or actors or directors, networks, etc, all you need to do is click on those things in the apps and you get filtered screens without having to create a collection. It may not technically be a collection but the end result is pretty much the same.