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Topic: [fb2k v2] Random Pools (foo_random_pools) (Read 175243 times) previous topic - next topic
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Re: foo_random_pools

Reply #200
I have seen this component in different occassions but never found it of interest, basically because of lack of an intuitive interface.
Besides some possible minor enhancements, which are not worth to put effort into it, the interface is as intuiitive as it can be for the designed purpose.

Certainly I would like to have special playlist, but my mental hard disk does not feel attracted to learning code, even in the most elemental ways.
If you are not willing to to this, then this component is absolutely nothing for you and will never be. But this doesn't only apply to this component, it applies also to many other components, which require at least some basic knowledge of foobar2000 title format.

We, general users, want buttons. Buttons are for that, you do a clic and then you got some results that somebody -the programmer- experienced before and that you can tell are wonderful and use every day.
To create a component like this just with buttons, which magically know, which result the user expects, is simply not possible.

As it is right now is an incomplete component very few persons can use.
The component is neither incomplete nor can it only used by a few persons. Only the few persons, which are strictly deny to learn anything new, won't be able to use this component.

Re: foo_random_pools

Reply #201
Hello fbuser,

thanks for your answer and for your work!

Re: foo_random_pools

Reply #202
Hey, would it be possible to have a pool output it's tracks to the queue, rather than a specific playlist?

Re: foo_random_pools

Reply #203
Hey, would it be possible to have a pool output it's tracks to the queue, rather than a specific playlist?
I don't think, that it is useful. There is nothing relevant , what you can do with the queue, what can't also be done with a playlist.

Re: foo_random_pools

Reply #204
Hey, would it be possible to have a pool output it's tracks to the queue, rather than a specific playlist?
I don't think, that it is useful. There is nothing relevant , what you can do with the queue, what can't also be done with a playlist.

Hmmm, I thought that might be the case. I still prefer the queue though for a couple of reasons:

1. right click -> Add to queue. I may be being stupid but I haven't found a way to replicate this with playlists
2. With the queue it is possible to display the active playlist and the queue at the same time. I haven't yet found a way to display the active playlist with the now playing playlist beside it.

If anyone knows a way to get these features working with a playlist, please enlighten me!

Re: foo_random_pools

Reply #205
1. right click -> Add to queue. I may be being stupid but I haven't found a way to replicate this with playlists
This can be done with foo_playlist_attributes and foo_utils:
  • Create a playlist Queue (of course, the name can any other name)
  • Define it as prioritized playlist globally (Preferences -> Tools -> Playlist attributes -> Playback settings)
  • Disable "Stop after current" and "Bookmark last playback position" only for the playlist Queue
  • Enable "Remove played tracks" and "Remove skipped tracks" for the playlist Queue
  • Set "Continue on playlist ..." to "- Last playlist -" for the playlist Queue
  • Right click provided by foo_utils: Legacy Commands -> Add to Playlist -> Queue

2. With the queue it is possible to display the active playlist and the queue at the same time. I haven't yet found a way to display the active playlist with the now playing playlist beside it.
This is also possible, but as far as I know only with ELPlaylist, which requires ColumnsUI, or with ESPlaylist, which is also working with Default UI. In both cases you can set the playlist viewer to follow the currently playing playlist instead of the active playlist.


Re: foo_random_pools

Reply #206
Thanks fbuser!

I think the way I want to use foobar2000 is going to require quite a few workarounds whether I use the queue or a separate playlist. All part of the fun of using foobar2000!

Re: foo_random_pools

Reply #207
Hi!

Is it possible to limit the selection of the pool to the tracks from a specific playlist (as opposed to any tracks from the media library) ? Thanks in advance
Decalicatan Decalicatan



Re: foo_random_pools

Reply #210
Amazing. I commend you on this plug! Thank you!
iTunes is starting to feel like that old girlfriend that seemed so nice at the time :o

Anyway, just wanted to ask if it's possible for each pool to be assigned its own playlist to auto-add to.

See screenshot for better understanding. Forgive me if this has been suggested before.

Re: foo_random_pools

Reply #211
Anyway, just wanted to ask if it's possible for each pool to be assigned its own playlist to auto-add to.
This does not really make sense. Autoadding is applied to the currently playing playlist, if its name matches the specified pattern.

Re: foo_random_pools

Reply #212
Ok, thanks, just thought it could be extended to pool different playlists. Thanks for the reply.

Re: foo_random_pools

Reply #213
I'm a baby foobar user and was wondering if this is possible. I want to add a button that clears the playlist and plays a random album from the first track. Additionally, I would like it if at the end of a playlist, a random album starts playing. Mrinferno had something similar early on this thread but I'm still very confused and think I'm missing a few steps.

Re: foo_random_pools

Reply #214
Hi, I'm having a couple of issues and am hoping someone might have a tip or two.

I've created a random pool to add a random album to a playlist, which seems to be a common use of this component. It was working well for a while, but now whenever I add an album it is pre-shuffled (see image).
It only happens in this context--in all other playlists and filters album tracks are in their proper numerical order.
Any idea why this might happen?
I've tried re-creating the pool, and I've also tried adjusting Playlist Attribute parameters to no avail (thinking it might be causing the issue).
I've attached images of my random pool and playlist attribute settings.

Secondary question:
Is there a way to make the random album auto-play when its added to the playlist?

Thanks.

Re: foo_random_pools

Reply #215
I figured out my issue from an earlier post in this thread.
FYI, I needed a "%path_sort%" in the sorting field.

Thank you for this plugin--I switched to foobar from music bee basically just for this feature and am glad I did!

If anyone has a suggestion for my latter question that would be sweet:
How can I get the random pool to play automatically upon being added to the playlist?

Re: foo_random_pools

Reply #216
Any idea why this might happen?
You need to add a sort expression to the sort field: %discnumber% | %tracknumber%

If you don't use a sort expression, the order of the tracks is not defined. So in the past you just had luck.

Is there a way to make the random album auto-play when its added to the playlist?
Not with this component. With JScript Panel you could create a script, which comes close to what you want.

Re: foo_random_pools

Reply #217
Thanks for the info!

Re: foo_random_pools

Reply #218
I'm a baby foobar user and was wondering if this is possible. I want to add a button that clears the playlist and plays a random album from the first track. Additionally, I would like it if at the end of a playlist, a random album starts playing. Mrinferno had something similar early on this thread but I'm still very confused and think I'm missing a few steps.

Just checking if I'm missing something. Right now if I want to skip to a random album, I have to press the random pool button which adds it to the end of the playlist, then I have to find the beginning of this new random album. Is there a better way?

Re: foo_random_pools

Reply #219
Not, really. You could use the autoadd functionality of the component and just remove the unwanted album from the playlist, but this would not directly play the newly added album, if there are other items in the playlist, which will be played first.

If you want to skip certain albums you could tag them meaningfully and exclude them by a filter for the relevant random pool.

Re: foo_random_pools

Reply #220
Thanks for replying! Is there anyway to assign multiple commands to a single button? It could be something like:
1. Clear playlist
2. [Random Pool action]
3. Play

Re: foo_random_pools

Reply #221
Anyway, just wanted to ask if it's possible for each pool to be assigned its own playlist to auto-add to.
This does not really make sense. Autoadding is applied to the currently playing playlist, if its name matches the specified pattern.
Let me turn stevehero's question into a feature request.

It would be very useful (to me, at least) to be able to tie a specific pool preset
to a specific playlist. Think of the common scenario of wanting to listen
to tracks not played recently. Using RP together with "remove played" from
playlist attributes is the usual way we can have a playlist AUTOMATICALLY refilled
with tracks that matches the query setup in RP: i.e. NOT %last_played% DURING LAST 7 DAYS.
But what if we want to send tracks from a different pool? I think we will have to go in the
settings and change the priorities of RP presets: correct?

If we could tie a playlist to a pool preset we could have one playlist for each different
additional filtering apart the "...last_played..." bit. I.e.:
- least played with high rating
- least played from a certain genre
- least played + you name it

I hope this explanation can make a little sense for you too and shed some light on why we are asking for that.
It will multiply the power of your already amazing plugin.

Thanks.

Re: foo_random_pools

Reply #222
But what if we want to send tracks from a different pool? I think we will have to go in the settings and change the priorities of RP presets: correct?
No, you can just select the relevant menu entry for that pool (File -> Random pools -> <Pool name>)

I hope this explanation can make a little sense for you too
Sorry, no. Auto-adding makes only sense for the currently playing playlist as only this playlist is affected by removing played or skipped tracks.

Re: foo_random_pools

Reply #223
I hope this explanation can make a little sense for you too
Sorry, no. Auto-adding makes only sense for the currently playing playlist as only this playlist is affected by removing played or skipped tracks.
Yes, I understand. But from what I know one of the strength of FB is the ability
to have many playlists at hand that let you easily check what are you going
to listen to before you start playing them.
IMHO the ability to tie each pool to "its own" playist would fit well into FB well thought
playlist centric world.
Another useful thing, I think, is that in that way one can easily set the name
of each tied playlist matching the name of its generating pool.
By now we can't even know which is the "active" pool and with what the active playlist
will be filled with.
But maybe I'm wrong.

Of course this is only my view considering my use of RP in conjuction with remove played
(on a playlist basis, not on a global one) to create editable custom autoplaylists.

I hope I didn't annoy you too much asking you for something that has already
been asked many times before. I read all the thread before posting my request and I did it only
after I read an answer of yours where you seemed to think it over but didn't see the point.
I hoped to be able to let you see that point.

Thanks.

fabio

Re: foo_random_pools

Reply #224
Can someone here remind me exactly how to get the autoadd feature working ?

I had worked out how to do this some time ago but following a required Windows reinstall yesterday (losing all Foobar settings as a result) I cannot recall how to get this working again.

Basically, prior to the reinstall I had Random Pools adding 3 tracks at a time using the autoadd "add when the playback position is X items from the end". Which it did perfectly.

Selecting that option now is having no effect, the playlist reaches the end and stops. Given its so long ago, I'm not sure how I had the settings in the edit pane. What is number of group vs number of tracks for example. Randomly playing around with these settings is doing nothing to get the auto add to work..help!!