Is it possible to separate albums by containing folder? If so, how?

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Is it possible to separate albums by containing folder? If so, how?

2018-07-11 20:22:32

Warmest greetings.

I've been using Foobar for years and occasionally come back to an issue that I have: Foobar grouping albums that I may have multiple versions of together. At present, Foobar with the skin I'm using tends to group albums with the same album and artist name together.

Using the attached image as an example, I have a normal FLAC rip, a 24-96 FLAC rip, and and a deluxe version FLAC of the same album. As you can see in the image, Foobar groups all 3 under the same album instead of displaying them as 3 separate albums and if were to play what you see in the image, I'll hear those songs repeated as Foobar goes from one folder and version of the song to the next before playing the next actual track. I can use the tree browser on the left to specify the version I want to hear, but I've always felt like that shouldn't be necessary. After installing MusicBee today and finding a simple tick box in the first 20 minutes after installation to create this exact kind of sorting (Preferences --> Grouping --> "files for each album are organized in their own folder"), I figured it was time to re-open this matter and maybe ask for an assist from the fine people here. MusicBee is fine but it's not Foobar. And yet my inability to configure Foobar to do this for me is really discouraging me.

I hope it's not complicated and that I'm just a dummy, but all I ever wanted was for (1) Foobar to separate FLAC versions of albums from mp3 versions (I need both formats for my mp3 player that I use when working out), and (2) for Foobar to respect my folders and sort and play albums first and foremost based on the folder they're in.

If anyone might be able to assist or advise, I'll be greatly appreciative.

Thank you in advance.

Re: Is it possible to separate albums by containing folder? If so, how?

Reply #1 – 2018-07-11 21:26:32

Quote from: Dreams-Visions on 2018-07-11 20:22:32

I have a normal FLAC rip, a 24-96 FLAC rip, and and a deluxe version FLAC of the same album.

Could you edit the tag fields for album titles, and name each album distinctly: Title, Title (24/96), Title (Deluxe)?

Re: Is it possible to separate albums by containing folder? If so, how?

Reply #2 – 2018-07-12 04:58:35

Quote from: 2tec on 2018-07-11 21:26:32

Quote from: Dreams-Visions on 2018-07-11 20:22:32
I have a normal FLAC rip, a 24-96 FLAC rip, and and a deluxe version FLAC of the same album.
Could you edit the tag fields for album titles, and name each album distinctly: Title, Title (24/96), Title (Deluxe)?

I probably could. It's just that there are so many albums, that would be quite a bit of time.

Holding out hope for a simple solution on par with MusicBee's single check box that fixes this in one fell swoop.

Re: Is it possible to separate albums by containing folder? If so, how?

Reply #3 – 2018-07-13 00:24:22

Quote from: Dreams-Visions on 2018-07-11 20:22:32

I've been using Foobar for years and occasionally come back to an issue that I have: Foobar grouping albums that I may have multiple versions of together. At present, Foobar with the skin I'm using tends to group albums with the same album and artist name together.

I'm not sure what components your theme/skin is using to display the playlist, but assuming you do indeed have these different-format-but-same-albums in separate folders, you can try adding %directoryname% to the default sort order, and try something like %codec% and %__bitspersample% in the playlist groupings. I'm not sure exactly what to use and I'm not the best at the ol' title formatting, so best advice is to just experiment until you find what looks best. (Standard foobar'ing, really.

)

I'm only familiar with Facets and SimPlaylist for such things, but hopefully that might give you some ideas for whatever components your layout is using. For example I use this code in a few places -

Code: [Select]

%codec% $if($stricmp(%__encoding%,lossless),[%__bitspersample%/]$div(%samplerate%,1000))

- Which (at least in SimPlaylist > Groups > Subgroups) would group albums into "MP3", "FLAC 16/44" or "FLAC 24/96", etc. I notice under Default User Interface > Playlist View, there are also grouping schemes, though I've never used them I assume they probably work the same as SimPlaylist (?)

Re: Is it possible to separate albums by containing folder? If so, how?

Reply #4 – 2018-07-13 21:44:42

Was just experimenting with this a bit. To quote, er, myself ...

Quote from: anamorphic on 2018-07-13 00:24:22

[...] you can try adding %directoryname% to the default sort order

No, anamorphic. Probably better to use %path_sort% instead. If you happen to keep multi-disc sets of files in a "Disc 1, Disc 2" folder structure, %directoryname% would not help to sort them, because the files would be in identically named folders. It does work with %path_sort% however.

Try dropping it in the middle of the sort order -

Code: [Select]

%date%|$stripprefix(%album%)|$stripprefix(%album artist%)|%path_sort%[|%discnumber%]|%tracknumber%|$stripprefix(%title%)

Re: Is it possible to separate albums by containing folder? If so, how?

Reply #5 – 2018-07-15 14:40:15

How about sorting tracks using this simple expression:

Code: [Select]

$directory_path(%path%) %filename% - %tracknumber%

It simply recreates the way that Windows Explorer sorts / shows files. First you have all files freely floating in certain directory (NOT messed with subdirectories due to alphabet thing), then all files in any subdirectories - with respect to showing floating files before any sub-subdirectory. All subdirectories loaded in an alphabetical order, so each directory with certain version of album is displayed as contiguous list, then other version, etc. Sorting of cue-referenced tracks is also preserved.