Genres and Feature Request

[digitaldj]

Salamon,

Has the issue with windows millenium and music folders not wanting to be urecognized and not setting up genres been resolved? This is in the setup screen where to you tell SK where your music is stored and it won't let you add folder locations and you have to go into the setup file and tell it where they are. The problem there is it still doesn't add the folders into genres. Seems like a VB file missing that allows this to work with older windows versions.

I have a feature request: Can you add Normalizing this way with older recordings being lower volume from cd's being so much softer than new recorded music. Ther could be the option to set the normalizing percentage.

Thanks,
Kevin

[SalmonKing]

Kevin,

I am yet to be able to replicate this issue on 98/Me, nor am I able to find a replacement piece of code to do the job (although I admit, last I looked at it I only had about 30 mins to spend on it).  I'm sure I'll find it or be able to work around it, the issue is just the time to look at it which is very scarce these days.  Not sure what you're saying about the genres, though, can you elaborate please?

As for normalizing, it's not something I can do currently (and don't think I'd ever be able to add), but the way I do it is to run 'MP3Gain' over my collection.

http://mp3gain.sourceforge.net/

I do an Album Gain of 89 dB (which is the default, IIRC), and that works just fine.  The great thing about this method is that it does not change the actual audio data in the file.

Cheers,

SK.

[digitaldj]

Salmon,
If i go into the setup file and put the location of each folder of genre it still wants to put everything in one screen view. When i try to select genres it acts like i only have one and if i remember correctly it doesn't even bring up the genre screen. Maybe i am doing something wrong as far what i need to put in the setup file to create the genres.
Thanks,
Kevin

[SalmonKing]

Salmon,
If i go into the setup file and put the location of each folder of genre it still wants to put everything in one screen view. When i try to select genres it acts like i only have one and if i remember correctly it doesn't even bring up the genre screen. Maybe i am doing something wrong as far what i need to put in the setup file to create the genres.
Thanks,
Kevin

If you have this, for example :

C:\Music\Rock
C:\Music\Pop
C:\Music\Metal

You would just need to enter 'C:\Music' as the path.  You then tick the box that says 'First Part Of Directory Is Genre'.  At that point, I would get out of the program then back in again, and you should be set.....unless you use a Static Database, where you would need to update the database after you've restarted the program.   

[digitaldj]

OK! I will give that a try. I'm sure i was doing something wrong!

Thanks,
Kevin

[digitaldj]

Salmon,

I tried restructuring my folders and went into the setup file and set firat part of folder as genre and also give selection of genres. This is what i had:
c:\music\country
c:\music\rock

What i end up with after setting options is country artists folders showing up as genres selections, example:
Instead of Country (Genre Selection)

I get,  Artist
          Artist
          Artist
          Etc.
Is SK Jukebox programmed in VB6 or later? I know if it is VB2005 it will only run in XP only without problems.

Thanks,
Kevin

[SalmonKing]

What did you have as your music paths though?  As I said in my last post, you NEED to have just 'C:\Music' in that list for it to work.

'First Part Of Directory Is Genre' means the first part of the directory AFTER the path you enter.  Therefore the first part SKJB is coming across is indeed the artist, and is acting perfectly fine.  It's just the setup you have put in that is not working.

This issue is nothing to do with the OS, the only issue I know of is the folder browsing, which I will fix at a later stage.

[digitaldj]

My music is on D: but just the same. The add button is what brings up the SK has caused in error in shell32.dll. The other 2 buttons work fine.

d:\music\country\artisit\album
d:\music\rock\artist\album

I have tried a couple of different things with the settings etc. and still nothing showing up in the genre screen like it should.

Are you sure that it is not something in VB6 that is not agreeing with ME? I have reinstalled SKJB and everything to try and solve the problem.

Has anybody else had this problem?
Kevin

[SalmonKing]

Are you sure that it is not something in VB6 that is not agreeing with ME? I have reinstalled SKJB and everything to try and solve the problem.

I am positive that it's an issue with 98/ME, because I have come across the problem in my day to day job as a programmer.  There have always been other ways around it for our clients, so it has never been a big issue, just something to look at when I get a chance (which, again, I will do in the near future).  There is nothing you can do about it unless you upgrade to 2000/XP, which I am not saying you should do.

It is nothing to do with VB6, it is a difference in the way 98/ME interperates a particular call to the shell32.dll.  Anyway, I have said several times now that this is the only OS issue I know of and will look at later.

As for the genres, can you please e-mail me your SKJukebox.ini so I can figure out what it going on.  It is a setting/program problem, not an OS problem.

Once I get your ini (my e-mail is in the readme.txt), I will post back here letting you know what the issue is.

Once I have had a chance to look at the folder browsing problem, I will post back here to let you know also, and perhaps give you a new version privately to test on your PC.   

Thanks,

SK.

[SalmonKing]

OK, Ive tweaked the folder browsing code so it MIGHT now work on 98 & ME.  Ill upload a test version for you in a bit, and will post the link to the test version here.

SK.

[digitaldj]

Ok! Let's try the test version and see what happens! I am pretty sure i am doing everything right now and still had the problem.

Go ahead and post the test version!

Thanks,
Kevin

[SalmonKing]

Ok! Let's try the test version and see what happens! I am pretty sure i am doing everything right now and still had the problem.

Go ahead and post the test version!

Thanks,
Kevin

Here is a test version :

http://www.mameworld.net/skjukebox/updates/SKJB-Test.zip

I am still waiting for you .ini file though (to see what you are doing wrong regarding genres).

Let me know if this fixes the issue with adding/changing directories.   

[digitaldj]

Salmon,

I will get this for you tomorrow for sure! I had some family stuff going on earlier and I was doing some programming before going to bed (or should i say learning and playing). I am writing software to control the lighting for my Jukebox.

The link wouldn't come up.

Thanks for trying this right away!
Kevin

[SalmonKing]

Damn, off-site linking has been disabled.  No matter, just to go the main site (www.mameworld.net/skjukebox), then paste the link into the address bar.

If you still have problems, let me know & I'll put a link at the bottom of the page for you.

[digitaldj]

Salmon,

I reinstalled 2.80 and then uzipped the test version into the same directory and run the program, still the same!

What i did find though is I am a bonehead sometimes and I told you i was doing something wrong. I had the music location just like I posted before.

d:\music\country\artisit\album
d:\music\rock\artist\album

After i changed it to D:\Music it found all of the genre folders. So for now the adding of folders is not as big of a deal now because it can be setup in the .ini file.

If you want me or other people to continue testing any new adjustments to the program let us know! For now i am happy with being able to get the genres.

Sorry for being a bonehead!
Kevin

[SalmonKing]

Yeah, I had a feeling that's what you'd done.  Glad you got it sorted now, though!   

In the About screen, does it show that it's a recent version?  Just making sure you're running the right one, is all.

If so, I'll have to keep hunting.  I don't know why this is being such a pain, it's a standard feature of Windows to provide applications a folder browsing function.  It must be something with the way I'm calling it, I just have no idea what.  The code I'm using goes all the way back to Windows 95a, so something in 98/ME broke what I'm doing, and in 2000/XP it was fixed again.  Fun fun fun.... 

[digitaldj]

In the about screen what should i see since i loaded the test version? If it 2.8.2 that's what i have and the add button is still the same! Sorry!
Thanks,
Kevin

[SalmonKing]

In the about screen what should i see since i loaded the test version? If it 2.8.2 that's what i have and the add button is still the same! Sorry!
Thanks,
Kevin

2.8.3 test version is up....I have gone with a small free component to do the job (something I REEEALLY did not want to do, but if it works it works).

http://www.mameworld.net/skjukebox/updates/SKJB-TestAgain.rar

Fingers crossed again......   

[SalmonKing]

No-one wants to test it for me?   

[BobA]

Tried to download it to test but the link does not work for me.  It says I should not link directly to it and should go through the main site. 

BobA

[digitaldj]

Salmon,
I will! Sorry i got away from the site and just seen the reply.

Boba,
Just goto the website listed above where sk jukebox is then paste in the new link and hit go. It will bring up the site.

Kevin

[digitaldj]

Salmon,

Can you post that as a zip file?

Thanks,
Kevin

[SalmonKing]

Salmon,

Can you post that as a zip file?

Thanks,
Kevin

Done   

[digitaldj]

Salmon,

Where did you post that at?

Thanks,
Kevin

[SalmonKing]

Salmon,

Where did you post that at?

Thanks,
Kevin

Exact same place, just as zip rather than rar.....how about we use this then, cause it will get around the offsite linking.  Just click the below link, then click the 'Folder Browing Test' link to download the update.

http://www.mameworld.net/skjukebox/updates/test.html

[digitaldj]

Salmon,

By golly i think you've got it! Hopefully it doesn't change anything for the XP users.

Nice Job Thanks,
Kevin

[SalmonKing]

Salmon,

By golly i think you've got it! Hopefully it doesn't change anything for the XP users.

Nice Job Thanks,
Kevin

Works fine here on XP, so that should do it then!  Handy stuff, might use that component in my other programs in that case (as I said, it has come up as an issue in our commercial apps I write in my day-to-day job).