Smart Playlist Help
#1
Here is what I am trying to do. I am trying to create three smart playlists and access them via the main menu. One each for: movies, TV shows, and Kids Shows. Here's how I went about setting them up.

For each of them, I created a multipath source as some of the content is on my HTPC and the rest is being served by my NAS.

Then I created a smart playlist for each of them using the rule of "Path is" and I point it to their multipath source(s). I also tried using the rule of "Path contains" as well.

Then I linked each to the main menu. It all seems to work as XBMC will let me do it. However, when I try to access my content from my new main menu items, it shows nothing. Not incomplete... nothing at all.

So after failing time and time again to set up this up the way I want it. I searched the forum and I found the video's on how to create smart playlists. But I didn't find anything on creating smart playlists using multipath sources. Now I am turning to the forum for extra help.

Maybe there is a tweak to my setup or even a better way?
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#2
post your debug log
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#3
Make sure all you sources have been scanned into the movie library. Try "path starts with".
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#4
I may be wrong but I think I read some time ago that playlists from multiple paths doesn't work. I know I had the same issue when I tried setting them up, it didn't matter what options I set it wouldn't scan from multiple sources from different hard drives.

Once I put all files on one hard drive it worked, even if the files are in separate folders.

I would be interested to hear if you manage to get this working though from multiple sources
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#5
The following works for me!

Code:
<?xml version="1.0" encoding="UTF-8" standalone="yes" ?>
<smartplaylist type="movies">
    <name>Anime</name>
    <match>one</match>
    <rule field="path" operator="startswith">
        <value>smb://SERVER2/video2/Movies Anime/</value>
    </rule>
    <rule field="path" operator="startswith">
        <value>smb://SERVER2/video2/Movies Anime Sets/</value>
    </rule>
    <order direction="ascending">sorttitle</order>
</smartplaylist>
HTPC: Dell Optiplex 7050 SFF i7-7700 quad-core, 3.6GHz, 16GB
NAS: Synology DS1813+ and DX513, Hybrid RAID (SHR) 48TB usable space
My Media Center | www.CaptainKen.us | www.YouTube.com/KenInGilbert
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#6
(2013-06-05, 20:47)CaptainKen Wrote: The following works for me!

Code:
<?xml version="1.0" encoding="UTF-8" standalone="yes" ?>
<smartplaylist type="movies">
    <name>Anime</name>
    <match>one</match>
    <rule field="path" operator="startswith">
        <value>smb://SERVER2/video2/Movies Anime/</value>
    </rule>
    <rule field="path" operator="startswith">
        <value>smb://SERVER2/video2/Movies Anime Sets/</value>
    </rule>
    <order direction="ascending">sorttitle</order>
</smartplaylist>

This gave me the idea to try and create separate rules for each playlist like this example does. So I stopped pointing to a multipath source pointed each rule directly to each source. Didn't work.

It's not the end of the world if I have only one place (say Movies) with all my content showign up there. Not ideal to have my daughters Baby Einstein shows mixed with my Movies. But not the end of the world.
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#7
(2013-06-06, 15:53)McRoots Wrote:
(2013-06-05, 20:47)CaptainKen Wrote: The following works for me!

Code:
<?xml version="1.0" encoding="UTF-8" standalone="yes" ?>
<smartplaylist type="movies">
    <name>Anime</name>
    <match>one</match>
    <rule field="path" operator="startswith">
        <value>smb://SERVER2/video2/Movies Anime/</value>
    </rule>
    <rule field="path" operator="startswith">
        <value>smb://SERVER2/video2/Movies Anime Sets/</value>
    </rule>
    <order direction="ascending">sorttitle</order>
</smartplaylist>

This gave me the idea to try and create separate rules for each playlist like this example does. So I stopped pointing to a multipath source pointed each rule directly to each source. Didn't work.

It's not the end of the world if I have only one place (say Movies) with all my content showign up there. Not ideal to have my daughters Baby Einstein shows mixed with my Movies. But not the end of the world.

Please provide a sample of your script.
HTPC: Dell Optiplex 7050 SFF i7-7700 quad-core, 3.6GHz, 16GB
NAS: Synology DS1813+ and DX513, Hybrid RAID (SHR) 48TB usable space
My Media Center | www.CaptainKen.us | www.YouTube.com/KenInGilbert
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#8
I had the same problem, multipath sources don't play well with smart playlists.

what I did is the following:
- Created separate sources for all my content (not any multipath) I didn't care since I only use library mode and once your items are scanned in the library you don't notice if it comes from different sources.

- Then I created smart playlists with rule "Path starts with....."

worked fine for me. I have 4 smart playlists: Movies(no kid stuff) TVShows(no kid stuff), Kids Movies and Cartoons(Kids TV Shows)
you could also use tags and create a smart playlist using that, but that means every time you add something you have to add the proper tag to it.
Hardware: Revo 3610 + SSD - Harmony 700 Remote
Software: XBMCBuntu Gotham - Sickbeard - SabNZBd+

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#9
(2013-06-06, 20:48)The_Dogg Wrote: I had the same problem, multipath sources don't play well with smart playlists.

what I did is the following:
- Created separate sources for all my content (not any multipath) I didn't care since I only use library mode and once your items are scanned in the library you don't notice if it comes from different sources.

- Then I created smart playlists with rule "Path starts with....."

worked fine for me. I have 4 smart playlists: Movies(no kid stuff) TVShows(no kid stuff), Kids Movies and Cartoons(Kids TV Shows)
you could also use tags and create a smart playlist using that, but that means every time you add something you have to add the proper tag to it.

Thanks for this. I went back and started from scratch. Cleaned out my sources and library and started over. I added each source individually (no multipath) and re-created my smart play lists with this advice and others from above.

All seems to be working as I want it. Thanks for all the help. Really appreciate it!
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#10
glad I could help, this thing can be a bit confusing when you start using it, but once you get it, it's a pretty powerful tool and the possibilities are endless

P.S. click the +/- button if I helped Smile
Hardware: Revo 3610 + SSD - Harmony 700 Remote
Software: XBMCBuntu Gotham - Sickbeard - SabNZBd+

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