Changing ringtone?

[Tim]

I can't seem to get Tasker to let me choose an MP3 track as a
ringtone. I can set up the ringtone task ok, but when I long click on
the Sound box, I get two options: HTC Ringtone Picker (which lets me
pick from the default tones) or "Select Music". If I choose "select
music", I can browse my MP3s and choose one.

Then, after picking my tune and selecting OK, I return to the ringtone
dialogue, but the "Sound" box is still empty - it just says "Long-
click". If I try to select Done, I get "Error: Sound please enter some
text".

I'm still using the 0.29 beta on an HTC Desire. Was planning to
upgrade at the end of July, but will do it now if this is a fixed bug!

Is this a known problem?

[Pent]

Hi Tim,

Tasker isn't expecting an MP3 back (there's no such selecter on the
basic OS) but I don't see why it wouldn't work. I would have to ask
you to help me find out what the trouble is though, since I don't have
a Sense device, and I couldn't *promise* a solution even if you did
purchase a copy of Tasker and help me figure it out.

Pent

[Marcus]

I also have a HTC Desire, but I am using the latest beta version.
When I got to Media -> Ringtone and long click on the sound field I
can only choose between the standard tones.
I have no option to select a custom mp3 there.

[Jason]

I have a Nexus One running Froyo, and have the same issue. This was
the first thing I tried with Tasker - just want to change my ringtone
when at work.

In the ringtone "sound" field, if I long press, I get "complete action
using" with options "android system" or "tone picker". Tone picker
then gives me a choice between itself, Astro, OI file manager, select
music track, etc. Although I can see all my ringtones via these, when
I select a tone, the "sound" field in the ringtone task remains
unpopulated (with "Long-Click" still present).

I have also experimented with manually typing the name of the mp3,
followed by use of the "Test" button to see if the tone plays. I have
tried a variety of path variants like:

/mnt/sdcard/jas/media/audio/tones/ctu.mp3
/sdcard/jas/media/audio/tones/ctu.mp3
jas/media/audio/tones/ctu.mp3

None of these play the tone.

Tips or ideas appreciated. I will happily help to troubleshoot this,
since it is a pretty fundamental use case for me.

[Jason]

After having no luck with absolute file paths as described above, I've
also tried using the text "CTU" which corresponds to the mp3 tag (this
is shown in the various tone pickers, music player, etc). The Test
button still does not play the sound.

[Calvin]

For me this works, this is what i have.

My mp3 files to be used as ringtones are in:
/sdcard/media/ringtones/

Then when i go to tasker (or any place where i can pick a ringtone
like Media -> Ringtone) the music files are in the list. I haven't
installed any extra audio management software.

HTH

[jas]

Thanks for the response Calvin,

But like Tim and I have both said, we also see our ringtones in the
various "pickers" OK, and can select them. Our problem is that after
the tone has been chosen, these pickers do not populate the "sound"
text entry box in Tasker's ringtone task. It still says "Long Press"
after the tone has been selected.

Entering a file path manually is only an attempt to find a temporary
workaround around for this bug.

Cheers, J.

[Calvin]

Oops, sorry. Reading too quickly i guess. :)

Somehow i don't have that problem, the ringtone file shows up in the
field.
Only thing i can think of:
i noticed that it's not the filename that I see, it's the text from
the title tag in the mp3. The same title shows up in the ringtone
picker dialog.
Could that be a reason? Did you fill the ID3v2 tags of your file?

[Pent]

> My mp3 files to be used as ringtones are in:
> /sdcard/media/ringtones/
>
> Then when i go to tasker (or any place where i can pick a ringtone
> like Media -> Ringtone) the music files are in the list. I haven't
> installed any extra audio management software.

Good tip, thanks, I put that in the action help.

Pent

[Calvin]

And it happened again :)
Just noticed you tried that as well.

So you do see the files it the 'normal' sound picker dialog? The
standard Android one?
Because i specifically mentioned that when using the paths i gave you
the files will show up in the HTC Ringtone Picker (that Tim refers
to).
I don't have a 'Select music', or 'tone picker' in my list.

[jas]

Hehe. You'd better slow down with that fast reading - you did it
again. 8-)

Did you see above I also tried the string CTU, which corresponds to
the ID3v2 tags, as they appear in the various tone pickers on my
phone?

I think this is a bug with no work-around, which is a shame because
this is a basic use-case.

It appears on my nexus one (froyo), and on Tim's Desire. I would be
interested to know if it works for anyone else on these handsets.

I am happy to trial new ideas, perform troubleshooting experiments,
capture logs, etc.

Cheers, J.

[Pent]

> I have a Nexus One running Froyo, and have the same issue.  This was
> the first thing I tried with Tasker - just want to change my ringtone
> when at work.
>
> In the ringtone "sound" field, if I long press, I get "complete action
> using" with options "android system" or "tone picker".  Tone picker
> then gives me a choice between itself, Astro, OI file manager, select
> music track, etc.  Although I can see all my ringtones via these, when
> I select a tone, the "sound" field in the ringtone task remains
> unpopulated (with "Long-Click" still present).

I'm also on a N1/Froyo but I don't get the choice, it just shows a
list of
ringtones :( I even install OI file manager, didn't help.

> I have also experimented with manually typing the name of the mp3,
> followed by use of the "Test" button to see if the tone plays. I have
> tried a variety of path variants like:
>
> /mnt/sdcard/jas/media/audio/tones/ctu.mp3
> /sdcard/jas/media/audio/tones/ctu.mp3
> jas/media/audio/tones/ctu.mp3
>
> None of these play the tone.

No, that will never work, it expects the name of a ringtone known to
the ringtone
manager.

Ah, I browsed around and found the Tone Picker app. I guess you've got
it installed ?

Does the Android System picker work OK ?

Pent

[Calvin]

You're welcome,

see also:
http://developer.android.com/guide/topics/data/data-storage.html#filesExternal

you see that the folder named 'ringtones' could even be directly in /
sdcard.
There are some more reserved names in that document, 'alarms' can be
used to play an mp3 as you alarm sound.

Je kan ook Nederlands begrijp ik... een korte samenvatting staat hier:
http://www.androidclub.nl/joomla/component/content/article/9-homepage/121-ringtones-notifications-alarms-ui-en-nomedia-op-je-android

HTH

[Calvin]

Last try.... :)

I noticed you tried:
/mnt/sdcard/jas/media/audio/tones/ctu.mp3
/sdcard/jas/media/audio/tones/ctu.mp3
jas/media/audio/tones/ctu.mp3

could you try (just for fun :)
/sdcard/jas/media/audio/ringtones/ctu.mp3

so, use the reserved name 'ringtones' instead of tones.

[Pent]

> Je kan ook Nederlands begrijp ik... een korte samenvatting staat hier:http://www.androidclub.nl/joomla/component/content/article/9-homepage...

Nog beter, bedankt.

Pent

[Pent]

OK, I can reproduce this for Tone Picker and will fix it for next
time. I think it's probable that the fix will also
solve the HTC ringtone picker problem.

Pent

[jas]

Thanks Pent,

> No, that will never work, it expects the name of a ringtone known to
> the ringtone
> manager.

Thought so - just trialling things in desperation.

>
> Ah, I browsed around and found the Tone Picker app. I guess you've got
> it installed ?
>

Yes, I have tone picker installed because it previously allowed me to
assign arbitrary mp3s as tones.

> Does the Android System picker work OK ?
>

Yes, it works. However my mp3 tones are not listed by the android
system picker - it only shows the default set of tones. That is why I
am relying on other tone "pickers".

In case it helps, Android seems to search for new tones (and other
media like pictures, etc.) when remounting the SD card. I always make
sure my tones have ID3v2 tags.

So I'm guessing that you've only tested this for the system picker?

[Calvin]

OK, the really last try then :)

On Jul 22, 12:07 pm, jas <logularja...@gmail.com> wrote:
> Yes, it works.  However my mp3 tones are not listed by the android
> system picker - it only shows the default set of tones.  That is why I
> am relying on other tone "pickers".
>

When you put the desired ringtone in:
/sdcard/jas/media/audio/ringtones/ctu.mp3
(so, use the reserved name 'ringtones' instead of tones)
or maybe /sdcard/media/audio/ringtones/ctu.mp3

My guess is that the ringtone will show up in the system picker. No
need for a tone picking app.
Could you try that?

[jas]

Woo-hoo! Good news - we have a work-around.

The "data storage" page you cited above says that directories like
"Ringtones" must reside at the *root* of the external storage. When
mp3s are placed in this directory they do indeed appear in the system
picker when the android media scanner kicks in after the card is
remounted.

So no need to enter the string manually - the system picker populates
the Tasker text box fine.

Fantastic!

Thanks for your enthusiastic & quick responses.

J.

PS: I say "work-around" because I think there will be plenty of folk
who want to use media that resides in arbitrary directories (e.g. a
music track within an album directory). That is the motivation for
apps like Tone Picker.

[Calvin]

Good to hear that it worked,
it was kinda what i meant to say from the beginning. Gotta work on my
communication skills I guess.

On Jul 22, 12:27 pm, jas <logularja...@gmail.com> wrote:
> The "data storage" page you cited above says that directories like
> "Ringtones" must reside at the *root* of the external storage.  

You will find that, in practice, it doesn't have to be in the root: /
media/ringtones works as well in most cases.
It's the name 'ringtones' that's reserved.

[Pent]

Hope you guys are happy, took me 3 hours to add support for file: and
content: uris!

Pent

[Pent]

Could someone on this thread with the direct-purchase version test the
beta I've just uploaded ? (see the download page)

Thanks!

Pent

[Jason Grant]

On Thu, 2010-07-22 at 06:43 -0700, Pent wrote:
> Could someone on this thread with the direct-purchase version test the
> beta I've just uploaded ? (see the download page)
>

Hi Pent,

I've tested the tone selection via both the android picker, and the tone
picker app. The latter now populates the text entry field.

By using an add-on picker, it now copes with media files that are not
located in a magic "ringtones" directory, and mp3s that do not have
ID3v2 tags.

Thanks for your prompt enhancement. Works well.

Cheers,

J.

[Calvin]

Sounds like a happy ending to me.
Good work Pent!

(didn't want to test because i don't feel the need for a ringtone
managing application - and my device has no more space for apps :)

[Pent]

> (didn't want to test because i don't feel the need for a ringtone
> managing application - and my device has no more space for apps :)

You should just be able to put the tag title of the track in the box.

Pent