Movie scanner acting REALLYT STRANGE

[Pontus Berg]

My previous mail was drowning in the flood, and I do believe the topic is relevant. Now also with more data added: 

# Movie scanning:

Selecing "Movies" on the left hand side, and then selecting "Scan Movies" in the top bar should only scan movies, right? I suspect that it doesn't. I suspect that it scans ALL the media.

In this scan I get "Show with the TVDB Id 83071 is not found on The TVDB. Please Update". The options are OK and Cancel. 

a) The TVDB is not applicable for Movies, is it? Selecting OK, I get to edit an entry in my TV section, which shouldn't be subject to scan in this segment. It really should only scan the movies. That makes me suspect this is a general scan and not only for the Movie part.

b) There is no "ignore for now" nor "ignore forever", which both should be relevant here.

After the Scan, the "Scan" option is selected in the left hand side. So it reverts to a mode for a general scan like after scanning TV Shows in the old editions.

# Also on the UI side:

A related topic, selecting "TV Shows" on the left menu, there is no "Scan TV Shows" in the top menu.

=> The way I would envisage that it would be would be that
* in the "Movies" section, the "Scan Movies" would do just that.

* there would be a "Scan TV Shows" in the "TV Show" section that would do just that

# The scan results give tickboxes for the files. I generally am not that concerned about the actual filenames of the files - I want to set a proper directory name. Is it me, or is there no way to tick a box in order to trigger a rename of the directory?

# (Possibly related to the previous bullet) "Scan Movies" also create a large number of new Directories in my movie folder,  in the "Media Library Check" phase of the scan. They all look like totally valid names for movies that I have. They are also directories I already have, only with another year (One example being "Vaiana [2016]" and "Vaiana [2017] - my files of this film are in the 2016 file and the 2017 file is the one created).

Post scan, I have a fairly large list of items. Vaiana is one of them. Under this movie in the scan result are references to things it should do to both for the 2016 and 2017 folders. I see nothing checked, but still selecting "Do checked" the process takes quite long, and after it - all the empty directories are deleted again.

For reference; The database entry says 2017 and as I pointed out above, my directory says 2016.

[Pontus Berg]

onsdag 10 november 2021 kl. 00:27:32 UTC+1 skrev Pontus Berg:

# (Possibly related to the previous bullet) "Scan Movies" also create a large number of new Directories in my movie folder,  in the "Media Library Check" phase of the scan. They all look like totally valid names for movies that I have. They are also directories I already have, only with another year (One example being "Vaiana [2016]" and "Vaiana [2017] - my files of this film are in the 2016 file and the 2017 file is the one created).

Post scan, I have a fairly large list of items. Vaiana is one of them. Under this movie in the scan result are references to things it should do to both for the 2016 and 2017 folders. I see nothing checked, but still selecting "Do checked" the process takes quite long, and after it - all the empty directories are deleted again.

For reference; The database entry says 2017 and as I pointed out above, my directory says 2016.

 

Right clicking "Scan" in the right button / context menu for the Vaiana movie entry of the movie database, scanned and created the 20917 directory. Selecting to continue (with all options now ticked), it properly moved the files to the new directory and removed the old one.

[Sparky53]

Re:

# (Possibly related to the previous bullet) "Scan Movies" also create a large number of new Directories in my movie folder,  in the "Media Library Check" phase of the scan. They all look like totally valid names for movies that I have. They are also directories I already have, only with another year (One example being "Vaiana [2016]" and "Vaiana [2017] - my files of this film are in the 2016 file and the 2017 file is the one created).

Try setting: Preferences > Scan Settings > Scan Options > Move Files within Library to Keep it Tidy

This will enable the feature that looks for folders with related filenames and rename the whole directory (rather than move and delete) 

[Sparky53]

# Movie scanning:

Selecing "Movies" on the left hand side, and then selecting "Scan Movies" in the top bar should only scan movies, right? I suspect that it doesn't. I suspect that it scans ALL the media.

It only scans movies, but it does do a refresh of its internal data for all media prior to doing the scan. We ask TVDB for all updates since the last update and they return TV and movie information. The actions presented on the scan tab are only for movies

[Sparky53]

Re creating a new TV show scan button (to be consistent) https://github.com/TV-Rename/tvrename/issues/831

[Pontus Berg]

Onsdag 10 november 2021 kl. 00:54:21 UTC+1 skrev Sparky53:

Re:

# (Possibly related to the previous bullet) "Scan Movies" also create a large number of new Directories in my movie folder,  in the "Media Library Check" phase of the scan. They all look like totally valid names for movies that I have. They are also directories I already have, only with another year (One example being "Vaiana [2016]" and "Vaiana [2017] - my files of this film are in the 2016 file and the 2017 file is the one created).

Try setting: Preferences > Scan Settings > Scan Options > Move Files within Library to Keep it Tidy

This will enable the feature that looks for folders with related filenames and rename the whole directory (rather than move and delete) 

That setting *is* ticked here.

I mean, why was a directory even created (and later deleted) if there was no intention of moving the content to it?

[Pontus Berg]

Many thanks!

[Pontus Berg]

I do believe this one was never covered:

 

# (Possibly related to the previous bullet) "Scan Movies" also create a large number of new Directories in my movie folder,  in the "Media Library Check" phase of the scan. They all look like totally valid names for movies that I have. They are also directories I already have, only with another year (One example being "Vaiana [2016]" and "Vaiana [2017] - my files of this film are in the 2016 file and the 2017 file is the one created).

Post scan, I have a fairly large list of items. Vaiana is one of them. Under this movie in the scan result are references to things it should do to both for the 2016 and 2017 folders. I see nothing checked, but still selecting "Do checked" the process takes quite long, and after it - all the empty directories are deleted again.

For reference; The database entry says 2017 and as I pointed out above, my directory says 2016.

I am making a few assumptions here:

I believe the case is that movies were added to the database under one directory name, and then they were renamed. I do THINK this is also applicable for movies renamed by TVRename.

It looks like during "Scan Movies", specifically in the "Media Library Check", it recreates directories with these original names.

In the resulting Scan view, pressing "Do Scanned", the redundant directories are deleted.

One could argue that this is harmless but it does feel utterly wrong and could for sure have side effects.

[Pontus Berg]

onsdag 17 november 2021 kl. 21:49:14 UTC+1 skrev Pontus Berg:

 

It looks like during "Scan Movies", specifically in the "Media Library Check", it recreates directories with these original names.

In the resulting Scan view, pressing "Do Scanned", the redundant directories are deleted.

One could argue that this is harmless but it does feel utterly wrong and could for sure have side effects.

I have found the source for this - it's that a) Manual/Additional is selected and b) there are two directories entered for a movie entry in the Manual/Additional folders section. I have no idea how they were added there in the first place, but it could very well be that I renamed the folders manually.

I have used "settings review", which points out this anomaly out for me, and have had it bulk remove the Manual selection. It might be that the multiple directory doesnät matter if it's unticked, but I have also cleaned up that setting just in case.

Please help me understand - in what scenario is there a need for multiple directories here? Same movie in 2D/3D? Same movie in different languages where the language is not selectable? Or what?

Also, please help me understand where you want both manual AND automatic enabled at the same time - normally they should be mutually exclusive, shouldn't they? These are not radio buttons, but tick boxes so you can have both. Is that the scenario with an automatic folder and where the "additional" aspect of "manual/additional" is applicable?

/Pontus

[Pontus Berg]

tisdag 7 december 2021 kl. 13:44:43 UTC+1 skrev Pontus Berg:

Also, please help me understand where you want both manual AND automatic enabled at the same time - normally they should be mutually exclusive, shouldn't they? These are not radio buttons, but tick boxes so you can have both. Is that the scenario with an automatic folder and where the "additional" aspect of "manual/additional" is applicable?

One aspect of this being tickboxes is that the UI allows you to untick both manual and automatic, so no options is selected. I didn't dare playing with this, but what happens then? 

[Tom Snyder]

On Tuesday, December 7, 2021 at 7:44:43 AM UTC-5 

 

Please help me understand - in what scenario is there a need for multiple directories here? Same movie in 2D/3D? Same movie in different languages where the language is not selectable? Or what?

This is an example of how I used the Manual folder selection.  Two different movies with the same name.

 

[Pontus Berg]

Thanks for the reply Tom - much appreciated!

I use movie name + year as the default name, so automatic folder name would cut it for me I would imagine. Two different movies with the same name appearing the same year surely exists, but is IMHO very unlikely. Please mind: I don't question the need for a manual option here. I could see cases such as having all James Bond movies with a "James Bond -" prefix to ensure the directories are sorted after each other in the filesystem.

What I do wonder is

* What is the scenario where you need more than one manual directory? You have different movies with the same name. My assumption of the relevant use case is the reversed case of yours - using it for the same movie in different versions, but I am not sure and would love to understand.

* Automatic and manual are not mutually exclusive/using radio buttons, which means that the UI will allow you to select both and unselect both. I would assume that these are options that could have unforeseeable consequences.  I would love to understand when a scenario where they aren't mutually exclusive is relevant.

I do believe the heart of my problem is that I bulk added, there was a rename of some 800 of them and then a new bulk add, where the movies were again identified as the same and the films added to the same entry, which means I sit with 800 movies that have two manual directories where the actual movie file is in one of them and the other one doesn't even exist.

=> I guess what would have prevented my problem from ever happening, whilst maintaining full flexibility, would be that if the bulk add finds an existing entry, it could request if I want to point to the new directory or add them both. A lot of keypresses during the bulk add, but surely fewer than removing the duplicates I have now.

Example of one of my 800 issues showing up in a Settings check (mind the two directories where the latter is correct and the other one isn't present and also that both Automatic and manual are ticked): 

[Pontus Berg]

The manual says this:

"If you require more granular control you can un-tick the “Automatic Folders” option and use the “Manual/Additional Folders” entries to specify the exact name and location for each season folder used by the show."

That might give some indication that the option (to be able to add multiple manual folders) is meant to allow the user to point to a structure of split-up seasons folders. This is not relevant for movies.

Again, manual and automatic really should be mutually exclusive.

onsdag 8 december 2021 kl. 01:06:28 UTC+1 skrev Tom Snyder:

[Tom Snyder]

I don't know if this is what you are going for but I'll give you one other example of how I use the Manual/Additional Folders (without the screenshots).  My use of TV Rename is primarily for my wife's collection of movies and TV shows.  My collection is tiny compared to hers.  My wife and I have very differing taste in our choices for movies and TV shows.  So, in most cases when we add a new movie to either of our libraries I'll use "Automatic Folders" with the "Create" pointing to either mine or her library folders which have already been preset.  In the extremely rare times when we both want the same movie in our collections I'll add my library folder in the "Manual/Additional Folders" and hers in the Automatic.  I do it this way because my wife never seems to delete a movie after watching it.  What goes in, never comes out.  Me, on the other hand, only have a very few movies that I'd want to see more than once.  So, it just seems to me that if I'm going to be deleting a movie from my library that we both initially had in our collections that it just seems right to remove it as an Additional.  In my mind I just see the Automatic as the primary owner of the movie with the Additional being secondary.  It doesn't have to be that way but that's just how I envision it working.     

[Pontus Berg]

Thanks Tom,

I might not get my point through - I *fully* appreciate cases where you want manual to override the automatic for a purpose. That is not at all the matter at hand.

My questions - and example - are theser:

* What is the scenario where the ability to define *Two* manual directories for the same movie is needed? 

I have an entry of JFK with TWO manual directories; JFK [1991] and JFK [1992]. That is not right. Something happened when TVRename imported it and there was a mismatch between the directory name I had given (JFK [1991]) it, and the directory name TV Rename assumes it should have after finding the TMDB year (JFK [1992]). 

* In the same JFK scenario, both automatic and manual are ticked. That also cannot be right.

It's EITHER automatic or manual. Why would you want both?

So please - the question is not when manual is needed - it's when a) manual should be able to point to two directories and also b) when it should have both manual and automatic 

[Pontus Berg]

Tom,

Sorry - Reading your reply again, I see now that your use case does rely on using both manual and automatic as you are using one instance of TVRename to manage two collections. For that, I would rather have two instances of TV Rename - one for your files and one for your wife's files. I have everything in one bucket - some of it of interest to me, some to my wife and some to the children. Each must find what they like in the pool. That's what the filter is also for. If you don't like romantic comedy then filter it out when looking for things to watch.

(And I could argue that you don't even have a collection - you just have a buffer of media you might watch to watch at some point. A collection to me would include media even if you have seen it. So I sympathize with the approach your wife has in this case. But that is a separate discussion ;-)

[Sparky53]

Sorry, will read through all the comments here, but there are examples where manual and automatic are needed.

For example say I have 2 copies of a movie. A standard one and a 3d version. in that case I may have use automatic folder naming to store the standard version, but set c:/movies/movie in 3d/movie.avi for example. That way if the year changes the standard copy moves to the new folder automatically.

If you have 2 manual folders for a movie like this:  JFK [1991] and JFK [1992], then it's probably a mistake. Remove both and enable automatic folders and it should then stay in sync.

[Sparky53]

Regarding:

The manual says this:

"If you require more granular control you can un-tick the “Automatic Folders” option and use the “Manual/Additional Folders” entries to specify the exact name and location for each season folder used by the show."

That might give some indication that the option (to be able to add multiple manual folders) is meant to allow the user to point to a structure of split-up seasons folders. This is not relevant for movies.

Again, manual and automatic really should be mutually exclusive.

Unfortunately the manual is very out of date and needs help from the community to update it. It does not cover nor explain the new movie functionality

[Sparky53]

This is a good idea:

=> I guess what would have prevented my problem from ever happening, whilst maintaining full flexibility, would be that if the bulk add finds an existing entry, it could request if I want to point to the new directory or add them both. A lot of keypresses during the bulk add, but surely fewer than removing the duplicates I have now.

at the moment if it matches the default pattern it adds it as 'automatic' else adds as a new 'manual folder'

Options -> Settings Check may help you identify and fix shows with erroneous manual folders?

also Tools -> Duplicate Movies will help identify any actual duplicates in your filesystem

[Pontus Berg]

torsdag 9 december 2021 kl. 11:01:11 UTC+1 skrev Sparky53:

Sorry, will read through all the comments here, but there are examples where manual and automatic are needed.

For example say I have 2 copies of a movie. A standard one and a 3d version. in that case I may have use automatic folder naming to store the standard version, but set c:/movies/movie in 3d/movie.avi for example. That way if the year changes the standard copy moves to the new folder automatically.

 

OK, then the intended use case is sort of what my guess was. Thanks!

If you have 2 manual folders for a movie like this:  JFK [1991] and JFK [1992], then it's probably a mistake. Remove both and enable automatic folders and it should then stay in sync.

I think it happened during a bulk import, me manually updating the directory name and then another bulk update (I still haven't managed to identify all movies and add them so I am running bulk import every now and then to add a few more when I have the time).

 

[Pontus Berg]

torsdag 9 december 2021 kl. 11:10:26 UTC+1 skrev Sparky53:

This is a good idea:

=> I guess what would have prevented my problem from ever happening, whilst maintaining full flexibility, would be that if the bulk add finds an existing entry, it could request if I want to point to the new directory or add them both. A lot of keypresses during the bulk add, but surely fewer than removing the duplicates I have now.

at the moment if it matches the default pattern it adds it as 'automatic' else adds as a new 'manual folder'

 

That look like the behaviour I have seen - thanks for the confirmation.

Options -> Settings Check may help you identify and fix shows with erroneous manual folders?

also Tools -> Duplicate Movies will help identify any actual duplicates in your filesystem

Settings check is my saviour here.  I have used it extensively since I found it. The issue is still that I have almost 800 movies with manual directory and duplicate directories in the settings and I need to take them a few at a time not to go mental from the repetitive work ;-)

I use Radarr as well and as it requires you to have all movies in discrete root folders and is unable to maintain multiple version of the same movie, I have added the 3D/extended version/alternative spoken language file and other in the same folder as the one I want Radarr to find. That's the only way I found to keep Radarr from killing off alternative versions. They also show up (correctly, as per the previous bullet) as manual alternative directories in TVRename. I guess the automatic could be on for the default and manual could be on as well, pointing to the alternative version in the subdirectory.

 

[James Dyer]

Is that what that window is supposed to look like. I have the scan window instead.

[Pontus Berg]

torsdag 9 december 2021 kl. 11:56:17 UTC+1 skrev Pontus Berg:

Options -> Settings Check may help you identify and fix shows with erroneous manual folders?

also Tools -> Duplicate Movies will help identify any actual duplicates in your filesystem

Settings check is my saviour here.  I have used it extensively since I found it. The issue is still that I have almost 800 movies with manual directory and duplicate directories in the settings and I need to take them a few at a time not to go mental from the repetitive work ;-)

If I could suggest additions to the "settings check" that would save me a lot of time:

* Scan for empty manual directories (directories in the list but where these directories are empty). The option to "fix" in this case would delete these redundant directories. 

* Scan for manual directories that are the same as the automatic ones. The option to fix in this case would delete the redundant manual one. In general, trying to create a manual one with the name that is the same as the automatic name would seem logical to issue a warning for,

* Scan the manual directories where the manual directory option is ticked - if no directories are present in the selection, then the option to Fix unticks the manual option.

You have a scan for manual directories already, but I am not sure what the fix does. POssible the same as I suggest in the third buillet.  

[Pontus Berg]

I think Tom has selected a movie and then used the Edit movie option to have the information and the setting on one capture.

[Sparky53]

* Scan for empty manual directories (directories in the list but where these directories are empty). The option to "fix" in this case would delete these redundant directories. 

* Scan for manual directories that are the same as the automatic ones. The option to fix in this case would delete the redundant manual one. In general, trying to create a manual one with the name that is the same as the automatic name would seem logical to issue a warning for,

These will be in the next version for you to test

[Pontus Berg]

måndag 13 december 2021 kl. 07:08:36 UTC+1 skrev Sparky53:

* Scan for empty manual directories (directories in the list but where these directories are empty). The option to "fix" in this case would delete these redundant directories. 

* Scan for manual directories that are the same as the automatic ones. The option to fix in this case would delete the redundant manual one. In general, trying to create a manual one with the name that is the same as the automatic name would seem logical to issue a warning for,

These will be in the next version for you to test

Excellent - looking forward to this. This means I can hold back on manually changing the outstanding 500 items with issues (which I worked down from 800) ;-)

/Pontus  

[Pontus Berg]

Something in the vary same domain;

* Scan for empty automatic directory (when automatic is selected) - the fix here might be to delete the database entry ... No point in a database entry where you seemingly don't have the film in question on file.

måndag 13 december 2021 kl. 07:08:36 UTC+1 skrev Sparky53: