Personal Video Database

Welcome to the forum, abowloffire.

1. I don't see any way to do this automatically, so I suppose what's needed is something like a checkbox field in the people record for reversing the order. Is that the sort of thing you have in mind?

2. If you want multiple columns in Excel to go into one field, just concatenate them and import the result. You can create as many custom rating fields as you like. I believe the rating field type is a ten-star field like the standard rating fields, so you may need to convert your ratings to a 10-point scale.

It looks as if embedded client is used by PVD because fbembed.dll cannot be deleted.

You may have a point. I'm able to delete that with PVD running (connected to server).

I run Firebird as a service now, but until I figured out how to use it, I ran it as an application. Doing so provided a notification tool that would allow me to see if a connection I attempted was successful. If you're not already doing that, it might help you trouble-shoot.

What version of Firebird are you using? I don't know why there would be any problem using 2.1.2, but I'm using 2.0.5—because the embedded version used by PVD is 2.0.3.

I know nothing about Maestro, but this caught my eye:

With the trial version of Firebird Maestro I was able to find the option for indicating connecting to an embedded database, and then I was able to connect just fine.

Is it possible you have Maestro configured to connect to the database via Firebird embedded, instead of the server?

Is this the problem?

if I want to switch connection methods...I have to disconnect/close the database by opening another, then open/connect the original database.

I think it is easy enough for the majority of users.

True—It works for me!

Once Firebird server is running as a service and and you've "connected to server," it's done—it will do so automatically on startup. The only thing that gave me a bit of trouble was it's so seamless, it's impossible to tell whether it's connected to the server or directly. If that mattered—and it probably doesn't—I can include my computer name or IP address in the connection string, and then that will appear in the title bar. Also, if I want to switch connection methods—and this too seems pointless—I have to disconnect/close the database by opening another, then open/connect the original database.

...or that there is not a space after the colon in the custom field name?

By the way, doing some progress on the plugin. The issue I'm struggling with now is "how do you communicate between MC and PvdImport which album do you want to updated".

It hadn't occurred to me that might be an issue. Why wouldn't one want all records updated?

Mind you, several users have requested "access" to menus and right click context menus from plugins.

For what purpose?

As I wrote previously in the MC forums, It's cumbersome and will need instructions.

Is this being discussed somewhere in the MC Forums that I'm unaware of? Maybe that's why I'm lost.

BTW, nostra hasn't yet responded to the issues I described Strange event with "Release" field, but I'm a little bit concerned about the possibility queries to the PVD database somehow changes the database. What do you think?

I'll see if I get re-banninated.

If you do, please post your log so we can see what's causing it.

A revised script for versions 0.9.9.5+ only has been posted here.

Hopefully, Aimhere will be willing to maintain both versions of the script.

Welcome to the forum, pinch.

As you probably read above, this is a result of your IP address being banned by Google. It seems the ban is normally lifted within 24 hours. I assumed the error (repeating GET requests) that causes this had being fixed in 0.9.9.5—it's not happening to me (yet). But I don't use it regularly—I only just tested it now. Do you still have a log (it's replaced each time the program is started) that might indicate exactly what caused the ban?

Quote from: rick.ca on April 08, 2009, 12:32:39 am

If that's the design premise, it's hard to imagine how your plugin will further the development of PVD.

Why? You could still use PVD in the way you've always used it and prune the data. And then use an MC plugin for import. The difference would be that more people would use PVD.

You probably don't agree with it, but I do have a very clear premise. My experience as an MC and PVD user tells me it is very unlikely there will ever be a satisfactory solution for getting video meta data that is "built-in" to MC. J River might implement something, but it is likely to be simplistic and limited. It may satisfy casual users who don't care for more. I see no point in catering to them, however—they don't care!

The rest of us don't want to be restricted to one source of data, and want to be able to combine that data in any way we choose. That can require careful management of configuration settings and workflow which would be very difficult to control via a plugin. Yes, I know I could still do this and just use the plugin to import the results. But then why have the capability of controlling PVD from the plugin at all—for the users who have "simple" configurations requiring little maintenance? If that's the case, they should have no trouble running PVD.

I'm not really ignoring the "casual user" of MC. I just believe if one wants any control over the collection of meta data for video, they are better off using PVD directly. By "better off," I mean in ease of use, efficiency, ability to solve problems, and maintaining data integrity. I'm very much interested in more people using PVD. It's my hope a plugin that makes importing data from PVD much more user friendly would provide the incentive many MC users need. Once they try PVD, I believe they will discover for themselves this is the case. Also, I think the plugin will gain acceptance more readily if users understand PVD is doing the job of collecting and maintaining the meta data, and the plugin is just a rock-solid, one-click (once configured) tool for importing the results.

But all this seems rather moot...

I think I'll just add COM server to my TODO list for 1.1. I am pretty sure that it is the most recent version I will be able to concentrate on such things like controlling PVD from another App. Please use a simpler approach until then.

Version 1.1 has to be at least a year away, so I hope you don't plan on waiting. I realize you probably want to do it your way, regardless of my opinion. But might the "simpler approach" be something like what I suggest, and still be something you can build on later? If so, you might consider a successful "phase 1" plugin might generate enough interest to make things happen faster.