Merge & Combine Folders Solution Found (2 Viewers)

[bungmin]

Thanks Redfuture!

This works very well over network shares too! I have all my media stored on a server, the solution was to create a folder for junctions on the server, and creating various junctions inside that junction folder. MediaPortal thinks all files are in the same directory, so it no longer matters for MediaPortal where I physically place files on my server.

The only sad thing is that I cannot make junctions across different servers. But I'll live with that - this was a great improvement.

Thanks again!

B.

 

[therock9]

so with junction points you can't have D:\FTP\movie and E:\FTP\movie

put into same "home" folder

you would have to categorize your movies instead of just merging it, i'm right?

 

[mug2k]

I'm not sure if I've done this right.

I have 2 movie folders

D:\Films
F:\Films2

What I want is all the movies from both folders to appear together. I chose F:\Films2 as the 'link source' and then went into D:\Films and chose junction. So now when I enter Myvideos I have all movies from D:\Films but now a folder with F:\Films2. Is that what this i mean't to do or have I got it wrong ?

Thanks,
Marcus

 

[infinite.loop]

I'm not sure if I've done this right.

I have 2 movie folders

D:\Films
F:\Films2

What I want is all the movies from both folders to appear together. I chose F:\Films2 as the 'link source' and then went into D:\Films and chose junction. So now when I enter Myvideos I have all movies from D:\Films but now a folder with F:\Films2. Is that what this i mean't to do or have I got it wrong ?

Thanks,
Marcus

you have 2 options

Option 1:

1. on D: create d:\Movies\Films1
2. select F:\Films2 -> 'link source'
3. then go to d:\Movies\ -> "add junction"
4. then you got Films1 and Films2 in d:\Movies
5. define d:\Movies as share in MyVideos and you see "Films1 and Films2" folder in MediaPortal MyMovies

Option 2:

1. on D: create d:\Movies\
2. inside that folder create folders like "SciFi, Horror, ect" which match your movies
3. select F:\Films2
4. inside that folder create folders like "Comic, Action, ect" which match your movies
5. now select the first of these folders in F:\Films2 and -> 'link source'
6. then go to d:\Movies\ -> "add junction"
7. repeat that for all folders in F:\Films2
8. then you got all movie category-folders in d:\Movies
9. define d:\Movies as share in MyVideos and you see "all movie category-folders" folders in MediaPortal MyMovies

 

[Gixxer]

is it possible to create a folder so that mediaportal puts together all files and displays them as if they where all in the same folder, instead of 2 different folders?

c:\movies1

d:\movies2

mediaportal displays

file1inmovies1
file2inmovies1
file1inmovies2
file2inmovies2
etc?

thanks

 

[Darre]

You would have to use hardlinks(google:wiki+hardlink) and hardlink every movie file in folder2 so that they show up in folder 1 also. The best and easiest sollution to this problem I have found to be using genre folders. Having 3 genres in one folder and 4 in the other. That way you only have to make 3-4 junctions(and not 200 hardlinks). Its not perfect, but it works.

 

[Gixxer]

but if you do it that way you have to link every new file, right? that way is not very usefull.

 

[Darre]

If you use hardlinks thats what you have to do - yes.

If you follow my "genre-folder" style you only have to add junctions for the genre folders of movie2, in movie1, and all files added withing the genre folders appear automatically in movie1\'genre'.

I've made a total of 5 junctions, and all new stuff I put in those folders appears automatically.

 

[dacujo]

Might be a stupid Q

How do you actually create a junction in Vista?

 

[AlcoNaft]

I'm also looking for "mergin folders" solution and did't find it yet. I have in my HTPC 3 hard disc with Video folderss like htat:

X:\Videos\Movies
movie_from_X
....
X:\Videos\Cartoons
cartoon_from_X
....

Y:\Videos\Movies
movie_from_Y
.....

Y:\Videos\Cartoons
cartoon_from_Y
....

Z:\Videos\Movies
movie_from_Z
....

Z:\Videos\Cartoons
cartoon_from_Z
....

I want to see in MediaPortal my videos list like that:

Movies
movie_from_X
movie_from_Y
movie_from_Z
Cartoons
cartoon_from_X
cartoon_from_Z
cartoon_from_Y

Of cource I have created folder like C:\Media\Videos with junctions for X:\Videos, Y:\Videos, Z:\Videos but it not helps much. I'm spending a lot of time finding new downloaded movie from torrent I see only43 ways to solve this problem:
1) Create RAID array (I'dont want to do that beacouse my HDs has different sizes), JBOD is not cool from reliability point of view.
2) Create"virtual files system" driver, that will be not easy...
3) Use advanched junction functions in Vista. You can create in Vista shortcurts for the files across different volumes and also network drivers. But I don't want to use Vista in my HTPC and you have to update this shorcuts(or links) manually or develop special soft/script.

4) Create plugin or modificate MediaPortal - that I guess will be the best option. But I don't know how yet.

PS 2dacujo - check wikipedia about junction....