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SAM- Another question,interfacing with Station Playlist Creator


Arfa B

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Hi Guys, and especially Phillipe.

 

I am asking more (dumb) questions regarding SAM and loading the auto generated playlists made by Station Playlist Creator I just purchased.

Firstly, may I say it is a great piece of software and I highly recommend it!

 

It is an absolute breeze to use, and unlike say, Natural Music- you can import songs and categories very easily!

 

Right I set up the Categories, Spot Groups (IDs, Ads etc), Manually make up the hourly rotations (You know starting with TOTH ID etc etc.), then I set the schedules and decide which rotations are played out at which times.

 

There are extra facilites to stop artist repeat/related artist problems, but, I have yet to play with that.

 

Right, down to the nitty gritty, I hit the create Playlist button and seamlessly, all the playlists I need for say the following week are produced, and split in to 1 hour segments.

 

So, I have a list of .m3U playlists files located in C:\Program Files\Station\Playlist\

 

Then, it produces a whole load of playlists, 24 for each day in the follwing named format:

May12-00.m3U

May12-01.m3U

May12-02.m3U.......... through to May12-23.m3U

These are hourly playlists starting at Midnight on May 12th- through to 23.00 hours (11pm) on that day. There are similarly named playlists starting with May13-00.m3U

 

Now my question, how do I get SAM to start each playlist ON TIME and in consecutive order, the CORRECT playout order automatically?

 

Hey Phillipe, I guess it's over to you again....I owe you two beers now! ;-)

Thanks,

Arfer':biggrinthumb:

If I have helped you with a Freebie- please be kind enough to add a link from your own site or blog to mine- thanks! http://arthurburton.net

 

Thank You!

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Thanks Arthur,

it looks that I'm getting popular ... I expect in no time a "star" at Hollywood Boulevard :) ... LOL

reason for that = I don't drink beer :)

 

To be honest I don't use the software "Station Playlist Creator" .. but I'm not against it ...

Into SAM you can also create (not generate) playlists .. How ?

Into your SAM you'll find 2 windows "Playlist" and "Playlist Categories"

In general your music (all tracks) have to be loaded into "Music (Music All)" .. with or without you make any use of seperated directories into that tab "Music"

On TOP of that subject aka "Content" you'll find a directory "Playlist" > "Tracks" .. If you "right click" on the directory "Tracks" you can create a new directory .. choose "New" and insert a name .. you can repeat this the much as needed

If You click at one of those "named" directories your gonna see that into the window "Playlist" an empty directory is opening .. add by using + files to that playlist .. you can shuffle them, re-organize etc and you can add even specific IDs or other etc etc

If ready .. hit "save as" and your .m3u file is made (save it at a specific directory of your pc as quoted into your message ex: C:\Program Files\Station\Playlist\)

To update a new playlist in an excisting directory please "right click" on the content "select all" > "remove" and choose "CLEAR"

Never use "remove" > "remove" or "crop" or you can start all over !!

 

In fact a .m3u file is nothing else than a playlist file who contains the "locations" of files, files located at a 3rd party etc etc

Check for yourself the content and open a .m3u file by using "right click" and choose "open with notebloc" .. its that easy

 

ok .. and now about your problem :P .. finaly the solution ... LOL

The best way to load your .m3u file into SAM is :

- add a new event to Your Event Sheduler and give it a name

- choose "add files to queue" (see Event action)

- select "+ Playlist"

- select the .m3u file you need (make sure to change ipBottom into ipTop !!)

- select tab "Sheduled time" and insert a specific time (see below of this for details)

- click "OK"

and your done

You repeat this "new event" for every playlist you wanna launch !

 

About the "Sheduled time" I have my way to launch a playlist right on top at a sheduled time during the day.

Because of the delay of streaming audio my TOTH loads at "xx:59:35"

A playlist (.m3u file) loads at "xx:59:49" (xx = specify your correct hour)

This way your first track of your playlist gonna play right after your TOTH

 

In other words .. its that easy :doh:

 

I'm glad that you write you finaly succeed some of the SAM features .. In fact you can do almost anything with it .. but as you quoted .. most of the things has to be done manualy .. however once all these things (MP3s, IDs etc) are at their right spot .. you can start playing it and into the future no major changes has to be made

Its also the same to the making of your "Event actions" .. its once a huge job to set all days and times .. but once this is done ... the only thing you have to do into the future is the making of new .m3u files

 

I have a small inquiry to you ..

Why do you use a date + time as .m3u file name ?

May12-00.m3U

May12-01.m3U

May12-02.m3U.......... through to May12-23.m3U

It looks easier to make .m3u files by day and time ... ex: Tuesday01.m3u Tuesday02.m3u untill Tuesday23.m3u and so on for all days where you need a playlist ...

 

I hope this was usefull :)

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I have a small inquiry to you ..

Why do you use a date + time as .m3u file name ?

 

That's the default in Satation Playlist Creator, I can change it! I think!

If I have helped you with a Freebie- please be kind enough to add a link from your own site or blog to mine- thanks! http://arthurburton.net

 

Thank You!

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That looks logical to Me ... isn't ?

Its far more easier to make each .m3u file as DayTime ex: Monday01 Monday02 to be recognized by yourself as user

If all is set to the "DateTime" it looks to Me less easier to recognize a specific "day" of the week

Afterall a .m3u file is used if played at specific times "on" specific days ...

so if used into SAM its easier to set it as DayTime ...

Well .. thats my own logical view on this issue .. and I know that what I see as logical looks sometimes strange to others ... thats my experience :)

however its the easiest way to "organize" all your stuff

 

To find them into an easy way into your pc directory .. you can add in front of the day the following :

01Monday01 etc

02Tuesday01 etc

03Wednesday01 etc

04Thursday01 etc

means 01 = first day of the week, 02 = second day of the week etc etc etc

This way all files are sorted by filenames and you can adjust into the future any DayTime most easily ..

 

Now .. I'm going to eat at my Mothers place .. gonna be back late this evening (my local time)

Good Luck !

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Hi Phillipe, yeah it worked, BUT!!!! I can only load say about a dozen .m3u files or so at any time,or SAM Crashes when it loads them up!

 

I think a PAL Script may be the proper answer, something that starts the next numbered .m3u filet just before the hour?

Cheers, Arfa'

If I have helped you with a Freebie- please be kind enough to add a link from your own site or blog to mine- thanks! http://arthurburton.net

 

Thank You!

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??????

How come ?

Into Event Sheduler you can "add" that many "event actions" as needed

I know streaming projects who are using "hundreds" of "event actions" into 1 SAM

Concerning your general playlist / format that you are willing to make by using .m3u files .. it looks to Me that you only need the load of "1" .m3u file each hour, that .m3u file sets all sheduled music in the queue "once every" hour - if you use the "set time" as written on top of this ... It has to work out !!

BUT!!!! I can only load say about a dozen .m3u files or so at any time

So it looks rather strange to Me that SAM is freezing for reason of "an added event" :doh:

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