Here are Twonky 5/6 trees to suit larger music collections

[Budgie]

Hi
PS Whilst sitting pondering things over a glass of wine (well, a whole bottle) I've just realised that I've missed out the album artists subcontainer in the new -All Composers- container of the ACAlbumArtists tree (it's still available in the A~Z ones below the -All Composer- container). I'll add it tomorrow morning and re-post an updated ACAlbumArtist tree pack. Oops!

Hi Briain,
What joy, a thread with mentions of classical music and flac! Just a quick line to outline my sad tale, say hello and post a couple of preliminary queries.

I have a TS 209 Pro II which has been running nicely for a couple of years and used only for music and backups. I did the odd firmware update mainly because twonky fell over from time to time and when the ability to custom build the navigation tree was lost I installed the QPKG Twonky version 4.4.17 and continued with that. All was well until I recently decided to rebuild my database and then my Noxon player gave me an unrecognisable choice. The tree had been lost and I had forgotten all about the qpkg business. On selecting the built-in "advanced navigation" I now find most of the genres I use are not picked up and for reasons known only to twonky, if I select an album, the tracks are played in alphabetical order. It certainly makes listening to Handel's Messiah quite a surprise.

Before I embark on re-reading all this thread and attempting to download and install your trees please could you help me re-start the QPKG version that is still installed so I can at least listen again. Whenever I activate twonky now I get version 5+. How do I suppress that version and run the QPKG version please?

Best wishes from just up the road in Highland Perthshire.
Regards,
Budgie

ps. FYI just in case it is relevant I am using openSUSE 11.2 with Grip + lame for mp3s of pop and flac for classical music with EasyTag to sort out the classical music tagging.

[kgrosser]

Before I embark on re-reading all this thread and attempting to download and install your trees please could you help me re-start the QPKG version that is still installed so I can at least listen again. Whenever I activate twonky now I get version 5+. How do I suppress that version and run the QPKG version please?

Do you say installing the QPKG doesn't automatically defeat the built-in TS5? It did this on my 119, don't know bout the 209 but does it handle QPKG any different?
Try disabling Twonky in the generic software (light blue Twonky icon)- since this is the included v5.xx, then go to the QPKG tab where Twonky should be listed (darker, modern theme Twonky icon) which has to be the TS6 install..., a click on the icon will bring up options to enable it including status and link to the interface.

regards

Klaus

[Briain]

Hi Bri,
I feel there is something needed to be added to the class definition. Any hint? I am browsing now for several days and am too blind to find the obvious... the documentation is a little bit too thin for my poor skills. If you want to continue this elsewhere just let me know-.

Thanks

Klaus

Hi Klaus

I think you'd need to use pv:year as opposed to dc:date (dc:date was used in 5.0, but it was changed to pv:month and pv:year etc in 5.1 and 6.0). I know that sorting the browse albums container chronologically didn't seem to work in the 5.1, but maybe it will in 6.0.30. Have a look at the picture and video containers and you'll see more examples. If you get it to fly, please let us know (I'm a bit too busy to test it at the moment).

Before I embark on re-reading all this thread and attempting to download and install your trees please could you help me re-start the QPKG version that is still installed so I can at least listen again. Whenever I activate twonky now I get version 5+. How do I suppress that version and run the QPKG version please?

Best wishes from just up the road in Highland Perthshire.
Regards,
Budgie

Hi Budgie

Yes, as above, try disabling the embedded Twonky 5.1 in the Qnap web interface (Applications > UPnP Media Server) then enabling the QPKG (Applications > QPKG Plugins) and see how that goes. You're not too far away, so if you get stuck, send me a PM and bring your NAS over next time you are near Central Edinburgh (Marchmont).

Bri

[Budgie]

Hi Briain,
Thanks for the immediate reply!
I cannot find a means of killing the system twonky but the enable box is now not ticked and the QPKG version is showing a dark blue logo. It must be the QPKG version now running as my player client is showing the correct tree. So Handel can rest in peace.

So far so good, but the custom tree being used was built before I upgraded the firmware. How do I get to the configuration pages of the QPKG version so I can tweak the existing tree? (This is before I get into your version Briain.)

Regards,
Budgie

[Briain]

Hi

The configuration page will show you the version number (so it should now say 6.0.30) and it is in the same place as before (your.nas.ip.address:9000/config) but there are no tree (music menu) configuration options in Twonky 5 or Twonky 6; that's why I had to build a few custom trees for folks with large music collections. As soon as I get some free time, I'll also post trees for folks with smaller music collections (say, only a few hundred albums).

The Twonky 6.0.30 installation (and thus also the custom tree files) are all now located in the new QPKG folder (this is shown when you click on the QPKG icon). On my Qnap, this is /share/MD0_DATA/.qpkg/TwonkyMedia/ but your one will possibly have a different path. Once you find the /.QPKG/TwonkyMedia path, they'll be in /resources/views (so my complete path to the trees is /share/MD0_DATA/.qpkg/TwonkyMedia/resources/views).

Hope that helps

Bri

[Budgie]

Hi Briain,
I was being a bit dense I fear. To clarify, the Twonky version which came with my recent firmware upgrade was 5.something. (I am one upgrade behind)

The QPKG version is 4.4.17. Where I was going wrong was looking for a link rather than entering the IP address and port number in my browser. Now I have done that 4.4.17 is exposed in all it's glory with the old advanced tree configuration.

I have not yet downloaded and installed the newest QPKG Twonky as that will overwrite my working 4.4.17 version. I have now made a copy of the whole of /share/MD0_DATA/.qpkg/TwonkyMedia/ to a backup directory. This will enable me to copy it back if I screw things up.

One further point of clarification before I start. Are your trees intended to work with the QPKG version of Twonky or the version which comes with the firmware? I am sure this will be clear in the thread but if you have a moment please advise. By the way there are no xml files in my .../.qpkg/TwonkyMedia/directory at present. Not a format I am used to!

Back to reading this thread in more detail.

Regards,
Budgie

[Briain]

Hi

As long as you save the correct ini file from T4, you should save your custom tree settings (from memory, I think that's where they're stored, but it would be safer to check as it's been well over a year since I last even looked at T4). I think you can also see them from ip.address:9000/rpc/get_all (note the underscore). As you say, saving the entire package then overwriting any fresh installation should also work fine.

My custom trees work with any version of Twonky 5.1 and 6.0

Bri

[Budgie]

Hi Briain,
Noted.
I have only telnetted into qnap box a few times and have no idea where the "firmware" version of twonky is stored or how easy they are to modify. Will continue to investigate.
Regards,
Budgie
PS
I am not planning to impose on you by bringing qnap to Edinburgh but I do have to pick up a repaired clock some time soon so shall bring a bottle just in case.

[kgrosser]

Hi
My custom trees work with any version of Twonky 5.1 and 6.0
Bri

Budgie:
Oh yes, they (Briain's trees) do, they just need to sit in different folders for embedded and QPKG as stated - but T4 doesn't use the .xml system so it doesn't surprise me there are none there for you.
On a side note I am using WinSCP instead of PuTTy recommended in Briain's original "How-To" which makes handling the xml files a matter of drag and drop under Windows and gives you a nice GUI with immediate information of the directory contents.

Regards

Klaus

[Budgie]

Hi Klaus,
Thanks for explaining the absence of .xml files. I have just updated firmware to 3.3.0 and will have a look at the now installed twonky server. I am using my old version 4 qpkg meanwhile to keep some functionality.

All this activity on my part now is because my home media project had been on hold for a couple of years while I completed a major project. Now I am trying to pick up where I left off. I ripped my "pop" music collection (not that large) to mp3 for reasons of versatility when I first started but for classical I have not really begun on my collection other than being committed to flac as I have been trying to sort out a strategy for tagging and the tree. Briain's work was a very fortunate discovery.

As you will appreciate the tagging of classical music is much more critical and will take quite a time getting tags consistent because classical database is not, at least in my experience, at all consistent, particularly when opera and accented characters are involved. It helps now to see how other are dealing with these issues. I couldn't find any help on classical two years ago.

BTW, no Windows OS used here if it can be avoided, but thanks. If I get stuck I can always use wife's laptop which has XP.
Regards,
Budgie

[kgrosser]

Hi Klaus

I think you'd need to use pv:year as opposed to dc:date

Bri

As said, tried with no avail... atm I am just thinking forth and back between either reverting to T4 or moving completely to another serversystem based on Asset.... such a shame they gave up on the customer friendly nav tree structure.. I am riddled why.
There doesn't seem too much going on over at PV.. any idea who to bother?

Oh, and to Budgie: I am desperate to the point considering a (paid for) devellopment of a control point system based on a dynamic, local database that accounts for as many favours as possible. As mentioned I do NOT code personally but I believe I have a pretty good preconception of ergonomics. Having said so, I am not too much into classical music but understand completely that sort criteria should differ considerably to pop/rock... Any suggestions are welcome.

[Budgie]

Hi Klaus,
You are way beyond me with the dynamic database concept. I do believe that Briain has cracked the problem for classical music as far as my needs are concerned. I see the problem now in getting the tagging correct in the first place and this is very labour intensive based on my attempts so far.

Meanwhile I have fallen at first fence as I cannot find the embedded twonky files on my TS 209 Turbo Pro II. They are certainly is not at /mnt/ext/opt/twonkymedia/resources/views. If anybody knows a command I can run to find them using telnet it would be much appreciated alse I shall have to ls -a in each directory, which will take all night.

Some further thoughts. I want to experiment with Briain's files in the embedded twonky because I can easily revert to my working version 4 in qpkg. Only when I am confident will I upgrade the qpkg version to v6 and install Briain's files. In fact I see little point in bothering with the embedded twonky once the qpkg version is set up as required because it will remain constant with re boots and firmware upgrades without any need to build .sh scripts to re-copy the files whereas the embedded system is vulnerable.

Grateful for further thoughts.
Budgie

[Budgie]

No joy finding the embedded twonky yet so I thought I would download and install the latest qpkg version. Remember I already have qpkg v4 installed. I didn't uninstall, thinking the new one would install over the old but no. So now my qpkg panel shows version 6.0.30 but what is running is v4.4.17.
Is this what is expected?
Regards,
Budgie

[Budgie]

Now uninstalled and started again with qpkg installation. All is now by the book and I have installed Briain's views.
Working perfectly and absolutely what I needed. Will concentrate now on sorting out tagging of classical CDs (as in cladistic taxonomy). I note there have been several posts on this in this thread and if I can contribute I shall under new thread.
Thanks again Briain.
Budgie

[kgrosser]

Ok, this forum seems to be more active on Twonky than the PV one.... so m a y b e someone's around here who can give som advise on my problem in getting a chronological sortorder working.

Briain (as you have the most comprehensive knowledge on this - it seems even more than Rick in the Twonky forums):
as I understood it is legal to use multiple sortcriteria listed by colon starting with the most significant criterium? So an aproach of sorting albums in it's container and prepare for multidisk albums could look like:

Code: Select all

 <container buildon='upnp:album' albumart='1' sortcriteria='+sc:xyz,+pv:numberOfThisDisc,+upnp:originalTrackNumber' createClass='object.item.audioItem.musicTrack' class='object.container.album.musicAlbum'/>

where +sc:xyz is a placeholder resembling the chronological mystery flag, correct?

So far I tried '+pv:year' (as you advised), 'dc:date' and I even tried something made up with 'upnp:year' needless to say that none worked.
Concerning the 'pv:year': it bewilderes me that your -YEAR- container builds and sorts correctly on pv:year but as a sortcriteria alone it just doesn't work.

Do you happen to know wher Twonky stores the database? Maybe an ivestigation of this could shed some light onto this.

As much as I don't grasp it why PV moved away from a very effective system it's even more confusing they wouldn't make a comprehensive list of parameters public. Testing on trial and error is a pain with the neccessary dtabase rebuild on my 119 with every try.