I cannot get the action "export cover to file" to work properly

[Ronstang]

I have read a bunch of threads on this and I have been experimenting with it for over an hour and I simply cannot get it to work correctly.

I just want every folder that contains the tracks from an album to have the cover art that is embedded in the tags of the individual tracks put in that folder and simply named "folder.jpg".

I have tried the quick action and for the "format string for image fileaname" I simply entered "folder".

I have over 6000 albums that I need this done to so I want a batch solution. To test I just picked two artists with two albums and loaded them into Mp3Tag for testing and selected all files.

When I execute in the first artist both album folders get a new image file named "folder(1).jpg" but there is no hidden files so I don't understand why it is adding the (1). Any ideas?

The second artist's two album folders simply get ignored and there are no new image files extracted to them.

I have all files from both artists selected and I have verified that ther is embeddd album art in the tags of the tracks but I still only get new image files in the first artists albums.

At this point I am really confused and could use some assistance.

Thanks

[ohrenkino]

@Ronstang

When I execute in the first artist both album folders get a new image file named "folder(1).jpg" but there is no hidden files so I don't understand why it is adding the (1). Any ideas?

You have to tick the option not to export any duplicates.
Still, if the selected files of the same folder that have varying embedded pictures then all of them get exported but they do not overwrite each other but get get renamed.

@Ronstang

The second artist's two album folders simply get ignored and there are no new image files extracted to them.

Hard to say what is happening there without further information.
A good guideline can be found here:

Hints for asking Support Requests

If you need support using Mp3tag, you can help the community members that are about to support you in finding a solution or workaround to your problem, by following these simple guidelines. Be descriptive, also in what you’ve already tried Please give a short explanation what’s not working as expected or what you’re trying to achieve. It’s best to know any details about the problem at hand and especially, what steps you’ve already tried to solve it by yourself. Helpful information also includ…

A help could be to apply a filter to really treat only files that have an embedded cover:
%_covers% PRESENT

or the other way round - see the files without embedded pictures:
%_covers% MISSING

[Ronstang]

OK. I am an idiot and solved the (1) notation. Although there were no hidden files there were "protected system file" that I did not realize were there. This is an old store of my mp3 collection copied from a long time ago backup and I obviously let WMP access my library at one time. Once again Windows makes things difficult so I will just delete all of those.

[Ronstang]

@ohrenkino

Hard to say what is happening there without further information.
A good guideline can be found here:

I do not know how to be more descriptive. I selected all file that were loaded into Mp3Tag and performed the action. What else is there to say. It only applied the action to one artists two album folders and ignored the second one.

I will try a new set of files from different artists and see if the problem persists.

[ohrenkino]

@Ronstang

I do not know how to be more descriptive.

If it works for 1 set of files but not for the 2nd - it shows me that the function is working in principle.
So there must be a difference between the files that work and those that don't - but these files are stored locally in your enviroment. As I cannot look over your shoulder, it would be nice to get more details.
What these could be is described in the linked thread.
Also, I suggested the filter and it would be nice to hear what the result of applying the filter looks like.

[Ronstang]

@ohrenkino

Also, I suggested the filter and it would be nice to hear what the result of applying the filter looks like.

I will do that but I do not understand just how to do that. I am not a programmer, I don't speak the language...if you want to build a house from scratch or restore a vintage Mustang I can tell you everything.

I just ran the test on a separate set of artists and it worked on those two and put the image file in each individual album folder. Tried the original set again and it would not do the album folders in the second artist, but I have verified that there is embedded album art in the mp3 files in that folder.

Thanks

[Ronstang]

I cannot figure out how to use a filter. I can only find under the "view" drop down the choice to check or uncheck filters but how to choose a filter escapes me here.

[ohrenkino]

@Ronstang

I cannot figure out how to use a filter.

You may also find the hotkey F3 next to the "Filter" function in the "View" menu.
Press F3 a couple of times to see that a section at the bottom of the main window gets displayed or hidden.
Display it.
Then enter (as text or perhaps with copy&paste):
%_covers% MISSING
This reduces the number of displayed files to the ones without embedded cover. Ideally, the file list will become empty as there are no files without embedded cover.
To restore the original list of loaded files, either hide the filter section or delete the filter expression.

For further suggestions, please show a screenshot of the extended tags dialogue that you get with Alt-T of a single file for which no folder file gets exported.

[Ronstang]

@ohrenkino

You may also find the hotkey F3 next to the "Filter" function in the "View" menu.
Press F3 a couple of times to see that a section at the bottom of the main window gets displayed or hidden.
Display it.
Then enter (as text or perhaps with copy&paste):
%_covers% MISSING
This reduces the number of displayed files to the ones without embedded cover. Ideally, the file list will become empty as there are no files without embedded cover.
To restore the original list of loaded files, either hide the filter section or delete the filter expression.

Thank you, this will come in helpful for other reasons but as of a few hours ago I solved the issue, I don't know exactly what I did but it finally worked.

But knowing about the filters will come in handy because the only reason I am revisiting my music collection is because my micro SD card in my phone stopped being able to be written to and in the process of rebuilding and upgrading the collection I carry on the phone I have some albums that do no have album art and this will help me find those easily so I can fix the problem.

Thanks for your help.