[videocurt]

Hello KODI fans,

There are numerous .mpg or .mp4 untagged video files on my hard drive. Obviously, KODI only creates intelligent playlists using tags.

Is there a way in KODI to create a smart playlist from a few letters in the file name? After a lot of trial and error I haven't found a solution yet.

Thanks for tips

Greetings Curt

[PatK]

Kodi Smart playlists (wiki) to create a smart playlist in the GUI, music/video must first be added to the libraries using a scraper addon or by creating NFO files. The key here is the library, any playlist, or search only uses data in the library that has previously scanned. (the scrapers assign the tags etc), and it sounds like the missing 'tags' have NOT been scraped and you're just using file maintenance mode to  access the files? If this is the case, then you should create a source for each catagory/tag and use internal sorting in the view mode.

[videocurt]

Kodi Smart playlists (wiki) to create a smart playlist in the GUI, music/video must first be added to the libraries using a scraper addon or by creating NFO files. The key here is the library, any playlist, or search only uses data in the library that has previously scanned. (the scrapers assign the tags etc), and it sounds like the missing 'tags' have NOT been scraped and you're just using file maintenance mode to  access the files? If this is the case, then you should create a source for each catagory/tag and use internal sorting in the view mode.

Hi PatK,
 
the scrapers use tagging databases in the cloud based on file names for public films. The NFO file creation in KODI also seems to be based on the cloud.
 
For me, however, there are thousands of private family videos in DVD format, i.e. .mpg
 
Example of a file name: 2000-04-19 familiyvideo MFstern.mpg
 
How can I automatically create an NFO file that creates the following tags from this file name:
Tag1 2000-04-19
Tag2 familyvideo
Tag3 MFstern
 
In the KODI Smart Playlist, I would then like to filter by "MFstern".
 
Thanks for tips

[Karellen]

The NFO file creation in KODI also seems to be based on the cloud.

No it's not

How can I automatically create an NFO file that creates the following tags from this file name:

Use the template in this link... https://kodi.wiki/view/NFO_files/Movies#Template_nfo
Then add the following tags to that template..

xml:
<tag>2000-04-19</tag>

<tag>familyvideo</tag>

<tag>MFstern</tag>

[PatK]

I guess the key word here is 'automatically' add the videos to the library. Custom video entries (wiki) I'm unsure if the scraper 'JustUseTheFileName' is still supported, but it would be something you might want to look into. The real power in Kodi is the 'library' and all it's scripts, playlists and nodes that take advantage of this database. Failing that, filemode with those three sources will at least filter down on a source basis.

[videocurt]

I guess the key word here is 'automatically' add the videos to the library. Custom video entries (wiki) I'm unsure if the scraper 'JustUseTheFileName' is still supported, but it would be something you might want to look into. The real power in Kodi is the 'library' and all it's scripts, playlists and nodes that take advantage of this database. Failing that, filemode with those three sources will at least filter down on a source basis.

Automatically is actually the key word. In the meantime I have made significant progress with the keyword JustFilename.
 
JustUseTheFileName is no longer supported according to the forums. I found the relatively current one: "Filename-only Scraper" https://forum.kodi.tv/showthread.php?tid=336042
 
I installed the scraper as user AddOn and ran it for the KODI library VIDEOS for a Windows folder. Which tags did the file-only scraper create in the library? How can I access its tags when creating a smart playlist? Only the MP3 / MP4 filetags that are still available for selection.
 
In the meantime, I have also found out: Videos in a folder can be filtered in KODI by default according to "MFstern" in the file name. That is exactly what I am looking for. However, if I have folders and subfolders, no filter is offered at the top level. How does the trick work?

[PatK]

Which tags did the file-only scraper create in the library?

The "Filename-only Scraper" appears to give an excellent scaffold in which to add more material, and extracts time, codec, res, date-added and left the 'tag' line empty as well as creating the .nfo named as the title. the Filename-only Scraper does present this information into your library for 'title searches', At this point using a smart playlist script it would be possible to tease out individual files using date-added, filename, path, res, time or any of the Smart playlists (wiki) functions. Kodi does have a tag function, and although it's a manual chore, it's done in a wide library requester fashion so clicking various listings in the library is plenty fast and written to the tags list. Video library tags (wiki) I also believe that there is a tag helper add-on. Some of this may suggest a 3rd party media manager for listings.

Going deeper we have Video nodes (wiki) and it's editor as further library manipulation.

re: "MFstern" I think you lost me on that one.

As an after thought, any posters or fanarts inserted into the video folder will be added as graphics for that video. Artwork (wiki)

[videocurt]

KODI is a powerful streaming server that is based on MP3 / MP4 tagging and includes the cloud. KODI is the first streaming server I know, whose playlists are recognized by my TV sets via DLNA - wow!
 
But what about private MPEG2 family videos (.mpg) that don't allow tagging? There is only the file name. This also makes intelligent playlists in KODI - here's a little cookbook:
 
The "Filename-only Scraper" is an add-on that is supported by the KODI version 18.7.500.0 with Skin Estuary. This user add-on is to be installed first - see the WiKis for KODI.
 
 
Run Scraper:
System> Media> Library> Videos
Right click on the Windows folder
    (must be connected beforehand)
Set content: Movies
    ("Movies" is one of the libraries in the database)
Info source = Filename-only scraper
    (the user addon must be installed beforehand from a ZIP file)
Activate recursively
    (if Windows folders are nested, it is automatically activated)
Click OK and KODI reads the file names into the "Movies" library
 
 
Create Smart Playlist:
Videos> Playlists> New smart playlist
Select type: Movies
     (this is the library previously filled by the Filename-only Srcaper)
Title contains: Character combinations can now be defined from the file name
Example:
     "1999-07-22 familyvideo abcdefg #F.mpg"
     Select "#F" as the rule in the playlist.
     All files with "#F" in the file name come in the intelligent playlist.
 
The software architecture from KODI takes some getting used to - it is worth getting used to. Now I can tag my thousands of .mpg clips without first having to convert them to .mp4 format :-)
 
For questions - questions! Thank you for your support, PatK.
 
(Translated according to the German KODI GUI via google)