playlist generator

[Zardoz]

I'd like to be able to generate a 'random' playlist of a set number of files from a set number of directories.

[GodEater]

Sorry, I must not be understanding this request very well - what feature is missing from Rockbox which is currently preventing you from doing this?

I'd do it by adding the folders I want to include to a playlist, and then shuffling it...

[Zardoz]

I have a fairly large number of music files on my player (18,000 +), arranged in folders from A to Z. What I was suggesting was a feature whereby one could add/make a playlist of say 200 tracks, selected at 'random' from all folders

[GodEater]

Well can you explain how you'd make this feature work (from an interface point of view, I'm not asking you to implement it in code!) differently from how I suggested ?

[Llorean]

How would this be any different from shuffling all the "possible" songs, then simply having a sleep time stop playback after the right time/number?

[Zardoz]

I was thinking of a time when I didn't want to choose anything and instead would like to hear 20 (for instance) random tracks. In practical terms maybe an option on the playlist menu to create a random playlist of x number of tracks selected from all files and folders or from specified folders

[Llorean]

You just repeated what you originally asked for. Again, how would that be any different?

[Zardoz]

ok imagine you have 5000 music tracks on your mp3player and you don't know what you want to listen to. so you 'ask' rockbox to choose 10, 20, 500 whatever, 'random' tunes and play them. (it's not a feature of rockbox currently. it's just a suggestion not a 'demand'. i can appreciate you people have better things to do than respond to, reply to or even think about lame ideas like mine)

[GodEater]

Yes, but you've still not answered my question about how you'd show this in the interface ?

[Llorean]

And I asked "what's the difference between saying 'choose 50 random songs' and 'randomize all the songs I want you to choose from, then play the first 50'"?

[robin0800]

If you had 50 folders and wanted 50 songs perhaps what he wants is 1 song from each folder.
That's random in the folder but the 50 songs are certainly not random

[Llorean]

That's not what he's described at all.

[robin0800]

a set number of files from a set number of directories

How do you know thats not what he wanted?

[Llorean]

Read his other posts where he clarifies?

[GodEater]

He's also still not suggested how you'd access this feature - which is the tricky bit if you ask me.