I'm a newbie: please share steps how to make a playlist (reading manual no help)

[ThuanB]

Hi,

I am a newbie to this board as well to a rockbox/iPod color.  The iPod has been modded to iMod by Vinnie, who also installed rockbox for me.  So far I have only been able to make a global playlist that plays all songs in the HD in a random and repeat mode.  Beyond that, I get stuck.

Could anyone be kind enough to give me a step-by-step instructions how to make a Playlist that consists of songs from more than one subfolders, say, from 2 subfolders.  Files are all FLAC, rockbox installed.  I did read the manual but honestly couldn't relate much in there to the actual rockbox environment I have in the iMod.  Thanks.

Have a nice weekend!

[nls]

1. browse to folder 1, press select on the first track, this clears the playlist and adds the files in this folder.

2. browse to folder 2, make a long press on select, go to "playlist" -> "insert" to insert the tracks in this folder.

3. make suggestions for how we can improve the manual :-)

[ThuanB]

Dear nls,

Thanks so much for the concise yet to-the-point steps.  Following them I can see for the 1st time the INSERT command along with screens of commands (after the long press on SELECT) that seemed to be hidden somewhere within the Rockbox.  What a relief!

About the manual, of course I wish there were such concrete tips like what you've told me.  Not everyone is very familiar with the iPod's operations, nor many of us out there have instinct on how to navigate around such a miniscule device with equally small character rockbox/iPod.

The entire manual doesn't have to contain those "elementary" instructions, but at least you can provide a jump-start for slowpoke like me.

Thanks again for a big help.  the iMod/iPod sounds great, now with your help I can program it to play music the way I wanted.

Happy listening!

[ThuanB]

1. browse to folder 1, press select on the first track, this clears the playlist and adds the files in this folder.

2. browse to folder 2, make a long press on select, go to "playlist" -> "insert" to insert the tracks in this folder.

3. make suggestions for how we can improve the manual :-)

Thanks agains.  Because of your jump-start tips, I am now able to make and save Playlist with or without catalog.  A couple important "tricks" that I  didn't learn from reading the manual:  The long PRESS on SELECT, press Play/Pause to accept a name for a new playlist.

I am a happy boy now.

[Febs]

About the manual, of course I wish there were such concrete tips like what you've told me.  Not everyone is very familiar with the iPod's operations, nor many of us out there have instinct on how to navigate around such a miniscule device with equally small character rockbox/iPod.

The entire manual doesn't have to contain those "elementary" instructions, but at least you can provide a jump-start for slowpoke like me.

Like this?

http://download.rockbox.org/manual/rockbox-ipodvideo/rockbox-buildch4.html#x7-630004.4.3

[ThuanB]

That looks like the samo manual.  It doesn't matter now, as I now can make more sense out of the manual's instructions.  But I couldn't have done it without the very helpful start-up steps provided by nls.

Thanks.

[Febs]

You've missed my point.

Why couldn't you understand that section of the manual in the first place?  If you simply say that the manual is no help, but you don't explain why, then we cannot improve it.  From what I can see, nls didn't tell you anything that wasn't already in the section of the manual that I've linked you to.  So what would have been necessary for the manual to be useful to you in the first instance?

[ThuanB]

I didn't understand that section of the manual in the 1st place because it doesn't not have the same detailed steps that nls gave me.  Such detailed steps like:

1. browse to folder 1, press select on the first track, this clears the playlist and adds the files in this folder.

2. browse to folder 2, make a long press on select, go to "playlist" -> "insert" to insert the tracks in this folder.
 
If those steps were already included in the manual, I didn't see them.  Not anywhere in the Playlist related areas.  OTOH, I'd be gladly apologetic if you could point out to a specific page(s) where the manual shows similar steps/instructions.  

[Febs]

I didn't understand that section of the manual in the 1st place because it doesn't not have the same detailed steps that nls gave me.  Such detailed steps like:

1. browse to folder 1, press select on the first track, this clears the playlist and adds the files in this folder.

Section 4.4.2:

"Whenever a song is selected from the File Browser with Select or Next, Rockbox will automatically create a playlist containing all of the songs in that directory and start playback with the selected song.

Note: If you already have created a dynamic playlist, playing a new song will erase the current dynamic playlist and create a new one. If you want to add a song to the current playlist rather than erasing the current playlist, see the section below on how to add music to a playlist."

2. browse to folder 2, make a long press on select, go to "playlist" -> "insert" to insert the tracks in this folder.

"Section 4.4.3.  Adding Music to Dynamic Playlists.

The Playlist Submenu allows you to put tracks into a 'dynamic playlist'. If there is no music currently playing, Rockbox will create a new dynamic playlist and put the selected track(s) into it. If there is music currently playing, Rockbox will put the selected track(s) into the current playlist."
 

If those steps were already included in the manual, I didn't see them.  Not anywhere in the Playlist related areas.  OTOH, I'd be gladly apologetic if you could point out to a specific page(s) where the manual shows similar steps/instructions.

These two section basically mirror exactly what nls told you.  I suppose that this section doesn't expressly tell you to make a long press on select, but it does tell you that these options are in the playlist submenu, and the chart that is just before this in section 4.3.1 tells you how to get there.

[ThuanB]

So you're saying that the manual, as it is, doens't need to integrate the suggested steps that I learned from the very helpful nls.

I got what I need to know about Rockbox from nls and the manual.  Thanks you very much.  Case closed.

[Febs]

So you're saying that the manual, as it is, doens't need to integrate the suggested steps that I learned from the very helpful nls.

No.  That is not AT ALL what I am saying.  What I am saying is that as far as I can see, the manual ALREADY incorporates those steps.

We welcome constructive suggestions on how to improve the documentation, but your posts don't give me much insight into how we could do that.

[Mikerman]

I think what is happening here is a disconnect to "manual language"--it just seems that for some people, reading a description of how to do something does not register as easily as seeing it explained in step-by-step fashion (although the Rockbox manual often is close to that already in many areas).

Which raises a possibility that some manuals follow:

After a description of some chores that people may have found harder to grasp in the past, perhaps provide a step-by-step example, by numbered steps (which always seems to help people), along the lines provided above.

This shouldn't be a major chore and could be limited to the historically "harder"-to-grasp features, features that may tend to get ignored, or basic features with multiple steps, where one wants to make sure the audience has them down:  playlists, perhaps how to record, perhaps random album play, perhaps how to set the radio, etc.

Just a thought.

[keuleJ]

Can someone sticky one of these "playlist"-threads?

[Llorean]

No. Static information belongs in the Wiki. If someone wants to create a PlaylistTutorial wiki page, fine, but the Forums are for discussion. There should be a minimal amount of stickies, and they should relate directly to the forums (rules, etc).

[Febs]

No.  The forums are for discussion, not for static information.  If the information in the manual isn't sufficient, the appropriate correction is to improve the manual, not to put the information in a stickied thread.