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Forum: Wishes and new features

Topic: Browser: Please add the reading of Traktor smartlist in the browser
If you select the Traktor library in the browser, only playlists and folders are displayed but NO smart lists!
Please add the function (Traktor 4.11)
Thanks
 
Posted Sun 22 Dec 24 @ 1:22 pm
You see only the smartlist's but not the tracks in it
 
This is probably not going to be added as "smart" crates/folders aren't really regular lists of music (this isn't done for Serato smart crates either) - they are saved filtering criteria that generates the list from all the tracks in the database matching the criteria at a certain point (e.g. when you select the list in the browser). VirtualDJ would have to understand the filter syntax of Traktor (probably not hard), then read the entire Traktor database to filter those songs and then display them - a task requiring more time and processing effort, as opposed to just reading a list of tracks and showing them.

If you are coming over from Traktor, it's probably just best to copy the generated result on view to regular playlists and then use the regular playlist in VirtualDJ.
 
I guess VDJ could in theory read the Traktor smartlist parameters, then create a VDJ equivalent...

It's quite easy though, to manually create a new VDJ smartlist with the same choices as you set in Traktor.
 
It is clear to me that VDJ also supports Smart Lists.

I mainly work with Traktor and often change things in the library.

When I then use VDJ, I need quick access to my Traktor library - importing doesn't help me much.
 
groovindj wrote :
I guess VDJ could in theory read the Traktor smartlist parameters, then create a VDJ equivalent...


This is a promising start but unfortunately not always guaranteed to work, because each software normally records the state of metadata to their own database (for performance reasons) and allows the user to modify the database state independently from what is in the file (i.e. what might match in one database may not necessarily match in the other)


groovindj wrote :
It's quite easy though, to manually create a new VDJ smartlist with the same choices as you set in Traktor.


Agreed...this is also what the manual recommends (assuming the metadata state is the same in both software).

Holli-HH wrote :
When I then use VDJ, I need quick access to my Traktor library - importing doesn't help me much.


You have to realize that giving you the ability to read the database of any other software is a courtesy and not actually related to the main features of VirtualDJ (I'm pretty sure Traktor doesn't read anything from VirtualDJ). They aren't really obligated, nor is it in their best interest, to help you use competing software.

If cross functionality to that regard is your goal, maybe try looking into DJCU or Lexicon (not sure if they handle smart playlists either)?
 
@ DJ Vinyltouch:

VDJ can also read the Serato Smart lists without any problems - just not the Traktor smart lists
 
DJ VinylTouch wrote :
groovindj wrote :
I guess VDJ could in theory read the Traktor smartlist parameters, then create a VDJ equivalent...


This is a promising start but unfortunately not always guaranteed to work, because each software normally records the state of metadata to their own database (for performance reasons) and allows the user to modify the database state independently from what is in the file (i.e. what might match in one database may not necessarily match in the other)


groovindj wrote :
It's quite easy though, to manually create a new VDJ smartlist with the same choices as you set in Traktor.


Agreed...this is also what the manual recommends (assuming the metadata state is the same in both software).

Holli-HH wrote :
When I then use VDJ, I need quick access to my Traktor library - importing doesn't help me much.


You have to realize that giving you the ability to read the database of any other software is a courtesy and not actually related to the main features of VirtualDJ (I'm pretty sure Traktor doesn't read anything from VirtualDJ). They aren't really obligated, nor is it in their best interest, to help you use competing software.

If cross functionality to that regard is your goal, maybe try looking into DJCU or Lexicon (not sure if they handle smart playlists either)?


I'm using Lexicon but it can do it automatically- you have do edit manually :(
 
Sorry- wrong post
 
Lexicon can do this without any problems. But why should I pay €15 a month when I can get what I need for free in VDJ?
Obviously, reading Traktor smart lists is not (yet) implemented in VDJ
 
I haven't checked in a while (I use Lexicon for sync but only when Serato is absolutely needed to be used), but checking now, it doesn't really read the list, it automatically creates the equivalent VirtualDJ filter list, as what @groovindj suggested - that would probably be the way to go.

The User Manual doesn't state this though (it states the lists won't be shown), so there are potentially two corrections required here - the Traktor filter autogeneration and the user manual (it's probably good to sync the database metadata back the files in other software too to maximize the potential of the same results showing up in VirtualDJ).

Holli-HH wrote :
Lexicon can do this without any problems. But why should I pay €15 a month when I can get what I need for free in VDJ?
Obviously, reading Traktor smart lists is not (yet) implemented in VDJ


I fully agree with you on the Lexicon stance here - I mainly use it for autocue generation for my intro tracks but even that I'ved stopped doing.

I think smart playlists were introduced fairly recently (2020, and in Traktor feature/bugfix timelines before recently, that was like yesterday lol), so it may have been a miss or maybe it broke...I'm not sure because I've never used the integration due to switching from Traktor long before arriving at VirtualDJ.
 
I hope the developers read this and fix the problem in one of the next updates
 
Just a question for clarification:
Smart lists that I create in VDJ only work with tracks that are imported into VDJ, right?
The Traktor library in VDJ is just a reference to the Traktor database.
That means if I create a smart list in VDJ, it won't work WITHOUT importing the Traktor library, right?
 
You have to bear in mind that the import functions of any DJ software are really only designed to aid your move away from one software to another.

They're not put in place to help people who constantly swap between two programs.

That's where Lexicon and the like come in -catering for the swappers, hence the subscription. If you want to carry on swapping, you have to pay.
 
I'm just trying something different.
Question - how do I delete multiple database entries at once?
If I mark a track individually, it offers me the function "remove from database". But if I mark multiple tracks, the option isn't there!
How do you do that?
I just want to remove the tracks from the database - not physically delete them

Thanks
 
Right-click the group selection > Search DB > Remove from search DB
 
I found the solution - if I create smart lists in VDJ -it also works with the Traktor library. I can live with the compromise.

Then I don't need to import Lexicon anymore.

Thanks for the help and Merry Christmas
 
The filter is working with your VirtualDJ Library (I suppose you imported the songs into your searchDB or maybe the process of accessing the playlist from VirtualDJ imports the songs of the playlist into the searchDB).

Merry Christmas to you as well 🍺.