Just wondering if we have the ability yet (or may ever get) to tweak which bits of information get output when we save the playlist as txt file? For instance, could I delete genre and replace it w/ the key or key code? I'd love to see this be user-definable the same way we can choose which columns to see in the catalog and playlist windows....

You can do exactly that - not on the "export playlist" but on the "print playlist" feature in Pro 6 and Studio 6. Just turn columns on and off in the Playlist window by right-clicking on them, and whatever fields you choose will be the ones that get printed. It also prints using the sort order you specified in the Playlist window.

Now for the hard part... If you really, really want this as a text file for use by some other program, here is a ridiculous clunky workaround for you.

• In Windows XP, click on Start, Control Panel, Printers and Faxes.
  
  
• Click on Add A Printer, then Next.
  
  
• Make sure "Automatically detect" is OFF, then click Next.
  
  
• Under "Use the following port," select "FILE", and then click Next.
  
  
• Under "Manufacturer," choose "Generic," and then under "Printers," choose "Generic / Text Only". Follow the rest of the prompts to finish the installation.
  
  
• Then in MM, click on File, Print Playlist. Under "Name," choose your new "Generic" printer, and click OK.
  
  
• When prompted for a filename, enter a full path, like C:\playlist01.txt. Then open this new file in Word, in Notepad, in a CD labeler or something else.

Anytime you want to export another playlist with custom fields, just print it to this printer -- it's easy after you set it up once.

(((ardent)))

Great tip ardent!!

I do that for other apps, wonder why I never thought of that for MM..duh!

Awesome tip ... great news about the print capability ... BUT ... what I want to end up with is an actual txt file on my hard drive that I can take into CorelDRAW in order to have my playlist as part of my CD cover art ... right now I use the Save Playlist As ... for that purpose.

So, will your tip generate a file for me, or just send the output straight to the printer, with no file available to use in other applications? (That is, will the "easy" way do it ... I can see that the "clunky" way appears to generate a file.)

Mfly. Do you have the ability to use PDF files?

I only have the free Reader, not the full Acrobat.

Try this PDF995

It uses the same principle as what ardent described, it's free and what it does it takes the print image and instead of printing it captures it in PDF format where you can read it.

You might be able to use it for your purposes.

quote:

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Originally posted by MadameFLY:
So, will your tip generate a file for me, or just send the output straight to the printer...

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It will do exactly what you want if you follow the steps above. You're creating a dummy generic printer that doesn't really exist, but all the output is converted to text format and saved to a file on your hard drive.

Try it -- it's easy once you have it set up, and you can read that file in Corel Draw too if that's what you want.

Thanks, I'll try that tonight ...

quote:

When prompted for a filename, enter a full path, like C:\playlist01.txt. Then open this new file in Word, in Notepad, in a CD labeler or something else.
Anytime you want to export another playlist with custom fields, just print it to this printer -- it's easy after you set it up once.

This worked for me once, but the next time I tried it, I wasn't asked for a filename, and I have no idea where the file might have gone (or if it was even created) ... I've even searched the drives, looking for a *.txt file made today, with no results.

My reading of the tip is that, once it's set up, that's it ... nothing more to do each time. But maybe I'm missing something....