Edit Meta Data; Can't clear?!

[hellosailor]

I was getting tired of typing the artist name and title in each file when using "export multiple" and thought, gee, a template would probably repeat all that in each file, right?

Wrong, it also captures the TRACK and TRACK TITLE which I don't want to pull from a master template.

So I tried clearing it all out and saving a blank as a template. No joy, that wipes out everything. And I tried deleting the default template file, the only one I had tried to use. Nope, can't get rid of a template with either the wrong information or all blanks.

Tried a shutdown and restart of the program, still no joy.

What do I push to just get rid of the template when exporting multiples?

And is there any way to just have the ARTIST and ALBUM fields fill from a template?

[steve]

You must have done this once already to create a default template, so you just need to do it again to set a different default template.

1) Open the Metadata Editor and enter the information that you want in your default template.
2) Click "Set Default"
3) Click OK.

[hellosailor]

Tried that, Steve. If I make the default blank--it overwrites the current data (i.e. track number and title) with BLANKS.

I don't want a blank default, I want to get rid of any default, so the information in the label track is picked up, instead of being wiped out by blanks.

Even if I delete the tag.xml file, the information is still being pulled from somewhere.

What am I not understanding here?

[steve]

To remove the default template, you do just clear it and set that empty template as the default.

1) Ensure that all instances of Audacity are closed.
2) Open Audacity
3) File > Metadata Editor
4) Click "Clear"
5) Click "Set Default"
6) Click "OK"
7) Close Audacity.

You now have no default template.

Beyond that, I'm not sure exactly what you are doing so I can't see what problem you're having. Could you give a step by step description.

[hellosailor]

Steve, I'm done for the day but I *think* the reason that didn't work for me was that (hehe) some elf opened two copies of Audacity here, one hidden behind the other, and I suspect THAT kept the template active in both sessions.

Vous parlez "oopsie" ?

But I should be able to use the template to JUST add in title and artist information, without it wiping out any other populated fields, yes?

[steve]

But I should be able to use the template to JUST add in title and srtist information, without it wiping out any other populated fields, yes?

I don't use Metadata templates myself, and rarely use metadata at all, but yes I think that you should be able to do that.

Did I give you the link to the metadata editor in the manual? If not, here it is: http://manual.audacityteam.org/manual/h ... ditor.html

I'm done for the day too. Good luck with it and give a shout if you get stuck.

[hellosailor]

Steve, I'm pretty sure I've confirmed a bug in the metadata editor.

I can open a fresh Audacity session, select the metadata editor, select CLEAR to clear all fields.

Then if I try to quit, close, or exit Audacity, I can't save the change (clearing the fields) UNLESS I save a project. And when I reopen Audacity, if I'm not in that project? Yeah, the fields aren't cleared either.

Somehow if data has been entered, even once, with no template or default saved or loaded, it gets stuck in the metadata editor. And then can't be cleared.

Am I missing some hidden default template, or some other "touchable" setting that can be cleared? I would have thought that simply selecting CLEAR would clear it out, not just in a project, but for the program defaults as well.

The Autosave and Presets folders are empty, since there's no TAGS.XML file, shouldn't the editor be LOSING those fields, instead of stubbornly keeping them?

[steve]

There's a couple of possibilities. Try these steps exactly:

1) Ensure that all instances of Audacity are closed.
2) Open Audacity
3) File > Metadata Editor
4) Click "Clear"
5) Click "Set Default"
6) Click "OK"
7) Close Audacity.
8) Open Audacity
9) File > Metadata Editor.

(take care not to miss any steps)
The Metadata Editor should be empty. Is it?

[hellosailor]

Step 7: Not quite possible.

Can't close Audacity without first closing the "non"project that opens with a new Auacity session.

If I select CLOSE I'm challenged to save changes, yes/no/cancel.

If I select "YES" I have to enter a filename for the project.

If I select "NO" I'm dropped back to the main program window again.

From there--from what looks just like the place where I just was--I can select EXIT. (Not "close" per se but yes, closing the program.)

That appears to clear it out--there's just that little loop in Step7, it isn't apparent that I'm closing a "project" when all I've opened in the program--not a project. Try it, you'll see why that's rather confusing and unobvious.

Thanks.

[steve]

That sounds weird.

Let me add in some sub-steps:

1) Ensure that all instances of Audacity are closed.
2) Open Audacity
3) File > Metadata Editor
4) Click "Clear"
5) Click "Set Default"
6) Click "OK"

7a) Click on the "File" menu
7b) Click on "Exit" (bottom of the menu)
A message will pop up - "Save Changes Before Closing...."
7c) Click on the "No" button.
Audacity should close.

8) Open Audacity
9) File > Metadata Editor.