How do I generate Windows-compatible file paths for Plex?

[GameOverAus]

Currently using the current version of Filebot and i have no issues continuing to use it, it's a godsend in many ways

1) When i use to get to rename for Movies or TV Shows episodes, it by default uses : 's in the naming how do i default that to a - instead as windows and plex don't support :'s anyway. I know i can chose validate and it takes out the : but that seems daft to have to do that every time.

2) How does MovieDB and TVDB have such completely different results for the same files? ie Doctor Who (2005 reboot) in MovieDB it's just Doctor Who which would gets confused with the 1963 original Doctor Who show, and yet TVDB has it as Doctor Who (2005). but many other shows TVDB has some stupid naming convention wheraas MovieDB has the correct naming information. Seems TVDB for the most part is the backup option if MovieDB can't accurately find what you are looking for

3) Either sometimes can't find results for a show episode or a movie yet other episodes/movies in the same show it finds them. and or gives a "did u mean" which isn't remotely close and yet the correct item may well be in the list of options.

Thanx in advance to any of these.

[rednoah]

1.
The {plex} format generates perfectly valid file names for Plex and friends. This includes replacing characters such as : with - to make file paths Windows-compatible.

Please read FAQ #1 and learn how format expressions work.



2.
In general, FileBot will work more or less well depending on how more or less well the files you have match the information in your selected database. Please provide file paths when reporting mismatches. I don't know how your files are named, so I can't know what's not working or why it's not working.

Please read How to Request Help.

If you're organizing files for Plex, then you must always use the database that you have configured Plex to use. Plex may not be able to identify your files if you name them with TheTVDB numbering but then configure Plex to interpret them as TheMovieDB/TV numbers. It'll work for episodes where the numbers just so happen to be the same, and then fail miserably when episode listings are different.



3.
Please provide file paths and screenshots in such cases. "some files " don't work and "something" isn't close to "something else" unfortunately doesn't give us much to work with, other than maybe there's "something" that could "somehow" be improved.

Please read How to Request Help.

[GameOverAus]

First off thanx for the reply

1) Filebot expression default is set to put {n} - {s00e00} - {t}
(which would be the correct output i want but the filenames it picks up from the databases have a : as part [n] portion, which filebot sais is not valid and when you validate it just takes it out.
just as an example Lost in Space (2018): S03E01 instead of Lost In Space (2018) - S03E01. Filebot nor windows will accept the : it has to be replaced with a general character, all i wanted was for it to use a dash instead whenever there is meant to be a : as part of a file name. if you validate it just takes the : out which is fine. This has nothing to do with my end. it's all on the database end and how filebot handles the names.

2) I have noticed i have to almost exactly name my files based on what i want it to find, that defeats the purpose of a search function but whatever. Some of the search results aren't even remotely close.
3) that's just a general statement. to use an example Game Of Thrones, 2 of the episodes out of 8 seasons neither database could work out what they belonged to even tho they were named appropriately to all the others, and would offer results with Game in them but no Game Of Thrones as an option.

With much trial and error all my TV shows are now done so thanx. Movies are much harder to search/name LOL but that's not your concern....

[rednoah]

1.
{plex.name} is roughly equivalent to {n} - {s00e00} - {t} but likely more close to what you actually want.


{plex} will take care of the : colon corner case, and all the other corner cases you haven't thought of yet:

Code: Select all

{plex.name}

viewtopic.php?t=4116


However, if you want more manual fine-grained control, then you can do arbitrary replacements in your own custom code:

Code: Select all

{n.replace(':', '-')} - {s00e00} - {t.replace(':', '-')}

though for common use cases like replacing : colon we have built-in helper functions that take care of all the corner cases there:

Code: Select all

{n.colon(' - ')} - {s00e00} - {t.colon(' - ')}

https://www.filebot.net/naming.html



2. & 3.
Please take a screenshot and copy & paste the file paths as text if you run into this kind of issue again so that we can have a look at it.

[rednoah]

[SNIPPET] Replace : colon with - dash

[DOCS] Target Unix Filesystem