Opening a file with hot key - in external program

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Forez
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Opening a file with hot key - in external program

#1 Post by Forez » 30.01.2016, 13:17

Hi

I have a problem with software called Spectro [http://spectro.enpts.com]. I would like to have the ability to select a file in FreeCommander, press a hot key and have this file loaded into Spectro. And if the selection was of more than one file, then this command should open each of those files in a separate instance

This Spectro program work fine by its own. Also while being in FreeCommander [or my Windows's 7 x64 Explorer] I can select a file, right click it for the context menu to appear, choose "Open with" and successively send it to the Spectro. Also, in a third party software Mp3tag [http://www.mp3tag.de] I have a hot key for this Spectro, which works there exactly as described by me at the beginning

In my FC I have Spectro added to one of my favorites toolbars like that:

Code: Select all

Program: C:\Program Files (x86)\Spectro\Spectro.exe
Star folder: %ActivDir%
Parameter: %ActivSelName%
And what that does it opens Spectro- but spits out a "Failed to open file" message, because of "Unsupported file type (*)"; where * is the extension of MP3 or FLAC or WAV, which formats are supported by Spectro. So there has to be some bug in Spectro or in FC that makes that message. So maybe I could work around the bug by telling cmd.exe to open the Spectro and the open the selected file?

Unfortunately I do not know how to write a BAT file like that. And my attempts at making a working parameter within FC landed flat

Code: Select all

Program: C:\Windows\System32\cmd.exe
Star folder: %ActivDir%
Parameter: /Q/D/U/C START "SPECTRO" "C:\Program Files (x86)\Spectro\Spectro.exe" %_PATH%
[This does not work]



Also, I have similar problem with Audacity [http://audacityteam.org]. Sometimes I can send files to it from FC without a problem, but sometimes I get messages saying "File removed from the list of recent files". [And then I can close that message and open that particular file from within the Audacity, or drag the file over Audacity and release it, or load some other file and then try to load the old one from within FC - so it's not he fault of the file.] And I also use in the same way and for that same purpose [sending an audio file from FreeCommander / Mp3tag for analysis to a software with spectrogram] a third program called Spek [http://spek.cc], with never shows problems like that. So this would indicate the fault of FreeCommander or a coincidence [of bugs being in both Spectro and Audacity]. And if I were to solve the Spectro problem with your help, that I could probably solve on my own the Audacity issue by creating an adequate workaround for it

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Forez
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Re: Opening a file with hot key - in external program

#2 Post by Forez » 07.09.2016, 23:56

Forez wrote: [...]
a problem with software called Spectro
[...]
Also, I have similar problem with
[...]
a third program called Spek
[...]
And here is a solution


For Spectro all I had to do was to change the Parameter from

Code: Select all

%ActivSelName%
to

Code: Select all

%ActivItem%
And for Spek all I had to do was to change the Parameter from

Code: Select all

%ActivSelName%
to

Code: Select all

%ActivSel%

And I just do not get it, why It can't be for example the other way around: putting %ActivSel% for Parameter for Spectro will spit the same old errors, as well as putting %ActivItem% for Parameter for Spek

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Re: Opening a file with hot key - in external program

#3 Post by Forez » 08.09.2016, 12:13

Unfortunately the problem persists when sending files from FC to Mp3tag: sending one file is not a problem. But when selecting multiple files for sending, not all of them are loaded to Mp3tag. And that bug doesn't seem to follow a pattern

In wake of my success with overcoming this problem with Spek and Spectro, I've tried different settings for my Mp3tag shortcut:
- with selected >>Enclose each selected item with "<<
- with selected >>Enclose each selected item with "<< and also with selected >>Separate fo each selected item<<
- with selected >>Separate fo each selected item<<
- without selected additional options

But none of those setting, in conjunction with gong through different Parameter values available in the third section of the list of values [the section starting with %ActivDir% and ending with %ActivSelAsfileUtf8%], made the sending to Mp3tag A-OK

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Re: Opening a file with hot key - in external program

#4 Post by Dreamer » 08.09.2016, 21:02

I can confirm the issue with mp3tag, I have to use F4 to edit one file and than drag multiple files.

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Re: Opening a file with hot key - in external program

#5 Post by Forez » 06.10.2016, 19:00

After recent update of the Mp3tg, the problem persists. And I've tried once more using different combination [%ActivSelName%, %ActivSel%, %ActivItem%, With "Run "as dialog, Use format 8.3 for names, Separate for each selected item]

And now I can attest to another manifestation: selecting and sending more than 11 files crashes the Mp3tag

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Re: Opening a file with hot key - in external program

#6 Post by Forez » 12.07.2017, 19:53

This problem is still present in the 740 32-bit version [and Mp3tag 2.83]

Only one file is sent, and above 10 selected at once, the Mp3tag crashes

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Re: Opening a file with hot key - in external program

#7 Post by Forez » 17.07.2017, 22:09

Here is some more info

First: when sending more than 11 files with

Code: Select all

Star folder: %ActivDir%
Parameter: %ActivSel%
Mp3tg crashes as always

But if "Separate for each selected item" check box is selected then it does not crash and even sometimes receives all of the files [as there is only one instance of Mp3tag allowed in the operating system].
But sometimes it looses few files during that transport; and as such it is useless [because checking if all the files got to the Mp3tag from FC would make the usage of shortcut take more time than dragging them manually in the first place]

So this shows that it is possible o send multiple files


Second: if settings are set to

Code: Select all

Star folder: %ActivDir%
Parameter: %ActivDir%
[even without the "Separate for each selected item" option selected] then there is no problem in sending / receiving. Aside from the fact, that all content of folder is sent

So sending does work; with those settings the bug does manifest itself. But those settings make it impossible to send a single file or 2 or 5 of them


So right now there are 3 possibilities for user:
1] sending one file at a time
2] sending multiple files, but most of the times some of them from the selection will be omitted
3] sending whole folder, without the possibility to select files

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Re: Opening a file with hot key - in external program

#8 Post by Karol » 18.07.2017, 08:08

Have you tried

Code: Select all

Parameter: %ActivSelAsDragDrop%

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Re: Opening a file with hot key - in external program

#9 Post by Dreamer » 28.07.2017, 00:38

I have some more problems with Mp3tag...

%ActivSelAsDragDrop% and %ActivItem% doesn't work with one or multiple files, error dialog is displayed:

Code: Select all

"Mp3tag v2.83

C:\Programs\Mp3tag\01 was not found."
%ActivItem% is working, but only with a single file.

Another problem (perhaps reported earlier, but I couldn't find it):

To reproduce place few files in 2 folders and use plain view.

When using plain view, F4, just one file is opened in mp3tag.
When drag&drop files from plain view to mp3tag, no file is opened.
When drag&drop folder A with 2 subfolders B and C (with mp3 files in both), no file is opened.
When drag&drop 2 selected folders B and C (with mp3 files in both), all files are opened correctly.

Other file types are working good, tested with plain view, F4, drag&drop, pdf, jpg, SumatraPDF, PhotoFiltre 7.

FC 750 64-bit, Windows 10 64-bit.

EDIT: Drag and drop mp3 files from 2 locations, plain view, to AIMP works good. I'm not sure now, is it possible that it's not the FC bug, but mp3tag bug?

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Re: Opening a file with hot key - in external program

#10 Post by Forez » 23.09.2017, 16:00

Karol wrote: 18.07.2017, 08:08 Have you tried

Code: Select all

Parameter: %ActivSelAsDragDrop%
That does nothing for me; nothing happens


It seems that foobar has a similar bug: https://forums.mp3tag.de/index.php?showtopic=21359

And this Mp3tag user also reports issues: https://forums.mp3tag.de/index.php?s=&s ... st&p=96947

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Re: Opening a file with hot key - in external program

#11 Post by Forez » 02.01.2018, 15:01

And it seems that Total Commander has the same issues- but there already is a remedy for them:

https://forums.mp3tag.de/index.php?showtopic=16795

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Re: Opening a file with hot key - in external program

#12 Post by Forez » 27.02.2018, 00:32

It seems that this solution can be also applied to FreeCommander, but with different parameters

https://community.mp3tag.de/t/howto-sta ... er/14311/3

[And so: was that the core issue? Proper parameters?
Last edited by Forez on 09.04.2023, 16:15, edited 1 time in total.

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Re: Opening a file with hot key - in external program

#13 Post by Dreamer » 09.03.2019, 22:40

I had a problem with drag&drop files from FC plain view to mp3tag, it was not working, so I just upgraded mp3tag to latest version and it works now (same FC version), so if anyone has problem with mp3tag, try to upgrade to latest version 2.94.

In FC use "%ActivSel%" parameter.

BTW It's possible, that problems with other programs may be caused by another program, not FreeCommander, so first try to upgrade to latest version, then try to report a problem in the other program forum.

EDIT: OK, also F4 multiple files in plain view works, and drag&drop multiple folders to mp3tag works too, just one issue - files in subfolders are skipped, this is possibly an mp3tag issue, but I'm not sure.

I found one issue, which may be a FC issue:
- set editor in FC to open mp3 files in mp3tag
- go to folder with subfolders with only mp3 files
- enable plain view
- select all files

- focus any mp3 file
- F4
= files are opened in mp3tag = correct

- focus the root [..] item
- F4
= files are opened in Notepad (bug?)

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Re: Opening a file with hot key - in external program

#14 Post by Dreamer » 10.03.2019, 14:10

OK, also F4 multiple files in plain view works, and drag&drop multiple folders to mp3tag works too, just one issue - files in subfolders are skipped, this is possibly an mp3tag issue, but I'm not sure.
OK, it's not a bug, to load all files from subfolders you need to enable the option "Subdirectories" in Tools > Options > Directories, in mp3tag.

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Re: Opening a file with hot key - in external program

#15 Post by Forez » 12.03.2019, 23:10

Dreamer wrote: 09.03.2019, 22:40 I had a problem with drag&drop files from FC plain view to mp3tag, it was not working, so I just upgraded mp3tag to latest version and it works now (same FC version), so if anyone has problem with mp3tag, try to upgrade to latest version 2.94.
[...]
That was fixed in Mp3tag 2.87d

https://freecommander.com/forum/viewtop ... =19&t=8606

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