Deleting files the right way and database rescan (solved)

edited March 2020 in General

Apparently I didn’t delete some projects properly when I first started using BM3. I was just deleting folders in the “my files” section of ios. They still showed up under session list in Bm3, but the files had indeed been deleted. So I started deleting unwanted files within the app, like your supposed to do. However, earlier today I was trying to delete a session and it will not delete. Not sure why. Any ideas? Also, if I do a “database re-scan” or a “database hard reset” and I going to mess anything up?Will it mess up any sessions info or anything? Will it do anything to the memory pertaining to projects using Audio Units? Or am I good to go in doing a reset. I just wanna get those project names out of the database that no longer exist.

**_Taken from the BM3 manual : DATABASE RE-SCAN: BeatMaker uses an internal database to manage your projects, presets and samples. In the rare circumstances in which the database becomes out of date, press this button to perform a new automatic scan of all your files.

DATABASE HARD RESET: Deletes the current internal database and rebuilds it by performing a scan of all your files. This should only be used if the internal database has been corrupted for some unlikely reason. This option is also available from the iOS Settings app within the BeatMaker 3 section._**

Comments

  • Yeah stay away from messing with BM3 files from within the Files app.

    Also, from time to time, I've had that problem where deleting a folder or file in BM3 doesn't show up right away as 'deleted' but the next time you open the app/ or after you've restarted the iPad they should be gone.

    As far as the DataBase Reset/ReScan stuff goes @tk32 should be able to help you out there.

  • @BitterGums said:
    Also, from time to time, I've had that problem where deleting a folder or file in BM3 doesn't show up right away as 'deleted' but the next time you open the app/ or after you've restarted the iPad they should be gone.

    Ok. Hopefully the ones I tried to delete the right that wouldn’t will disappear next time I open it.

    Will wait on the rescan or reset to I hear from others.

    Thanks!

  • edited February 2020

    Thanks for the endorsement @BitterGums — I'll try to explain it as best I can.

    TL;DR

    • The tag database only exists to make browsing (and searching) your samples, banks and projects more conveniently, especially if they are stored in numerous different folders and subfolders.
    • The tag database has NO EFFECT on your projects' ability to find and reload samples.

    The file system and tag database are separate entities.

    The file system determines what each file is named, and which folder it is stored in. Every time you load a sample into one of your bm3 projects, the session file stores the 'relative' path to the sample file and its current filename. This is why it's not recommended to rename or move samples being used in active projects, because when you next load the project it will say 'file not found'.

    The tag database is a metadata system designed by Intua to sit over the top of the file system. It creates an entry for every sample, bank, project (etc) in all you folders, including each file's current path and filename. Once it has completed its first initial scan of your file system, it allows you to browse and search your file library 'by tag' or 'by type' rather than worrying about exactly which folder it is stored in . In addition, you can tag your files with categories that help you filter them, such as manually tagging all your drum hit samples with the 'DRUMS' tag. The tag database makes it easier to view files across all folders, and is particularly good at organising store-purchased content as these are pre-tagged with categories.

    As far as I know, the database looks for changes each time you launch bm3. If it finds new files, it adds these to the tag database, but I don't recall how it deals with moved, renamed or deleted files. My hunch is that it probably keeps these entries, even if the files no longer exist. Perhaps someone who uses the tag database more than me could further elaborate here?

    Regarding the database rescan/reset:

    Rescan: If you have made lots of changes to the file system and not relaunched the app, you might use rescan to get bm3 to re-catalogue all the changes. For example, you might have imported a load of new samples and want them indexed immediately without having to wait until bm3 decides to rescan the dB (usually on launch).

    Reset: eventually your database will accumulate lots of redundant data, and may store references to files that have been deleted or renamed. The more samples you import to bm3, and the more housekeeping you do in your file system, the quicker this is likely to happen. You'll know the database is getting clunky when it starts taking longer for bm3 to launch. When any of these things happen, I recommend resetting the database. It will delete any manual tags you have applied to files, but the innate tags that are found in store content (banks and samples) will not be lost.

    Two important fact/conclusions that everyone needs to know:

    1. The database has no effect on your projects' ability to find and/or load samples. The database only exists to make browsing your sample and bank libraries easier.
    2. You don't need to worry about maintaining the tag database unless you prefer browsing by tags and categories rather than the file system. Personally, I've always preferred organising my content and samples by folders, and browsing the file system. I ignore the database, and its never caused me any problems.
  • edited February 2020

    To answer @BradRich 's first question, it sounds like the session you cannot delete is an entry in your database that no longer exists in the file system (because it was deleted via the Files app).

    Try rescanning the database first and see if it removes the dead links. Otherwise you may have to reset the database. Hopefully you haven't been applying tags manually to your files, as you will lose these tags after reset.

    Alternatively, you can do what I do and NEVER use the database browser (also known as the sessions/banks/sample browser). I use the good old fashioned folder view, and organise all my content in a way that makes sense to me. Who cares if I don't have every session, bank and sample in one giant filterable list, my filing system is just as good for my needs.

    (see the post above for a more thorough explanation of the file system and tag database)

  • Apologies @StudioES - I don't have access to the forum settings - only the mod tools/pages.

    You'll have to request the HTML support via @vincent

  • @StudioES said:
    Alright thanks. Was planing a video + text tutorial based on 3.0.13's massive update to audio-slicing & MIDI file creation. Strange that it hasn't been discussed much.

    Sounds great. Why not convert your html/markdown to PDF and post it?

  • @tk32 said:
    To answer @BradRich 's first question, it sounds like the session you cannot delete is an entry in your database that no longer exists in the file system (because it was deleted via the Files app).

    Try rescanning the database first and see if it removes the dead links. Otherwise you may have to reset the database. Hopefully you haven't been applying tags manually to your files, as you will lose these tags after reset.

    Alternatively, you can do what I do and NEVER use the database browser (also known as the sessions/banks/sample browser). I use the good old fashioned folder view, and organise all my content in a way that makes sense to me. Who cares if I don't have every session, bank and sample in one giant filterable list, my filing system is just as good for my needs.

    (see the post above for a more thorough explanation of the file system and tag database)

    Thanks @tk32 I don’t use tags at all. I was just wanting to make sure if I did a rescan or or reset that it wouldn’t mess up anything.

    @StudioES said:
    @BradRich I think the guys are spot-on. Stay away from touching any of BM3's data in the Files App - use BM3's Document Browser instead. If that Session is still hung up, maybe it's an IAA Zombie? Reboot & let us know.

    @StudioES I’ll give it a try and report back. Thank you.

  • Yeah I've always stayed away from the database browser since day one...felt redundant and error prone.. Was it a holdout from BM2? Or maybe something Mathieu (who?) thought users would ask for at some point so he included it. Same goes for tags, which i've never used.

    +1 for tutorial video @StudioES !

    great explanation of the database scan/reset etc, thanks @tk32 !

  • Sorry for taking so long to report back. I did the rescan and it solved all my problems. Now everything is like it should be.

  • Excellent!

    I've added "(solved)" to this thread title so it may help future pupils.

  • cool, good to hear.

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