iTunes niggles - file name truncation and hierachy

[Sn0wball]

Going into hospital soon so want to take a good few batches of video tutorials on coding, 3D graphics and music production with me.

Problem is the folder structure and hierachy of the video files from my computer is not retained when exported to iPad, so all the chapters are lost and mixed up with all the other tuts creating an unusable mess.

I can't rename the files within the iPad, and I don't want to destroy the hierachy on my PC, and the iPad seemingly doesn't use video playlists even though I've arranged them by 'album' name in iTunes and created video playlists for sets... So then I went through and renamed all files in iTunes, adding the name of the overall set at the front of each filename, but iPad truncates filenames so the actual descriptive names are cut off and I can't tell what they are.

The system is a mess.

 

[poloponies]

There is a method to the iTunes madness. You need to select the files individually in iTunes and right click to "Get Info". There is a Sorting tab there that will allow you to do what you want.

 

[BrennerM]

Another option might be to make them "TV Shows" with specific show names, season and episode numbers to order them properly.

 

[Sn0wball]

I've actually already got the tuts all nicely organised on iTunes on my PC (in order of Programme, Episode number and Episode name) and while all the videos look nice and ordered in iTunes it doesn't affect how they're organised and displayed when it's on the iPad.

When you have lots of video clips within a set entitled "Setting up multiple material projections" which is "part 03" from the set "3D Studio Max Advanced Modelling and Normal Mapping Masterclass", with lots of parts, and then lots of additional sets too, the iPad's anaemic abruptly truncated file name and video organisation system turns to rat poo. Adding the set names to the front of the filenames in order put the files in any kind of functional alphanumeric list order and trying to abbreviate the name turns it into complex txt-spk l33t mayhem.

A massive annoyance that iPad doesn't have a hierarchial list-view, showing you all the video folders (as if they were like albums) and their extended file names in a list form, as well as the standard thumbnail view. A classic case where dumbing down actually creates a heck of a lot more problems than it solves. Wouldn't be so bad even if you could create playlists, but while you can do so in iTunes they don't carry through on to the iPad.

At least the thumbnails look pretty. If I knew what they were, that is.

With titles such as "3D Studio Max Advanced Modelling and Normal Mapping Masterclass - 03 - Setting up multiple material projections", it looks like I'm going to have to be incredibly creative with l33t sp33k, but whether I'd be able to read it back ... Beh.