Build 870 Bug: 'Shuffle Songs/ Categories' by Years with 'Shuffle Songs\Categories' main player option set to on and list option settings 'Shuffle Category Songs' set to on

[cees]

When choosing Year from the main library screen and then choosing  shuffle in the header, Power Amp only shuffles the songs within each year category. When all songs have played, Power Amp just moves onto the next year category in the list,  instead of shuffling the year category, and then shuffles those songs. This behavior does not happen, rightly so, when any other library category is chosen.  

I've only just noticed this issue as I finished tagging my collection of 2,700 plus tracks spanning from 1960 to 2020 with their year.

Hopeful for a fix. Nevertheless PA is by far the best sounding and versatile player I've EVER come a across. 

My device:  Android 6.0.1 vSamsung S5 Neo: SM - G903F

 

[maxmp]

@cees thanks for the details. Poweramp uses Shuffle songs and categories mode when header shuffle button is pressed. This mode shuffles both songs and (when given category finishes and Advance list is enabled or manual category navigation with <<< >>> or swipe is used) it shuffles categories too.

I can't readily reproduce any difference in shuffling Years vs, saying, Artists. 

Though there is a difference between what is shuffled depending on where header shuffle button is pressed. If in just "root" Years, the each year "All year songs" categories shuffled. If shuffle is pressed inside some particular year (2020), then the "Year albums" is the target shuffled category.

[andrewilley]

I tried the same and could not duplicate the issue either, PA seemed to behave as expected.

i.e. in the 'Years' category view (the display that shows lines for 2020, 2019, 2018, etc) I tapped the Shuffle icon at the top of the list. Playback started in a random year (2011 as it happens) and all of the songs from that year were played in random order. Then at the end of that year's songs, PA picked a new year (1969) and played all of the songs from that year in random order, and so on. 

Andre

[cees]

@maxmp @andrewilley

Thanks to you both for testing and replying so soon. This doesn't work for me then apparently.  Very strange as it works for all other categories except year category.  I've noticed a few of my tracks for which the year tag is still missing. Maybe that could be the cause??  as all my settings are as you both described. I can live with this if all else fails. I have utmost respect for your efforts and ingenuity.  Best regards. 

[andrewilley]

Tracks with no embedded year tag are not visible at all in the Years category, there is no 'unknown year' group. So that shouldn't be causing your issues.

When you first tap on the 'Years' option in the main Library screen, you should see a list of years starting from now (2020) and going backward year-by-year as you move down the list - unless you have adjusted the List Options sorting order anyway. If you then tap on the small Shuffle icon at the top of the list, you should start to hear all of the songs from a randomly chosen year played one-by-one (in random order). You can follow the progress using the track counter which should show the movement through the total number of songs for that year (1/123, 2/123, 3/123 ... up to 123/123). Once all of the songs from that initial year have been played, PA should pick another year at random and played its song in randomised order too. So what happens for you at this point?

Andre 

[cees]

@andrewilley Indeed I understand what you have instructed. So when I tap the small shuffle icon the earliest year category (1966) is played and the songs in that year category are  shuffled.  When 1966 year category is complete; the next year category (1967) is played and the songs in that category are shuffled.  This behavior continues sequentially through the year categories until it finally reaches 2020. Also the shuffle order in each year category always remains the same when using the <<<  and  >>> main player icons to switch to the next or previous year category.  

[andrewilley]

When you are in the Player screen during that shuffled playback, what mode does the Shuffle icon display when you long-press on it? It should have the 'Shuffle Songs/Categories' mode ticked.

Odd too that your playback starts from the oldest Year, I would have expected it to start from the top of the list and work down. Unless you have changed the List Options sorting order? Check by tapping the three-dots icon at the top of the Years view. By default, List Options should be set to 'By Year', and with the Reverse box unticked.  

Andre

[cees]

@andrewilley Thanks for the swift reply. Indeed I have these set as you describe. Attached are some screen shots.

[andrewilley]

Try turning No Reshuffle off, see if that makes a difference, it might not be updating correctly to your new shuffled sequence?

Andre

[cees]

@andrewilley Great!! I switched off No Reshuffle and it behaves correctly now. It shuffles the year category  and shuffles the songs in the category, when all songs have been played then  moves onto next random year category. Thank you!!

 

Since this is not a bug but my own misunderstanding should this bug post remain or should i delete?

[andrewilley]

Glad its working for you now.

I'll leave this topic open though, partly in case anyone else encounters the same thing, but also as that setting technically should not cause the effect that you saw.  I suspect the 'No Reshuffle' option should get overridden when you actually do ask it to do a new Shuffle.

Andre