Star ratings - how to change the number of levels possible?

[nigelcgn]

Hi All,
I've been using CATraxx for years and still love it.  It's wonderful that there are still small fixes and updates now and then - many thanks for Frederik for everything!

I use the rating system extensively and with discipline and have always been disappointed that you only have 6 levels - zero and 1-5 stars.  In other systems half-stars are also possible.  Then recently I saw that in the folder where these graphics are stored that half-star rating graphics exist... hmmm, if they exist surely they can be used?

However, after searching, going through all options and DB settings I can't find anywhere where I can define the number of levels, or how I can activate the half-star levels.  Maybe I'm being blind or a bit dumb...

If anybody knows the trick to make this possible, I would be really grateful for instructions.

Thanks in advance!

Nigel

[KAM]

Nigel

Very quick solution:

Go to the Lookup View - Personal Rating. You should find that displays all the current ratings, images, sort by's etc
Now just right-click in the display field. You should get the usual Add.., Edit.., Delete .., etc options in the context menu.
You can Add as many ratings as you wish and apply appropriate Images to these, or Edit the existing ratings and Images.

NOTE: It is a good idea (essential!) to edit all the Sort By values so that they are consecutive in the order you wish the Ratings to be shown. The actual ID numbers are not significant from the user's point-of-view. They are the internal database identities of each rating. The system maintains these.

Good luck!

[nigelcgn]

Dear Kam,

Thanks for the fast response. I just tried to do what you said, but the instructions don't make any sense for the options in the software interface:

"Go to the Lookup View ..." OK, no issue. In the left hand column/space under Personal Rating I see curiously four ratings shown, 5,3 2 & 1 star. I'm in the dafault layout.

"Now just right-click in the display field" ... I'm not sure what you mean by "display field". I can see how to change List Layouts, Grouping Definitions,sort orders, etc. In the main list window of entire data I can add another "Artist/Person". In the details window I can edit the artist that is currently highlighted...

Can you explain please where I should be clicking?

Thanks,

Nigel

[nigelcgn]

OK, I've found it now.

I needed to go to "View / Custom Views - Personal Ratings". Then it showed me the various personal ratings that exist in the "List field" - the large field on the right in the layout. Then I could edit all the entries in the way you can for other tables. I've done this before.

Hope that is useful for somebody else too! :-)

Nigel

[KAM]

Nigel - apologies. I think this may be down to the incredible (and at times, baffling!) flexibility of CATraxx.

I tend to use Explorer View as my default starting view.

At the left-hand edge of this I always have the full-height Views navigation/selection bar displayed. This bar can be folded entirely in to the left margin, so in other users' setups it may not appear. I'm not sure what the correct terminology is for the vertical dotted strip that acts as the fold/unfold command. It has two minute triangles at top and bottom of the dotted range, showing which direction the bar will move when the strip is left-clicked.

Anyway, when the Views bar is visible I see three groupings of Standard Views, Lookup Views and Custom Views in my setup. Right-clicking on the Views bar itself allows you to add/delete/modify the actual views that are presented in these three groups. You can also add/delete/modify Groups and cluster views in them wherever makes sense to you.

I've actually forgotten if there is a default never-fail menu sequence that will take you to the specific Lookup View for Personal Ratings. Perhaps it's just something that we add in or take out as we see fit to suit our own usage patterns.

I'm glad you eventually reached what you wanted, and apologies again for misleading you briefly.

[nigelcgn]

Hello KAM,

Apologies were not necessary, but it was very kind of you anyway. I agree that the program is very complex and we all have our own way of using it. For me that is the great power of this software - and amazingly (with a few safeguards!) it was possible to keep updating it without breaking one's own personal layout/preferences. I only wish other developers had been as good as Fredrik. If ever the software becomes incompatible with a new Windows version I will be devastated!

I start of with Album CD-cover view as I strongly relate the music to the cover pictures. However I know the left Views navigation window that you refer to - another of the small but, according to usage, very helpful features of the SW. It seems your groups are indeed personalised - another cornucopia of options that I haven't investigated yet!

Happy listening!