Overview

Use AMC Updater for batch or global updates to already existing content of your AMC database, or perform maintenance tasks, like conditionally change the contents of selected fields, delete, update or copy values, update fanart. NFO files or backup your database to nfo files.

Introduction

The Update Movies tab allows you to perform the following 'batch' updates, (either on all or selected movies in your AMC catalog by defining parameters to select which records to update):

• update, delete or copy a field, values or strings in a field
• update or delete record(s)
• download fanart
• update NFO files (as of V 6.0.0)
• backup data to NFO files (as of V 6.0.0)

The options available depend on the operation you choose - e.g. Update Record will show you options to choose internet grabber script and options that are not visible in some other operations.

Note: See the tutorials listed under Related pages (at the bottom of this page) for more detailed instructions on performing each type of update operation.

Settings

The settings on the Database Fields, Scan Paths and Filters and Options tabs also apply to Update Movies.

Note: You may change any settings in AMC Updater and use them temporarily for an Update. They will not be saved permanently unless you select Save from the File Menu.

You also can change settings and save them with a different filename. To start AMC Updater automatically with your custom settings file, you have to set the config file as start parameter.

To learn more about AMC Updater configuration settings and custom settings, see AMC Updater.

Update Movies

Note: As of v 6.0.0 AMC4 extended fields are supported when updating movies for AMC4 catalog types. However, if you are using a previous configuration, you must 're-create' it using the option on the Import tab in Setup to display the extended fields.

Operation

To select which database records should be affected, change the values in the Parameters sections. By doing so, you can perform the operation  either on all records or limit it to certain records.

Select your operation type, as follows:

Single field updates

• Update Value  - replace field with a value, add , insert, replace or remove a string  or update a single field in the database
• Delete Value - delete the contents of a  single field from the database
• Copy Value - copy the content of one field to another field

Note: 

• If you select 'Update Value' you must enter the database field you want to update, and the value you wish to set.
• If you select 'Delete Value' must  enter the database field to delete
• the fields selected on the Database Fields tab do NOT apply to Single Field updates since you select the field you wish to update.

Multiple Field Updates

• Update Record - scan and update the fields selected on the Database Fields Tab with:
  • only missing data
  • only with non-empty data

Note: When you select 'Update Record', 'Internet Grabber Options' display, allowing you to select your Internet Grabber script file and Grabber override options, the same as for import operations (see Import Movies Tab > Internet Grabber Options ). Thus you can temporarily select different grabbers/options for different updates.  These options are only saved if you save your AMCU config settings.

 Tip: Save custom AMCU settings you may wish to use again to a new file name so they do not get overwritten when My Films syncs your settings when you save a config.

Record Updates

• Delete Record -  delete a whole entry from the database  (see also Delete Films)
• Download fanart - adds or updates fanart for the record
• Update NFO - adds or updates NFO files  based on the current data in the record
  • don't overwrite existing - adds NFO only if missing
• Delete  NFO  - deletes NFO file 

Parameters - Selected Records

You can always enable 'Update all records' check box to apply your change to all records in the database.

Or, you can set conditions for any of the above operations to restrict it to certain records of your database/catalog based on any AMC field, with a choice of possible operators:

• =  - database field must match the given value
• != - database field must be different from the given value
• LIKE - performs a case-insensitive comparison, so entering ‘bob’ will match records with a value of ‘SpongeBob’)
• NOT LIKE - inverted LIKE
• EXISTS - selected field must contain a value in the database
• NOT EXISTS - selected field must be empty or not stored
• > - "greater than" string comparison
• < - "lesser than" string comparison 
• >Num - "greater than"  numeric comparison
• <Num - "lesser than" numeric comparison

For more sophisticated conditions, you can select AND or OR from the drop-down list and add a second set of parameters.

Example: "all movies since 2008 with source path not containing 'series' ":

• DB Field= Year, Operator= >Num, Value=2008

and

• DB Field= Source, Operator= >NOT LIKE, Value=Series 

The selected operation will be performed only on those records meeting the conditions defined by the Parameter Settings.

Test

Once you have set the parameters as needed, click 'Test Params'. The log window will show you a list of database entries which match your parameters and a summary of the number of records matched,. e.g. "Ready to Proceed. 268 Records Matched". Check the log before proceeding to ensure it lists the records, and only the records you wish to update.

If you are happy with the output, click 'Apply Changes' and the database will be updated with the changes defined in "Operation".

Related

Tutorials

• Copy Value (Intermediate)
• Delete Value (Intermediate)
• Update or Delete NFO files (Intermediate)
• Update Record (Intermediate)
• Update Value (Intermediate)