[bt017]

I am copying my PDF files onto an SD card from my mac. Part of the problem on the mac side is that I'm also copying those invisible spotlight indexing files that start with a period. For example, "All the things you are.pdf" has a corresponding file called ".All the things you are.pdf" or something like that, for spotlight indexing.
ANYHOO, the older version of mobile sheets would ignore those files that start with a period. HOWEVER, this newer version is IMPORTING those files. So, now I've got double the library size... except that those files that start with a period won't open.
you know what I mean?
I've been trying in vain to delete that spotlight info... but I can't seem to pull it off.
Any advice?

[Snard]

I don't have a Mac so I can't test this, but the following article describes how to disable spotlight indexing on specific folders/drives:

http://osxdaily.com/2011/12/30/exclude-d...-mac-os-x/

Please let us know if this works for you.

[bt017]

Yeah, I already knew that trick...but unfortunately, I've already got 1000 files that begin with a "._"
That's a period and an underscore.
I'm messing with it right now. See what I can figure out.

[GraemeJ]

Not a Mac user, but from what I read, it seems to me that what you really need is something that is capable of bulk renaming files. In the good old days of DOS and CPM, this was as easy as falling off a greasy log, with modern OS's such simple functions become harder and harder to achieve.

As a Windows user, I use a program called Total Commander which, apart from being way superior to Windows File Explorer has a load of useful features - including a very powerful renaming tool. It would rip though your 1,000 files in seconds, deleting the offending characters

Although written for Windows, a little net search revealed that it can also be run on a Mac, details here - http://www.codeweavers.com/via/totalcommander8

I can only suggest you check it out and see what it can do for you.

[bumblebee]

From the Mac app store I purchased:
Batch file rename
It buik processes names of files. You will find it has 'trim characters from the start' (as well as serialize, replace, add, suffix, prefix, trim from end).

I always duplicate the folder and bulk process that one, especially if you have a number of different amendments to do after each other.

I thought it was a little expensive when I purchased it, but it has saved a lot of time. I use it for organizing my various music files, adding initials of singers to file names, the transpose instrument etc.

[bt017]

no dudes, I think something weirder is happening. So... I go in terminal and look at the folders in UNIX, and I can't find them! It's weird. example: in mobile sheets I have "._all the things you are", but when I look in that folder on the mac, or in unix, I DON'T SEE THAT FILE! WEIRD!
Hey, someone want a copy of my folder? You can check it out on your computer and tell me what you see.

[bumblebee]

Sorry I needed to work through what you had done. What about this?
http://hints.macworld.com/article.php?st...1015454108
Then you can delete them?
(Work on a copy of the folder to be safe)

[bt017]

Yup.. tried that already. and I DON'T see the files in there! WEIRD! Something funny is going on.
ANYWAY... I uploaded everything to drop box, then downloaded it straight into MS...
when I woke up this morning, it had imported the 2000 or so songs and NOT the 4000!! I thought I had fixed it.. but then I get that error that says something like "cannot find path to external storage or something like that" and also there's nothing on my SD card.
SOOOO.. now I'm downloading that dropbox uploaded copy onto my mac and going to try using THAT copy.
Maybe uploading the folder to dropbox got rid of the invisible file gremlins.

[bt017]

Didn't work. There's a way to delete the .dsstore files... I'm going to try that later. In the past, mobile sheets would import all the files, then say such and such files failed to import, and it would list those files that started with ._

[bt017]

So I deleted the .ds_store files... still getting a whole bunch of songs added that start with a period. Is there a way to get mobilesheets to ignore file names that start with a period?

[bumblebee]

I was thinking on the Mac if you list them by Kind then shift click the first and last of the visible ones and drag them to a new folder, you might only have the visible ones (the invisible ones will be listing in kind below or above.)
I wonder if you need to completely trash MS so it does not remember anything, there might be a cache somewhere that is thinking the invisibles are still somewhere.
Or you could try just transferring 100 of them (using Mac) into a folder and try that first.
I hope you get it worked out.

[bt017]

No, there's something else going on here. I grabbed a copy of this app:
http://sw.ixoft.com/folderwasher/

It deleted the DS Store files that come from mac files. I used "find any file" app to find all invisible files in that folder, and there's nothing there!

I'm going to post a video.

---

Here it is:
http://youtu.be/_5K5kE8gPZE

---

FIXED!!!

I used this:
http://www.zeroonetwenty.com/blueharvest/

[bt017]

This is for the nerdy mac people that are good with unix commands.
Do get rid of invisible mac files, try the dot_clean command.
Go into terminal, at the prompt type: dot_clean /volume/location/

What I usually do is type dot_clean, then drag the folder right into the terminal window. It will put the path in there for you.

Good luck!

[bt017]

I finally did get this fixed. I figured out the problem I was having. Is anyone interested in the solution?

[GraemeJ]

Won't make any difference to me, personally.

However, why not just publish the solution anyway? Then, anyone searching the forum, looking to cure a similar problem, will find it and not need to start another thread on the same subject.