Add Books: Adding Folders instead of Files to the Library?

[ygreq]

Hi folks!

I use Calibre for all of my collections (books, comic books, audiobooks and even movies). But I always have an issue when I try to add some media that comes with more than one file.

For example if I try to add an audiobook that is split in multiple chapters or files I have the following option. I add all the files into an .iso file and add that file into Calibre. This worked great for many years. But recently I started using self-hosted apps for my media files and I started to run into issues because I have iso instead of mp3s, AVIs etc. For example I use Jellyfin to see my movie collection and Audiobookshelf for my audiobooks collection. And of course they are not able to play inside of iso files so they ignore the iso files completely.

Of course there is another possibility to add each file separately. But 2 big problems come to mind. 1. If you are trying to add the files into a player, you will have to drag each file from their own folder created by Calibre into a single folder to be able to actually play the audiobook in a player. 2. If the audiobook comes with 10, 20 or even more separate files, imagine streching all that in the Calibre library. Brrrr

Being able to actually add a folder instead of a file as a "book" would solve this issue completely. I would truly appreciate having this option. Even as a plugin.

Thank you so much!
ygr

[DaltonST]

Originally Posted by ygreq

Hi folks!

I use Calibre for all of my collections (books, comic books, audiobooks and even movies). But I always have an issue when I try to add some media that comes with more than one file.

For example if I try to add an audiobook that is split in multiple chapters or files I have the following option. I add all the files into an .iso file and add that file into Calibre. This worked great for many years. But recently I started using self-hosted apps for my media files and I started to run into issues because I have iso instead of mp3s, AVIs etc. For example I use Jellyfin to see my movie collection and Audiobookshelf for my audiobooks collection. And of course they are not able to play inside of iso files so they ignore the iso files completely.

Of course there is another possibility to add each file separately. But 2 big problems come to mind. 1. If you are trying to add the files into a player, you will have to drag each file from their own folder created by Calibre into a single folder to be able to actually play the audiobook in a player. 2. If the audiobook comes with 10, 20 or even more separate files, imagine streching all that in the Calibre library. Brrrr

Being able to actually add a folder instead of a file as a "book" would solve this issue completely. I would truly appreciate having this option. Even as a plugin.

Thank you so much!
ygr

Personally, I use a .7z archive as a 'folder'. Cannot use a .zip, of course, since that is an ebook format in Calibre.


https://www.7-zip.org/



DaltonST

[BetterRed]

I add a playlist file to the 'book' that references files that I keep elsewhere - e.g. in my Music and Video directories. I create the playlists with VLC.

BR

[ygreq]

Originally Posted by DaltonST

Cannot use a .zip, of course, since that is an ebook format in Calibre.

DaltonST

You mean it transforms the zip into a .cbz? You can remove that option from the Settings.

But I believe you still can't access the zip via an app like https://www.audiobookshelf.org/ :/ I will try just in case.