Fbrowser/readme.md

FBrowser - Enhanced File Browser with Audio Tools

A powerful file browser application with special focus on audio file handling, MIDI playback, and archive management.

Features

• Advanced File Browser: Browse directories with tree view and file list
• Audio Playback: Built-in player for various audio formats (Via Qt Media powered by ffmpeg)
• MIDI Player: Full-featured MIDI player with playlist management (synthesis of midi's powered by fluidsynth)
• Metadata Extraction: View and explore audio file metadata
• Archive Management: Extract ZIP, RAR, and 7z archives # Not fully implemented no way to use this outside of a custom debugger tool. (not included)
• Timer Utility: Built-in countdown timer with audio alerts
• Hover Tooltips: Quick metadata preview by hovering over audio files

Requirements

• Python 3.6+ (maybe 3.8 or newer)
• PyQt6
• FluidSynth (for MIDI playback)
• Mido (MIDI handling library)
• Mutagen (audio metadata extraction)
• py7zr and rarfile (archive handling)
• SoundFont (.sf2) files for MIDI playback
• ifireflylib (Database System)

Installation

1. Clone the repository

git clone https://gitea.innovativedevsolutions.org/stan44/Fbrowser.git
cd fbroswer

2. Install dependencies

pip install pyqt6 fluidsynth-midi mido mutagen py7zr rarfile numpy sounddevice ifireflylib

3. Install FluidSynth

• Windows: Download from FluidSynth website (you can also use choco chocolatey website)
• Windows Choco: choco install fluidsynth
• macOS: brew install fluid-synth
• Linux: sudo apt-get install fluidsynth

4. Download a SoundFont

• Download a .sf2 file (like FluidR3_GM.sf2)
• Place it in a "SoundFonts" directory in the application folder

Usage

Starting the Application

python Fbrowser.py

Basic Navigation

• Use the tree view on the left to navigate directories
• Double-click files in the right panel to open/play them
• Use address bar for direct navigation
• Back/Forward/Up buttons for quick navigation

Audio and MIDI Playback

• Double-click audio files to play them
• Use media controls at the bottom for playback
• Click "Open MidPlay" for advanced MIDI playback

Advanced Features

• Right-click on files/folders for context menu options
• Extract archives directly from the browser
• Scan directories to find audio files
• Extract and view metadata

Components Overview

Fbrowser.py

The main application file implementing the file browser interface with audio playback capabilities.

MidPlay.py

A specialized MIDI player with:

• Playlist management
• SoundFont selection
• Volume control
• Playback controls (play, pause, next, previous)

ScanOrg101.py

Handles file scanning, metadata extraction, and archive operations:

• Recursive directory scanning
• Audio metadata extraction using Mutagen
• Archive extraction (ZIP, RAR, 7z)

timer_m.py

A countdown timer with:

• Customizable hours, minutes, seconds
• Audio alerts on completion
• Start/stop/reset functionality

Customization

Changing Default SoundFont

The application will attempt to find a suitable SoundFont file automatically. If none is found, you'll be prompted to select one. You can change it anytime via the MidPlay interface.

File Type Filtering

Edit the allowed_extensions list in FileFilterProxyModel class in ScanOrg101.py to change which file types are displayed.

Troubleshooting

No Sound in MIDI Playback

• Ensure FluidSynth is properly installed
• Verify a valid SoundFont (.sf2) file is loaded
• Check system audio settings

Archive Extraction Issues

• Ensure you have proper permissions in the target directory
• For RAR files, make sure UnRAR is installed on your system

License

MIT License

Credits

• FluidSynth for MIDI synthesis
• PyQt6 for the user interface
• Mutagen for audio metadata handling
• Stanton for Project fbrowser, Timer_m, and MidPlay the fbrowser is the foundation of this project.

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Note: This project is under development. Feedback and contributions are welcome!