Multiple inventory files

[zorbaelbudha]

I don't know if this is possible now, but I will like to have the ability to use several inventory files, so I could track different inventories (as I am for now the caretaker of the collections of a couple of friends of mine and want to keep them separately).

Also the option to be able to backup your inventories could be useful as I normally try to have a couple of backups if my main inventory file becomes corrupted.

[gaddlord]

I don't know if this is possible now, but I will like to have the ability to use several inventory files, so I could track different inventories

The New, Open, Save, Save As and Close menus will be available for the Collections too in the next versions. The feature is planned but not yet implemented.

[BigOck]

I have just now downloaded and am evaluating 1.8.2.1 and could really use the ability to save multiple collections.

I am not seeing how to do this... has it indeed been implemented?

Thanks!

[Azul]

I'm pretty sure there's no way to have more than one collection currently. I haven't tried it myself... and it would be rather inefficient, but maybe you could just have 2 copies of the portable version installed. That way each program would have its own collection file.

[Schwanke]

The easiest way to do multiple collections is two stage.

The collection file is read on running of the program and saved on exit so basically you want to copy the one you want to work with into the current file and copy out the one you want to save elsewhere. Its mtgstudio.collection for the installed version and mtgstudio_portable.collection for the portable version.

The other option which is what I do is when I want to load a collection I just delete everything in thec urrent collection and then import the collectoin I want to work with.

To save it I use the same copy it out of the saved file.

Theoretically you could use batch files if you really wanted to to automate the process but I was too lazy last time to do that. Might do that in the future if I need to handle more then 5 or 10. Gets tedious though writing the batch files and checking them for small errors so they dont eat your whole collection

[gaddlord]

Vote for this at http://mtgstudio.uservoice.com/forums/1 ... ?ref=title

[Anvil]

Hey all!

What I've done is whenever I close MTG Studio, I renamed the "mtgstudio.collection" file to something else. For instance, I have a collector's album of the Mirrodin block. So when I entered what was in the album, I renamed that entire file to "Mirrodin Album.collection" after closing MTG Studio. I find that whenever you do this, MTG Studio will recreate an empty "mtgstudio.collection" when opened again and not even read my renamed collection file. BUT, I can import my renamed file just fine. The only problem with THAT is that the import wizard asks to either append or merge the imported collection file. There is no option to clear it or open it separately (like having multiple documents open in MS Word or Libreoffice). So if I'm working on a different collection and I want to add something to my Mirrodin album file, I would have to close MTG Studio, rename or delete the mtgstudio.collection file (or clear out the collection I was working on), import my "Mirrodin Album.collection" file, modify the collection (add cards / remove cards /etc.), delete the old "Mirrodin Album.collection" file, and rename the created mtgstudio.collection to Mirrodin Album.collection. That's how I do it.

I think this will all be handled better once gaddlord is able to get to the New, Open, Save, Save As and Close features for collections. That is how Magic Workstation did it, and it would be even more awesome in MTG Studio.

Again, the way I do it in steps:
1. Open MTG Studio and create your collection as normal.
2. When done, close MTG Studio.
3. Go to the location where mtgstudio.collection file is created (usually in Windows 7 it's "C:\Users\YourUserName\AppData\Roaming\MTG Studio").
4. Rename the file to something that you'll recognize. ( CollectionName.collection )

Remember that once you rename the file, MTG Studio will automatically create mtgstudio.collection when you start the program. This will be a pain when you go to modify your collection when you're already working on another one.

To modify collection:
1. Open MTG Studio.
2. Import your renamed file. MAKE SURE YOU AREN'T WORKING ON SOMETHING, OR RENAME "mtgstudio.collection" FILE IF YOU ARE! Otherwise, you will lose whatever you are doing currently.
3. Make your changes.
4. Close MTG Studio.
5. If you had deleted or renamed "mtgstudio.collection", MTG Studio will create this file whenever it is opened and the file doesn't already exist. So now this is what your modified collection will be. You can confirm by checking the "Date modified" column in Windows Explorer.
6. Delete your original collection and rename this new/recent "mtgstudio.collection" to your collection name.

Hope all this helps. At least until file manipulation comes out in the newer versions.

[CptDobey]

Another way to do it is to install the portable version multiple times on different folders.
As an example:
c:\program files\MtgStudio
c:\program files\\MtgStudio_MTGO
c:\program files\\MtgStudio_Trade
...

I put the "card art" into c:\program files\MtgStudio and set up the configuration of c:\program files\\MtgStudio_MTGO to look into c:\program files\\MtgStudio\cart art instead of its default one. This way, I do not need to copy image files multiple times. You can probably delete the "My decks" directories in all but one installation folders as well.

You just have to create shortcuts to the differents .EXE files et voilà. You have different collections without the need to rename/delete/...

Apparently, you are not able to run multiple instance of MTG Studio at once, but maybe there is a flag somewhere to allow it. I didn't search for it

Anyway, I have a question: why don't you filter you collection with F3 (upper grid) or shift-F3 (for the lower grid) instead of creating multiple files (per collection) ?

[gaddlord]

I don't know if this is possible now, but I will like to have the ability to use several inventory files.

Vote for this at http://mtgstudio.uservoice.com/forums/16948-mtg-studio-suggestions/suggestions/191182-ability-to-have-multiple-collection-files. It is already requested feature number one but the more you vote the better.

Apparently, you are not able to run multiple instance of MTG Studio at once, but maybe there is a flag somewhere to allow it. I didn't search for it.

It is on quite low API level - trying to tamper it would result in program misbehaviour at least.

[Anvil]

@gaddlord

Hello! It's been a while since I've touched or played with MTG Studio. In fact, after I built my new PC, I had forgotten what the program was called, as I wanted to take another look at it, and it took me 20 minutes on Google to find it. Has there been any improvements in the "opening multiple inventory files" front?