Nested Smart Playlist

Yeah, I thought of that. But there is nothing below what you see in my screenshot in the other thread - just 'rubber-bands' back down.

Nevertheless, clicking the "+" button on the "last top level rule", as you suggest, simply adds a nested rule to the last top-level rule - not a new top level rule. Puzzling...

Okay, here's the fix...

Move the cursor to the right of one of the nested rules before the minus/plus sign.

Click the mouse and you can drag the rules and rearrange them.

Drag a nested playlist (not and Any/All rule) to the top above the first Any/All rule and you can then add more top level rules.

JohnTheMacGeek wrote:

How do I add another top rule to this smart playlist? When I hold down the Option key it and click the "..." button it only adds another nested line.

Don't hold down the Option key and click on the plus + sign.

Click on the plus sign of the last top level rule. This adds another rule at the same level.

tt2

I'm having the same problem as well.

Is it possible that there is a limit to the number of rules you can have? I have 4 top-level rules but more nested ones, whereas John here has 5 top-level but fewer nested. Neither of us can add any further top-level rules.

My thread and screenshot are here:

https://discussions.apple.com/thread/4504589?answerId=20274908022#20274908022

I wonder if the Mac is failing to show you that you can scroll that screen after adding more rules. I can add dozens & dozens of rules, though nested no more than 6 levels deep!

By and large you don't often need more than two levels Two groups of match any rules, the first lumping togther the things to include, the second things to exclude, joined together with a match all will usually do.

(This, or this, or this...) AND (Not this, nor this, nor this...)

tt2

Hmm, I'll have another look when I get home.

tt2

turingtest2 wrote:

I wonder if the Mac is failing to show you that you can scroll that screen after adding more rules.

Mountain Lion kindly hides the scroll bars for you in iTunes. Move the cursor and However...

Nested playlists are kinda flaky in regards to this specific issue.

You can only add equal level rules to the one you select.

Clicking the plus/ellipsis in an Any/All rule will only give you sub-rules

See the photos above. Everything on the far left is only Any/All rules so you cannot add anymore rules at this level.

(does this make sense?)

To fix it, there should be a ctrl option click (or something) to give you an anti-sub-rule rule (but there isn't).

Cannot add a top level rule...

Can add top level rule by option click the ellipsis at end of Artist rule.

Yes! That works. Sure isn't very intuative. However, you must be able to create a new top-level rule easier than this.

It use to be that turingtest2's suggestion worked in previous verisons of iTunes. But that no longer is the case. So what did they replace that ability with? This 'create & drag' method? I've been using Mac's since the 80's and would have never figured that out.

Thank you Chris! If you respond to the thread I created for this question (link above) I'd be happy to shoot some points your way. 🙂

Glenn Carter wrote:

Yes! That works. Sure isn't very intuative.

I just found this option.

Messing around I created a playlist and clicked the plus to add a bunch of rules. Then while deleting the rules, I clicked and dragged a slight bit and noticed the rule moved.

No worries here about the points...

Thanks, Chris. This one has been bugging me ever since I started editing some of my complex smart playlists to incorporate the iCloud status and Location fields. It would be nice if Apple added this little gem to their help file. There's no indication that dragging the rules around would have any impact on the top level order. And it sure isn't intuitive. I like the Ctrl+Option Click idea (which I tried) and I tried dragging the rule to the left (to no avail). At least we CAN create complex playlists so I'm grateful for that.

(iTunes 11 on 10.8.2)

I have this exact problem, and the solution looked appropriate for me. However, it doesn't seem to work with iTunes 11.0.3. There is no gray "condition will land here" indicator when I move one to the top. I will upgrade iTunes when I have a chance, and then try again. Apple needs to address this.

Bri Guy wrote:

I have this exact problem, and the solution looked appropriate for me. However, it doesn't seem to work with iTunes 11.0.3. There is no gray "condition will land here" indicator when I move one to the top.

What is "gray "condition will land here"" ?

I guess that was a little cryptic. When dragging a condition with the mouse to move it, a thick, faint gray line will appear where the item you are dragging will land if you release the mouse. However, I do not see this when I attempt to drag-and-drop the condition to the top, as described in the workaround.

I "solved" my problem by copying another smart playlist that had all of the setup I wanted (5 star, not played in 7 days; 4 star, not played in 14; etc), but for another genre (Jazz instead of Christmas). Then I changed the genre for all of the entries.