DICE iPod unit playlist navigation mode

mr_zorg · 03-11-2007, 11:24 PM

I've heard a number of people gripe about the playlist navigation in the DICE iPod unit, and have found it a bit lacking myself. So I decided to come up with a solution. Here's what I did:

Create your XYZ playlist.
Go to this website: http://www.research.att.com/~ttsweb/tts/demo.php
Enter some text to introduce your playlist, I used "This is the XYZ playlist."
Click Download.
Drag the wav file into iTunes and rename it to "!! XYZ Playlist".
If your playlist is a manual playlist, drag this file into it. Otherwise add it to a smart playlist by using the "Name is '!! XYZ Playlist'" condition.
Sort the playlist by name.

Now the "!! XYZ Playlist" file will be the first file in the playlist. So when you're navigating through playlists in CD 2 mode, the playlist filename will show on the display since it's the first file. And it will give you an audio cue while you're driving so you don't need to take your eyes off the road.

aaf709 · 04-07-2007, 10:34 PM

Thanks for the tip!

I had memorized the first song of each playlist, but I like this better.

LurkAzusa · 04-08-2007, 12:28 AM

You, sir, are brilliant! Thanks for the solution!

Vagabond · 07-11-2007, 04:28 PM

Bump for the gentleman on the phone with me right now.

mr_zorg · 07-24-2007, 12:07 AM

Someone had mentioned in another DICE thread that this trick isn't working anymore. I hadn't resync'd my iPod in a while, but I see now they're right. It looks like Apple has changed their sorting routines to sort letters before numbers or symbols, so the "!! ...whatever..." naming convention winds up on the bottom. Oddly enough, if the numbers or symbols FOLLOW a letter, they then sort to the top of that letter group. Long story short, took a bit of fiddling, but I found if you replace my original filename prefix suggestion of "!!" with "A___" it seems to function back the way we want.

EDIT: Correction. More accurately, it seems to sort items starting with symbols as if the symbols weren't there. So "!! B..." would sort in with the B's...

03-11-2007, 11:24 PM	#1
mr_zorg Senior Member Join Date: Sep 2006 Location: NorCal Posts: 288 My Car: 2006 Prius Package: #6 Nominated 0 Times in 0 Posts TOTM Awards: 0 Friends: 0	I've heard a number of people gripe about the playlist navigation in the DICE iPod unit, and have found it a bit lacking myself. So I decided to come up with a solution. Here's what I did: Create your XYZ playlist. Go to this website: http://www.research.att.com/~ttsweb/tts/demo.php Enter some text to introduce your playlist, I used "This is the XYZ playlist." Click Download. Drag the wav file into iTunes and rename it to "!! XYZ Playlist". If your playlist is a manual playlist, drag this file into it. Otherwise add it to a smart playlist by using the "Name is '!! XYZ Playlist'" condition. Sort the playlist by name. Now the "!! XYZ Playlist" file will be the first file in the playlist. So when you're navigating through playlists in CD 2 mode, the playlist filename will show on the display since it's the first file. And it will give you an audio cue while you're driving so you don't need to take your eyes off the road. __________________ 2006 Prius - Silver Pine Mica - Pkg. #6 - 17000 miles - 41.5 mpg average Current Mods: EV Mode, DICE iPod, Anytime Reverse Camera, BT Motion Override Pending Mods: MFD Video Input

Similar Threads
Thread	Thread Starter	Forum	Replies	Last Post
DICE Prius iPod Integration Unit now works for the 2006!	Danny	Audio and Electronics	593	12-19-2007 11:05 PM
Sirius/ DICE HD done but problems Ipod playlist control	sdp1969	Audio and Electronics	5	06-01-2007 09:36 PM
DICE iPod Integration Unit now for sale in the Shop!	Danny	Sponsored Commercial Sales	16	04-27-2007 02:51 PM
Dice Unit UR Mode?	augustson	Audio and Electronics	6	12-15-2006 04:54 PM
DICE IPOD Unit Queston	egoebelbecker	Audio and Electronics	1	08-16-2006 05:36 PM

04-07-2007, 10:34 PM	#2
aaf709 Ravenpaw of ThunderClan Join Date: Apr 2005 Location: San Diego, CA Posts: 3,831 My Car: 2005 Prius Package: #6 Nominated 0 Times in 0 Posts TOTM Awards: 0 Friends: 0	Thanks for the tip! I had memorized the first song of each playlist, but I like this better.

04-08-2007, 12:28 AM	#3
LurkAzusa Senior Member Join Date: Feb 2005 Location: Azusa, CA Posts: 126 My Car: Package: Nominated 0 Times in 0 Posts TOTM Awards: 0 Friends: 0	You, sir, are brilliant! Thanks for the solution!

07-11-2007, 04:28 PM	#4
Vagabond Senior Member Join Date: Nov 2005 Location: DICE Headquarters :o Posts: 1,196 My Car: 2005 Prius Package: #7 Nominated 0 Times in 0 Posts TOTM Awards: 0 Friends: 0	Bump for the gentleman on the phone with me right now.

07-24-2007, 12:07 AM	#5
mr_zorg Senior Member Join Date: Sep 2006 Location: NorCal Posts: 288 My Car: 2006 Prius Package: #6 Nominated 0 Times in 0 Posts TOTM Awards: 0 Friends: 0	Someone had mentioned in another DICE thread that this trick isn't working anymore. I hadn't resync'd my iPod in a while, but I see now they're right. It looks like Apple has changed their sorting routines to sort letters before numbers or symbols, so the "!! ...whatever..." naming convention winds up on the bottom. Oddly enough, if the numbers or symbols FOLLOW a letter, they then sort to the top of that letter group. Long story short, took a bit of fiddling, but I found if you replace my original filename prefix suggestion of "!!" with "A___" it seems to function back the way we want. EDIT: Correction. More accurately, it seems to sort items starting with symbols as if the symbols weren't there. So "!! B..." would sort in with the B's...