Plex Meta Manager can dynamically create collections based on different criteria, such as
* Collections based on the Collections from TMDb for every item in the library. ([Star Wars](https://www.themoviedb.org/collection/10-star-wars-collection), [The Lord of the Rings](https://www.themoviedb.org/collection/119), etc...)
* Collections based on each of a Users Trakt Lists
* Collections for the top `X` popular people on TMDb (Bruce Willis, Tom Hanks, etc...)
* Collections for each decade represented in the library (Best of 1990s, Best of 2000s, etc...)
* Collections for each of the moods/styles within a Music library (A Cappella, Pop Rock, etc...)
The main purpose of dynamic collections is to automate the creation of collections which would otherwise require considerable user input and repetition (such as creating a collection for every genre).
Each dynamic collection must have a mapping name (just like standard collections), which is also attached to the collection as a label to mark it as having been created by this dynamic collection.
This example will create a collection for every TMDb Collection associated with items in the library.
```yaml
dynamic_collections:
TMDb Collections: # This name is the mapping name
type: tmdb_collections
remove_suffix: "Collection"
```
## Collection Naming
By default, the collections generated will be named for the thing being used to create them; things like genres, countries, actors or even Trakt List Names.
There are many attributes that can change the titles, including `title_format`, `remove_suffix`, `remove_prefix`, `pre_format_override`, and `post_format_override` all detailed below.
## Dynamic Keys & Titles
A `dynamic key` or `key` for short is used to refer to a specific value/result from the dynamic collection criteria that will be used to create the collection.
A `title` in this case is the name that replaces `<<title>>` in `title_format` to create the collection titles for each key.
An example of some keys that would be generated from a `genre` dynamic collection are; "Animation", "Horror" and "Comedy"
### Example Key Usage
Keys can be used for a number of purposes, examples can be found throughout this page. A few examples are shown below:
* Excluding the "Horror" key from the `Genre` dynamic collection definition
```yaml
dynamic_collections:
Genres: # mapping name does not matter, just needs to be unique
type: genre
exclude:
- Horror
```
* Using the `keys` attribute to change the formatting of "France" to "French" so that a collection can be named "French Cinema" instead of simply "France"
* This particular example also uses the `title_format` attribute to manipulate the naming convention of the collections.
```yaml
dynamic_collections:
Countries: # mapping name does not matter, just needs to be unique
type: country
title_format: <<country>> Cinema
pre_format_override:
France: French
```
* Using the `addons` attribute to combine multiple `keys`, i.e. merging "MTV", "MTV2", "MTV3" and "MTV (UK)" into one "MTV Worldwide" collection.
* When doing this, individual collections will not be created for the individual MTV collections, instead they will be merged within the "MTV Worldwide" collection.
| [`type`](#type--data) | Type of Dynamic Collection to be created. | ✅ |
| [`data`](#type--data) | Data to determine how dynamic collections with a certain `type` are created. | Depends on `type` |
| [`exclude`](#exclude) | Exclude this list of keys from being created into collections. | ❌ |
| [`addons`](#addons) | Defines how multiple keys can be combined under a parent key. | ❌ |
| [`template`](#template) | Name of the template to use for these dynamic collections. | ❌ |
| [`template_variables`](#template-variables) | Defines how template variables can be defined by key. | ❌ |
| [`remove_suffix`](#remove-prefixsuffix) | Removes the defined suffixes from the key before it's used in the collection title. | ❌ |
| [`remove_prefix`](#remove-prefixsuffix) | Removes the defined prefixes from the key before it's used in the collection title. | ❌ |
| [`title_format`](#title-format) | This is the format for the collection titles. | ❌ |
| [`pre_format_override`](#pre-format-override) | Defines how titles can be overridden before they are formatted into collection titles. | ❌ |
| [`post_format_override`](#post-format-override) | Defines how collection titles can be overridden ignoring title formatting. | ❌ |
| [`test`](#test) | Will add `test: true` to all collections for test runs. | ❌ |
| [`sync`](#sync) | Will remove dynamic collections that are no longer in the creation list. | ❌ |
| [`include`](#include) | Define a list of keys to be made into collections. | ❌ |
| [`other_name`](#other-name) | Used in combination with `include`. When defined, all keys not in `include` or `addons` will be combined into this collection. | ❌ |
## Type & Data
Specifies the type of dynamic collection to be created.
Depending on the `type` of dynamic collection, `data` is used to specify the options that are required to fulfill the requirements of creating the collection.
| Type Option | Description | Uses<br>`data` | Movies | Shows | Music | Video |
| [`tmdb_collection`](#tmdb-collection) | Create a collection for each TMDb Collection associated with an item in the library | ❌ | ✅ | ❌ | ❌ | ❌ |
| [`tmdb_popular_people`](#tmdb-popular-people) | Create a collection for each actor found on [TMDb's Popular People List](https://www.themoviedb.org/person) | ✅ | ✅ | ✅ | ❌ | ❌ |
| [`trakt_user_lists`](#trakt-user-lists) | Create a collection for each list from specific trakt users | ✅ | ✅ | ✅ | ❌ | ❌ |
| [`trakt_liked_lists`](#trakt-liked-lists) | Create a collection for each list the authenticated trakt user likes | ❌ | ✅ | ✅ | ❌ | ❌ |
| [`trakt_people_list`](#trakt-people-lists) | Create a collection for each actor found in the trakt list | ✅ | ✅ | ✅ | ❌ | ❌ |
| [`actor`](#actor) | Create a collection for each actor found in the library | ✅ | ✅ | ✅ | ❌ | ❌ |
| [`genre`](#genre) | Create a collection for each genre found in the library | ❌ | ✅ | ✅ | ✅ | ✅ |
| [`year`](#year) | Create a collection for each year found in the library | ❌ | ✅ | ✅ | ❌ | ❌ |
| [`decade`](#decade) | Create a collection for each decade found in the library | ❌ | ✅ | ❌ | ❌ | ❌ |
| [`country`](#country) | Create a collection for each country found in the library | ❌ | ✅ | ❌ | ✅ | ✅ |
| [`network`](#network) | Create a collection for each network found in the library | ❌ | ❌ | ✅ | ❌ | ❌ |
| [`mood`](#mood) | Create a collection for each mood found in the library | ❌ | ❌ | ❌ | ✅ | ❌ |
| [`style`](#style) | Create a collection for each style found in the library | ❌ | ❌ | ❌ | ✅ | ❌ |
### TMDb Collection
Create collections based on the TMDb Collections associated with items in the library.
* Create a collection for the top movies from each country found in the library
* Name the collection Top [Country] Cinema
* The `keys` attribute is used here in combination with the `title_format` to change the collection name from "France" which would be the default title, to "Top French Cinema"
```yaml
dynamic_collections:
Countries: # mapping name does not matter just needs to be unique
type: country
title_format: Top <<country>> Cinema
pre_format_override:
France: French
Germany: German
India: Indian
```
### Network
Create a collection for each network found in the library.
<td><code>Most Played <<title>><<library_type>>s</code></td>
</tr>
<tr>
<th>Default Template</th>
<td>
```yaml
default_template:
smart_filter:
limit: 50
sort_by: plays.desc
any:
artist_style: <<style>>
```
</td>
</tr>
</table>
#### Example:
* Create a collection for the top 10 albums for each style found in the Music library
* Name the collection Top [Style] Albums
```yaml
templates:
style collection:
smart_filter:
limit: 10
sort_by: plays.desc
type: albums
all:
album_style: <<style>>
dynamic_collections:
Styles: # mapping name does not matter just needs to be unique
type: style
title_format: Top <<title>> Albums
template: style collection
```
## Exclude
Exclude this list of `keys` from being created into collections.
For example when making a `genre` dynamic collection definition you can exclude "Horror" from having a collection created from the key.
```yaml
dynamic_collections:
Genres: # mapping name does not matter, just needs to be unique
type: genre
exclude:
- Horror
```
## Addons
Defines how multiple `keys` can be combined under a parent key.
For example, the `addons` attribute can be used to combine multiple `keys`, i.e. merging "MTV", "MTV2", "MTV3" and "MTV (UK)" into one "MTV Worldwide" collection.
* When doing this, individual collections will not be created for the individual MTV collections, instead they will be merged within the "MTV Worldwide" collection.
```yaml
dynamic_collections:
networks:
type: network
addons:
MTV Worldwide:
- MTV
- MTV2
- MTV3
- MTV (UK)
```
## Template
Name of the template to use for these dynamic collections. Each `type` has its own default template, but if you want to define and use your own template you can.
For example, the template below removes the limit on the `smart_filter` so it shows all items in each network
```yaml
templates:
network collection:
smart_filter:
sort_by: critic_rating.desc
all:
network: <<network>>
dynamic_collections:
Networks: # mapping name does not matter just needs to be unique
type: network
title_format: <<title>>
template: network collection
```
## Template Variables
Defines how template variables can be defined by key.
For example, when using `type: tmdb_collections` and you want to define a poster url for some collections
Removes the defined prefixes/suffixes from the key before it’s used in the collection title.
For example, when using `type: tmdb_collections` you may not want every collection title to end with `Collection`
```yaml
dynamic_collections:
TMDb Collections: # This name is the mapping name
type: tmdb_collections
remove_suffix: "Collection"
```
## Title Format
This is the format for the collection titles.
there are two special tags you can include in the `title_format`
*`<<title>>` is required and is what will be replaced by the dynamic title
*`<<library_type>>` will be replaced with either Movie, Show, or Artist depending on your library type.
Here's an example using `title_format`.
```yaml
dynamic_collections:
Genres: # mapping name does not matter just needs to be unique
type: genre
title_format: Top 50 <<title>> <<library_type>>s
```
## Pre Format Override
Defines how titles can be overridden before they are formatted into collection titles.
This example uses the `pre_format_override` attribute to change the formatting of "France" to "French" so that a collection can be named "French Cinema" instead of simply "France"
* This particular example also uses the `title_format` attribute to manipulate the naming convention of the collections.
```yaml
dynamic_collections:
Countries: # mapping name does not matter, just needs to be unique
type: country
title_format: <<country>> Cinema
pre_format_override:
France: French
```
## Post Format Override
Defines how collection titles can be overridden ignoring title formatting.
Here's an example using `post_format_override` that will override the TMDb Star Wars collection which has an TMDb ID of `10` with `Star Wars Universe.
```yaml
dynamic_collections:
TMDb Collections: # mapping name does not matter, just needs to be unique
Will add `test: true` to all collections for test runs.
Here's an example using `test`.
```yaml
dynamic_collections:
Genres: # mapping name does not matter just needs to be unique
type: genre
test: true
```
## Sync
Will remove dynamic collections that are no longer in the creation list.
The mapping name is added as a label to any collection created using dynamic and because of this when `sync` is true all collections with that label not found in this run will be deleted.
Here's an example using `sync`.
```yaml
dynamic_collections:
Trakt Liked Lists: # mapping name does not matter just needs to be unique
type: trakt_liked_lists
sync: true
```
## Include
Define a list of keys to be made into collections.
This cannot be used with `exclude`.
Here's an example using `include`.
```yaml
dynamic_collections:
Genres: # mapping name does not matter just needs to be unique
type: genre
include:
- Action
- Adventure
- Animation
- Comedy
- Family
- Fantasy
- Horror
- Romance
- Science Fiction
- War
```
## Other Name
Used in combination with `include`. When defined, all keys not in `include` or `addons` will be combined into this collection.
This is the main reason to use `include`. It allows a catch all collection for everything not defined in the config file.
Here's an example using `other_name`.
```yaml
dynamic_collections:
Genres: # mapping name does not matter just needs to be unique
