How to use --dir-game-subdir always with multi-disc games without double-nesting?

[kevin2845]

I'm organizing a disc-based ROM collection using --merge-discs and --dir-game-subdir always. I would prefer that every game has it's own subfolder regardless of disc count, but multi disc games end up getting double nested.:

roms/3do/BrainDead 13 (USA)/BrainDead 13 (USA)/BrainDead 13 (USA) (Disc 1).chd

instead of:

roms/3do/BrainDead 13 (USA)/BrainDead 13 (USA) (Disc 1).chd

Single-disc games work correctly with --dir-game-subdir always. Removing --merge-discs fixes the nesting but then each disc gets its own separate folder. Using --dir-game-subdir multiple fixes it too but then single-disc games don't get a subfolder.

Is there a combination of flags that gives me single-level subfolders for all games including multi-disc? Or is this a known limitation of --merge-discs + --dir-game-subdir always?

[cookesan]

This looks like the current path-building behavior rather than something you can tune with another flag.

With --dir-game-subdir always, Igir wraps the output in the game name unconditionally. Merged-disc output already has a game-level directory in the generated basename, so the result can become:

Game/Game/Disc files...

The closest workarounds are:

--dir-game-subdir multiple

which avoids double nesting for multi-disc merged output, or disabling --merge-discs if you need every single-disc game forced into its own folder right now.

If your desired layout is “always folder single-disc games, but do not double-wrap merged disc sets,” that likely needs a small behavior change in Igir so always detects already-grouped merged output.

[kevin2845]

Thanks, I had a feeling that was the case. I may just need to create a helper script to run after Igir that reorganizes multi disc games.

[emmercm]

I think this is just an oversight, a change is likely warranted.

Because it's hard to discuss the combination of so many options, I put together a table that I think captures the current behavior accurately:

--merge-discs ?	--dir-game-subdir	Multi-disc game?	Output name
N	multiple	N	<game>.<ext>
N	multiple	Y	<game>/<game>.<ext>
N	always	N	<game>/<game>.<ext>
N	always	Y	<game>/<game>.<ext>
Y	multiple	N	<game>.<ext>
Y	multiple	Y	<game>/<game w/o disc>/<game w/ disc>.<ext>
Y	always	N	<game>/<game>.<ext>
Y	always	Y	<game>/<game w/o disc>/<game w/ disc>.<ext>

And then I think what we're discussing is it's not desirable to ever have <game>/<game w/o disc>/<game w/ disc>.<ext>, is that right?

[kevin2845]

Thanks for getting back to me on this. I do believe your table is fairly accurate, however I think in the second case no game dir is made. I did a run of each case and these are what I got for results.

--merge-discs ?	--dir-game-subdir	Multi-disc game?	Output name
N	multiple	N	<game>.<ext>
N	multiple	Y	<game-disk_1>.<ext> <game-disk_2>.<ext>
N	always	N	<game> └<game>.<ext>
N	always	Y	<game-disk_1> └<game-disk_1>.<ext> <game-disk_2> └<game-disk_2>.<ext>
Y	multiple	N	<game>.<ext>
Y	multiple	Y	<game> ├<game-disk_1>.<ext> └<game-disk_2>.<ext>
Y	always	N	<game> └<game>.<ext>
Y	always	Y	<game> └<game>    ├<game-disk_1>.<ext>    └<game-disk_2>.<ext>

And yes, I feel like it is undesirable to have the file structure in the final case, as the --merge-discs folder serves the same purpose as what Im interpret the intended use cases for --dir-game-subdir always are. intuitively it feels like the final case should result in the same sort of structure as case 6:
<game>
├<game-disk_1>.<ext>
└<game-disk_2>.<ext>

I cold also be missing some potential uses for having the double folder path. But this is just what i noticed in my library reorganization.

[emmercm]

I made an assumption that every optical disc-based game would have multiple ROMs (e.g. .bin and .cue), but otherwise I think we're speaking the same thing.

So then the undesirable behavior comes with --merge-discs + --dir-game-subdir multiple/--dir-game-subdir always.