WAVScribe: Which Tool Should I Use?

There are two things to keep in mind that will help you understand WAVScribe better.

Checked files and selected files

WAVScribe has two kinds of selection, and they are separate.

• Selecting a file (clicking its name) shows its metadata so you can edit it. This is the file you are viewing.
• Checking a file (clicking its checkbox) marks it for a batch tool.

The batch tools work on checked files. Selecting a file does not check it, and checking a file does not select it. The Spreadsheet window does not follow this rule, however. If no files are checked, then all of the files will enter Spreadsheet. If files are checked, then only those files will enter. Or point Spreadsheet at a folder on disk to work with files that are not loaded in WAVScribe at all.

The quick answer

Find what you want to do on the left. Use the tool on the right.

Everyday editing, in the main window

Most day-to-day work does not need a dialog. The main window handles a lot on its own.

Single embed (Ctrl+S)

Writes the changes for the file you are viewing into that file. Use it when you have edited one file and want to save it. Your edits stay in memory as pending changes until you embed.

Embed All (toolbar)

Writes the changes for every file that has pending changes. Use it when you have edited several files and want to save them all at once.

Copy and Paste Metadata (right-click menu)

Copies every field value from one file and pastes them onto other files. Use it when one file is already tagged the way you want and you need the same values on more files quickly, without opening any dialog. Right-click the source file and choose Copy Metadata, highlight the target file(s), then right-click and choose Paste Metadata. You choose Overwrite All Fields or Fill Empty Fields Only. Embed afterward to save.

Copy and Paste is one of the fastest tools in the program, and it is often all you need. If you catch yourself reaching for a bigger tool to put one file's values onto a few others, this is usually the quicker path.

Batch tools, for many files at once

Batch Edit (Ctrl+Shift+E, or the Batch Edit button)

Sets chosen fields to chosen values across the files you have checked, and shows a before-and-after preview. Use it when you want to set specific fields to specific values across a batch, or to clear a field on many files at once. Needs at least two checked files.

Templates (Ctrl+Shift+T)

Saves a set of field values under a name, so you can apply that same set to files in the future. Use it when the same values are needed again and again, now and on future files. A template earns its place when you will reuse it. For a one-time copy, Copy and Paste is faster.

Find & Replace (Ctrl+H)

Finds text inside one field and replaces it across the files you have checked. Use it when you need to fix or swap part of a value, such as correcting a spelling or changing one word. It changes the contents of fields. It does not rename files.

Spreadsheet (Ctrl+Shift+C)

Exports metadata to a spreadsheet for editing in Excel or any spreadsheet program, then imports your changes back. Use it for large jobs across many fields and files, or when you prefer to work in a grid. You can also rename files here by editing the filename column.

UCS Batch Rename (Ctrl+Shift+R)

Builds UCS-standard filenames from the fields inside your files and renames the files on disk. Use it when you want many files renamed to the UCS convention. The UCS fields inside each file must be filled in first. See Renaming files below.

Cleaning up a file

Wipe Metadata (right-click menu)

Removes all metadata from the selected files and leaves the audio untouched. Use it when files arrive with unwanted or messy metadata and you want a clean start before tagging. A wipe can be undone with Ctrl+Z.

Choosing between similar tools

Some tools overlap. These notes help you pick.

Copy and Paste, or a Template?

Both put one file's values onto other files. Copy and Paste is faster for a one-time job: copy the file, highlight the targets, paste, then Embed All. A Template is the better choice when the same values are used again and again, now and months from now. Make a template for a set you will want later. Use Copy and Paste for a set you need only once. Using a template for a single one-time copy is the slower path.

Batch Edit, Copy and Paste, or a Template?

Copy and Paste and Templates apply a whole set of values at once. Batch Edit is different: you choose exactly which fields to change and what to put in them, and you see a preview before saving. Use Batch Edit when you want control over specific fields. Use Copy and Paste when you want everything from one good file. Use a Template when it is a set you will reuse.

Find & Replace, or Batch Edit?

Batch Edit replaces the whole field with one value. Find & Replace changes only part of a field and leaves the rest, so each file keeps its own value with just the matched text swapped. Use Find & Replace to edit inside existing values. Use Batch Edit to set a whole field to the same value.

When to use the Spreadsheet

The Spreadsheet is the heavy-duty tool. It's the best choice for large jobs: many fields, many files, or edits that are easier to make in a grid. It is more than you need for a single field or a single value. For those, Batch Edit or Find & Replace is quicker.

Renaming files

This is the most common point of confusion, so it is worth explaining in more detail

Renaming is a two-step idea: fill the fields, then let WAVScribe assemble the name from them. Each rename tool takes the fields from a different place, and the difference matters:

• Apply UCS Name (one file, in the main window) builds the name from the fields as they appear in the panel right now. They do not have to be embedded first. You can also skip the fields entirely and type any name into the filename bar.
• UCS Batch Rename (many files) builds each name from the fields embedded inside each file. Fields you have typed but not yet embedded do not count here - and to protect those edits, the dialog will not open while any file has unsaved changes. WAVScribe tells you which files they are; embed or revert them, then rename.
• The Spreadsheet does not use the fields at all. Files are renamed to whatever you typed in the filename column.

The reverse shortcut: if a file already carries a valid UCS name, Fill from Name reads that name and fills the UCS fields from it in one click, so you can fill them without retyping. The fill lands in the panel as unsaved edits, just like typing - embed to make it stick.

A file can look correctly named but be empty inside

Many files already have UCS-style names that were typed by hand or set by another program. The name looks right, but the UCS fields inside the file are blank. When you try to batch rename these files, the tool reports them as INVALID or as missing required fields. This is normal. It is not a fault in your files. It simply means the fields inside are empty and need to be filled in first - and these are exactly the files Fill from Name was made for.

How to fill in the fields

• If the file already has a valid UCS name, use Fill from Name to pull the UCS fields straight out of the name in one click - no retyping.
• Type them in the main window. The Category and Sub-Category dropdowns filter as you type. Pick a Category, then a Sub-Category, and Cat ID fills in on its own.
• Use Batch Edit to set the same field across many files at once.
• Use the Spreadsheet to fill many fields across many files, then import.

One reminder before batch renaming: UCS Batch Rename reads what is embedded in the files. The first two routes - Fill from Name and typing - put values in the panel as unsaved edits, so embed them first. Batch Edit and the Spreadsheet write to the files as part of their own flow.

The four required UCS fields are Cat ID, FX Name, Creator ID, and Source ID.

Which rename tool to use

• To rename one file, use the filename bar and Apply UCS Name in the main window. It builds a UCS name from the fields, or you can type any name by hand and use that instead.
• To rename many files to UCS-standard names, use UCS Batch Rename.
• To rename many files to any names you choose, edit the filename column in the Spreadsheet and import it back.

Find & Replace does not rename files. It only changes text inside metadata fields.

Two safety notes. You always see the new name before anything happens: the batch tools show a preview, and the single-file rename shows the exact new name in its confirmation. And renames cannot be undone - so read that name before you say yes.

Checking what is in a file

Three views show a file in three different ways.

• The main editor shows your working state, including edits you have made but not yet embedded.
• The Quick View Card (Ctrl+Space) shows what is saved in the file right now on disk. If you have unsaved edits, it still shows the saved values, so you can compare.
• The Extended Metadata dialog (Ctrl+I) shows extra data that other tools left in the file. WAVScribe keeps this data but does not manage it.

You can also check a file without opening WAVScribe at all. WAVScribe Viewer is a free, read-only companion app that shows everything a file carries, organized by chunk - and it can scan a whole folder to show which files contain a particular chunk. See the Viewer page for details.

For step-by-step instructions on any tool above, see the full WAVScribe manual.