Help with CWP2song

[John Vere]

I thought I better start a different thread.
Basically I have no clue about using the command prompt so cannot figure out how to fire up Azlows ( Alexey's) tool the CWP2song.
Below is my attempts at entering the command
The 2nd picture is the only instructions I could find.
3rd picture is what the folder I'm using looks like.
Notice the Cwp2song only shows as a file and there's no exe. even though I have show file extensions enabled.

I put the CWP project in the same folder and I use the " Right click - Copy as Path to grab the pathway.

If anyone could help with just a screenshot of how this should work it would be greatly appreciated.


Thank you.

 

[OutrageProductions]

John:
Over the past 2 weeks I've transferred over 1680 finished compositions from CW to S1 because I'm done dealing with that POS DAW.
I DL'd the zip file, expanded it and put the cwp2song.exe file in my <Downloads> folder.
Then I created a batch file stored on the desktop to run it.
Edit it so that the third line points to the location of where you saved the executable.
Running it requires that you copy the entire file path to the <filename.cwp> that is your target [in my case "E:\Songs\LOCATION OF CWP SONG"] and pasting that into the first dialog.
Then copy the actual song name INCLUDING extension <songname.cwp> and paste that into the second dialog and ENTER.

The quotation marks around the variables allow for special characters/spaces in the path/song filename.

I also Exported each and every CWP as MIDI1 first along with a complete track dump, and screenshots of any important Plugins/Master Settings/Console layout/VSTi's as backup.
There is the possibility to simplify this procedure if you stuff the cwp2song.exe into your Windows\System32 directory which will launch the application without telling it the entire file path, but since I'm done with CW/Bandlab forever, it didn't make sense. It is also TWO copy/paste operations because the folder name containing the target CWP project was not often the name of the actual CWP project in my case.

I had about 6 songs of the total not work, mostly because they contained Dimension Pro or Rapture, which I deleted years ago.
Here's the batch file code.
************
@echo off
echo
cd\users\YOUR USER NAME\Downloads REM:This is the location of the executable <csp2song.exe>

set /p loc=Enter path to song:
echo Location, "%loc%"

set /p song=Enter path to song:
echo SongName, "%song%"

START cwp2song.exe "%loc%\%song%"
echo cwp2song.exe "%loc%\%song%"

pause
:end
echo Thank you for using the script.
exit
************

 

[hieroglyph]

I'm curious about your third screen shot. Where did the contents of that folder come from? Is that what was inside the extracted the .zip file? IME the .exe file normally only works after the files in .zip folder have been extracted.

 

[hieroglyph]

John:
Over the past 2 weeks I've transferred over 1680 finished compositions from CW to S1 because I'm done dealing with that POS DAW.
I DL'd the zip file, expanded it and put the cwp2song.exe file in my <Downloads> folder.
Then I created a batch file stored on the desktop to run it.
Edit it so that the third line points to your download folder.
Running it requires that you copy the entire file path to the <filename.cwp> that is your target [in my case "E:\Songs\NAMEOFSONG"] and pasting that into the first dialog.
Then copy the actual song name INCLUDING extension <songname.cwp> and paste that into the second dialog and ENTER.

The quotation marks around the variables allow for special characters/spaces in the path/song filename.

I also Exported each and every CWP as MIDI1 first along with a complete track dump, and screenshots of any important Plugins/Master Settings/Console layout/VSTi's as backup.
There is the possibility to simplify this procedure if you stuff the cwp2song.exe into your Windows\System32 directory which will launch the application without telling it the entire file path, but since I'm done with CW/Bandlab forever, it didn't make sense.

I had about 6 songs of the total not work, mostly because they contained Dimension Pro or Rapture, which I deleted years ago.
Here's the batch file code.
************
@echo off
echo
cd\users\YOUR USER NAME\Downloads REM:This is the location of the executable <csp2song.exe>

set /p loc=Enter path to song:
echo Location, "%loc%"

set /p song=Enter path to song:
echo SongName, "%song%"

START cwp2song.exe "%loc%\%song%"
echo cwp2song.exe "%loc%\%song%"

pause
:end
echo Thank you for using the script.
exit
************

On the command prompt, I noticed the folder name "CWP files" had no quotes around it even though there is a space.

edit: never mind the second part of this post that I deleted

 

[OutrageProductions]

I'm curious about your third screen shot. Where did the contents of that folder come from? Is that what was inside the extracted the .zip file? IME the .exe file normally only works after the files in .zip folder have been extracted.

It looks like the OP doesn't have the <SHOW system file extensions> (or whatever it's called...LOL) turned on in WinExplorer.

 

[OutrageProductions]

On the command prompt, I noticed the folder name "CWP files" had no quotes around it even though there is a space.

Watchyoutalkin' 'bout Willis?
NEVERMIND; you were referring to the OP screenshot#1, and yeah, that's nogo in CMD language.

 

[OutrageProductions]

And, yeah... the operation of the batchfile could have been more elegant and graceful, but I didn't feel like coding more, just getting stuff transferred quickly and safely.

 

[OutrageProductions]

Caveats:
While the process saves most of the important info in a CWP project file, you will have to reload the VSTi's for voicing them correctly, hence my screenshots. Or you can fully name each track in the target file as to what Instrument/Patch it is. I did a little of both.
It pulls in track markers, tempo, scale, signature and most articulations (Sound Variations) but can screw up the length of them if they are momentary and not latching.
But hey... no longer my problem.

 

[John Vere]

Ok now Im even more confused about this. But don’t worry eventually I will get it!!!!
I removed the quotation marks because the example doesn’t have any. This is the problem.
Could you wonderful people take a screenshot of what the actual Command Prompt looks like!
That’s what works for me. I’ve done it before but I need to see exactly what it is supposed to look like!

And yes Im not sure why the download zip file opens up and the file doesn’t have any exe. Added. Ive opened dozens of zip file’s and never had any issues with them.
And I absolutely have the show file extension checked. Example in the CWP folder it shows the project file as Matter.cwp.

I am hoping to sort this out and share it with my YouTube followers who are all pretty pissed off at Bandlab right now.
Studio one is really the best alternative to Sonar. I spent over a year figuring that out!!

 

[John Vere]

I'm curious about your third screen shot. Where did the contents of that folder come from? Is that what was inside the extracted the .zip file? IME the .exe file normally only works after the files in .zip folder have been extracted.

I created a new folder to put everything involved into. I saved the extracted zip file as well as I copied a CWP folder there. It’s where I was going to do all the conversion from.

 

[AZSlow3]

The 3d screenshot can be the problem. ZIP should have 2 directories, one is "_lin64" and another "_win32". In both there is cwp2song executable, but the one without extension is in _lin64 directory, it is for Linux. You need one from _win32, cwp2song.exe

In case you have active antivirus with "generic"/"heuristic"/"AI" part... they tend to find malware in anything compiled by GCC (open source compiler), at least when the result is not digitally signed. But normally they inform the user something is found and auto-moved/deleted/etc.

 

[John Vere]

Thanks for pointing this out. I am in the habit of ignoring anything that says 32 thinking that it is outdated as in 32 bit plug ins. I will go look and try again.
I had basically given up.
If I figure out how to get it to work I will create a tutorial for it if that’s ok with you.

 

[John Vere]

Well I found the right file but I guess I'm just useless at using the Command Prompt. There seems to be 100 variations on what you can type. The copy path adds Quotation marks? do you delete them??

Could some kind sole simply screenshot exactly what the Command prompt should look like.
Thank you.

 

[OutrageProductions]

It's WAAAAY too difficult to get it right every time using CMD because of the syntax. That's why I included my example batch file in previous post. Try it.

 

[John Vere]

That’s wayyy over my head!

 

[OutrageProductions]

The < and > characters are not supposed to be used! They are just delimiters for the text demonstration in Azslow's website discussion so they don't get flagged as HTML code.
Use the syntax of the first line in the above CMD dialog BUT DO NOT INSERT the < and > characters!!!!!
DO USE the quotation marks! (because your directory <CWP Files> contains a space, and the later named song <Constant Sorrow> also contains a space.

EXAMPLE:

c:\users\jkenv d:\cwp2song\cwp2song.exe "d:\cwp2song\cwp files\matter\matter.cwp"

c:\users\jkenv d:\cwp2song\cwp2song.exe "d:\1-all cakewalk\1-cakewalk projects\constant sorrow\sorrow.cwp"

See it now?
The syntax for the CMD line is:

c:\users\YOUR USERNAME (space) PATH TO THE EXECUTABLE (space) PATH TO THE CW PROJECT INCLUDING EXTENSION (enter)

IF {PATH TO THE EXECUTABLE} contains spaces or special characters, it has to be in quotation marks!
IF {PATH TO THE CW PROJECT} contains any spaces in directory names or file names it has to be in quotation marks!

c:\users\YOUR USERNAME (space) "PATH TO THE EXECUTABLE" (space) "PATH TO THE CW PROJECT INCLUDING EXTENSION" (enter)

 

[OutrageProductions]

Copy the following between the asterisks to a notepad document and label it as <CW conversion.bat> and save to your desktop. Then follow the instructions in my earlier post. THIS one is customized to YOUR SYSTEM already so ignore the changes to line #3.

*************
@echo off
echo
cd d:\cwp2song

set /p loc=Enter path to song:
echo Location, "%loc%"

set /p song=Enter path to song:
echo SongName, "%song%"

START cwp2song.exe "%loc%\%song%"
echo cwp2song.exe "%loc%\%song%"

pause
:end
echo Thank you for using the script.
exit
******************

Double click on the batch file icon to launch it.

Here is where you capture [CTRL C] the entire path [FOR EXAMPLE] to the project in WinExplorer:

and paste it into the first data entry of the batch file and <ENTER>

Then highlight and copy the name of the project itself [NAME OF SONG.cwp] and paste it into the second data entry of the batch file and <ENTER>

Then look in the same location as the CWP file that you just converted and you should see [NAME OF SONG.song].

 

[John Vere]

Thanks once again I appreciate your very clear instructions and I’m sure I’ll get it working using those.
I had a feeling it was a simple matter of my total ignorance about how the code should work.

I tried to watch a YouTube tutorial about using the command prompt but the guy rambled on and on and never once explained using the different characters.

 

[John Vere]

Success, Big thanks to @OutrageProductions for walking me through the exact steps needed.
At first it still didn't work so what I did was eliminated all the spaces in the pathways in explorer. That worked.

I then opened the file from explorer and it created the Project with a few warnings about missing plug ins. But the project wouldn't play.
I was thinking I had left my computer on all day and that often would cause my Motu M4 to freeze up. I saved and closed the project and I got a warning about how this project was created on an older version which I assume was Version 6. After I rebooted the project played just fine. As far as I can tell it is 95% identical to the Cakewalk version. Only the CA/2A pro channel is missing as well as It didn't like True Pianos due to the Cakewalk license obviously.
What a huge time saver this will be big thanks to @AZSlow3 for creating, @bapu for twisting his arm and @OutrageProductions for his sustained help.

 

[bassface]

Ok i just spent 2 hours on this.....
I give up