xTV Wrap View Mod using FanArt Backdrops

xTV Wrap View Mod using FanArt Backdrops - Printable Version

+- XBMC Community Forum (http://forum.xbmc.org)
+-- Forum: Help and Support (/forumdisplay.php?fid=33)
+--- Forum: Skin Help and Support (/forumdisplay.php?fid=67)
+---- Forum: xTV SAF (/forumdisplay.php?fid=76)
+---- Thread: xTV Wrap View Mod using FanArt Backdrops (/showthread.php?tid=36614)

Pages: 1 2 3 4 5 6

xTV Fanart, Folder Structure & File Sizes - NEUR0M4NCER - 2008-11-13 12:07

Kris_Toff Wrote:It is unlikely without some source change. The fanart.image tag is referring to a file ListItem, not a folder. I have tried several combination quickly but had no success so far.

Maybe a suggestion to the developement team/forum ?

If you have each episode as a file in this folder, it would work like any other movie file, that is using the same format in the folder:

episode1.avi
episode1-fanart.jpg
episode1.tbn
episode2.avi
etc...

Hiya. Further to the above, my movies are kept in separate folders eg.:

Code:

Movies ---->Film 1 ---->Film 1.avi

                        Film 1.tbn

                        Film 1-fanart.jpg

            Film 2 ---->Film 2.avi

                        Film 2.tbn

                        Film 2-fanart.jpg

... so that when I go into Movies folder, I see folders, not files. I had a quick go, and it seems this format falls into the same category as the James Bond example. When I go into the folders, then I get the fanart, but with the single video file repeated over and over as wrap - not a good look. So...

1. What do you think would be the best solution; re-sorting all of the video files into a more easily read format for XBMC (so the fanart works as it should), or is there a way I can keep the file structure I have ATM?

2. I expected a little slowdown, but while I was experimenting with folders and such, I found that having fanart really slowed things down to a crawl. I use a DVD remote, and normally, holding down the right arrow will scroll quickly through the films. It simply doesn't work when fanart is enabled. Should I try to lower the quality of the images i'm using (250kb ish), or is it something i'll have to learn to live with for fanart on xbox xTV?

Thanks in advance!

- Kris_Toff - 2008-11-13 17:09

NEUR0M4NCER Wrote:Hiya. Further to the above, my movies are kept in separate folders eg.:

Code:

Movies ---->Film 1 ---->Film 1.avi Film 1.tbn Film 1-fanart.jpg Film 2 ---->Film 2.avi Film 2.tbn Film 2-fanart.jpg
... so that when I go into Movies folder, I see folders, not files. I had a quick go, and it seems this format falls into the same category as the James Bond example. When I go into the folders, then I get the fanart, but with the single video file repeated over and over as wrap - not a good look. So...

1. What do you think would be the best solution; re-sorting all of the video files into a more easily read format for XBMC (so the fanart works as it should), or is there a way I can keep the file structure I have ATM?

I use Genre Folders that I "mount" from my NAS as independent sources since it allows me to put access passwords for folders I don't want my younger one to go to:

Code:

Movies --> Adult Movies                (independent "mounted" source)

                 -->Action Movies              

                             fanart.jpg    <-this is the fanart for this folder

                             folder.jpg     <-this is the thumbnail for this folder

                             Film1.avi

                             Film1.tbn

                             Film1-fanart.jpg

                             Film2.avi

                             Film2.tbn

                             Film2-fanart.jpg

                 -->James Bond Movies

                             fanart.jpg    <-this is the fanart for this folder

                             folder.jpg     <-this is the thumbnail for this folder

                             Film3.avi

                             Film3.tbn

                             Film3-fanart.jpg

    --> Kids Movies -->                 (independent "mounted" source)

                 -->Cartoons

                             fanart.jpg     <-this is the fanart for this folder

                             folder.jpg     <-this is the thumbnail for this folder

                             Film4.avi

                             Film4.tbn

                             Film4-fanart.jpg

                 --> etc...

Here is what I mean:
[Image: folderbackdropexamplezc8.jpg]

Once you get in the folder, you see the regular list of movies...

NEUR0M4NCER Wrote:2. I expected a little slowdown, but while I was experimenting with folders and such, I found that having fanart really slowed things down to a crawl. I use a DVD remote, and normally, holding down the right arrow will scroll quickly through the films. It simply doesn't work when fanart is enabled. Should I try to lower the quality of the images i'm using (250kb ish), or is it something i'll have to learn to live with for fanart on xbox xTV?

Thanks in advance!

All my fanart images are about 150k (some even less) whilekeeping a very good resolution. Once everything is loaded in cache, it just scrolls smoothlessly, and fast...

Would that work for you ?

PS: If you change backdrops, you need to clear the cache (delete everything in E:\apps\XBMC\UserData\Thumbnails\Video)

- batrad - 2008-11-13 21:43

I have some multipart movies, and unless I have a matching folder icon with the .tbn extension, i don't see an icon for it in any view

In the root folder create an Action Movies.tbn (file that matches the folder name), clear the cache, and try ..should get an icon image for each folder

- Kris_Toff - 2008-11-13 21:58

batrad Wrote:I have some multipart movies, and unless I have a matching folder icon with the .tbn extension, i don't see an icon for it in any view

There is a "Stack" setting that is just used for that... Typically I use
Film1-part1.avi
Film1-part2.avi
Film1-part1.tbn
and that should be enough...
I don't remember but I think with the Stack option, Film1.tbn should be enough.

batrad Wrote:In the root folder create an Action Movies.tbn (file that matches the folder name), clear the cache, and try ..should get an icon image for each folder

I guess it is the same as having a folder.jpg file in the folder.

- NEUR0M4NCER - 2008-11-14 04:08

Kris_Toff Wrote:I use Genre Folders that I "mount" from my NAS as independent sources since it allows me to put access passwords for folders I don't want my younger one to go to:

Once you get in the folder, you see the regular list of movies...

Hm. Looks like i'll have to do some file re-jigging then. TBH, my growing collection is getting a bit much to scroll through anyways... but it still looks mighty impressive scrolling through them all Cool

Kris_Toff Wrote:All my fanart images are about 150k (some even less) whilekeeping a very good resolution. Once everything is loaded in cache, it just scrolls smoothlessly, and fast...

PS: If you change backdrops, you need to clear the cache (delete everything in E:\apps\XBMC\UserData\Thumbnails\Video)

Thanks for the tip - this is actually the answer to another question I was going to look into; I changed the icon for the movies and tv folders, then decided they looked rubbish, but couldn't figure out how to refresh them back to the default network icon.

On the subject of fanart - I manually went through my films and d/l'd fanart from TMDb - if I remove these and refresh the cache, will XBMC go get fresh ones, or should I keep the files locally? If XBMC will go get the images, will it be faster than keeping them on my SMB share? And on the other hand, if I do keep the files locally, am I best to simply lower the file size in Gimp?

Thanks for all of your help, it's a joy to tinker when people are as friendly as you guys Laugh

- sicon99 - 2008-11-14 10:48

Does it have to be in folders? Right now They are just in one big movie folder..

movies ->
film1.avi
film2.iso
film3.avi ect

I have the tbn and nfo files created by media companion...
if i just put in film1-fanart will it work or does it actually need to be a separate folder for every movie?

also do spaces matter for folder/movie name?

Hm. Still slow. - NEUR0M4NCER - 2008-11-14 12:22

I just spent the best part of a night re-arranging my Movies into one big folder like yours sicon99 - yes, all you need to do is chuck your film1-fanart.jpg in with the rest of the stuff and it'll work.

**edit**
... and no, spaces don't seem to matter, eg.:

Garbage Pail Kids The Movie.avi
Garbage Pail Kids The Movie.tbn
Garbage Pail Kids The Movie-fanart.jpg

all work just fine with spaces in the file names.

Kris_Toff Wrote:All my fanart images are about 150k (some even less) whilekeeping a very good resolution. Once everything is loaded in cache, it just scrolls smoothlessly, and fast...

... so I went all out and one-by-one squished every *-fanart.jpg down to 75kb-ish with Gimp - still getting slow-down Sad

. I cleared the cache, and then let it do its business for a good hour, and it's no faster. Admittedly, there are 70-something films in there, but should that really make such a noticeable difference?

- sicon99 - 2008-11-15 01:07

What resolution are you guys using for fanart images?

Is there a site to grab them from or are you just making your own?

- NEUR0M4NCER - 2008-11-15 06:16

TheMovieDatabase (TMDb) for films
TheTVDatabase (TVDb) for TV

- sicon99 - 2008-11-15 07:48

Awesome thanks NEUR0M4NCER! its going to be along night of getting fanart haha do do do.. 260 plus movies :|

Is there a specific resolution you guys crop it to or just use it as it is on those sites?

so for movie title-fanart.jpg and for tv shows...? just foldername-fanart Confused