2011-08-22, 20:04
Lifehacker already taught us how to use a central MySQL database to share the XBMC library between multiple XBMC boxes. However, the library doesn't include the fanart and covers (they're stored in userdata\Thumbnails). I've read about several ways to synchronize or share the thumbnails by using third-party syncing software to sync multiple Thumbnail folders, or creating symbolic links in the OS to link your Thumbnails folder to another folder, or even just using third-party scrapers to save all metadata in your media folders so that your other boxes can scrape over the local network rather than off the internet.
Since MySQL puts your library in one location, I wanted my thumbnails to also exist in only one location (and I didn't want to use symbolic links). After some searching, I found you can change the path of the Thumbnails folder if you're using the post-Dharma nightlies. This is how I set up a central Thumbnails folder to go with my central library DB:
Prerequisites:
Update all XBMC to a post-Dharma nightly
Follow the steps to setup and use a central MySQL-based library
Procedure:
So far it's working great. Note that performance will vary by machine capabilities (my ATV2 takes about 1-2 seconds to populate thumbnails while the other boxes are almost instant).
Hope this helps anyone else.
Since MySQL puts your library in one location, I wanted my thumbnails to also exist in only one location (and I didn't want to use symbolic links). After some searching, I found you can change the path of the Thumbnails folder if you're using the post-Dharma nightlies. This is how I set up a central Thumbnails folder to go with my central library DB:
Prerequisites:
Update all XBMC to a post-Dharma nightly
Follow the steps to setup and use a central MySQL-based library
Procedure:
- Created a Thumbnails folder called XBMCThumbnails in the same location as my media
- Shared the XBMCThumbnails folder (it's on a Windows box, so I used normal Samba-based sharing)
- Pointed the local XBMC setup to use the new Thumbnail folder by adding the following code to advancedsettings.xml
Code:<pathsubstitution>
<substitute>
<from>special://masterprofile/Thumbnails</from>
<to>\\[ServerName]\XBMCThumbnails</to>
</substitute>
</pathsubstitution> - Updated my library
- Set my other XBMC boxes to point to the new Thumbnails folder using the following code:
On Windows boxes:
On my ATV2:Code:<pathsubstitution>
<substitute>
<from>special://masterprofile/Thumbnails</from>
<to>\\[ServerName]\XBMCThumbnails</to>
</substitute>
</pathsubstitution>
Code:<pathsubstitution>
<substitute>
<from>special://masterprofile/Thumbnails</from>
<to>smb://[ServerName]/XBMCThumbnails</to>
</substitute>
</pathsubstitution>
So far it's working great. Note that performance will vary by machine capabilities (my ATV2 takes about 1-2 seconds to populate thumbnails while the other boxes are almost instant).
Hope this helps anyone else.
