Ant Movie Catalog (AMC) DB / XML compatibility and import scraper?

Settings->Video->Import

Settings->Video->Export

Export your videodb to see the format. Reproduce that output from AMC and then import and you're done.

Some notes: You don't need <file> or <path> - just <filenameandpath> is required. You also don't need any tag that is not filled.

Cheers,
Jonathan

"just <filenameandpath> is required".... and how can I get one? There are no filenames in AMC.
I mean yes, you can translate xml to transfer AMC catalog to XBMC with dummy filenameandpath and that would allow you to browse through titles in Library mode. But when you import database you lose info about existing movies bound to real filenames. So when you click on a movie it would not play, even if it actually is on hard disk! No file-record binding.
The above scenario would be ok though - in a separate (different user profile) database, just to browse catalog (no watching movies from Library view). You create additional XBMC user, import AMC catalog and have fun with all your movie info.

I want to go further: I have big hard drive in xbox with some movies (and nfo files with urls btw). I want the full Library mode functionality for all that movies (subset of AMC catalog). But that would require filename associations to records in database to click and watch a movie...

Here are my thoughts so far. As I've posted above, there is a way to SaveAs xml in AMC. There is a way to Import database in xbmc. But how to match titles to filenames? XBMC needs filename (andpath or whatever), which is absent in AMC. Both databases should have some common and unique field to associate records, but now they don't.
I have one simple idea that would do the trick: AMC catalog has the URL field. IMDB urls there - that could be the unique field. Now we need the same url in XBMC database. We can modify imdb scraper xml file, that parses IMDB page, to insert the url into some database filed (say <mpaa>) and here we have the same unique field in XBMC. The rest seems easy too:
1. XBMC database: Export to xml,
2. AMC catalog SaveAs xml and upload the file to xbox,
3. Python script to match entries in both xml files and to modify xbmc xml fields,
4. Import modified xbmc xml back to database.
In short: existing xbmc database (with info from imdb or other scrapers) passes through some processing filter (python script) that can do anything (match AMC xml entries in this case). I think this mechanism would be useful for many purposes and should be considered as a feature by developers...

Translating AMC xml file to XBMC database is a good idea though and I would appreciate any soultions!
dowiew

It's almost done! I'm working on (almost perfect) program to export AMC catalog in XBMC import format. After countless trial unsuccessful imports (the xbmc import procedure was broken and they fixed it in the latest build!) it finally works. Good news is that the program is in the native AMC Pascal scripting language, so you just select files in AMC you want exported, hit F6, run the program and enjoy xml file to send to xbox.
I'll post the code as soon as I solve a minor issue (anyone has an idea how to recognize first/last run of a batch AMC script?).
And whoever works on xbmc database import: update your xbmc to the latest bug-free (hopefully) T3CH SVN build!
BTW: I still need a way not to import, but to process xbmc movie database to modify some fields (pulled out of AMC catalog).
dowiew

Here it is: AMC_to_XBMC_xml_Export.zip
Kind of quick and dirty solution. Works prefectly for me but you know... use it for your own risk. Comes with no support or update promise. You can post bugs etc. here though.
Look at the script source code. I've left several fields blank (Credits, Outline, MPAA rating). You can put your own info/fields there.

How to use:
0. Unzip the .ifs file inside zip to the AMC\Scripts subfolder. Then in AMC:
1. Pick/Select movies to export.
2. Go to Tools/Scripting menu (or press Shift-F6).
3. Select the "AMC to XBMC xml Export" script name.
4. In the right Options panel, UNCHECK the Show Results Window, pick an option which movies to process (all, selected, ...), Uncheck all fields to modify below.
5. Execute the script - toolbar button above.
6. Answer 1st question: enter local hard disk path+filename to store the resulting xml file to.
7. Answer 2nd question: enter XBOX hard drive folder where your movies are. I mean you don't have to put movies there, but you have to enter valid movie directory! Otherwise XBMC doesn't want to import movies. It wants to associate each xml movie entry with a file (no need to exist) in a valid folder.
8. Watch the Run button. Should stay red until the script stops (20 seconds per 1000 movies on my machine).
9. Send the xml file to XBOX by ftp, go to your TV and import that file to XBMC.

Seems complicated, but it's not. I just wanted to make everything clear.

Have fun!
dowiew

I've made an export script which will export a nfo file that can be stored next to the movie in a directory to hold the Movie Information. These nfo files will take priority over other scrapers in XBMC so even if you have content set to use another scraper it will pull info from the .nfo file first

it can be downloaded from herehttp://www.mediafire.com/?rmmqciym0yo

Yes, but the problem is that i have the filename linked to my DVD drive, so, for example the movie "The movie" is stored using this path: D:\The movie.avi (i use the URL field in ant movies to store the filename).

The main problem here, using XBMC is that i can't get my movie database to browse it (like MyFilms plugin form MediaPortal, for example) All i want (and i think that many other users) is to be able to navigate my movies database to locate the disc on my phisical library (i've all discs numbered). I also have all thumbnails stored in Ant Movies, so i doesn't need that XBMC tries to locate them using IMDB or other online database. Can anyone give some tip on how to archieve this task?

kind regards,

FidoBoy

Hi,

I'm very interested in this feature (all my collection is in ant movie catalog base). Where can I find it please ?

Thanks you

you can download it [url=http://www.filecrunch.com/fileDownload.php?sub=1431803545cc26b520b696bcd016a46f&fileId=150902"]here[/url][/quote]

fidoboy Wrote:Yes, but the problem is that i have the filename linked to my DVD drive, so, for example the movie "The movie" is stored using this path: D:\The movie.avi (i use the URL field in ant movies to store the filename).

The main problem here, using XBMC is that i can't get my movie database to browse it (like MyFilms plugin form MediaPortal, for example) All i want (and i think that many other users) is to be able to navigate my movies database to locate the disc on my phisical library (i've all discs numbered). I also have all thumbnails stored in Ant Movies, so i doesn't need that XBMC tries to locate them using IMDB or other online database. Can anyone give some tip on how to archieve this task?

kind regards,

FidoBoy

Yeah i know the problem...
I had several hundreds of movies on DVD, once XBMC started becoming multi platform though i bought a 1 Terrabyte Networked harddrive, that i dumped everything from the DVD's on and serve them from there, which gave me the oppritunity to store nfo files next to them.

There really should be a way to import information from a file. (other than a whole freakin database at once). But it doesn't seem to be a priority to the XBMC developers (not that i'm criticizing... at all). I'm thinking i might look at the source code (as it is, i'm not much of a programmer, but i can do a few things, in fact this task seems easy enough to me to implement.) If i can manage to figure out how to augument it with a "get info from file" option i'll submit it to the developers and see how they feel about it.

Also , i don't think disc verification is at all neccessary, if you use a field in the Info to point you to the Disc its on perhaps "Plot Outline" or something, but the initial problem i guess is still managing to get the info already stored in video database, and/or file when the source is removeable.

As far as browsing the Database, If you go into library mode, it browses all info stored in the Video Database, media present or not... maybe i'm not understanding your problem on that. Is this the point where youwant disc verification (i.e. Please insert Disc "blah blah blah" to view what ever movie you select?

I have a ton of disks, also labelled, and numbered, this is how I find which movie is on which disk. You can save the Ant Movie db instead of a AMC file as an XML, it will then save / export all the thumbnails in the same folder, this might be a better way to scrape the info into XBMC (the files are labelled according to the movie number added to the DB!) I spent ages going through updating artwork and listings. Even wrote a nice bit of flash code that access my XML database and chooses a movie that I've not watched at random from the catalog, displays the basic info etc. All runs nicely in FF or IE. Very good when you just want *something* to watch. Needs a bit of polish, but the ideas works well enough.

Nicezia Wrote:Yeah i know the problem...
I had several hundreds of movies on DVD, once XBMC started becoming multi platform though i bought a 1 Terrabyte Networked harddrive, that i dumped everything from the DVD's on and serve them from there, which gave me the oppritunity to store nfo files next to them.

There really should be a way to import information from a file. (other than a whole freakin database at once). But it doesn't seem to be a priority to the XBMC developers (not that i'm criticizing... at all). I'm thinking i might look at the source code (as it is, i'm not much of a programmer, but i can do a few things, in fact this task seems easy enough to me to implement.) If i can manage to figure out how to augument it with a "get info from file" option i'll submit it to the developers and see how they feel about it.

Also , i don't think disc verification is at all neccessary, if you use a field in the Info to point you to the Disc its on perhaps "Plot Outline" or something, but the initial problem i guess is still managing to get the info already stored in video database, and/or file when the source is removeable.

As far as browsing the Database, If you go into library mode, it browses all info stored in the Video Database, media present or not... maybe i'm not understanding your problem on that. Is this the point where youwant disc verification (i.e. Please insert Disc "blah blah blah" to view what ever movie you select?

Yes, it could be really fantastic to have that option, a simple dialog that prompt for the disc using a code. I'm doing also my research and i've noticed that XBMC uses two fields named ID and CODE but i don't know the purppose of these two fields. I've created and improved version of the XBMC nfo export script, downloaded from Ant.be website but i can't get two things to work:

The posters are not being imported (i've saved the info this way: <thumb>S:\catalog\234.jpg</thumb> where 234 is the code for the movie) but the scan process takes ages (i'm not sure if it's also looking for some info using the scrapper)

Other problem is the media code. As i've told you before, i've all my discs labeled using a numeric code, that it's stored into the Ant Movies database.

kind regards,