Video Library: Direct to Titles View from Movies and TV Shows in Library Mode?
#1
Question 
Hello,

This is my first post, and this is kind of complicated, so bear with me.

I am trying to migrate from using File Mode to Library Mode. I feel like there is a great deal of functionality that will benefit my stored Movie and TV Show watching.

My main issue is that when I load up My Videos from the main menu, then select Movies or TV Shows it dumps me into a screen to select how to list the media with Genre, Title, Year and Actors as options. I do NOT use this feature and think it is annoying. Who really needs to select the movie based
on what actor was in the movie? Perhaps someone with a much more extensive movie library than mine. Anyhow, is there any way to set it so that when I select Movies it goes directly to the Titles view?

Note: This is NOT solved by using "Make Default". Make Default's function is to determine the folder that is opened upon the initial My Videos selection on the main menu. Since I still want to retain the ability to navigate to either TV Shows or Movies or Recently Added, etc, using Make Default as a workaround is unacceptable.

My guess is that I'll have to dig around in the XML config files. Anyone know where to look so I can repoint Movies and TV Shows? Remember this is in the Library Mode.

For conversation's sake, does anyone use this feature to sort by anything other than Title?

Thanks!

-Rob
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#2
One idea would be to use nfo files (see online manual) & Genres.

So all your Films would be the Genre of Films & the same for Tv shows

That's how i do mine.

(now that make's more sense, had think faster than type moment!!! lol)
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#3
I'd suggest taking a look at the XTV skin, the home page link takes you directly to movies or tv shows, depending which button you click.

This applies Every time you click said button. (You can still get genres/years...etc by clicking "B" from the movie/tv show list... but coming out and back again goes straight to the movie/TV list, as you want)

Or to put it another way... it acts just like "Make Default", but not just the first time.

If you work out how they do that there, i guess you could alter any skin (May be a big task, i don't know). Either that or just use XTV, it's a fabulous skin!

Shorty
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#4
wolfzero Wrote:Hello,

This is my first post, and this is kind of complicated, so bear with me.

I am trying to migrate from using File Mode to Library Mode. I feel like there is a great deal of functionality that will benefit my stored Movie and TV Show watching.

My main issue is that when I load up My Videos from the main menu, then select Movies or TV Shows it dumps me into a screen to select how to list the media with Genre, Title, Year and Actors as options. I do NOT use this feature and think it is annoying. Who really needs to select the movie based
on what actor was in the movie? Perhaps someone with a much more extensive movie library than mine. Anyhow, is there any way to set it so that when I select Movies it goes directly to the Titles view?

Note: This is NOT solved by using "Make Default". Make Default's function is to determine the folder that is opened upon the initial My Videos selection on the main menu. Since I still want to retain the ability to navigate to either TV Shows or Movies or Recently Added, etc, using Make Default as a workaround is unacceptable.

My guess is that I'll have to dig around in the XML config files. Anyone know where to look so I can repoint Movies and TV Shows? Remember this is in the Library Mode.

For conversation's sake, does anyone use this feature to sort by anything other than Title?

Thanks!

-Rob

Yeah...this really bugs me a lot too! It's on the to-do list, but like you I don't know how to do it. I am one of those with a big library and I still don't use this as "title" is enough for me.

Hope you get an answer as I'd like to add this to my info pile to change when I get the chance. I might look at the xTV skin as well.
ZOTAC IONITX-D-E Intel Atom N330 Dual Core 1.6 GHz NVIDIA ION with LIVE on SSD (now updated to Nvidia Shield Pro (P2897)
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#5
I do use the other searches, actually my friends use the other searchs mostly to try and find shows with the same actors and such. They are nice to have but I think most people just use title. Kinda suprised there isn't currently a way to set the default to skip over the other nodes though. I bet if you can get the right developers attention he could add a default setting with very little work.
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#6
IMHO there should at least be an Advancedsettings.xml option to flatten these out... I never use them.
Always read the XBMC online-manual, FAQ and search the forum before posting.
Do not e-mail XBMC-Team members directly asking for support. Read/follow the forum rules.
For troubleshooting and bug reporting please make sure you read this first.
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#7
sho Wrote:IMHO there should at least be an Advancedsettings.xml option to flatten these out... I never use them.

Yes, this would be a nice option to have.

Shorty
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#8
XBMC supports jumping directly into the Titles area:
ActivateWindow(MyVideoLibrary,MovieTitles)

Just update that in your skin.
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#9
szsori Wrote:XBMC supports jumping directly into the Titles area:
ActivateWindow(MyVideoLibrary,MovieTitles)

Just update that in your skin.

Does this also apply to the TV side? (ActivateWindow(MyVideoLibrary,TVTitlesHuh??)

Also, do you know what xml file this is added to. Knowing the correct file can save hours of hunting, especially when you don't really understand what you're actually looking for or at Eek
ZOTAC IONITX-D-E Intel Atom N330 Dual Core 1.6 GHz NVIDIA ION with LIVE on SSD (now updated to Nvidia Shield Pro (P2897)
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#10
To use that stuff you'd have to add it outside of the video window (eg 2 buttons on home.xml) and/or create a dummy window for the video library front end with 2 buttons on it for TV shows and Library.

It's easy to get it set up action-wise, but probably reasonably tricky to get all the animations etc. working nicely.

Ideally this needs to be addressed at the code level - I'm not sure exactly how to do it as yet, as you don't want to lose the ability to get to the additional nodes, but still want it fast to access the usual ones. Any ideas will be considered.

Cheers,
Jonathan
Always read the XBMC online-manual, FAQ and search the forum before posting.
Do not e-mail XBMC-Team members directly asking for support. Read/follow the forum rules.
For troubleshooting and bug reporting please make sure you read this first.


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#11
jmarshall Wrote:To use that stuff you'd have to add it outside of the video window (eg 2 buttons on home.xml) and/or create a dummy window for the video library front end with 2 buttons on it for TV shows and Library.

I was attempting this myself. I kind of had the xml files sorted - wasn't pretty without the proper artwork and Spiff pointed out the code to link directly to the TVside. Then I ran out of time as my media server setup took priority (and still does). Hopefully soon I will have that side of it completed and I can get back to tweaking the interface.

The "dummy window" you mention could be the window that is accessed when either Movies/TV is NOT set as default. (Source/playlist window?) Yes or No?

jmarshall Wrote:Ideally this needs to be addressed at the code level - I'm not sure exactly how to do it as yet, as you don't want to lose the ability to get to the additional nodes, but still want it fast to access the usual ones. Any ideas will be considered.

I'm not sure I know enough about how it all works to offer any real answers. I like the idea of having all the buttons on the home page, but then it gets "busy" with too many. An extra screen/page works but adds another step.

I have my set-up starting directly inside the movie area currently (being primarily movie based), which is a pain when you want to watch the TV side. I've always thought it would be great to have buttons in both Movies and TV so you could switch between the two without having to back-button out (which means cycling through many screens.) Not sure if this is possible. And...if you wanted another "video area" could you easily add that to the set-up (and the extra button?)? I've even thought about adding these jumps to the context, but without having the ability to set it up or test my ideas I can't really judge how successful it would be in practice - and that's the part that counts. Also, a context menu hides the buttons (link?) away from others using the system - not always good.

Certainly would like to see this implemented somehow.
ZOTAC IONITX-D-E Intel Atom N330 Dual Core 1.6 GHz NVIDIA ION with LIVE on SSD (now updated to Nvidia Shield Pro (P2897)
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#12
jmarshall Wrote:Ideally this needs to be addressed at the code level - I'm not sure exactly how to do it as yet, as you don't want to lose the ability to get to the additional nodes, but still want it fast to access the usual ones. Any ideas will be considered.

Cheers,
Jonathan

Jonathan,

My suggestion is for the same the way XTV works (described above)

I guess it'd be activated either via a GUI setting or an advancedsettings.xml entry such as...
Code:
<alwaysmakedefault>true<\alwaysmakedefault>

I'd say this makes for fast access to titles lists, while retaining the ability to use all nodes.

Thanks

Shorty
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#13
It also is non-obvious in the returning via B in that it goes back further than you may expect.
Always read the XBMC online-manual, FAQ and search the forum before posting.
Do not e-mail XBMC-Team members directly asking for support. Read/follow the forum rules.
For troubleshooting and bug reporting please make sure you read this first.


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#14
Good point, it would be good to alter this behaviour because as you say, it's not intuitive.

Perhaps there could be a button available somewhere within the library (a context button or maybe a new button for skinners to access) that cycles between all theese lesser used nodes, while the parent nodes would link directly to the chosen node?

Shorty
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#15
jmarshall Wrote:To use that stuff you'd have to add it outside of the video window (eg 2 buttons on home.xml) and/or create a dummy window for the video library front end with 2 buttons on it for TV shows and Library.

It's easy to get it set up action-wise, but probably reasonably tricky to get all the animations etc. working nicely.

Ideally this needs to be addressed at the code level - I'm not sure exactly how to do it as yet, as you don't want to lose the ability to get to the additional nodes, but still want it fast to access the usual ones. Any ideas will be considered.

Cheers,
Jonathan

From a usability point of view, there are few ideas floating around in my head. In order of difficulty to implement, here there are.

Option A: Menu control

In the video settings screen, have an option to enable or disable defaulting to the Title view.

Option B: Context menu "Make Default"-esque control

Utilizing some sort of context menu option, perhaps "Make Default TV Show View/Make Default Movie View" control which view is shown on first use. The action would go down like this: Select My Videos > Enable Library Mode if not already active > Select Movies > Highlight Genre, Title, Actors, etc folder and activate context menu > Select aforementioned option.

Option C: Radial redesign craziness

I don't have a complete idea fleshed out here, but basically what's floating around in my head is as follows. Instead of having an option to select genre, etc from a folder list view, instead default to the Titles section but also have a secondary non-invasive feature on the left menu to active a special directory sorted listing of Genre, Actor, Studio, Year, etc. I have even further crazy ideas to link these together into a sort of Video Explorer type feature, where you might want to see any other movies directed by the same director as a selected movie, etc. As I'm new to this forum, I don't know where to post such radial ideas. However, I'm from a IT Project Management background, and would love to work out some design documentation detailing an overhauled Video Library concept I'm working out in my head. Would any of the developers be interested this, or would I be wasting my time?

Thanks!

Rob

(P.S. I'm going to try out the previously mentioned skin, and also try my hand at modifying Project Mayhem to do the same.)
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Video Library: Direct to Titles View from Movies and TV Shows in Library Mode?0