Video library redesign idea - How can we improve Smart Playlists, aka Filtered Lists?

porkhhunt · 2010-11-29 08:03

Thanks for the update. Smart playlists are close but they seem to be limited by specific fields and specific feilds cannot be aggregated. For example a count() of tracknumber or title. The only field that provides a count seems to be the playcount. Smart playlists that accepted user generated SQL against the library would be perfect.

**jmarshall** · 2010-11-29 08:46

You can AND or OR as many rules as you like within a single smartplaylist. In addition, you can include a rule that is "in or not in" another smartplaylist, allowing all sorts of things.

If there's specific rules that you think would be useful, feel free to develop the queries - the rest of the support code is pretty trivial to add.

Cheers,
Jonathan

Larfa · 2010-12-17 00:30

I've been waiting and hoping for some improvements to the library function in XBMC ever since I saw the flexibility of the Plex Alexandria release.

I've posted a more detailed request and suggestion for the process here: http://forum.xbmc.org/showthread.php?tid=84287

The main thing I'd like to see out of the library changes is the ability to define new library nodes or categories. For example Sports, MMA, Documentary, Home Video, Stand-up comedy etc. It should also be possible to add these to the main menu so they appear in the same way as TV Shows and Movies do now.

EDIT: I know there are some ways to do this at the moment but they are more workarounds and feel quite hackish e.g.
http://forum.xbmc.org/showthread.php?tid=61779
http://forum.xbmc.org/showthread.php?tid=64687

Larfa · 2010-12-17 01:03

On a separate note regarding the Actors and Directors filters it would be a lot more useful if it was possible to click through on Actors and Directors via the movie or TV show info screen to return a list of results for that actor/director.

I believe this would be a much more natural way to browse. You'll look at a movie or show and then click on an actor/director/writer to see what else they've done rather than start by looking through a massive list of names without context.

I'm not sure exactly what's missing to make this possible since it would appear that if you can filter by actor/director via the filter screen then it should in theory be possible to do the same via the movie info screen. If it's just a skinning issue then I'm very surprised that this hasn't already been done (or maybe I just haven't seen it yet).

clock2113 · 2010-12-17 02:34

That does work for actors as you describe, but not for directors or writers.

evlo · 2010-12-17 23:13

Plex approach looks great!

mwkurt · 2010-12-21 16:09

I have been fooling around with the smart playlist feature for a while now and I have come up with a request that I hope could be implemented in the way a smart playlist functions.
As they are now, they operate according to this rule, as written in the Wiki: When playlists are combined, the <limit> and <order> tags of the included playlists are ignored; only the <order> and <limit> of the final playlist are used.
I would like to see this behaviour go away. Why can't the limit and order tags be used on a playlist when included in another playlist? It would give a lot more control over the way we could implement a playlist.
Is this something that could eventually be implemented in the smart playlist features? If I could code, I would take a look at it, but I don't even know where to look to try to change this behaviour.
Thanks guys!
Mark

evlo · 2010-12-25 13:11

Also, another very geeky, unfriendly thing is that when you go to videos then you need to select from movies,playlist, actors and who knows what. I would like user to go to videos and select library he wants to browse (ie. if i have set up playlist, then go to playlists).

**sho** · 2010-12-25 15:22

You what?

pecinko · 2011-02-24 11:19

Ok, one suggestion / feature request / idea :-)

Can we pack some more prebuilt smartplaylists in Video section, to accompany Recently Added?

1. Recently Played
2. In Progress (Didn't finish watching)
3. Top 10 aka Most Played
4. All HD (720p and better)
5. Top Rated

Pretty much similar to Music section. I hope it's not hard to implement as I know there's lots of it going on ATM.

porkhhunt Junior Member Posts: 2 Joined: Nov 2010 Reputation: 0	2010-11-29 08:03 Post: #191 Thanks for the update. Smart playlists are close but they seem to be limited by specific fields and specific feilds cannot be aggregated. For example a count() of tracknumber or title. The only field that provides a count seems to be the playcount. Smart playlists that accepted user generated SQL against the library would be perfect.
	find quote

clock2113 Fan Posts: 636 Joined: Feb 2007 Reputation: 0 Location: XBMC+Unraid=Happy!	2010-12-17 02:34 Post: #195 That does work for actors as you describe, but not for directors or writers. XBMC: XBMCbuntu 12.0, with Transparency! 17.5 TB Unraid Server: 2500 movies, 8800 episodes of TV Apps: SABnzbd, Sickbeard, Couchpotato, mySQL HTPC: E6500, mAtx, 210GT Watching on: Sony 32" Bravia with lowend Sony 5.1 HTIB
	find quote

evlo Senior Member Posts: 104 Joined: Jun 2009 Reputation: 0	2010-12-17 23:13 Post: #196 Plex approach looks great!
	find quote

evlo Senior Member Posts: 104 Joined: Jun 2009 Reputation: 0	2010-12-25 13:11 Post: #198 Also, another very geeky, unfriendly thing is that when you go to videos then you need to select from movies,playlist, actors and who knows what. I would like user to go to videos and select library he wants to browse (ie. if i have set up playlist, then go to playlists).
	find quote

sho Team-XBMC Member Posts: 4,133 Joined: May 2004 Reputation: 3	2010-12-25 15:22 Post: #199 You what? 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.
	find quote