[RELEASE] Forum Browser - Programs Addon

(2012-07-20 18:06)ruuk Wrote:  posting from forum browser via XBMC running on my android

hi ruuk hope your well
Would that be the new Android phone version of XBMC
using forum browser if so thats cool ,have you used it much ? Does it squish you battery ?.Also noticed my location next to my avatar is that a new Tapatalk plugin that xbmc.org are using do you know?

(2012-07-20 19:40)hasselhof Wrote:  

(2012-07-20 18:06)ruuk Wrote:  posting from forum browser via XBMC running on my android

hi ruuk hope your well
Would that be the new Android phone version of XBMC
using forum browser if so thats cool ,have you used it much ? Does it squish you battery ?.Also noticed my location next to my avatar is that a new Tapatalk plugin that xbmc.org are using do you know?

Well, it's some version I got off the xda-developers forum that I searched around for after the announcement that it was in moving along in development. On may Samsung Galaxy II it worked very well. I looked great and navigated well. I only tested playing some video from youtube - which was slow, but that may have been network related. I know the video is via a software renderer at this point so I'm not expecting much anyway. I installed FB from the main repo easily, and it looked and worked basically the same as on my computer. The skin mod failed, but I expected that. The interface worked but is pretty terrible for touch screen of course. When this is ready for the android market, I'll probably make a touch specific skin. I'll finally be able to make this more iPad friendly now. I don't own (or intend to own) an iPad and when people have asked for me to make the interface more iPad friendly (for various of my addons), I've been basically unable to help. Having XBMC on android will finally allow me to tailor skins for a touch interface.
I've really only just installed it and spent very little time with it so I don't know about how it affects battery life.
So far I have been impressed with how well it works (it is better than I expected at this stage).

Where are you seeing your location? In FB or the phone app...?

I just added a windows share on XBMC Android and played some video. SD played fine, and 720p played fairly well with some dropped frames.

---

(2012-07-20 19:40)hasselhof Wrote:  Also noticed my location next to my avatar is that a new Tapatalk plugin that xbmc.org are using do you know?

I just noticed the location next to may avatar in my web browser. That must be what you mean. That would just be something they enabled in the MyBB config. It won't make it any more accessible to FB or the phone app.

Here's a little preview of something I've been working on

Version 1.0.13

Changes:
- Now requires WebViewer 0.9.1 or greater
- Updated help
- ParserBrowser: Added handling for forum type SMF (Simple Machines Forum) (Currently very basic with page handling - readonly)
- ParserBrowser: Added handling for Gender stat in posts (Shows in extra info)
- Now handles image URLs with '/../../../' or similar in them in posts and when getting a logo when adding a forum
- Added settings option 'Parser Browser: Ignore Forum Images' - when enabled it will filter out images hosted on the forum (ie smileys and arrows and stuff)
- Added the ability to set a theme (just 'header' color for now) for the forums display with a new color dialog (options menu)
- Added the ability to share current forum theme to the online database (options menu)
- Online database now replaces existing forum details instead of reporting that it already exists
- Online database now pointing to domain 2ndmind.tk (with new hosting) until I can get my crappy registrar (also provider of my crappy old hosting) to answer my emails, chats or phone calls

On my REPO.

Thanks ruuk themes look cool, you've been working hard thanks again speak to you soon

Version 1.0.14

Changes:
- Online database now points to 2ndmind.com (got my domains and new hosting all set up)
- Added the ability to share Parser Browser forums to the online database (with required simple rating system)
- Improved the forum selection dialog with interface icons, and rating icons for Parser Browser forums when adding from online)
- Parser Browser: Fixed a recently created bug where some [url] tag artifacts were remaining in posts
- Adding a forum to the online database now includes theme data
- When adding a forum already in the online database, the dialog now shows that it exists and was updated
- No longer asks for description and logo when adding the current forum to the online database

On my REPO.

Version 1.0.15

Changes:
- Fixes a bug created with the last version that caused forums to be added/updated with a null URL

On my REPO.

Hi ruuk,

Done some testing using version 1.0.15

Web viewer updated to 0.9.1 ok.

Help section looks great.

Getting logo's gives only the higher quality available images, with the ignore forum images in posts switched on, great idea

Setting heading colour is easy I like the mixer pallet.
Are you in the process of creating the online theme database selection if there are more than one ?
The VW Vortex theme that someone had created online, I was able to overwrite it with my theme, but their theme had disappeared

Being able to update an existing online database forum is an excellent feature.

Thanks for using your 2ndmind.com for databases

Parser browser simple rating system works ok when adding to online database.

There's a definite improvement in forum selection dialog & icons for parser browser forums.

Dialogs appear at the correct times when you req them for example "The forum exists, but was updated", it's like you've become one with FB

Maybe a more flexable icon selection, say also using Google images to get the logo's ?

Could the main header logos have a smoother edge to them, so they don't appear to sharp edged, see VW Vortex icon ?.

Thanks for the continued support & updates

Well done on your suggestion in the XBMChub Tapatlak thread, about the popup, which kept XBMChub working with FB

John.

(2012-07-29 14:30)hasselhof Wrote:  Getting logo's gives only the higher quality available images, with the ignore forum images in posts switched on, great idea

Actually that setting is for posts and should have no effect when getting logos.
In the Parser Browser, it's hard to distinguish post images from smilies and such. This option removes images that have the forum's URL path in them so that they don't clutter up the post display. There is the danger that this could remove images that are supposed to be part of the post (especially if the forum allows uploading images) which is why I made removing them optional.

(2012-07-29 14:30)hasselhof Wrote:  Setting heading colour is easy I like the mixer pallet.

It took a bit of work designing it, which is one of the reasons I hadn't done theming before now - because I knew I'd have to do all the work to make a color chooser.
By the way, before you ask - yes I will be extending the theme to the other views

(2012-07-29 14:30)hasselhof Wrote:  Are you in the process of creating the online theme database selection if there are more than one ?
The VW Vortex theme that someone had created online, I was able to overwrite it with my theme, but their theme had disappeared

I plan to but haven't started anything yet. Everything with the database has a number of issues to consider because anyone can modify it. For example, if I make it so there can be multiple themes, I probably have to limit the number that can be added, which means that I have to decide either to overwrite an existing theme when a the limit is reached or ignore new themes. I also have to create some way of choosing a theme. I have to decide if it should ask when they add the forum to choose a theme, or make it a later option.

(2012-07-29 14:30)hasselhof Wrote:  Being able to update an existing online database forum is an excellent feature.

It should help reduce dead forum and logo URLs. One of the forums you mentioned not working a while back started working again when I re-added it in FB. Updating the database allows that fix to be passed on.
Of course if there is a great logo in the database, anyone can change it to a stupid one

(2012-07-29 14:30)hasselhof Wrote:  Thanks for using your 2ndmind.com for databases

I'm just glad to have my hosting sorted out. My old hosting was going downhill. It took me over a week just to get in touch with someone there to ask a question.

(2012-07-29 14:30)hasselhof Wrote:  Maybe a more flexable icon selection, say also using Google images to get the logo's ?

I've thought of that (as you know I already have a Google Images plugin so I have most of the code already) and the main issue I need to consider is the fact that I can't trust the image URLs I get from google to be stable (not that the ones from the forum are guaranteed to keep working either). I was thinking of making it so that you could use Google Images, but only for your locally viewable logo.

(2012-07-29 14:30)hasselhof Wrote:  Could the main header logos have a smoother edge to them, so they don't appear to sharp edged, see VW Vortex icon ?.

Smoothing the edges runs the risk of fading out an important part of the logo. I could make it optional, but then I'd have to save another piece of data for the forum. And for the database. And if there are multiple themes, I need to have the option for each theme. Perhaps I could have a faded border. But then you'd have to set a separate color for that, and that wouldn't help with logos that have background gradients, which fading the actual logo would. Hmm...

(2012-07-29 14:30)hasselhof Wrote:  Well done on your suggestion in the XBMChub Tapatlak thread, about the popup, which kept XBMChub working with FB

Well, the whole section on the forum for FB would have been kinda silly if it didn't work with the forum