xDatabase

[Marbles_00]

Grooby,

Not sure if you are still looking for help with this, but, I have spent some time as well trying to get this to work too, and this morning I finally got a major breakthrough.

I copied that code about 8 posts before yours in the .ini file...but still didn't get reflections. I read...and the re-read Pitts first post over again. Then reading the Caching Database section, it finally dawned on me. He is defining xlobby/plugin commands. So I went to setup/events, pulled up the plugin commands, found xDatabase. Then I scrolled through its command list and found "xcache update". For variables I used movies>true. I then clicked on the "Test" button...well... xlobby crashed...#$%@!!!

I went back and read and re-read Pitt's first post again...then the light bulb came on. All this time I was thinking Categories...and not DATABASES!!!. I have two movie databases called "childrenmovies" and "rratedmovies". So I went back to the .ini file, changed what was [movies] to [childrenmovies]. Then copied that whole section, but re-named it to [rratedmovies]. I left all the contents of each the same as the code listed in the post above.

When I re-started xlobby, again, there were no reflections. So again I opened setup>events, went to the plugin commands, dragged up xDatabase>xcache update, but this time for Variables, I used rratedmovies>true. Then I clicked on Test. This time it didn't crash. Once the "Test" button became available, I changed the variable to childrenmovies>true, then tested. Again it did not crash.

Now I don't recall if I did an xlobby re-start, but the next time I went to my movies screen...well lo-and-behold...I had reflections.

Sorry no pictures to go along with this yet...and it is very rough around the edges...but it finally worked.

Now it is time to play.

[Grooby]

Marbles...fella...i had given up, not even thought about looking for plugin commands, i just thought update the ini and away you go, when nothing happened i just shrugged my shoulders, blamed my brain and moved on...

Now reading your post makes alot of sense, why this was never posted in first place i don't know, guess everbody is quicker on the up take than me

When i get home from work i'm all over this, if i fail prepare for PM !!!

Thanks again!!!
Andy

[Grooby]

Ok so i must be Mr McThick of Thick Town cos i'm getting no where, i cached all the images but cats now show no images at all???!!!

Marbles, can you post your ini file for me to look at?

Do i need to call the cats anything else in the skin other than standard?

Thanks

[Marbles_00]

Here's my exerpt of the .ini file for my childrenmovies database. It is basically the originaly [movies] section. Since I'm using this in my AppleTV skin, I was able to get SOLID reflections to work...but I started with TRANSPARENT reflections. My rratedmovies database is a copy of this only it is called [rratedmovies].

Code: Select all

[childrenmovies]
;General - Convert Old Tags                      = true
;General - Add Standard Tags                     = true
;Runtime - Add Short Runtime                     = true
;Runtime - Use hh:mm                             = true
;Genres - Tidy                                   = true
;Genres - Inherit From Parent (if blank)         = true
;IMDB - Generate stars                           = true
;Actors - Tidy                                   = true
;Rating - Tidy                                   = true
;Rating - Inherit From Parent (if blank)         = true
;Rating - Target Country                         = uk
;Rating - Add Family Genre For U/PG Films        = true
;   .. xCache Common ...............................
xCache - Key                                     = coverart
xCache - Keep AR                                 = true
xCache - Text Font Name                          = Wipeout Fusion
xCache - Text Colour                             = White
xCache - Text Shadow Colour                      = DarkGrey
xCache - Only Draw Title If No Cover             = true
;.. xCache Thumbs ...............................
xCache - Thumb Image Width                       = 460
xCache - Thumb Image Height                      = 700
xCache - Thumb Cache Type (jpg/png ect)    = jpg
xCache - Thumb Background Image               = C:\Program Files\xlobby\skins\AppleTV\buttons\PPC_bkgrnd640.jpg
xCache - Thumb Overlay Rect X                    = 0
xCache - Thumb Overlay Rect Y                    = 0
xCache - Thumb Overlay Rect W                    = 460
xCache - Thumb Overlay Rect H                    = 700
xCache - Thumb Reflectivity                         = 0.33
xCache - Thumb Reflectivity Blend Color        = SOLID

If done right, and you run an event using the plugin command xDatabase>xcache upload>"database name">true, then in your plugin/xDatabase directory, there should be a "Cache Files" sub-directory. Then in that directory will be sub-directorys titled after your databases. So in my case my directory structures were xlobby/plugins/xDatabase/Cache Files/rratedmovies, and xlobby/plugins/xDatabase/Cache Files/childrenmovies. All reflection images reside there.

i cached all the images but cats now show no images at all???!!!

I had no coverart happen to me as well at one point. As I use the XAnt plugin, I was thinking I would have to do something funky for it all to display, but I wiped out my two databases, and forced XAnt to rebuild the databases, then wiped out the reflections directories and and did the update again and now everything appears fine.

Also I only using a single cat entry...so only one image is shown. Then I'm using the "category>movies>cover>#>+/-0.2" text input , where # is the number of catagory art on either side of the main selectable art work to display (I'm ranging from around -4/-5 to +4/+5). The + or - 0.2 puts the surrounding artwork on a nice angle around the main image in the center. You can view my recent screen test in my AppleTV skin thread.

[Grooby]

Ok, strange, look at this screen print...

I have just discovered why the images aren't showing up, i manually pointed the database to the artwork and i noticed that the correct path is, cover shows up:

C:\Program Files\xlobby\plugins\xDatabase\Cache Files\movies\t-e.movies.american.gangster.51azaf9zh9l._ss500_[1].jpg.png

but previously it was:

C:\Program Files\xlobby\Plugins\xDatabase\Cache Files\movies\t-e.movies.american.gangster.51azaf9zh9l._ss500_[1].jpg.png

When i run the event it seem to put the path with a capital P in plugin? which won't work of course?

Any ideas????

[Marbles_00]

When i run the event it seem to put the path with a capital P in plugin? which won't work of course?

I don't think so, my pathing is the same way "..\Plugins\...". For category layout, I'm using "default missing". What are you using?

Also for the sake...not sure if you have tried, but did you try the text: category>movies>cover>-3>-0.2 (example)? This should display the art three positions to the left of the selected item. The -0.2 places it on an angle. That should display artwork and it shouldn't matter what your cat layout is. Just to try you could place the text box anywhere on the screen.

To let you know for the movie 300 (example)
xdb.cache.thumb - C:\Program Files\xlobby\Plugins\xDatabase\Cache Files\rratedmovies\t-c.program.files.ant.movie.catalog.pochettes.movies.rmovies32.jpg.png

xdb.cache.original - c:\Program Files\Ant Movie Catalog\Pochettes movies\rmovies32.jpg

xdb.cache.fullscreen - C:\Program Files\xlobby\Plugins\xDatabase\Cache Files\rratedmovies\t-c.program.files.ant.movie.catalog.pochettes.movies.rmovies32.jpg.png

[Grooby]

Also for the sake...not sure if you have tried, but did you try the text: category>movies>cover>-3>-0.2 (example)? This should display the art three positions to the left of the selected item. The -0.2 places it on an angle. That should display artwork and it shouldn't matter what your cat layout is. Just to try you could place the text box anywhere on the screen.

This is what i do for flow...

For category layout, I'm using "default missing". What are you using?

What did you mean by this?

To let you know for the movie 300 (example)
xdb.cache.thumb - C:\Program Files\xlobby\Plugins\xDatabase\Cache Files\rratedmovies\t-c.program.files.ant.movie.catalog.pochettes.movies.rmovies32.jpg.png

xdb.cache.original - c:\Program Files\Ant Movie Catalog\Pochettes movies\rmovies32.jpg

xdb.cache.fullscreen - C:\Program Files\xlobby\Plugins\xDatabase\Cache Files\rratedmovies\t-c.program.files.ant.movie.catalog.pochettes.movies.rmovies32.jpg.png

To get the image to show up i have to change it to a small P in plugin (wonder if its a v3 thing?)

[Marbles_00]

For category layout, I'm using "default missing". What are you using?

What did you mean by this?

See attached image.

You know, I'm wondering too if it has something to do with V3.

[Grooby]

Oh yeah, yep yep thats what i'm doing anyway...

[Marbles_00]

Okay...I'm a little perplexed. It appears your cache is built, and everything is formatted the same...you have your cat setup similar to mine. The only differences are that your using V3...and maybe your windows version is different. I'm sure though that Pitt is using V3 as well, isn't he? And he has it working fine.

OR

It is something so silly and minute, that we are just overlooking it.

My question to Pitt though is once you have reflections running, how do you shut them on/off from screen view to screen view. IE, I'd like to have a wallpaper view, where I wouldn't need reflections, then have the single line view where reflections would complete the effect. Right now, since I have reflections running, if I go to my wallpaper view, reflections are there too.

[Grooby]

Marbs, for time being on my skinning/test pc have have changed P to small to get the images showing up...

My question to Pitt though is once you have reflections running, how do you shut them on/off from screen view to screen view. IE, I'd like to have a wallpaper view, where I wouldn't need reflections, then have the single line view where reflections would complete the effect. Right now, since I have reflections running, if I go to my wallpaper view, reflections are there too.

Yes this is exactly what i'd like to know...at the moment my work around is to have 2 databases of movies, 1 & 2, 1 with reflections, 2 without, then on wallpaper i point cat at database 2. Its ugly but works.

My only problem is i cant get spiders to update both databases at same time so above solution isnt very practical. My main HTPC, not even going to touch xdatabase until i know exactly how to achieve what i want...

Thanks for your help...

[S Pittaway]

hi

you guys picked a bad time to star playing with this - just as i go on holiday

1, i havent been using this on v3 - its never been stable enuff (nearly there tho!)

2. i think i lost a change at some point, lately to get it to show up the covers i have had to restart xlobby... (there is a delay paramteter in the ini file (not sure of the name ) bump that up and it might start working)

3. to be honest, on my screens i always show the reflections - in the v3 skin section i have a few shots of my apple tv skin, look at the wall layout and you see what i mean..

4. where needed i show the unreflected images using %category>xdb.cache.original% or %category>xdb.cache.fullscreen% depending on the cat options.

the only other thing i can say is that i dont use any of the cat layouts, i lay them out my self using the category>-1, -2 etc notation.


Sean.

[dhcf23]

HI,

I have been trying this out and attempting to get reflections to work and having some issues. I have everything set up and followed Marbles directions a few posts above. I also tried using a copy of his .ini file, when the first one I was using was not working. When I run the xCache upload it seems to work fine. In the plugins folder I get the new folder with all my new images but they are not reflections, just new normalized images. I guess two questions then, should the images in that folder show the reflections or do those show up some how later when they are displayed, I'm thinking not since well they aren't displaying that way in my screens. The second is what am I doing wrong when creating them, any ideas? Any other info you need from me?

[dhcf23]

Nevermind,I got it working. Seems I forgot to change the image from the one marbles had to one in my directory. Once I changed that it worked fine. Thanks S Pittaway for another great plugin.

[S Pittaway]

sorry i dident read your reply properly - i stopped at got it working

glad its ok for you.

Seann.