xStreamed *updated 3/6/11* www

[Marbles_00]

#
http://www.xlobby.com/files/Marbles_00/ ... _small.bmp
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xStreamed Module release

This is where to download the xStreamed skin. The ultimate Xlobby Media Glamorized skin available. xStreamed includes all the required plugins and applications (provided they are freeware) with the install, and will have to be copied over to the xlobby/plugins or xlobby/applications directory. Also included are copies of the xlobby.xml, types.xml, and mediatypes.xml. You may copy all three to the xlobby root folder, or copy over the required parts. There is an .xml file in the xlobby_root folder which must be copied to the xlobby root folder for the xPowerEvent plugin to work.

Geared primarily towards 1920x1080 screens and for use with remote. A .gml file is included to be used with Girder, which I have detailed my remote mapping in a few posts down. If using a Hauppauge remote, I have also linked a Hauppauge Service Pack to get you running with Xlobby. Try it out and enjoy.

xStreamed- FULL INSTALL:
http://www.xlobby.com/files/Marbles_00/ ... d_Full.exe

Hauppauge IR Services Pack:
http://www.xlobby.com/files/Marbles_00/ ... ces_v1.exe
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Kudos goes to those that deserve it. Hat's off to Team Razorfish and the team of StreamedMP for the developments of truly great skins used on their respected platforms. If you really want a sense of what xStreamed wishes to be, try out those skins on MediaPortal and XBMC. Simply awesome, and thanks for some great work.

[Marbles_00]

INFO June 7th, 2010
Basically my remote is just the standard remote included with my TV. It is a Panasonic multi-functional, and is pictured below. I use the AUX setting which gives me most of the buttons from the navigational circle (Ch Up/Dwn, Vol Up/Dwn) and below except for the Page Up and Down buttons. It also give control of the Mute button and Power button. Also I've attached my button mapping .txt file.

I use the xRemote plugin with Girder with the Igor Serial Plugin for XP. Make sure, if using WinXP, you use the XP version of the plugin or it won't work. I also use Igor's example RS232 Interface circuit (WinLIRC modified). Dirt easy to build, and works great.

[wesblack]

Very nice.....love the graphics and simple menu design.




Wes Black \ Calrad

[Marbles_00]

Thanks Wes,

The real cool stuff is still to come in the movie module.

Anyways, tutorial #2***Background Images

The main menu is actually a database defined to a category. Each item of the database is a menu entry, and each menu entry has an information tag called "cover". This defines the location of the background graphics to load for that particular menu entry.

Now all the backgrounds are contained in their own directories within the xStreamed\backgrounds sub-directory. Currently to change any image shown can be done in two ways:
1) rename the current image used in the skin and place your new image called exactly what the previous image was called.
2) place your image in the proper directory, then start xlobby. Once loaded, goto setup (F2), select "Databases" then select and edit the menu_home database. Select the menu entry for the image to change, highlight "cover" and then change the field to match your image name (see image below). Close setup and your new image should be shown when that particular menu entry is in the fore-front. If not, then you may have to restart xlobby.

*EDIT*
I would also like to thank Xzener and others over at Mediabrowser for their excellent background and icon images. If you haven't seen what they have done, you should check out their forum section here: http://community.mediabrowser.tv/topics?category_id=7
Really great stuff, and you will see more of it in future modules.

[dhcf23]

Excellent work, I gave it a try last night and I love it...patiently waiting for other modules. I have something similar I had been playing around with only it had a horizontal menu. This skin and a couple other similar ones from Meediaportal and XBMC have been the inspiration for what I was trying to build but you pretty much nailed it with this one. Any teasers for what you have in store for any of the other modules?

I will second the Xzener stuff as I have also been using many of those same backgrounds.

[Marbles_00]

Excellent, I'm glad it is working for you. The feed back helps, as I have things working very easy for me, and what may be working for me may not be working for others, so its good to hear that someone else has it working. Were you able to integrate a remote in with it yet?

Speaking of more modules, actually, I have attached a .pdf document here in preparation to the movie module release. It basically covers using Ant Movie Catalog and how to utilized each Ant parameter for use with xStreamed.

There is also a couple of teaser pics in the document. More pics to come .

[Marbles_00]

@dhcf23,

You know, you got me thinking...you mention that you've been working on a horizontal menu system. This is where I've been considering the "community" portion, where we could possibly implement your skin with mine, and to give a function using the xChangeskin to swap between the two.

Just a mere thought right now, but maybe something worth exploring, once a base is started.

[WannaTheater]

DOH! Great XAnt tutorial. I unfortunately am using several of these parameters and have none left! What XAnt really needs is User1-User10 fields

[Marbles_00]

Well it is not really set in stone. You could use different fields, and modifying the moviestemplate.xml file. When I do release the movie module, it will include the XANT plugin, and its associated files. So if you have your own moviestemplate that works for you, make sure you don't copy over it.

I'm just trying to look at it in the perspective of a new user, just getting up and running for the first time...or some one who wants to use this skin, and may or may not have used the basics of AMC and XANT.

To let you all know, there is a post somewhere in the forums that describes all the AMC variables. Not sure exactly where, but I will repost the variables below:

Code: Select all

$$DATE = Current date
$$TIME = Current time
Catalog file properties:

$$FILENAME = Catalog file name
$$FILEPATH = Catalog file name with full path
$$TOTALMOVIES = Number of movies in the catalog
$$OWNER_NAME = Name specified in catalog properties
$$OWNER_MAIL = E-mail
$$OWNER_SITE = Website
$$DESCRIPTION = Description
$$ITEM_FILEINDIV = Filename of individual page for current movie
$$ITEM_BEGIN = Begin of movie list
$$ITEM_END = End of movie list

Movie fields:
$$ITEM_NUMBER = Number
$$ITEM_CHECKED = State of the checkbox
$$ITEM_MEDIA = Media label/barcode
$$ITEM_TYPE = Media type
$$ITEM_SOURCE = Source
$$ITEM_DATEADD = Date added
$$ITEM_BORROWER = Current borrower
$$ITEM_RATING = Rating (0 to 10)
$$ITEM_APPRECIATION = Appreciation, from 0 to 4 stars, using files appr*.gif
$$ITEM_ORIGINALTITLE = Original title
$$ITEM_TRANSLATEDTITLE = Translated title
$$ITEM_FORMATTEDTITLE = Formatted title, as defined in the Preferences
$$ITEM_DIRECTOR = Director
$$ITEM_PRODUCER = Producer
$$ITEM_COUNTRY = Country
$$ITEM_CATEGORY = Category
$$ITEM_YEAR = Year
$$ITEM_LENGTH = Length in minutes
$$ITEM_ACTORS = Actors list
$$ITEM_URL = Website address (without link)
$$ITEM_DESCRIPTION = Description
$$ITEM_COMMENTS = Comments
$$ITEM_VIDEOFORMAT = Video format/codec
$$ITEM_VIDEOBITRATE = Video bitrate
$$ITEM_AUDIOFORMAT = Audio format/codec
$$ITEM_AUDIOBITRATE = Audio bitrate
$$ITEM_RESOLUTION = Video resolution
$$ITEM_FRAMERATE = Video framerate
$$ITEM_LANGUAGES = Languages
$$ITEM_SUBTITLES = Subtitles
$$ITEM_SIZE = Files sizes
$$ITEM_DISKS = Number of disks or tapes
$$ITEM_PICTURE = Picture, embedded in a <img> tag
$$ITEM_PICTUREFILENAME = Filename of the picture

But in your case, how this is all setup is that the fields call on image files. So for example, if you are using the resolution field, and entered the resolution of a DVD movie as 1920x1080 (upscaled for your screen), then you could just change the "SD 16:9" image filename from SD Widescreen.png to 1920x1080.png.

Don't worry, I'll help take out some of the guess work, and try and describe how things are done once I release the module .

[dhcf23]

Excellent, I'm glad it is working for you. The feed back helps, as I have things working very easy for me, and what may be working for me may not be working for others, so its good to hear that someone else has it working. Were you able to integrate a remote in with it yet?

I have not yet set it up on my HTPC to try it with a remote, Just the test box, but my remote set up is different from yours. I use a harmony 550 + USBUIRT + Eventghost to control everything and basically emulate keystrokes for navigation and a few sendmessage events so typically if it works using the arrow keys my remote should work.

As for contributing something to this skin in the future, I would be happy to help out. My stuff is usually pretty customized to my needs but I think with your module approach we could apply some concepts or different layouts and make something work out. I will try and get a few screen shots of some of the different ideas I have been playing around with. Didn't get a chance to last night with the Hawks winning the cup and all!! Go Hawks!!

[Marbles_00]

Hawks winning the cup and all!! Go Hawks!!

ERRR!!!! I was at the gym when the overtime started and was watching it there. There was a stoppage in play, and at that point I decided to leave. By the time I got my stuff and got to my car to listen to the game on the radio, Kane had scored the game/cup winner. Frustrating as heck.

[Marbles_00]

Found another site that host backdrops for HTPC...some may find their way into this skin at some point . Site is here:
http://htbackdrops.com

[Marbles_00]

Well that above is the Movie Module's main menu screen. The whole module is near completion, with only a few bugs are needed to be worked out. Stay tuned for a link to download in the near future.

In the meantime, here is the link for more teaser pics.
http://sites.google.com/site/maycreates ... vie-module

Enjoy

[Marbles_00]

The Movie Module pack is now released. View first post to download. Also I've updated the Main Module (v2) so that will have to be downloaded and installed prior to installing the Movie Module. This installer should install the movie pack into program files/xlobby/skins/xStreamed/ by default.

Included with the Movie Module are the following plugins and their associated files:
xANT
xMoveWindows
xConvert

Copy them over to the xlobby/plugins directory. These plugins have all been verified to work on the last version of free lobby. Once copied, open and modify the xANT.ini file to suit the locations of your catalog, coverart, output database and moviestemplate files.

There is also one application that will require copying to the xlobby/applications folder. That being sendfocus.exe.

Now, there are four views when listing movies. These are Movie lists, small icons, large icons, and coverflow. Examples of each can be seen from the movie images in the previous post. By default (if everything, including plugins, are in their proper locations) movies lists is the default category listing. You can change this by going to Setup/Events, then expand the "Skin" group and look for the startup sub-group. Expand that and you will see a plugin event that uses the xConvert plugin. Change movies_list to either movies_large, movies_small, or movies_coverflow. Then run a test on that event group. The screen should flash to the splash screen for ~5 seconds, then go back to the main menu, and then your set to go.

The only other thing is that you may have to map your remote to the different screens for xRemote.

If you have any issues, please let me know, especially concerning the initial install. I found that separating the files into these modules can be a rather daunting task, and I may have missed something along the way.

Otherwise, have fun...now time to work on the next module.

[Marbles_00]

Found one issue. I decided to test the installs again, and virtually went from scratch. It seems that the first time xlobby is loaded after installing, it doesn't pickup that the default start screen should be "startup". This is required as it will set the default view for displaying movies.

Soo...you can do one of two things. Before loading xlobby, goto the main xlobby directory and open a file called xlobby.xml into a text editor. In there, there is a tag <startUpScreen></startUpScreen>. Make sure it is labeled as <startUpScreen>startup</startUpScreen>.

Or after xlobby loads, open the skin editor and select the "goto" tab. Look for the screen called startup in the list and select it. It will briefly show the splash image, then jump to the main menu. At the top of the Skin Editor window, there is a check box labled "Start Up Screen". Check the box then close the editor. You should be good to go.