Set filter command

[jpoveda]

Hi,

I am testing category filter command to view better my music database created with standard music template. I'have created a category named "list" pointing to music database, and I've created two buttons asigned to events which do filter category by "artist" and by "albumname". Well, when I press buttons nothing happen. What am I doing wrong?.

Thanks.

[Mac]

jpoveda,

Did you find a solution yet? I want to do something similar. I want a button on the main music page for each of my genres. So if I press the "country" button, only the albums with the country genre tags are displayed.

Mac

[jpoveda]

Hi Mac,

Not yet. If I try with XPAD skin, that's working. If I copy his screen and events on my skin xlobby stops when I select set filter buttons. If I try to create a new screen as I told in the previous message nothing happens when I do set filter. I saw yesterday a comment in other forum a thread that explain a way to solve it with preprexlobby. I tried to install the new version but without succes.

Perhaps a skin developper would help us.

[Colby]

Hey guys maybe I can offer some help.

Some tips I know are: For every filter you want to sort by; you need the 'tag in the database. For an mp3 there are already by default display,artist, albumname, genre, year, tracknumber, trackname, trackfilename,artist embedded in the id3 tag and in the XML db. You can filter by any of these. In a movie there can be an array of 'tags as well ie. director, genre, runtime, title, year, rating, .... which you can sort by. In a given database the elements check marked will be those you can filter and/or display. In a new database, whatever elements (tags) created in the XML database will be able to filter. If there are "homemade" elements (tags) these will need to be in the xml or added in the edit database.

How to create new elements (tags):
F2>edit database
choose the database you want to add filters
click edit
select an Item, the in the line on the bottom you can add what ever tag you wish by typing the name of the new tag and clicking add.
Now be sure to check the checkbox of your newly created tag.
You can continue to do this for the whole database. (which can be a task.)
You can type the discription for the tag too. (for instance if I create a tag called lyrics for my music db, then I can copy the lyrics text into the big textbox where it says set information here) Now with the Lyrics tag checked I can filter and/or display the information of the lyrics tag on some screen.

Adding events to sort:
f2>event manager
create a new event for your skin
name it whatever (ie. set filter game genre)
then you add the set filter command
type what category (database) it is associate with
Then type what filter, (tag) you need this event to do (ie. genre)


With the database and events properly set up you can add the events to buttons in the skin editor. copy and paste a filter details category textbox from a screen to use for your filter results. Add the set filter event on other buttons.

Final Tips:
If you want a page to have a default filter upon load of the page, create the set filtercommand as part of the goto page event.

With the new thumbnails view enable for filter details, showing all genre, per page would be easy.

This is only food for thought, I dont know if it is clear or helpful. Sorry.

[Mac]

Thanks Colby. Your explanation was very helpful and appreciated.

[jpoveda]

Thanks a lot Colby,

I still having some problems. First, my music database is standard so I'll work with artist and albumname tags. Could you explain me what would you say in adding events with "type your category (database) it is associated with"? Category or database?. I think it should be category but it's not created yet.

And in "copy and paste a filter details category textbox from a screen to use for your filter results"????. Can I create the category?????. Should be category's name 'filterdetails', or can be other name?????. There should be a space between filter and details????.

I've tried a lot of possibilities and usualy xlobby crashes after doing set filter command, other times nothing happens. Best results are when I put category 'filterdetails' in set filter command and 'filterdetails' name to the category pointing to music database. First time I press whatever button set filter runs well and I can see the result in the category, but next time I press whatever button (previosly pressed) xlobby crashes.

Let me know if you understand what is happening, I don't. I'm going crazy.

P.D. Sorry about my english.

[kikko]

Hi jpoveda, hi all guys!

I'm a perfect newbie in XLobby, and these are my very first experiment in skinning something, so my ideas are not so clear.

After reading the "food for thought" by Colby I've tried to do some experiment, and in effect I suppose that the category in which are displayed/selected data for filter must be named filterdetails, you can place such a category wherever you want in the screen (I've placed it just in the music screen) and it functions automatically (when you select a value in the list, the filter automatically applies and the category music in the screen automatically refreshes).

My question now is: is it possible to create an event like set filter genre='country', and apply this to a button? In this way we could add some button named 'country' or 'rock' or 'jazz' to quickly select our music by genre (or by artist, by year, and o on).

[Colby]

when you have a set filter to display genre you'll have a list of genres to choose from. This isnt what you want? though it does the same thing? I dont see what xlobby isnt doing

My question now is: is it possible to create an event like set filter genre='country', and apply this to a button? In this way we could add some button named 'country' or 'rock' or 'jazz' to quickly select our music by genre (or by artist, by year, and o on).

I currently have 32 genres from Id3 tags to choose from, that would be a lot of buttons. The sort list works way better for me.

to answer your ? this shouldnt be that hard. cant you just add a set filter genre event to the buttons you create and then rename the button ID: to show>Country>filterdetails
I think that would work

[kikko]

Thanks a lot Colby, now my button sets the correct value on the filterdetails category.
Now I've only a problem: to make the selection completely trasparent to the user, the button should send to the category filterdetails the [enter] keypress event (or something similar), but I haven't found a trick for doing this.
How can I automatically select the item in the list?

[kolemieux]

Colby - I am going to try this - I know I posted in another thread this same question but will roll with your killer detail here and see how it goes.

Thanks for the work.

when you have a set filter to display genre you'll have a list of genres to choose from. This isnt what you want? though it does the same thing? I dont see what xlobby isnt doing

My question now is: is it possible to create an event like set filter genre='country', and apply this to a button? In this way we could add some button named 'country' or 'rock' or 'jazz' to quickly select our music by genre (or by artist, by year, and o on).

I currently have 32 genres from Id3 tags to choose from, that would be a lot of buttons. The sort list works way better for me.

to answer your ? this shouldnt be that hard. cant you just add a set filter genre event to the buttons you create and then rename the button ID: to show>Country>filterdetails
I think that would work

[kolemieux]

I know I am slowwwwwwwwwwww (-: Trying this, ultimately would like to have my movie view screen, with buttons on the side (Comedy, Holiday, Action.... yada yada) I would even make sure the tags themselves for each movie correspond with the button selection - might even use that for parental controls of PG and such.

Then have the corresponding Thumbnail page filter accordingly. I know I am close guys but a nudge would help me.

Sorry for the stupidity. AMAZING the power of Xlobby - AMAZING.
Chris

[kolemieux]

Found what I need in a skin I overlooked and can work it from here - just fyi before anyone types to help me - thanks guys.