Help from the expert XLobbyers

[WannaTheater]

Hi, I've picked up skinning again and have a few questions that I couldn't find answers for:

1) Lets say I have two categories (data contained in separate databases), and call them "movies_mature" and "movies_family." I have created 2 separate "player" screens (movies_mature_player, and movies_family player), because each "player" screen displays elements specific to the current category (i.e. movies_family>runtime, or movies_mature>runtime). Is there a way to accomplish this with a single player screen? Perhaps by assigning the current category to a variable, then referencing that variable on a common player screen?

2) Is there a way to call a single Xlobby command (perhaps a category reset, or a single show_overlay) directly from a button? I thought I saw someone do a reset command right in the Button Name field? I find that I am constantly creating my own events (which merely call a single Xlobby/category command) just to be able to assign to a "button event."

3) In a sample skin I have, when a button is pushed its center is filled in with a color. When I push it again it goes back to normal. Push it a third time and it fills in again... and so on. I cannot find anytihng about this button which defines "states." Nothing is even defined on the "events tab" as far as toggle states. How can this be?

4) If I have 10 separate buttons on 10 separate screens, and I name all the buttons "MyButton," and I set the state of the button with name "MyButton," will this apply to all 10? Or is the visibility of a button name limited in scope to the screen it is on?

5) Does XLobby have any command line parameters? I would like to run it in fullscreen on the second monitor of a dual monitor system, and have Zoomplayer run fullscreen on the First monitor. Can this be done?

6) Is there a Fat Client mode, and how would this work? I've tried thin client with wireless, but things were a bit too slow, and I had problems with overlays. I am trying to put a VGA touchscreen next to the couch, but unfortunately the TV and HTPC are about 15' away... with NOPLACE to run VGA cable. But I could place a small laptop (wired Gig-Ethernet LAN) with an attached touchscreen next to the couch... The ultimate goal is obvliusly to control WinAMP and Zoomplayer that is connected to tv and multiple amps. Any thoughts?

Thanks!

[dalanik]

I'll try with the ones I think I know

1) Is there a way to accomplish this with a single player screen?

Yes, I have like 3 databases for movies: movies, adult and appletrailers, and all display under single screen. The trick is to call category just i.e. "movies" and switch databases with "set database" command.

2) Is there a way to call a single Xlobby command directly from a button?

No, you must have event and assing it to button

3) In a sample skin I have, when a button is pushed its center is filled in with a color. When I push it again it goes back to normal.

It's not in the events tab, it's the toggle state. Last free version of xlobby has this. I don't know any other means to acomlish this....

4) If I have 10 separate buttons on 10 separate screens, and I name all the buttons "MyButton," and I set the state of the button with name "MyButton," will this apply to all 10?

I don't know about states, but i.e. I do "hide" buttons, and it applies to all that have that name, so I would expect yes.

5) Does XLobby have any command line parameters?

As far as I know, no. You can specify on which screen to run xlobby in config (F2) dialog, and fullscreen is specified by selecting your resoulution from the "skins" config.

6) Is there a Fat Client mode

Yes there is, but I never tried it. I suppose it's just 2 instances of XLobby running on different PCs, communicating through XNet, and you can also do "mimic" so they act the same.

regards,
Dalibor

[Marbles_00]

To expand on question 3, rika did an excellent tutorial on multi-toggle states for non-toggle type buttons here:
http://www.xlobby.com/forum/viewtopic.php?p=32891#32891

What I mean by none toggle type buttons is that Xlobby by default does toggling for specific events like mute, repeat, shuffle. If I recall it is adding a button ID under the skin edit/default tab. I don't remember exactly what it is, you will have to look at some skins.

Hope this helps.

[WannaTheater]

Thanks to both of you! Its good to see people are still active on this board.

1) Is there a way to accomplish this with a single player screen?

Yes, I have like 3 databases for movies: movies, adult and appletrailers, and all display under single screen. The trick is to call category just i.e. "movies" and switch databases with "set database" command.

--This is exactly what I have been looking for. I guess the "global EXE" command would specify the path and options which get passes to the Category>Execute event.

2) Is there a way to call a single Xlobby command directly from a button?

No, you must have event and assing it to button
--I did see a button once with "show>%reset%" as its ID. Not sure what it does/did


3) In a sample skin I have, when a button is pushed its center is filled in with a color. When I push it again it goes back to normal.

It's not in the events tab, it's the toggle state. Last free version of xlobby has this. I don't know any other means to acomlish this....
--This is where I was looking! BUT it WAS a reset and mute button, so now I understand that this appears to be something under the covers in Xlobby specific to those buttons.


4) If I have 10 separate buttons on 10 separate screens, and I name all the buttons "MyButton," and I set the state of the button with name "MyButton," will this apply to all 10?

I don't know about states, but i.e. I do "hide" buttons, and it applies to all that have that name, so I would expect yes.
--All insication are that you can use the same "Button ID" name and an update to one updates them all.

5) Does XLobby have any command line parameters?

As far as I know, no. You can specify on which screen to run xlobby in config (F2) dialog, and fullscreen is specified by selecting your resoulution from the "skins" config.
--Thanks, I missed that one - but it works great

6) Is there a Fat Client mode

Yes there is, but I never tried it. I suppose it's just 2 instances of XLobby running on different PCs, communicating through XNet, and you can also do "mimic" so they act the same.
--I'll take a look - I am just unsure as to which machine the Video and Audio would play from... I've been playing a bit with thin client version.

regards,
Dalibor

[WannaTheater]

Thanks Marbles. It was a mute button!

Hey... I thought I saw some posts from you on another HTPC frontend site... hopefully you are not giving up on Xlobby!

[defrag]

Just a few extras...

2) The buttons with the show in the id are used for input screens, such as the search screens, in your example this would reset the input box (if I remember correctly)

6) Generally Zoomplayer and Winamp (or if you are using the internal players) will target the default primary monitor unless you direct them to do otherwise. If you have a multi monitor setup then you can get xlobby to run on say monitor 1 whilst movies are played on the primary monitor 0.

I run a fat client which serves a 32" lcd tv and a 7" touchscreen which is fed by a server running xnet (which also feeds into the bedroom!! via a thin client on an Axim x51) The pc which the fat client resides has the lcd as it's primary (0) and the touchscreen (built into the case) as monitor 1. I have 2 skins setup on the fat client for different resolutions. I had to write a small utility that toggles the saved settings from the F2 config (which resides in the xlobby.xml file in the root of your xlobby folder) from one skin to the other depending on what I'm doing. This means that I can have the tv off and use the touchscreen to play music or have the tv on and the touchscreen off to do everything else (and play music) or both!! Zoomplayer and Winamp Visualisations all target the default monitor so it doesn't matter which screen xlobby is on.

Dunno if any of that helps, or just confuses the issue...

[Marbles_00]

Hey... I thought I saw some posts from you on another HTPC frontend site... hopefully you are not giving up on Xlobby!

Yeah I used Got All Media (GAM) for a basic PVR system on a legacy 850MHz PIII (check out my direct link below). I needed something that was light on resources, but could act as a decent PVR system with pause liveTV, and GAM seemed to fit that bill. I know that Xlobby has some PVR solutions, but those solutions would take too much of a toll on that system. Wife still hasn't bought into the idea of having a computer in place of the aging VCR and cheapy DVD player...but my little one loves playing with the buttons . Check out my Toddlers tip in the Tips forum section.

And NO, I haven't given up on xlobby. I've just recently released...and still improving my Mirage skin for using with my eventual HTPC. As well, I'm still supporting the DIY whole house audio via ZoneSkin4.

Mind you once I have the HTPC together...I just have to try Linux MCE.

[WannaTheater]

Can't seem to get SET_DATABASE to work...

I have tried the following:
1) Created "Screen1" and added a Category called "movies2." Under the Database tab, I set it to "none"
2) Created an event and assigned it to a button on my menu screen which
a) Calls command "Category - Set Database:"
Category Name: movies2
Database Name: "c:\Prog....\databases\movies_family.xml"
b) Goto Screen1

And my category window doesn't seem to get populated. Am I missing anything?

[defrag]

1) set the category to a default database
2) create event set database with only the name of the db (not the full path name)
3) assign to button

should work fine

[WannaTheater]

Thanks for the pointers...
Here is the Gotcha: You need to leave off the ".xml" extension for the database name

Seems to be working now

[dalanik]

And NO, I haven't given up on xlobby. I've just recently released...and still improving my Mirage skin for using with my eventual HTPC.

Given up? No way, XLobby rules!!! I'm constantly tweaking my skin: http://visualx.lanik.org/

[defrag]

I'm constantly tweaking my skin

shudder

[P3rv3rt B3ar]

Mind you once I have the HTPC together...I just have to try Linux MCE.

What is this heresy. Let the witchunt begin!

[Marbles_00]

Marbles_00 wrote:
Mind you once I have the HTPC together...I just have to try Linux MCE.

What is this heresy. Let the witchunt begin!

Hey, if that install goes the way of all my other feeble attempts at installing Linux goes...it will be a very short trial. I just don't get Linux at all. Tried Mandrake 9. Made a boot disk, was able to load it..Yadda, Yadda. Booted up for the first time, had no clue what to do from there. Recently I tried Freevo on a PIII 550MHz. Ran from CD great, but I couldn't figure out for the life of me, how to get it to run from the hard drive. I don't know, unless your a Linux guru, or your a sap willing to spend alot of time configuring...which I'm neither (all my time is spend configuring/playing with Xlobby ), it will most likely not be my cup of tea.

[P3rv3rt B3ar]

Im wishing u bad luck with it

I always go with slackware my self... dont really know why... just grew customed to it... and i never install X anyway... i go with command line... now if i would need windows why wouldnt i go with Windows