Client limited functionallity

[KenL]

Hello all, Yes I am a Noob to xLobby.

I have installed the Server version on my File Server and the Client version on my HTPC.

I am planning on using anywhere from 4-5 client PC's accessing the server.

My First question is that there doesn't seem to be an administration screen on the client (F2). Does this mean I cannot change the options on my Client version to
a) remove functionallity
b) change the options available to each individual room (ie light controls in the theater room vs, the kitchen Laptop).

My Second question is can the server or the client screens be altered to run in a Window instead of full screen? On the server it is kind of a pain, I have to leave windows explorer open to be able to jump out of xLobby on any machine.

Thanks for the help
Ken

[Twit]

Ken,

Welcome to xlobby!

1 - If u run a fat client on the other pc's you would have to modify thier skins to hide/show particular bits.

2 - In the xlobby directory there is afile called xlobby.xml. Open in note pad and change the 'sizable line'

eg <sizeable>False</sizeable> to <sizeable>True</sizeable>

I also change the xlobby resolution to one lower than windows.

Later
Simon.

[jazzar]

Ken,

Welcome to xlobby!

1 - If u run a fat client on the other pc's you would have to modify thier skins to hide/show particular bits.

2 - In the xlobby directory there is afile called xlobby.xml. Open in note pad and change the 'sizable line'

eg <sizeable>False</sizeable> to <sizeable>True</sizeable>

I also change the xlobby resolution to one lower than windows.

Later
Simon.

Hi there if your using a skin which does not have a minimize button ,pressing home on the keyboard will minimize XL

[KenL]

Ok guys thanks a bunch.
Problem number one (sizing) solved.

If I run a fat client, that means I have to create a databse on each PC. I'll play with this next and see what else comes up.

[jazzar]

Ok guys thanks a bunch.
Problem number one (sizing) solved.

If I run a fat client, that means I have to create a databse on each PC. I'll play with this next and see what else comes up.

Hi
No you can use the xnet server in the setup F2.

Set your pc where you store your mp3's etc to load the xnet server on startup. then set the other fat clients to connect to your xnet server.

in setup (F2) basic tab just point your music , movies paths to your server using the full unc path ie \\server\music

and your done .

cheers
PS this will give multizone audio capabillity as well

[KenL]

But I thought I would still have to import the movies, music and pics from the xnet server again if I used a fat client.

If I don't how do they know what movies are there...Or do I point my database to the one on the xnet server? if that can be done at all.

[hjackson]

"My First question is that there doesn't seem to be an administration screen on the client (F2). Does this mean I cannot change the options on my Client version to
a) remove functionallity
b) change the options available to each individual room (ie light controls in the theater room vs, the kitchen Laptop). "

Correct, you cannot enter F2 on the client. To do what you want, the easiest method is to setup a menu screen so that home theater users go to the "HT Lights" screen and Kitchen users go to the "Kitchen Lights" screen. The other way (read as: longer, but more elegant) way is to create a set of specific screens for each zone and name them with the appropriate prefix (ie "HTMenu" and "KitchenMenu" and "HTLights" and "KitchenLights"). You would then change the startup screen for each zone in the Client text file. This method is not as simple as just copying and renaming all the screens in the skin folder because new "goto" events would also have to be added.

hjackson

[glamdring]

I use xnet so all the databases from my server are copied to each client on start up. Your paths have to be relevant, \\server\music instead of c:\music. I have in the past even used different skins on certain client PC's which allows customizing the client to specific uses. When my kids get older the 2 I will probably look at a setup like that for them to have their movies, music and tv shows only in a skin suited for them.

[KenL]

Ok I get where you guys are comming from with the zones now. I gather you have to modify the database xml file for the movies to retain the "//server/movies/..." Or generate the files from a client PC and copy them back to the server.

I am in a situation where my kids are old enough now that I want to keep them out of the grown up movies....never mind the adult movies.

I have just finished subdividing my movies on the server and added all the covers. I reloaded the server database and went to my HTClient to test it out.

I can see the movies and the cover pages very quickly, but openning things seems to take forever. The picture slide show was so slow I thought the process had died.

I currently run all my AVI movies from the server. I use DivxPlayer and there is no delay in any movie watching. I am finding xLobby to be really slow when accessing pictures or movies....actually I gave up trying to start the movie altogether.

My network is running 100BaseT, the server is a dual PIII-733 with 1.5 GIG of ram. I don't think the bottleneck is the server or the network.

I like what I have seen so far and will spend the time getting it to look nice, but not until I can see it being fast enough to warrant the effort.

Any suggestions on performance?