Music Video database setup with alpha to search

[Vince_B]

This has just got me stumped. I'm importing music videos from a folder where they're all lumped together. I don't care about different sort fields, just the first letter of the filename. I used the 'videos' template, and the db shows a field called 'name' for each video (shows but not checked, then again the movies fields aren't checked either). The videos will display in XL in a category but when I try to implement a search window it won't work.

I've got an event that consists of two steps...

show music videos
show abc overlay
overlay scrn name = ppcalphabet
category =filterdetails
set filter
category = musicvideos
filter = name

when testing each step, the show abc overlay works (brings up the movies last shown - think that's ok since next step will fix it), but the set filter throws this error...

title bar = Setup
text = An unhandled exception has occured, blah, blah
Object reference not set to an instance of an object
and the usual details, continue, quit. continue lets me continue to work.

Any ideas? The movies import and have several fields, even though I don't see those fields in the meta masks, there must be something else working here to make it happen. Thanks guys!

[Colby]

Vince this was a peculiar one. I think it is a bug. But I found a solution.

1st. when you import you only need to import with the video template, custom import type, ignore folder. (the mpgs,avi's are all in one folder right)This will make your musicvideo database only have the meta tag of name, and of course the xlobby 3: parameter, coverart, display.

2. I noticed an odd thing in recreating this scenerio. hit f2 and edit your musicvideo database. Now in the value box to the right of the name checkbox is the name?, correct. Rename this and exit. Your filter should work on this one.

*note: if the values of a database are the same under the same meta tag, xlobby can not sort them and only one will show up. I saw that my videos were all labeled video, and until I renamed them to video1, video2 etc, the wouldnt appear in the filterdetails.

Finally your event looks fine, make sure you have correct spellings (case sensitivity doesnt seem to matter) on all your category names etc. Also the meta tag has to be checked for xlobby to filter or else it will ignore this filtering.

[Vince_B]

Colby, thanks for the reply. When you say to rename the item, you mean the actual name of the video that shows up in the box to the far right? I'm getting the right name there to start with. I can't rename the field 'name' where the checkbox is, but I don't think that's what you mean. I did add a check to the box.

A little more detail I noticed is that the error I described earlier is when I'm in the setup module and click the test button. When in xlobby the alpha overlay comes up but no items appear. When I click a letter, XL closes immediately with no error.

[Colby]

rename the item, you mean the actual name of the video that shows up in the box to the far right?

YES
The box with the items name in it is called the value box.
Just change the value of one entry even though the name is right, you can always rename it back. See what happens.

Make sure the name checkbox is checked on all entries of your db.

Did you delete the db and reimport like I said? Are the additional fields gone? Is the overlay being launched from the screen that has the category musicvideos?

I didnt check if the test, would work. Also uncheck multithread for your
event. That way you know it will seqeunce right.

[Vince_B]

Finally found it. In the skin editor (in the music videos main screen that I made) on the category tab, it still had movies (copied it from movies) as the category even though it was showing the music videos.

Thanks for your suggestions! It finally sank in that it was a category problem since I was never displaying the right items on the alpha page.