TV series on DVD - I need some major help!

[Roscoe62]

I'm trying to set up a database/category structure that I can use to get XLobby to play all my ripped TV series on DVD, but I have no clue on how to set it up.

The file structure I have at the moment is as follows:

C:/TV on DVD/Family Guy/Season 1/A Hero Sits Next Door/AHSND.jpg
C:/TV on DVD/Family Guy/Season 1/A Hero Sits Next Door/VIDEO_TS.bup
C:/TV on DVD/Family Guy/Season 1/A Hero Sits Next Door/VIDEO_TS.IFO
C:/TV on DVD/Family Guy/Season 1/A Hero Sits Next Door/VTS_01_0.BUP
C:/TV on DVD/Family Guy/Season 1/A Hero Sits Next Door/VTS_01_0.IFO
C:/TV on DVD/Family Guy/Season 1/A Hero Sits Next Door/VTS_01_1.IFO

and so on for each episode, each season and each series. On top of that I store a .jpg for each series, each season of each series and each episode in the appropriate directories. When the database is correctly set up, I want to be able to display thumbs of all of the series (like the way all the movies are displayed), then when I select a series, a thumb for all the available seasons for that series will be displayed, and when I pick a season thumbs for all the episodes in that season will be displayed.

Finally when I pick an episode, a screenshot of the episode will appear, along with a small synopsis of that episode (I'll have to add that to the database manually), and clicking either a play button or the episode screenshot will launch Theatertek and play the episode.

I know the database/category/metamasks functions in Theatertek are powerful enough to make this happen, but I lack the knowledge to put it together.

I've already ripped all the episodes and put the .jpg files in place for a number of series - all I need now is some help from someone who's either done this before, or who knows enough to help explain how it can be done.

Can anyone please help??

[Roscoe62]

Bump. Anyone at all?

[Roscoe62]

OK, is there anyone out there with TV series episodes on DVD that they're using in XLobby in any other way?

I'd be happy to hear from you as I'm going nowhere at the moment!

[stevenhanna6]

I'll try to explain how to do this, first you need a new database right.

Databases->import

type in your db name...lets call it "tvdvd" click "add", now add the path "C:/TV on DVD" in the paths box with the "add" button.

Now at the top left hand corner are the templates...you will want the movie one. After you select that....click the "import" button....now xlobby should find your movies and stick them into your tvdvd database.

Now you can check if it worked by editing a category in the skin editor and selecting the "tvdvd" database. But if you want to create a new category you will do that in the skin editor "screen->add category"...a box should appear that is blank with a greeen outline around it...click it...then click "edit category"....select your "tvdvd" database and start tweaking from there...that should get you going.

forgot to mention get the latest exe, there was a bug in the importer earlier
http://www.xlobby.com/xlobby2.zip

[Roscoe62]

Thank you Steven!

I didn't think I could use the movies template because of the directory structure I use. This won't present any problems picking up the thumbs in series or season?

I'll give it a shot tonight and report back. Thanks again!

Ross

[Roscoe62]

Steven,

That works just fine!

Would I be pushing my luck asking 1 more question?

I want the sort order to be something like series/season/episodenumber

This would allow me to sort the episodes within each season into the order they screened instead of alphabetically as they now appear.

Now, I can create these extra fields, but I have to do it manually. The task would be a lot easier if the series and season fields were created automatically during import. Is there any way to modify the metamask or import template to do that?

Having it working as is, is great....I'm just looking to see if I can get the icing on the cake.

Thanks again!

[dersaug]

I want the sort order to be something like series/season/episodenumber

I want this feature, too.

For Example (1 Database Series):
Category-Button series -> OnClick Event: Overlay opens with Category-Button season
Category-Button season -> OnClick Event: Overlay opens with Category-Button episodes

I think you only have to add an category forward event to XL to realize this!

thanks dersaug!

[Roscoe62]

The main reason I want this is for those episodes that absolutely MUST be watched in the correct sequence to make any sense. With the current alphabetical episode sort that's just not possible.

The database even imports episodes with their own "sorttitle" field, but the contents are ignored. I think it's got something to do with the database sort order field only showing %display%.

I haven't tried yet, but I'm sure I could probably set this up manually, but it means every time I add a series, another season, or even an additional episode, there's more "fixing up" to do to get it to work properly. As far as I can see the only other alternative is to do the manual work, and make a backup copy of the .xml file somewhere, and update it each time I add something.

But I'm kinda hoping for something a little more robust. Can someone help?

[sledbc]

couldnt you just name the episodes starting with
01-Family Guy,
02-Family Guy,
03- Family Guy......etc?

Just an idea, havent tried it.

[Roscoe62]

Sledbc,

I'm sure you're correct and that would work. However, I think being able to use a sorttitle field cleanly is a much better way of doing it.

After all, we're able to do that with the movies and music databases. I wouldn't be happy having to rename each track on each album with a number just to have it appear in the correct order. It would be nice to have that option in custom databases as well to have consistency.

Besides - I'm sure that it can be done by modifying an import template or making a change to a metamask. I just don't know HOW to do it.

Ross

[Patrick]

Did you get this working like you wanted?

Maybe I just didn't see it but, from the example you posted
it does not look like you have an Episode Number
anywhere in the path. You could use possibly use a regular
expression to pull the episode number and sort if you had
episode numbers like 01,02...23,24, with the leading zeros.

HTH,
Patrick

[Hiller]

I just did this for Family Guy. In a nutshell...

Made one Directory: Family Guy
Made sub directories: 101 Episode name
102 Episode name
and so on

in each sub directory I put in the vob's and iso's along with a picture from each episode.

I then just basically followed what Steven wrote earlier in this thread to make the catagory for it. When I did the edit catagory I unclicked the thumbnails box and now it just lists the names of the sub directories (which are the episode numbers and names) Now you just click on the episode you want and the appropriate media player will start just like it will for any movie.

Maybe you are trying to do something completely different and if you are maybe you can explain it again and we can see what we can do.

[Roscoe62]

No, I think you've understood what I want to do OK.

I guess I may have to go back and relabel my directories with a leading 3 digit number to ensure they'll display in the correct order.

Ideally what I would have liked is when importing the database the series' available would automatically be given a database field called "series" which would pick up the directory name of Family Guy, Blackadder, Friends...etc. Then the seasons available would be given a database field called "season" which would pick up the directory name of those season numbers available, and the same with the episodes subdirectory - again populating the field with the name given to the episode subdirectory. The sorttitle field is already there so then after the database was imported, I could set up a sort order of series>season>sorttitle and use the sorttitle field to ensure the episodes are displayed in the correct order. The default sort order is simply %display%

This is almost the same method that the movies database has by default, but the directory/sub-directory structure of my database goes series/season/episode.

Hmmm....now that I think about it, the music import template has the option to import either artist-album>track OR artist>album>track. I wonder whether this could be modified to suit the .ifo, .bup & .vob files to support what I'm trying to do? Possibly, but I still don't know enough to make that kind of modification.

Thoughts?

[Roscoe62]

FWIW,

I'm sure I'm not the only one with a custom database who wants a bit more control over how the database is imported, and I'm also sure that XLobby has the capability. It's just a question of being familiar enough with the import templates, metamasks & regular expressions - and that's where I get lost.

[Patrick]

Not sure if this is what you are looking for but
if you need a regular expression to pull that info
the below may help.
I have not tested these in xlobby, just a regex
testing tool and they were able to pull the info
from the path. You may have to play a little to
get it to work in xlobby.

You will need an episode number with leading zeros
for proper sorting of episodes within a season.

Also, if I remember correctly your %display% var will
use the "name" value from the below regex.

C:/TV on DVD/Family Guy/Season 1/A Hero Sits Next Door/
C:/TV on DVD/(?<series>[^/]*)/(?<season>[^/]*)/(?<name>[^/]*)/

C:/TV on DVD/Family Guy/Season 1/001 - A Hero Sits Next Door/
C:/TV on DVD/(?<series>[^/]*)/(?<season>[^/]*)/(?<episodenbr>[^-]*)(?<name>[^/]*)/
or
C:/TV on DVD/(?<series>[^/]*)/(?<season>[^/]*)/(?<episodenbr>\d{3}) - (?<name>[^/]*)/



HTH,
Patrick