Skin to allow music categories?

[starmanj]

I am using the default skin now. It is wonderful, but I have to page through 80 screens to find the album I want. Is it possible, or is there a skin, that will groups albums (say by artist alpha, or genre, or... anything?)

I just need to group albums somehow so burrowing to the right album is quicker. I know there is a search, but I need to wife-proof this and she just wants to click buttons.

Thanks!

[jowaldo]

I have this working in my skin... but I haven't posted it yet.. I will be very soon tho..

[starmanj]

Hot diggity, can't wait Jowaldo! Will make xlobby even better.

[m_masta]

Do you mean something like this?

R&B Button pressed:



And
Rap Button pressed:


if so, it's relatively simple with a custom search event on a button.

masta

[starmanj]

m_masta,
Well, maybe. The problem is, (I have found since my original post) I'd like a method to group by folder structure. Your method relies on ID3 tags, which is great, but many throw their music into folders they define. For example, my media server has music from each person (folders for 2 sons and wife, then mine)-- then within mine, I have rough genres (new age, rock, pop, favorites).

Is this possible, or does xlobby not have the hooks to know a song's directory strucutre and tie it to a filter?

[rembetis]

Is this possible, or does xlobby not have the hooks to know a song's directory strucutre and tie it to a filter?

You need to create a custom import, with the "Use Directory Structure" box checked. Then you'll need to create a series of custom searches and assign them to new buttons.

1. Go into F2 Setup > Database > Import > General
2. Click "New Template," choose New Template from the dropdown menu, and then give it a custom name.
3. Fill in the extensions boxes for music files and cover art.
4. Check the ID3 radio button, and the "Use Directory Structure" box.
5. Choose the music database from the dropdown menu on the right (or create a new database in the New DB field).
6. Add a file path(s). In your case, select "Mine" or "Wife" or whatever top level folder you have. (Using this method you will need to create different databases for each member of you family. If you want one big database and filter from there, choose your top level Music folder. Having never used it that way before, I'm not certain how this will effect #8 below.)
7. Click import.
8. Double check you new database (under Database > Databases > Edit) and see what kind of heirarchy was created. Tweak your folder structure as necessary (Genre > Artist > Album > Track works best) to get the heirarchy you want. I believe Xlobby will use the top level folder to give each fileset a genre type if no proper ID3 tags are present.
9. Do a search for creating a custom search to sort by genre, or take a look at some sample skins for guidance. As I've said elsewhere, you can learn a lot by opening up the skin editor, selecting a button, seeing what event is assigned to it under Item > Event > Click Event, and then seeing what actual actions comprise that event under Setup > Events.

Good luck.

[m_masta]

m_masta,
Well, maybe. The problem is, (I have found since my original post) I'd like a method to group by folder structure. Your method relies on ID3 tags, which is great, but many throw their music into folders they define. For example, my media server has music from each person (folders for 2 sons and wife, then mine)-- then within mine, I have rough genres (new age, rock, pop, favorites).

Is this possible, or does xlobby not have the hooks to know a song's directory strucutre and tie it to a filter?

As long as there is a database entry for the manner in which you would like to display your albums, then it's possible to do it.
I chose to sort using the typical ID3 tags, but I could have sorted by filename, or directory location etc...

masta

[starmanj]

I have looked at Colby's event variable sheet and do not see any reference to folders or database structures.

Am I missing something?

Edit: D'oh. I didn't see Rembetis' post! I'll give that a shot, thanks!

[Arthur]

Don't know if this helps but I have copied the music screen 2 times. And created 2 new databases:
- classic
- children

So now I have :
music
music_classic
music_children

On the copied musicscreens make the screens point to the new databases.
The new databases search for music in dedicated folders.
I found this was the most simple approach

[starmanj]

Yep, I think you are right, multiple databases. Thanks!

[Gizzmo]

hi,

i am trying to customize the heavy metal skin. Now i wanna have a
cutom search function for music and movies. For this i did some
forum searches but i couldn't solve this issue.

I tried the creating of a database like rembetis described and i think
i have the right database. Now i wanna have the music screen with
the music database like the way i inserted the screenshot.

Two buttons, one for genre and one for artist. If genre is pressed i
want the database to sort by genre and if artist i want it in this way.
Is there something tricky about that, do i need a extra window for
these custom searches ???


I had a look at the default skin, which has a custom search but there
is an extra window and i didn't find the reason why it doesn't work for
me ...