2004-01-25, 22:19
as for manually set bookmarks in a movie, i have some ideas i think would be useful. i don't know how xbmp today store bookmark data for a movie, but as for xbmc storing them in a xml file for each movie would be useful. this would allow these features:
- open the xml file from within xbmc to present it as menu, allowing the user to easily navigate to a certain bookmark.
- manually edit the xml file to enter a descriptive name for each bookmark and/or adjust the time for it (using a standalone editor pr ftp). this could later on be supported by a built-in editor, w/ up/down arrows for time adjustments and on-screen keyboard for entering descriptions.
- producing bookmarks manually by using an editor (no need to make them from inside xbmc).
[edit: hmm, the different limits in file name lenghth between stream file from pc and file in xbox needs another solution. hash? might not be possible to easily edit the xml separatly then, or?]
to present a menu of all the bookmarks of a certain movie one could just add the bookmark directory to the video shares section in the xboxmediacenter.xml like say 'video bookmarks', then choose the bookmark file from there.
the structure of the xml file for bookmarks could be like:
...
<title>matrix</title>
<bookmark>
<description>lobby scene</description>
<time>00:49:10</time>
</bookmark>
<bookmark>
<description>moebius interogation</description>
<time>01:17:45</time>
</bookmark>
...
and would show up something like this on screen in xbmc:
============================
matrix
lobby scene - 00:49:10
moebius interogation - 01:17:45
============================
if a bookmark is created by xbmc, <title> would be set to the movies file name, and <description> would be something like "bookmark -" + time. (bookmark - 00:49:10).
stop button and the same buttons (on controller and remote) used for backing up in the usual xbmc menu system is used for backing out of the bookmark menu.
stopping a movie launched from a bookmark menu returns the user to the bookmark menu.
setting a bookmark for a movie would of cause be done by pressing a button (controller and remote). the xml file would be named the same as the movie plus a certain ending (.bkm?). [edit: not possible? see first edit above.]
it could also be possible to move the bookmark file (manually using ftp) to the same directory as the movie thus indicating that the bookmark menu should open automatically when the user starts a movie. [edit: not possible? see first edit above.]
i know i would love a bookmark menus like this and would use them for setting start points for things like:
- individual songs in consert movies and music video compilations.
- individual episodes in tv-series episode compilations.
- favorit scenes in movies.
- etc. etc.
:d
could be elaborated on.
anyone else fancy this? comments?
- open the xml file from within xbmc to present it as menu, allowing the user to easily navigate to a certain bookmark.
- manually edit the xml file to enter a descriptive name for each bookmark and/or adjust the time for it (using a standalone editor pr ftp). this could later on be supported by a built-in editor, w/ up/down arrows for time adjustments and on-screen keyboard for entering descriptions.
- producing bookmarks manually by using an editor (no need to make them from inside xbmc).
[edit: hmm, the different limits in file name lenghth between stream file from pc and file in xbox needs another solution. hash? might not be possible to easily edit the xml separatly then, or?]
to present a menu of all the bookmarks of a certain movie one could just add the bookmark directory to the video shares section in the xboxmediacenter.xml like say 'video bookmarks', then choose the bookmark file from there.
the structure of the xml file for bookmarks could be like:
...
<title>matrix</title>
<bookmark>
<description>lobby scene</description>
<time>00:49:10</time>
</bookmark>
<bookmark>
<description>moebius interogation</description>
<time>01:17:45</time>
</bookmark>
...
and would show up something like this on screen in xbmc:
============================
matrix
lobby scene - 00:49:10
moebius interogation - 01:17:45
============================
if a bookmark is created by xbmc, <title> would be set to the movies file name, and <description> would be something like "bookmark -" + time. (bookmark - 00:49:10).
stop button and the same buttons (on controller and remote) used for backing up in the usual xbmc menu system is used for backing out of the bookmark menu.
stopping a movie launched from a bookmark menu returns the user to the bookmark menu.
setting a bookmark for a movie would of cause be done by pressing a button (controller and remote). the xml file would be named the same as the movie plus a certain ending (.bkm?). [edit: not possible? see first edit above.]
it could also be possible to move the bookmark file (manually using ftp) to the same directory as the movie thus indicating that the bookmark menu should open automatically when the user starts a movie. [edit: not possible? see first edit above.]
i know i would love a bookmark menus like this and would use them for setting start points for things like:
- individual songs in consert movies and music video compilations.
- individual episodes in tv-series episode compilations.
- favorit scenes in movies.
- etc. etc.
:d
could be elaborated on.
anyone else fancy this? comments?