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User 156625 · 2013-02-16, 19:19

Possibly a trivial question, or a non-starter, but I for all my searching I haven't found a specific answer to this...

I am opening the Playlist window using the following command:

<onclick>ActivateWindow(MusicLibrary,Playlists,return)</onclick>

with the view specified in a customised xml ('ViewList', with id 50).

This all works as expected, but I only want the playlist window to occupy 280x720 of the screen. The remainder of the screen should remain whatever was there already.

I can get this behaviour to work with a dialog style window, but not when opening a library location.

Is what I am trying to do possible or is it a non-starter?

**ronie** · 2013-02-16, 21:46

not possible, musiclibrary is a window not a dialog.
windows are always fullscreen.

User 156625 · 2013-02-16, 22:14

Thanks Ronnie. Was worried that was the case. Guess I will have to create static submenu items that go to individual playlists at full screen.

Unless there would a be crude way of getting a screen capture and then settings that as the background on the fly?!

User 156625 · (This post was last modified: 2013-02-19, 23:46 by User 156625.)

Ok, I have managed to get a dialog control to show at the same time as a library window - basically the dialogue control contains a static list (happens to be my playlists, which are basically lists for each genre) and going to each one shows the thumbnails for that playlist in the library window below, using:

<onfocus>ActivateWindow(MusicLibrary,special://profile/playlists/music/Jazz.xsp,return)</onfocus> and whatever...

However, I cannot find a way to change focus from the dialog control and onto the thumbnails window below without closing all dialog boxes (Dialog.Close(all) has the affect of moving focus to the thumbnails (which is what I want) but obviously close any open dialog windows (which is what I don't want).

Am I onto another loser here? Is it not possible to keep a dialog on screen at the same time as a library window, with the library window having focus?

Will post a jpg of the layout I am trying to get to if that would help (I assume pictures have to be hosted somewhere else and linked here?)

Thanks again for any help.

**pecinko** · (This post was last modified: 2013-02-19, 23:41 by pecinko.)

Only 1 control can have focus - if you have focus on music window list, you can not navigate dialog and vice versa.

Edit: Dialog can be visible though. Have you thought about side menu with playlist instead?

User 156625 · 2013-02-20, 00:06

Hi Pecinko

The thing is I want to keep navigation on the same page...

Here's a quick mock up of what I am trying to do (another Win 8 inspired skin I'm afraid!):

http://imageshack.us/photo/my-images/62/outlineo.jpg/

The list of genres on top is effectively my dialog box. The white boxes are album thumbnails. The bit I have working is navigating through the genre list brings up the thumbnails for the respective genre.

What I want to be able to do is have an <on down> event to go from the genre list and onto the thumbnails. This bit has me flummoxed as the only way I can get focus onto the thumbnails is to close the dialog.

**pecinko** · 2013-02-20, 00:57

I don't get why you need to use dialog window? Can't you include playlists list in a music window? And do you need them to be static or would it be better to use script playlists which pulls them automaticaly?

User 156625 · 2013-02-20, 12:04

I changed the layout so this approach is a hangover from that...

so you're saying it is possible to have the playlist list and thumbnail panel in the same window? That would be good. Will give it a try.

User 156625 · 2013-02-21, 00:55

Hmm, I 'm stuck again. I just can't see how to have a playlist window and the thumbnails window (for a highlighted playlist) open at the same time. As pointed out by Ronnie, they are both separate libraries and both separate windows called by separate ActivateWindow commands, so can't be on the screen at the same time?

Just to try and be clear what I am trying to achieve is when a playlist is selected the thumbnails for that playlist are visible below (on the same screen) and ondown takes the users to navigate through the thumbnails. More or less like the Media Center style of navigation.

**`Black** · (This post was last modified: 2013-02-21, 01:03 by `Black.)

You have to hardcode those navigation items and simply activate the window if you focus another (like you tried above). What you can't do is have a dynamic navigation bar which is filled by whatever playlists you have. For that you need to write a script with your own custom window (this would be the best way to achieve what you're after).

User 156625 · 2013-02-21, 01:12

If I was to stick with the hardcoded approach (which I can live with for now, but would need to address later), is there a way to move off the static list and onto the thumbnails, or is this simply not possible?

**`Black** · 2013-02-21, 01:59

Use <ondown> and/or <onup>. Both lists need to be in the same window.

**pecinko** · (This post was last modified: 2013-02-21, 08:25 by pecinko.)

(2013-02-21, 01:02)`Black Wrote: What you can't do is have a dynamic navigation bar which is filled by whatever playlists you have.

Wouldn't script playlists allow just that - dynamic population of nav bar?
http://forum.xbmc.org/showthread.php?tid=112739

**`Black** · 2013-02-21, 12:45

Yes that should do.

User 156625 · 2013-02-22, 00:06

Thanks. Think I am getting somewhere now.

Next question... is there a script to overlay another window when clicking a thumbnail to play an album, e.g. as per WMC...
http://img26.imageshack.us/img26/279/wmcr.jpg