[kraqh3d]

1) the db is there for speed. having it remote would negate this.
2) the sqlite code is a self contained library and doesnt know anything about xbmc's "filesystems". thus the db has to be local. while it could be changed to be made aware of xbmc's filesystems, see #1.

and personally, i dont think there should be dependancy on library view from files view. its files view. if yuo want the enhanced info, use the library. tahts why its there.

but i did add a way to allow finding info in "remote" imdb xml files. its basically the same imdb xml file on a remote share. the "manual add to database" function looks for these files based on filename. i'm not saying it will be done, but it is concievable to load that info if found.

** edit **
i see you have "listitem.tagline" above. this is not part of the information which is accessible from a list, but is only available in the info window. the difference being that the information which is available to the lists is in the database. all the other stuff is loaded out of a cached xml file.

[MacGyver]

It's because I don't fully understand the way the database info works, it seems like pulling an entire icon from the hardrive (xbox) would be alot harder then pulling 30 words from an .xml file on the harddrive (xbox), What I was wondering was if say an .xml on the host (along with the .tbn) could be cached on the harddrive (xbox), and the skinning engine made to put the data in that cached .xml into the listitem.? string if the icon has had focus for say 1 second. Does that make sense?

[kraqh3d]

i never said it didnt make sense. i just said xbmc doesnt do it today and explained why things work as they do. code it up and post a patch.

[jarod71]

MacGyver,
that black looks super sexy. I was hoping you would do black.

kraqh3d,
would MacGyver be able to achive the same look of those screenhots in library view? I don't really care what view it is in library or file as long as the end result was the same. also, a .db extension sounds like a good solution. we already have .tbn so could this work? I think putting the file name and a small snyopsis of the film in the box under the covers really would make this as professional as can be. if it could even read a txt file placed with the movie and thumb to include that info I would think that would be fine if it cannot pull the info from the database and display it in files view.

so looking forward to this as my view for movies.

[MacGyver]

Colors are easy jarod71, I can slide a hue control like the best of them, it's graphics I can't do.
Kraqh3d, you're right, I have been avoiding the XDK and XBMC source because I suck at C, but I can usually figure things out if I work at it long enough.
On a different note, I really kind of new to skinning for XBMC, is it possible to use the library view, and skin it to look like the filenames view, also I don't see a library type of "All", if all is there I can just set it to all, and get all my info sans tagline. Is it possible to open a "mini window" view of the "VideoInfo" window and make it the size of the title box I have? Kind of like an overlay if focus is left on the icon for long enough, and the IMBD data for the title is in the database.

[kraqh3d]

@jarod:

would MacGyver be able to achive the same look of those screenhots in library view?

absolutely. there's no reason the library window couldnt be skinned identically. the only real difference is that files view uses the locations defined in userdata/soruces.xml, and library view uses virtual locations which reference the items in the database.

however, there are still limitations on what pieces of information can be displayed when not in the info window. of course, it is entirely possible to expand this to allow access to more information, but its a trade off. the more information attached to items when navigating, the more memory thats consumed. and remember what i said before about not all the information being present in the database. this means that for each item, the imdb xml information needs to be read in and processed. this will ultimately slow things down. things are already kind of slow so i honestly dont think this is a good idea. (if you have music tag reading enabled but have never scanned, then you know the annoying "scanning media" dialog. do you really want the equivalent of this in video?)


@macguyver:

the info window can be skinned however you like. however, there's only one info window so it'll look that way no matter how its invoked. and i dont think its possible to have it automatically be displayed. as far as i know, the only way to do what you want is to change the source code because, today, only some of the imdb information is available to listitems. and it would essentially be the same whether xbmc loads the information from the previously cached imdb xml file or loads it from a remote xml file. (using a non-xml formated file would just mean alot of new code to parse the data so the easiest course of action is to allow a remote xml file like "manually add to database".)

and im not exactly sure what you mean by a library type of "All" but im assuming you're looking for "Titles" which shows all movies in the database. (there's another option which filters the movie list based on watched or unwatched status. be sure this is set to "All" to ignore that status.) you can jump directly to titles by using activatewindow(myvideolibrary, titles).

and overlays are only graphical right now. for example, one of them is the watched overlay which shows a little checkmark or something.

[MacGyver]

Ok, I am trying to recode KS to the new skin engine, but I don't have alot of time anymore, but I am working on it when I can, someone really should take the little bit of source I have so far and run with it on the SVN.
Anyway, the top image is of the "Real" KS, the bottom one is mine, I know it doesn't look the exact same, I used fluidman's graphics, and made the menu look like something from the 2000's instead of 1991, I also added a mirror effect, and zooming focus features.

[w84no1]

Ok, I am trying to recode KS to the new skin engine, but I don't have alot of time anymore, but I am working on it when I can, someone really should take the little bit of source I have so far and run with it on the SVN.
Anyway, the top image is of the "Real" KS, the bottom one is mine, I know it doesn't look the exact same, I used fluidman's graphics, and made the menu look like something from the 2000's instead of 1991, I also added a mirror effect, and zooming focus features.

Looks awesome. Where can I get the code? What is the address of the svn?

[MacGyver]

That's what I'm saying, someone with SVN skills needs to upload it. Send me an email address and I'll send both the big screen one and the ks one, then you can create a svn for them. I don't usually make complete things, I code single screens and views, which is great for private use bad for others, someone else that completes things should take them over, then just tell me what they need help on.

On another issue, is there a way to lock the focus position on a panel view of icons? Or is there a string available to the skin that tells the current focus position? ie. a title panel knowing that the focus is too far to the right on the screen, and should swing left instead, and vice versa.

[Jezz_X]

That's what I'm saying, someone with SVN skills needs to upload it. Send me an email address and I'll send both the big screen one and the ks one, then you can create a svn for them. I don't usually make complete things, I code single screens and views, which is great for private use bad for others, someone else that completes things should take them over, then just tell me what they need help on.

I'm not the leader of this sort of thing but we really only want things in the svn that are complete or we know will be completed the last thing I personally want to do is waste bandwidth / space on my pc downloading a skin that will never be finished Also we really only want skins that are different (yes this falls into this catagory) not just a skin that someone has changed a few xmls in pm3 but it is still basically the same

On another issue, is there a way to lock the focus position on a panel view of icons? Or is there a string available to the skin that tells the current focus position? ie. a title panel knowing that the focus is too far to the right on the screen, and should swing left instead, and vice versa.

You can't lock the panel position and as for the second part I don't understand what you mean

[MacGyver]

Jezz, I sent them to chandler, I simply don't have enough time to be counted on to finish anything, but I'm more then happy to work on whatever anybody needs me too.

As for the last question, maybe this will help:

The top one looks great, but then the bottom one will show you my problem.
If I could lock say the 2nd row,4th from the left icon, it would be no problem.
Since it's not possible, I need to be able let the skin know if the focus has passed the center point, so it knows to open the title box to the left and not off the screen to the right.

[MacGyver]

In an attempt to emulate this view of Kallidiscape

[Chandler]

Well if the leader of the Xbmc skin project (Gamester17 ?) is ok to create a Work in Progress folder and give access for MacGyver, me and people who could help to improve this project, it would be interesting and we will try in free time to maintain/finish theses skin a day. Or maybe we should create a new project on Sourceforge, but it's better to use one place for Skins Svn where they will be all maintained by all peoples involved.

So please, is it possible to have an access to commit theses projects on the Xbmc Skinning project ?

[Abe87]

Chandler why don't you start your own svn? You should check out this site

http://www.assembla.com/search/home

I have a svn on this site for a skin that I'm working on. It's private and you can give permission to whom ever you want.

[Jezz_X]

Well if the leader of the Xbmc skin project (Gamester17 ?) is ok to create a Work in Progress folder and give access for MacGyver, me and people who could help to improve this project, it would be interesting and we will try in free time to maintain/finish theses skin a day. Or maybe we should create a new project on Sourceforge, but it's better to use one place for Skins Svn where they will be all maintained by all peoples involved.
So please, is it possible to have an access to commit theses projects on the Xbmc Skinning project ?

Actually one of the main rules is don't touch anyone elses work because if you were to be added you would have the ability to modifiy anything in the svn like Clearity and Blackbolt Classic (the 2 main developed ones on there at the moment)

Also I'm still big on the idea that until its close to finished its best not to put it on there because honestly not nowing you there is no garentee you will finish it into a fully working 2.1 version skin.

That being said if you all need a place to work on these things as a group until it is completed or at least beta there are many free svn sites around I like this one https://opensvn.csie.org/ its got a great Trac interface and is heaps better than sourceforge as it even allows password protected non public svns until you get it up and going

But Like I said I'm not in charge of the SVN its just my personal opinion I just don't want to see the main svn end up like the cvs from the same site with half finished skins on it