[AnalogKid]

I wonder if in the future, each 'cached' image (thumb / fanart etc) could have a link to its original source... AND for there to be an API from the UI (skin) to suggest optimal image sizing?

So basically, let's say a skin has movie thumbs of 300x600, then it could tell the XBMC engine to recache all movie thumbs with that resolution, and possibly be able to ask for cache or original image.

I readily admit this could be a P.I.T.A. to regenerate the cache for a skin change, but it could be an explicit UI option in the skin 'Optimise image cache for this skin'

Overkill maybe?

[jmarshall]

What purpose would this achieve exactly?

[AnalogKid]

What purpose would this achieve exactly?

The purpose being to 'exactly' optimise the thumbs in accordance with how they are being rendered in the skin...

As I currently understand it today, the thumbs are simply 'reduced' to an arbitrary size by XBMC (or by advancedsettings.xml), but this feature would dictate the thumbs. So today, a skin rendering thumbs at a size of say 300x600 isn't necessarily using images shrunk to that size; it's getting the arbitrary size (effectively the original image will have been 'adjusted' twice... once by the cache and then by the actual renderer).

The notion (and it really is only notional) behind the specific sizing is that the image quality will be optimised, and in theory could save some space too (assuming the current default cache sizes are larger than required)

[jmarshall]

Right. The main problem with that being that most skins use thumbs of different sizes in different places

Cheers,
Jonathan

[AnalogKid]

Right. The main problem with that being that most skins use thumbs of different sizes in different places

Cheers,
Jonathan

Then, that leaves only one logical conclusion

Shoot the skinner