2015-01-16, 17:45
This is great, thanks for hearing my suggestions. It opens up a lot of new possibilities.
Also good to see some new people contributing to the database that are not from Portugal lol.
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So this post will be a long one, I'll try to explain my ideas for a possible addon for Kodi using thesportsdb as a a base.
My goal is to centralize all the sports information as if it was part of the core of kodi or the skin. Also develop the tools necessary for any other person to develop simple plugins that can be called from the main one. For instance, a plugin that will grab the channel where an event is going to be aired and then match the channels available on the PVR section starting it accordingly (when clicking an event). Providers for highlights, etc. I won't develop any but I didn't want this plugin to be "static".
I am aware kodi team wants to keep the core as light as possible so all of this should be kept for addons/python only.
For this to be a reality the addon should borrow from the skin as much elements as possible, being its look "different" for each skin. This turns the addon skin dependent and a massive ammount of work to make it look slick for any of the available skins. It will certainly happen with time but for a first proof of concept/alpha version I think 2 skins is enough. Confluence has to be one (since it is the default skin), Aeon Nox being the other one since it is the one I use. Also, Kodi/Helix only.
Dialogs are pretty similar to every single skin but their textures are different, have different names and even the resolution is different.
When entering the addon, the user will be present with a menu similar to the skin home menu, modded for sports. Something similar to the screenshots below:
For confluence
For Nox
This home menu will then allow you to browse to the list of competitions for each sport, will present an rss feed sport related, will present an entry to enter the full calendar view (similar to search entry on the regular home menu of the skin), and specific sub-menus for/depending on each sport.
On the first run of the plugin (when the plugin knows nothing about you or your platform) a simple wizard would appear. This wizzard will bring up a dialog where you'll enter your username in thesportsdb.com. You will be able also to skip this step.
So why this username on the wizzard?
I'm confident at some point the json api will allow a method to grab the favourite teams and leagues given the username. It will then ask you from the list of favourite teams, which is your "heart team". This is how any sports video game works. Your favourite team name and logo + your thesportsdb username will then be present on the top left corner, where kodi logo is in the confluence skin, along with your username.
Your favourite teams or leagues will help the addon with screen widgets. It can then present widgets on the main menu (latest events, next events) when you're navigating the home menu or its submenus. Just like we have now for movies and tvshows.
In case you don't have an account, you will be able to select your favourite teams, leagues and heart team from the list of existing ones.
Along with the sports entry on the main menu, another one is really important: Favourites. This entry will present a new dialog having only the competitions and teams you follow (similar to the PES2015 dialog ovokx posted above).
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When clicking the sport in the home menu you'll be present to a sport view/views having all the database competitions for the given sport. When selecting a competition from the sport view you'll enter the competition view/views like the ones I posted (banner view and tripanel being an example). This will centralize the information for teams, fixtures, league tables. Teams will then centralize information and be a node for stadium, players, dialogVideoInfo.
This will be a massive ammount of work and will take its time. I am not experienced with skinning but everything is always a motivation to learn something new. Plus, I am a sports fannatic so I have motivation to give and sell. And like anything, the only hard one is the first one, the others just come at a quick pace.
The hard one is basically the home/main menu. All the others are pretty simple and don't use many skin elements.
I look forward to hear about your ideas for specific views/addon organization.
Cheers
enen
Also good to see some new people contributing to the database that are not from Portugal lol.
-----------------------------------------------------------------------
So this post will be a long one, I'll try to explain my ideas for a possible addon for Kodi using thesportsdb as a a base.
My goal is to centralize all the sports information as if it was part of the core of kodi or the skin. Also develop the tools necessary for any other person to develop simple plugins that can be called from the main one. For instance, a plugin that will grab the channel where an event is going to be aired and then match the channels available on the PVR section starting it accordingly (when clicking an event). Providers for highlights, etc. I won't develop any but I didn't want this plugin to be "static".
I am aware kodi team wants to keep the core as light as possible so all of this should be kept for addons/python only.
For this to be a reality the addon should borrow from the skin as much elements as possible, being its look "different" for each skin. This turns the addon skin dependent and a massive ammount of work to make it look slick for any of the available skins. It will certainly happen with time but for a first proof of concept/alpha version I think 2 skins is enough. Confluence has to be one (since it is the default skin), Aeon Nox being the other one since it is the one I use. Also, Kodi/Helix only.
Dialogs are pretty similar to every single skin but their textures are different, have different names and even the resolution is different.
When entering the addon, the user will be present with a menu similar to the skin home menu, modded for sports. Something similar to the screenshots below:
For confluence
For Nox
This home menu will then allow you to browse to the list of competitions for each sport, will present an rss feed sport related, will present an entry to enter the full calendar view (similar to search entry on the regular home menu of the skin), and specific sub-menus for/depending on each sport.
On the first run of the plugin (when the plugin knows nothing about you or your platform) a simple wizard would appear. This wizzard will bring up a dialog where you'll enter your username in thesportsdb.com. You will be able also to skip this step.
So why this username on the wizzard?
I'm confident at some point the json api will allow a method to grab the favourite teams and leagues given the username. It will then ask you from the list of favourite teams, which is your "heart team". This is how any sports video game works. Your favourite team name and logo + your thesportsdb username will then be present on the top left corner, where kodi logo is in the confluence skin, along with your username.
Your favourite teams or leagues will help the addon with screen widgets. It can then present widgets on the main menu (latest events, next events) when you're navigating the home menu or its submenus. Just like we have now for movies and tvshows.
In case you don't have an account, you will be able to select your favourite teams, leagues and heart team from the list of existing ones.
Along with the sports entry on the main menu, another one is really important: Favourites. This entry will present a new dialog having only the competitions and teams you follow (similar to the PES2015 dialog ovokx posted above).
--
When clicking the sport in the home menu you'll be present to a sport view/views having all the database competitions for the given sport. When selecting a competition from the sport view you'll enter the competition view/views like the ones I posted (banner view and tripanel being an example). This will centralize the information for teams, fixtures, league tables. Teams will then centralize information and be a node for stadium, players, dialogVideoInfo.
This will be a massive ammount of work and will take its time. I am not experienced with skinning but everything is always a motivation to learn something new. Plus, I am a sports fannatic so I have motivation to give and sell. And like anything, the only hard one is the first one, the others just come at a quick pace.
The hard one is basically the home/main menu. All the others are pretty simple and don't use many skin elements.
I look forward to hear about your ideas for specific views/addon organization.
Cheers
enen