[Takis]

I am certain that this is doable, since that’s the purpose of a library using scrapers but I cant figure out how.
 
All files are named properly using TMM
I want each TV show to be displayed once in the library and a) if an episode is already downloaded locally to point to the downloaded file, or b) if the episode is NOT available locally in my HDD the link to point to online providers so as to be easily downloadable.
I added local files with scrap from tvdb option – not pseudo scrap - but it will not update to display missing or new episodes. Also tried to add the entire TV show from “search” using “merge” option but this resulted in having double entries under the same TV show (one pointing online and the other to local files) or to the creation of two separate folders for the same show (one with local files the other online links, though this might be a scraper naming issue as its bot very common).
 
Any help will be greatly appreciated.  I am losing sleep here

[Karellen]

but it will not update to display missing or new episodes

Kodi does not do that.

I am not aware of any add-ons that will do that, but I have never searched for that feature in an add-on.

The best I can suggest is adding some dummy files, but then there is no way in Kodi to distinguish what is real and what is fake except when you press play and it will either play or not.

[Takis]

but it will not update to display missing or new episodes

Kodi does not do that. 

:O Are you certain? Whats the point of of having real TVDB scraping and not pseudo for TV shows if episodes are not updated as they become available? Cant be that the library is only good for shows that have ended. Sounds wrong and super odd.

[Takis]

Now that I noticed your credentials i must assume you are right.
Would it be difficult and does it make any sense to where you are taking the project to add an argument along these lines towards that end?
 "UPDATE folder data from scraper
CREATE*. .strm file
CHECK for local file address
IF local file is present, THEN skip or delete *. .strm file"

Obviously the logic should be tweaked in such a manner so as not to check every time for things skipped/deleted previously but my coding skills go as far as LOGO

[Karellen]

@Takis

There have been Feature Requests for what you are asking. A couple of links here...
https://forum.kodi.tv/showthread.php?tid=113370
https://forum.kodi.tv/showthread.php?tid=319733

It certainly is possible to do but like all volunteer projects we just need somebody to step up and contribute the code.

I know Tiny Media Manager (TMM) has this feature in their program, maybe you could Feature Request the developers of the manager to create the dummy files and nfo files which can be scanned into the Kodi library? They can add a videofile tag (maybe something like movie.dummy.mkv) to the filename. Then a skin can be modified to display the entry in a different colour? Maybe @Hitcher or @DaVu would know if that is possible.

This is just a suggestion as I know there is currently no Kodi contributor that has shown an interest to work on this request.

As for pointing to online content for the missing title, I don't see how that could be easily achieved with legal content.

[Takis]

@Takis

There have been Feature Requests for what you are asking. A couple of links here...
https://forum.kodi.tv/showthread.php?tid=113370
https://forum.kodi.tv/showthread.php?tid=319733

It certainly is possible to do but like all volunteer projects we just need somebody to step up and contribute the code.

I know Tiny Media Manager (TMM) has this feature in their program, maybe you could Feature Request the developers of the manager to create the dummy files and nfo files which can be scanned into the Kodi library? They can add a videofile tag (maybe something like movie.dummy.mkv) to the filename. Then a skin can be modified to display the entry in a different colour? Maybe @Hitcher or @DaVu would know if that is possible.

This is just a suggestion as I know there is currently no Kodi contributor that has shown an interest to work on this request.

As for pointing to online content for the missing title, I don't see how that could be easily achieved with legal content.

Indeed. TMM does update seasons with new episodes as they are released and that is what I was hoping for, but I don’t follow the dummy reasoning 100% for yet unreleased content - probably due to my limited understanding of how Kodi works internally. I was under the {miss?)impression that the *.strm files stored in the library are an official Kodi process and not furnished by an add on, therefore irrelevant to the status of the actual content they are pointing at once processed.

Anyhow, it is now clear to me that this is well documented limitation so I can stop constantly rescanning after days , trying to figure it out. Downloaded content will just have to remain outside of the library for updates to work properly. Thanks

[Karellen]

I was under the {miss?)impression that the *.strm files stored in the library are an official Kodi process and not furnished by an add on

Yes they are. Maybe I have gone off track with my previous posts. Are you having problems scanning stream files into the library? From my first read of your post I understood that you wanted Kodi to do all this for you- create stream files linking to content you do not have. Plus I do not know what you mean by Pseudo scrape.

[Hitcher]

Downloaded content will just have to remain outside of the library for updates to work properly. Thanks

Just update the library if you want new content to be added to the library.

[Takis]

I knew that it had to work. My coding skills are 0 but my logic never fails me.

Now the scraping of new episodes works on folders otherwise populated only with downloaded media files and not *.strm.  It makes *perfect* sense due to choosing for the library source folder to fetch the metadata from TVDB rather than locally from the nfos (Library source folder options/change source/change content/set content/set information provider to TVDB scrapper or NFO (NFO option described as pseudo scrapper therein)).

Moreover, the TV shows “folder” view now has one entry for each episode, either leading to the locally downloaded media or to the relevant *.strm file if its missing locally.  This is *exactly* what I was trying to achieve but probably worded the question poorly. -.-

I think the problem is with the TVDB (3.0.16) not fetching data when you press “update library” or when you scan it from library folder menu.  I have noticed this problem long ago and unless it decides to auto-update the only way to jumpstart it is to download something-anything (is this a known issue or something in my settings?). I was too freaked out rebuilding the libraries a gazillion times to make it work that I forgot to force the update by download.  Either that or its causing problems having a tree of over 100 tv shows in 1 folder as I now used as test folder with only 3 shows.

Anyhow. Problem solved and I am now a happy but sleep-deprived puppy.