[Wintermute0110]

Hello together once sorry because of the english must google go. My problem is that I execute Kodi in the exclusive fullscreen. Since I have the problem that the emulator zb. Retroarch does not come into the forefront. Is there a way to minimize kodi when I start a rom and maximize after the game kodi again?

Hi, you cannot use launcher addons when Kodi is running in standalone mode. You must use a window manager. I'm assume you are using Linux. In such case, you need to install a window manager (I recommend Openbox). Google a bit on the kodi forum, there are many threads about the topic.

[KODser]

Wintermute0110, its true, you already have the platform on the information but I don't know how to get it, what is the listItem?.
On a collection this an useful information.

Keep the good work.

Try ListItem.Property(platform). I have not tested it yet. If it works I will update the AEL DEBUG view.

Yes, it works. good job

[icedeath82]

I forgot I use windows

[Wintermute0110]

I forgot I use windows

Can you describe how you execute Kodi in Windows? Do you use some special program?

[Rufoo]

Hello together once sorry because of the english must google go. My problem is that I execute Kodi in the exclusive fullscreen. Since I have the problem that the emulator zb. Retroarch does not come into the forefront. Is there a way to minimize kodi when I start a rom and maximize after the game kodi again?

Isn't half the problem that your using Exclusive Fullscreen to begin with? The whole point of Exclusive Fullscreen is to have dedicated locked video priority to Kodi so naturally nothing can render over the top of it, or in most cases not. Hence why if something demands sudden priority from the program or game which is using exclusive fullscreen rendering, the default behavior of Windows is to minimize the current program completely and shift focus to the new program while moving the exclusive fullscreened program to the back of the queue in terms of priority because when restored it will take away priority from everything else again.

If you need a practical example to understand better.

Load up a few programs in Windows, your web browser, a notepad, winamp, whatever. Then also start Kodi in Exclusive Fullscreen. Press ALT-TAB once and you're returned to whatever the program was you had opened prior to Kodi. Press ALT-TAB again once but keep ALT held. You'll notice Kodi is not next in line but at the back, just before Desktop, because when reactivated it will take back video priority. If it isn't in Exclusive Fullscreen, it will always be next in line.

[KODser]

Wintermute0110, how can I get the variable "fav_status" (broken)? The rom data only has this if it's broken. if I add, for example, a n64 rom to the AEL favorites there is no indication on the "ROM data", only appears on the label, that I disabled because I didn't like it. How can I get this status too (favorited)? The "mark as watched" is supped to be working? doesn't work on any skin. for me this option don't even make sense. "completed" would make more sense

Thanks

EDIT
why I would like to know this status? for this

watch gallery

[Wintermute0110]

Wintermute0110, how can I get the variable "fav_status" (broken)? The rom data only has this if it's broken. if I add, for example, a n64 rom to the AEL favorites there is no indication on the "ROM data", only appears on the label, that I disabled because I didn't like it. How can I get this status too (favorited)? The "mark as watched" is supped to be working? doesn't work on any skin. for me this option don't even make sense. "completed" would make more sense

Thanks
...

Hi KODser. So far AEL doesn't have any code to tell the skin about flags. Together with Rufoo and Paradix we are working on an elegant way of implementing it. I think the skin will need to display flags as icons similar to those about the media information. For example, in Confluence you have some icons to describe the media codec, language of the movie, movie resolution, etc. (look to the right of the screenshot).



The idea is that if the user is using a skin that display the flags then he goes to AEL Addon Settings and disables the text labels of the flags. Text labels can still being used in skins that don't support AEL/AML.

In AEL there are three kinds of flags: Favourite status (which maybe OK, Unlinked ROM, Unlinked Launcher and Broken ROM), No-Intro status (which may be Have, Miss, Added, Unknown and None) and Parent/Clone status (which maybe Parent or Clone). In AML things get more interesting: have a look at the AML thread to get an idea of the flags required for AML.

As I said, there is not an implementation in AEL/AML yet and we are talking about it. Please send a PM to Rufoo if you want to get involved.

[Wintermute0110]

Survey to AEL users about multidisc support

I have been thinking on a good implementation for the multidisc support in AEL 0.9.6. This is a description of how it would work.

1) If the ROM scanner finds a multidisc image belonging to a set, for example `Final Fantasy VII (USA) (Disc 3).cue`.

* The filename corresponds to the first ROM of the set.

* The ROM basename is added to the `disks` list.

* Asset names will have the basename of the set `Final Fantasy VII (USA)`.

Code:

filename = '/home/kodi/ROMs/Final Fantasy VII (USA) (Disc 3).cue'
disks = ['Final Fantasy VII (USA) (Disc 3).cue']

2) If the ROM scanner finds another image of the set then:

* The basename is added to the `disks` list.

* `disks` list is reordered so ROMs have consecutive order.

* `filename` points to the first image of the set.

* Metadata/Asset scraping is only done for the first ROM of the set.

Code:

filename = '/home/kodi/ROMs/Final Fantasy VII (USA) (Disc 1).cue'
disks = ['Final Fantasy VII (USA) (Disc 1).cue', 'Final Fantasy VII (USA) (Disc 3).cue']

3) ROMs not in a set have an empty `disks` list.

4) This implementation is safe if there are missing ROMs in the set.

5) Al launching time, users selects from a select dialog of the basenames of the ROMs of the set which one to launch.

Is everybody happy with this? Comments? Suggestions? Issues?

Multidisc name format supported

AEL will support multidisc formats defined by TOSEC, Trurip and Redump. Disc tag must be always the last tag of the ROM name.

Code:

Organisation | Name example                                                |
-------------|-------------------------------------------------------------|
TOSEC        | Final Fantasy VII (1999)(Square)(NTSC)(US)(Disc 1 of 2).cue |
             | Final Fantasy VII (1999)(Square)(NTSC)(US)(Disc 2 of 2).cue |
Trurip       | Final Fantasy VII (EU) - (Disc 1 of 3).cue                  |
             | Final Fantasy VII (EU) - (Disc 2 of 3).cue                  |
             | Final Fantasy VII (EU) - (Disc 3 of 3).cue                  |
Redump       | Final Fantasy VII (USA) (Disc 1).cue                        |
             | Final Fantasy VII (USA) (Disc 2).cue                        |
             | Final Fantasy VII (USA) (Disc 3).cue                        |

[billyc666]

sounds good, although there is disks that just have a name rather than a disc number so there maybe needs to be a way to add a disc to a collection manually.


also there's tapes prefix ie John Doe (Side A)
also
8-Letter Anagrams (Tape 1) (Side A) (Europe)
8-Letter Anagrams (Tape 1) (Side B) (Europe),
8-Letter Anagrams (Tape 2) (Side A) (Europe)
unfortuanely the region tag is at the end in the collection so id have to rename my set , no biggie though id just remove the region tag


again the likes of the one below may needed to be done manually
Wender Bender.tzx
Wender Bender Question Tape 1 - Side 1.tzx
Wender Bender Question Tape 1 - Side 2.tzx

[KODser]

It sounds good to me

Some suggestions for MAME on AEL.
- If the launcher is set to MAME, only scrape on Arcade Database. For me only scrapes on other sites and doesn't find anything, the rest I already told you on the thread of the AML (hope it's not off topic there)
- The assets folders should be named correctly by default (marquees cpanels PCBs Cabinets). well, technically I don't know how the scraper works. don't know if its MAME it knows that has to download the cabinet etc, or if the folders have those names, it knows that he has to download cabinet, etc.

Best Regards

[dmakk]

Hi Wintermute. In regards to flags, have you given any thought about having content ratings appear from ESRB/PEGI, etc.?

[Wintermute0110]

also there's tapes prefix ie John Doe (Side A)
also
8-Letter Anagrams (Tape 1) (Side A) (Europe)
8-Letter Anagrams (Tape 1) (Side B) (Europe),
8-Letter Anagrams (Tape 2) (Side A) (Europe)
unfortuanely the region tag is at the end in the collection so id have to rename my set , no biggie though id just remove the region tag

again the likes of the one below may needed to be done manually
Wender Bender.tzx
Wender Bender Question Tape 1 - Side 1.tzx
Wender Bender Question Tape 1 - Side 2.tzx

I guess for those examples we will need a more complicated parser of the filename. The filename parse must be able to extract the disc number/order number according to some rules. As long as the rules can be defined and are consistent there should be no problem. Also, I think there should be no problem to add/edit multidisc ROMs.

For 0.9.6 I will implement the easy case based on TOSEC, Redump and Trurip and later we can have a look at more complicated cases.

[Wintermute0110]

Some suggestions for MAME on AEL.
- If the launcher is set to MAME, only scrape on Arcade Database. For me only scrapes on other sites and doesn't find anything, the rest I already told you on the thread of the AML (hope it's not off topic there)

That will reduce the flexibility of AEL... Although Arcade Database should work for any MAME ROM, it does not include plot. Some arcade games maybe found in TheGamesDB, GameFAQs and MobyGames.

- The assets folders should be named correctly by default (marquees cpanels PCBs Cabinets). well, technically I don't know how the scraper works. don't know if its MAME it knows that has to download the cabinet etc, or if the folders have those names, it knows that he has to download cabinet, etc.

I think there should be no problem to use different folder names when platform is MAME. The scraper always uses the standard names (for example, boxfront, boxback, etc.) and knows it has to download a cabinet if told to get a boxfront. However, since you can configure any directory you want for any assets the scraper doesn't mind if the boxfront target directory is named .../boxfront/ of .../cabinets/. Will add this features in the TODO for 0.9.6.

[Wintermute0110]

Hi Wintermute. In regards to flags, have you given any thought about having content ratings appear from ESRB/PEGI, etc.?

Hi. I don't have children myself but I understand it can be an interesting feature for many people to have a rating system so in the settings it can be restricted the ROMs to display based on the rating (if kids are clever they can easily go to settings and bypass it...).

There are several issues, though:

1) Which one of the rating systems should we use? Kodi officialy has support for MPAA in the video database. However, as you mentioned ESRB and PEGI are also available.

2) A database with more fileds means a bigger database, bigger JSON files and slower loading and browsing times (even if you don't use the rating, it will be present in the database).

The support for multidisc in 0.9.6 will make the database incompatible with 0.9.5 and earlier, so if we want to introduce metadata fields now it's the proper time.

[billyc666]

ESRB is the most common used, even others like PEGI ,CERO are pretty easy to convert to to ESRB as they all follow a similar age group for each content.

will there be an icon if there is single, multi disc

regarding
8-Letter Anagrams (Tape 1) (Side A) (Europe)
i think that was a wrongly named set i had, as i have another one which is named the same way as this
Wender Bender Question Tape 1 - Side 1