[pkscout]

AS is definitely broken for the latest official Kodi (18.5; at least under Android), whether I am using the pkscout's Leia Estuary mod or not.

I just did a clean reinstall to double check this - freshly installed Kodi 18.5, then installed Leia Estuary mod, then installed the AS, then enabled image override inside AS. Then regardless of the "background diffusion settings" (I tried default, None, and 100%) I get exactly the same behaviour:

 - When music starts, first I see the foreground stuff - mp3 built-in image, title, progress bar. All looks bright and contrasty.
 - 1-2 seconds later, I can see my slideshow starting in the background. Foreground is still visible (bright and contrasty), my slideshow has low contrast.
 - 1-2 seconds later, the foreground disappears, my slideshow keeps running, but it still has exactly the same low contrast as before.

If I watch the same images using the Kodi's Pictures mode, they look bright and contrasty.

Is this behaviour intended? If yes, I'd really appreciate if it were fixed, as slideshow looks very bad.

If this is not intended, there must be a bug somewhere, which keeps the slideshow images at low contrast (presumably by keeping a semi-transparent black image in front of it).

Can you please look into this? I will add detailed logs here shortly.

I am unable to duplicate your issue on my Mac, Windows, or OSMC machines with either my Estuary mod or the default Estuary.  I'll be happy to look through the logs, but if you're having the same problem with Estuary and my Estuary mod I'm leaning towards either a local issue you have or something on Android.  Regardless, as I said above, AS doesn't actually show any images. All it does is set a skin property so the skin can show an image.  If you're seeing the problem with the default Estuary, I'd suggest you post something in the Estuary support forum, as maybe someone there has an Android based Kodi setup they can test with to help troubleshoot.

https://forum.kodi.tv/forumdisplay.php?fid=260

[pulsar124]

Thanks for the quick reply. I just added the log link to my previous post.

So what should be the correct behavior: slideshow starts with low contrast (when foreground elements are still present), then should become bright and high contrast after the foreground is gone?

Also, what is the purpose of the "background diffusion" setting in your mod? I don't see any changes when I set it to different values.

Here is an idea - is it possible to make the skin AS using to post pictures the most foreground one? Then all potential foreground image issues will be dealt with.

EDIT: I found the following lines from my log file suspicious or potentially relevant (they all come from the log section when AS slideshow has already started):

2020-01-04 16:10:04.754 T:7074   ERROR: EXCEPTION: Invalid setting type
2020-01-04 16:10:04.757 T:7074   DEBUG: [Artist Slideshow] ArtistSlideshow.Image set to /storage/emulated/0/Android/data/org.xbmc.kodi/files/.kodi/addons/script.artistslideshow/resources/images/black-hd.png
2020-01-04 16:10:04.795 T:7049   DEBUG: ffmpeg[7F781970]: [swscaler] No accelerated colorspace conversion found from yuv420p to bgra.
2020-01-04 16:10:06.713 T:7047   DEBUG: Caching image 'smb://192.168.0.2/E/PHOTOS-LILY/IMG_9541.jpg' to '3/3be9a0a3.jpg':
2020-01-04 16:10:06.849 T:7047   DEBUG: cached image 'special://masterprofile/Thumbnails/3/3be9a0a3.jpg' size 727x720
2020-01-04 16:10:14.543 T:7015   DEBUG: ------ Window Deinit (Custom_1109_TopBarOverlay.xml) ------

The ERROR message is important I think - I wonder what's causing it?

Then the image black-hd.png - what does it do? Can it be masking my images somehow?

Not sure why I get the message "colorspace conversion found from yuv420p to bgra" for each of my images. All my images regular RGB jpeg files.

And then again this weird downscaling report, for each of my images being cached (scaled down to 720p).

[pkscout]

Thanks for the quick reply. I just added the log link to my previous post.

So what should be the correct behavior: slideshow starts with low contrast (when foreground elements are still present), then should become bright and high contrast after the foreground is gone?

Also, what is the purpose of the "background diffusion" setting in your mod? I don't see any changes when I set it to different values.

Here is an idea - is it possible to make the skin AS using to post pictures the most foreground one? Then all potential foreground image issues will be dealt with.

EDIT: I found the following lines from my log file suspicious or potentially relevant (they all come from the log section when AS slideshow has already started):

2020-01-04 16:10:04.754 T:7074   ERROR: EXCEPTION: Invalid setting type
2020-01-04 16:10:04.757 T:7074   DEBUG: [Artist Slideshow] ArtistSlideshow.Image set to /storage/emulated/0/Android/data/org.xbmc.kodi/files/.kodi/addons/script.artistslideshow/resources/images/black-hd.png
2020-01-04 16:10:04.795 T:7049   DEBUG: ffmpeg[7F781970]: [swscaler] No accelerated colorspace conversion found from yuv420p to bgra.
2020-01-04 16:10:06.713 T:7047   DEBUG: Caching image 'smb://192.168.0.2/E/PHOTOS-LILY/IMG_9541.jpg' to '3/3be9a0a3.jpg':
2020-01-04 16:10:06.849 T:7047   DEBUG: cached image 'special://masterprofile/Thumbnails/3/3be9a0a3.jpg' size 727x720
2020-01-04 16:10:14.543 T:7015   DEBUG: ------ Window Deinit (Custom_1109_TopBarOverlay.xml) ------

The ERROR message is important I think - I wonder what's causing it?

Then the image black-hd.png - what does it do? Can it be masking my images somehow?

Not sure why I get the message "colorspace conversion found from yuv420p to bgra" for each of my images. All my images regular RGB jpeg files.

And then again this weird downscaling report, for each of my images being cached (scaled down to 720p).

That black image is set during slideshow transition and removed as soon as anything is added to the slideshow.  So there is no way I can think of it would be interfering with your display.

Again, what is done with the image is completely dependent on the skin.  Whatever remaining issue you have is either skin related or Android related.  I have never, in all my years using Kodi, seen the cache being down scaled, but then again I've never used Android.  I know that neither Estuary nor my Estuary mod scale or load low contrast images first.  I understand that you would like help trying to resolve your issue, and what I'm trying to tell you is that you need to go to the right place to try and figure this out. Because I've never been able to duplicate your issue on any other platform, you might consider instead posting something to the Android sub-forum:

https://forum.kodi.tv/forumdisplay.php?fid=164

Alternatively you could try posting in the Estuary skin sub-forum:

https://forum.kodi.tv/forumdisplay.php?fid=260

Just please don't post the same problem in both places.  Pick one and see if anyone can help you.  If they can't you can try the other sub-forum.

[pulsar124]

Ok, at least I fixed the downscaling issue, by creating advancedsettings.xml file with the following content:

<advancedsettings version="1.0">
    <imageres>9999</imageres>
    <fanartres>9999</fanartres>
    <imagescalingalgorithm>nearest_neighbor</imagescalingalgorithm>
</advancedsettings>

Now the cached images have the proper (unchanged) size.

[pkscout]

New Beta Available (3.0.1~beta15)
- In daemon mode you can now change AS settings without having to restart Kodi
- fix for runaway loop if there is only one image in an artist's slideshow

Available from my beta repo as usual.

That first one is something that's really been an issue since, well, forever.  I figured while I was fixing other stuff it was a good time to fix that too.

[pulsar124]

I will post this to one of the suggested Kodi forums, but want to clarify one more thing first.

I found this info online:

<color name="Background">ff000000</color>
<color name="FanartFade">8Fffffff</color>
<color name="FloorFade">D9000000</color>

Where exactly these parameters are set? Perhaps changing one ore more of them will solve my low contrast issue? Perhaps making FanartFade fully transparent (like this: 00ffffff?) will do the trick?

[scott967]

I will post this to one of the suggested Kodi forums, but want to clarify one more thing first.

I found this info online:

<color name="Background">ff000000</color>
<color name="FanartFade">8Fffffff</color>
<color name="FloorFade">D9000000</color>

Where exactly these parameters are set? Perhaps changing one ore more of them will solve my low contrast issue? Perhaps making FanartFade fully transparent (like this: 00ffffff?) will do the trick?

They are typically in a skin's color themes (folder "colors"), either in "defaults.xml" or in a specific color theme xml file which then is exposed as a UI setting.  I don't think addons can override this in xml windows/dialogs (though AS doesn't use xml coding).  But once defined the skin then uses the color by name rather than the ARGB in any control that can use a color/textcolor/diffusecolor etc.

----------------

beta 13 has restored the notification function I had used (personally) in v 2.  Thanks for that.

scott s.
.

[scott967]

I'm in the same boat. I'm using the AeonMQ7 Leia mod skin. I've tried almost every combination of setting in the ASS addon, but none of them work in Kodi 18.5 on Android. The slideshow won't display the fanart images in the Kodi Artist Information folder, or fanarts from a custom location Even the fallback slideshow option does not work.

Here's a part of the logfile, containing some errors:

2020-01-03 00:06:06.725 T:2125 ERROR: unmatched parentheses in string.isempty(window(visualisation).property(artistslideshow.artworkready) 2020-01-03

00:06:07.183 T:2293 NOTICE: script.module.metadatautils --> Error while executing <built-in method clearProperty of xbmcgui.Window object at 0xb30ffec8> with <dictionary-keyiterator object at 0xabc93dc0>


2020-01-03 00:06:09.317 T:2785 ERROR: EXCEPTION: Invalid setting type   

Unfortunately, log snippets aren't going to help.  I need to see the full debug log.  The error with the unmatched parentheses you've posted is a skin error, but we have the same error in Estuary on 18.5 and it didn't seem to affect showing images with AS 3.x.  It could cause 2.x not to work. But since you're apparently using the 3.01 beta, that shouldn't be the issue.  

Unmatched paren is a skin typo. Inform Wanilton or whomever is doing the MQ7 mod. Should be string.isempty(window(visualisation).property(artistslideshow.artworkready))

Can't do anything about script.module.metadatautils exception without a full log.

I also see the ERROR: EXCEPTION: Invalid setting type but I don't see anything wrong in settings.xml.  TBH I don't understand what Kodi debug log is logging when addon settings are used (there's the old settings and new settings and they've been a moving target).

scott s.
.

[pkscout]

I also see the ERROR: EXCEPTION: Invalid setting type but I don't see anything wrong in settings.xml.  TBH I don't understand what Kodi debug log is logging when addon settings are used (there's the old settings and new settings and they've been a moving target).

I have a wrapper for the xbmcadd.Addon().getSetting stuff (i.e. getSettingInt, etc) so that I can use the same call in older versions of Kodi and newer ones. Apparently if you use getSettingInt to get a setting that doesn't exist (and there's a particular case in my code where that is true, it's a long reason), Python throws a Type Error. In the wrapper I trap for that error and then return a default value, but Kodi logs that Invalid Type anyway. If you use the older getSetting, it returns an empty string if the setting isn't found and no error is logged. I rewrote the wrapper to stop using getSettingInt and instead just try and force getSetting into an int (which is what I was doing for older Kodi versions anyway). If the int conversion fails it generates a python Value Error. Since I trap for that and return the default value, Kodi doesn't log anything about any errors.

So basically the solution is to stop using the newer getSettingInt, getSettingNumber, or getSettingBool so you get fewer log entries with errors. '-)

[pkscout]

New Beta Available (3.0.1~beta16)
- fixes to eliminate Setting Type Error in Kodi logs

Available as usual from my beta repo.

Barring any other reports of issues, I will be submitting a PR to the main Kodi repo on Monday.  Not that it will really matter, but the actual version will be 3.1.0.  There were enough fixes and changes here to warrant a minor version bump rather than just a maintenance version bump.

[bluezed]

Hi @pkscout

First of all thank you very much for all your hard work on this Addon, I've been using it for many years now

I have one question though, and I'm not sure if it's to do with the App, the Skin or something completely different so I'm sorry if this is nothing to do with the App...

I usually listen to radio stations through the TuneIn2017 addon and on full screen the Artist Slideshow picks up on the Artist and Title and shows the correct fanart for the artist currently playing. It works with most radio stations but for example Kerrang! Radio shows the artist and title in the opposite order, so first Title and then Artist, and with that the Artist Slideshow does not find anything or an incorrect Artist. Or at least that's what it looks like...

Is that something that can be changed or adjusted in Artist Slideshow or is that an issue with the Skin (Aeon Nox Silvo) or something that one just have to live with? 

I already contacted the author of TuneIn2017 and he did some investigating with the result that it's outside his control. Here's his reply: Link to Post

Thank you very much!

[pulsar124]

I posted my issue on the Estuary sub-forum (no reply so far).

A question for pkscout: can you please describe what is the correct behaviour of your add-on AS? Do fanart images start with low contrast (when the foreground stuff is still present), and then are displayed correctly after the foreground elements go away?

[pkscout]

Hi @pkscout

First of all thank you very much for all your hard work on this Addon, I've been using it for many years now

I have one question though, and I'm not sure if it's to do with the App, the Skin or something completely different so I'm sorry if this is nothing to do with the App...

I usually listen to radio stations through the TuneIn2017 addon and on full screen the Artist Slideshow picks up on the Artist and Title and shows the correct fanart for the artist currently playing. It works with most radio stations but for example Kerrang! Radio shows the artist and title in the opposite order, so first Title and then Artist, and with that the Artist Slideshow does not find anything or an incorrect Artist. Or at least that's what it looks like...

Is that something that can be changed or adjusted in Artist Slideshow or is that an issue with the Skin (Aeon Nox Silvo) or something that one just have to live with? 

I already contacted the author of TuneIn2017 and he did some investigating with the result that it's outside his control. Here's his reply: Link to Post

Thank you very much!

I've added an option for version 3.1.0 (which should be coming out soon) to more aggressively check a stream title for an artist that will return artists that are in the second position.  To do that I had to assume both the first and second positions were artists, so some things aren't quite going to work right in AS if the artist is in the second position. Namely:

1. The artist bio (if you have that enabled) is based on the first position, so you'll either get no artist bio or, if the song name happens to also be an artist, you're going to get that bio instead of the actual artist.
   
2. Similar artists (if you have that enabled) are also based on the first position, so ditto #1.
   
3. The album list (if you have that enabled) is also based on the first position, do ditto #1.
   
4. If the song name is also an artist, AS might manage to find images for them, so you'll get a mix of artist images where one of the artists isn't actually an artist for the playing song.
   
5. You can't disable the option to show multiple artists, or the more aggressive search won't work.
   

Because it's kind of wonky, I disabled this option by default.  Once 3.1.0 releases, you'll need to enable the more aggressive search in the ADVANCED section of the AS settings.

[bluezed]

I've added an option for version 3.1.0 (which should be coming out soon) to more aggressively check a stream title for an artist that will return artists that are in the second position.  To do that I had to assume both the first and second positions were artists, so some things aren't quite going to work right in AS if the artist is in the second position. Namely:

1. The artist bio (if you have that enabled) is based on the first position, so you'll either get no artist bio or, if the song name happens to also be an artist, you're going to get that bio instead of the actual artist.
   
2. Similar artists (if you have that enabled) are also based on the first position, so ditto #1.
   
3. The album list (if you have that enabled) is also based on the first position, do ditto #1.
   
4. If the song name is also an artist, AS might manage to find images for them, so you'll get a mix of artist images where one of the artists isn't actually an artist for the playing song.
   
5. You can't disable the option to show multiple artists, or the more aggressive search won't work.
   

Because it's kind of wonky, I disabled this option by default.  Once 3.1.0 releases, you'll need to enable the more aggressive search in the ADVANCED section of the AS settings.

Wow, sounds great! Looking forward to trying it out.

Thank you very much! 😀

[Caesarius]

AS 2.1.5 should be in the main Kodi repo for Kodi 16 (under Program Addons).  It's been quite awhile since I used Kodi 16 though, so if it isn't there for some reason, you can grab this zip:

https://github.com/pkscout/repository.be...-2.1.5.zip 

Hi,

Thanks a lot for your help!
I have Artis Slideshow now on my Minix Player and on my Dune Player- perfect!

Cheers
Caesar