[Harro]

Notice:

With the official release of v19 on the horizon now might be a good time to look at your workflow when adding movies to your library.

Artwork Beef will not be available for v19.

Artwork Dump will be the replacement. This is a basic and cut back version of Artwork Beef and @rmrector has already released a beta version a few posts back in this thread. The main function of this new add-on is to download to local folders the artwork that has been scraped by the scrapers.

Movie Set artwork will be affected.

The only supported method of adding LOCAL artwork to Movie Collections/Sets is explained here... Movie_set_information_folder (wiki)
This is achieved by Kodi core, and not any add-ons.

So I assume that I would need to make all the collection folders and move all the artwork into those folders if I have the artwork already? Or I could not update to 19 i guess. Have over 250 of movie collections so not a small task to under take. 
Then comes the question of the naming of the collection. How will that work, through Kodi or will Kodi pick up the name from folders?

[Karellen]

So I assume that I would need to make all the collection folders and move all the artwork into those folders if I have the artwork already?

Yep, that is what is needed, unless you choose the "don't update" option.

Have over 250 of movie collections so not a small task to under take. 

Not a small task, but this method has been recommended since the release of v18. I have been telling members throughout the forum, and this method has been in the wiki since v18 was released... https://kodi.wiki/view/Movie_sets_artwor...al_Artwork

Now the clock reads 11:59

Then comes the question of the naming of the collection

It is explained in the wiki page. (If you think it needs rewording, let me know how and I will change it)
The Movie Set sub-folder is named exactly as the collection is named in Kodi and is case-sensitive.
If you run a Library Export and include exporting artwork and "don't overwrite existing", the move set sub-folders will be created for you in your nominated Movie Set Information Folder (if it is not set, nothing will happen).
You'll have to delete the artwork in them and replace them with your originals.

[Harro]

It is explained in the wiki page. (If you think it needs rewording, let me know how and I will change it)
The Movie Set sub-folder is named exactly as the collection is named in Kodi and is case-sensitive.
If you run a Library Export and include exporting artwork and "don't overwrite existing", the move set sub-folders will be created for you in your nominated Movie Set Information Folder (if it is not set, nothing will happen).
You'll have to delete the artwork in them and replace them with your originals.

I am assuming that the export of library is done once the upgrade to Kodi 19 is done, since I do a monthly export now and have never seen any folders resembling the collection folders. So where is Kodi getting the collection names from? Also I have collections for...ex.. Matrix, one in Bluray and another is 4k each with it's own collection and artwork. How will these be handled?

[Harro]

It is explained in the wiki page. (If you think it needs rewording, let me know how and I will change it)

I have read the wiki page numerous time and still confused about this part "The movie set sub-folder must be named exactly as the collection is named in the Kodi library".  Do I need to write all the names of my collections down to make the folders?

Looking like I will be on 18 for awhile.

[Karellen]

I am assuming that the export of library is done once the upgrade to Kodi 19 is done

Yes in v19 as it is the version that has the export Movie Set feature. v18 does not have this feature.
Whatever you have named your movie sets in Kodi is how they will be exported.

Grabbing the below from an nfo file, that is the name of the subfolder.

xml:
    <set>

        <name>Transformers Collection</name>

        <overview>...</overview>

    </set>

[Karellen]

@Harro

I've split our posts into a new thread as they are off-topic to Artwork Beef

[Harro]

@Harro

I've split our posts into a new thread as they are off-topic to Artwork Beef

Thanks @Karellen 
Been using Kodi (XBMC) for a long time, in fact I think I still have xbmc-11.0-Eden_beta2.exe stored on my server, but just couldn't wrap my head around the movie collection idea and naming, when I just got everything basically the way I like it on Kodi.

[Karellen]

Where is your movie set artwork saved now? Is it in your movie folders?


=edit=
I have update that wiki page with a bit more info based on your comments above.

[Harro]

Where is your movie set artwork saved now? Is it in your movie folders?


=edit=
I have update that wiki page with a bit more info based on your comments above.

That is a good question.
I looked at Back to the Future :

 and that hold no collection art work. My nfo gives me no detail either, except maybe links to images:


 So where exactly am I getting the artwork from and how can I import it to my folders to save for my collections?

[Harro]

Did some digging in artwork beef and found I think what you are talking about. I am running a full scan with artwork beef and then will export and see what happens.

[burcs]

My nfo gives me no detail either, except maybe links to images:

It's possible previous versions didn't add movie set info to .nfo files if you didn't have "show movie sets" checked in the options when you exported. A dev would have to chime in on that, but about 2/3 of my collections were missing the <set> tag, though I never grouped by sets, either. Or it's possible the scrapers hadn't yet added these movies to a set when I exported.

You'll need to delete the old .nfo files (back them up first), then re-scrape and export the new .nfo, which will now have the proper movie set info in them. You can copy/paste the set info into the old file if you have custom things in them (like sort title, etc), or just use the new one. Or manually edit them all, which might take a while.

[Harro]

My nfo gives me no detail either, except maybe links to images:

It's possible previous versions didn't add movie set info to .nfo files if you didn't have "show movie sets" checked in the options when you exported. A dev would have to chime in on that, but about 2/3 of my collections were missing the <set> tag, though I never grouped by sets, either. Or it's possible the scrapers hadn't yet added these movies to a set when I exported.

You'll need to delete the old .nfo files (back them up first), then re-scrape and export the new .nfo, which will now have the proper movie set info in them. You can copy/paste the set info into the old file if you have custom things in them (like sort title, etc), or just use the new one. Or manually edit them all, which might take a while.

I have solved this. I deleted all .nfo files from my movies folder, then re scanned that folder, once that was done , I exported to individual files. This gave me a new nfo files with all correct info in it.  I export and back up my database once a month. This is no small project with over 5000+ movies and 650 TV shows. So export takes a few hours to complete.

[bluewest]

I tested this feature since my media library is managed (with tinyMediaManager) and all art is set properly. I played around for two days to get it work over smb. There is the smb-option in MSIF-ChooseFolder but I could not load the SMB path. Then I added SMB Source through FileManager but it isn't displayed in MSIF-ChooseMenue. (BTW, I've configured MySQL Database as central DB-Repo for all my Kodi devices.)
Although Kodi is able to use SMB as source for MovieSet-Art. What I did was:
Copied my MSIF (generated with tmm) to one of my devices. Connected to my MySQL Database (with DBeaver) and dropped the MyVideo119 DB (as I'm using v19). Then started Kodi and rescanned my Movie folder. After that I connected to DB again and executed following script:
UPDATE MyVideos119.art a
SET a.url=REPLACE (a.url, '/sdcard/Android/data/org.xbmc.kodi/files/Movie-Sets','smb://WESTBOX/mediavideo/Movie-Sets')
WHERE a.media_type = 'set';
Started Kodi again and 'Woho' there are my MovieSet Posters and Fanart. So Kodi seems to have no Problem with smb for MSIF source, only it can't be entered by gui. So It would be super great if there would be an option to simply add the path to folder (and not to create a new one) and an automatic refresh of the art table so that all sets are updated. Sorry I have not the time to volunteer and do it by myself. It is just a suggestion (or proof of concept) and THANK YOU for the GREAT WORK u have done so far!!

(I,ve alreaddy posted this as an comment to github, then I realized there is a Forum, so sorry for duplicating messages)

[JohnWPB]

 

Then comes the question of the naming of the collection

The Movie Set sub-folder is named exactly as the collection is named in Kodi and is case-sensitive.

CASE SenSaTive?!?!?!?  WHO makes these rules?!?!  There are SO many add-ons, scrapers, external programs that download an aggregate this data.  They are NOT ALL in compliance with some sort of Case management!  I have over 6400 movies in my collection, and over 340 movie sets.  I am supposed to go into each of those new sub folders required for the collections, and make sure each and every file has the EXACT same case as the name of the collection, and where exactly does KODI get that case information when displaying the collections.  This really was not well thought through before implementing AT ALL.

The update to 19+ should have pulled the information on the set artwork BEFORE just over writing everything.  The set-art automator used a single folder for all the images pertaining to set artwork, and not individual folders.  One file "Back to the future Collection-poster.jpg" for instance.  Why would separate folders be needed when each and every movie has it's own unique name? 


Sorry for the rant, but this is utterly ridiculous the way this was implemented.  It's a shame, and no wonder that KODI is being used less and less

[Karellen]

where exactly does KODI get that case information when displaying the collections

The scraper site.

Sorry for the rant, but this is utterly ridiculous the way this was implemented.  It's a shame, and no wonder that KODI is being used less and less

No you're not.
Strange that our figures show the exact opposite. Obviously your knowledge is better than ours. Love to know where you get it from.

Oh, and getting back to movie set issue. What now makes it worse is that TVDB call their sets Franchise. So if you use the TVDB movie scraper, all your existing sets are useless.