[XODIDOX]

Personally I would make the list shorter. I understand the purpose of the list is to save the user time (button-clicks). But a long list does the opposite, it takes many clicks to get to the one you want (or even to see what is available).

I would cut it to 20 or less. Use the following criteria:
a) how common is it
b) how much button presses does it save to include it in the system-defined list versus entering manually

for example
Extended Edition - a) Very common. b) has lots of letters so takes a long time to type via on-screen keyboard. Keep it.
VHS - a) Very uncommon. b) Only 3 letters so can be typed pretty quickly. Lose it

This is a good idea. My suggestion would be to have this file, editable, somewhere in the user directory. This way one could customize it to their needs.

I have thousands of movies. Once this feature is implemented officially I will need to go through all of them, to properly identify versions. My main usage will be for 4K/1080 versions. Others might have lots of Criterion versions, others different needs. If the list could be customizable, it would make it easier for big libraries to be adapted.

I am not saying to eliminate the list. It makes sense for new users and, generally, to give an idea of the possibilities. But if it could be customized, it would be nice. If this is too complex, ignore the suggestion. I don't want to overcomplicate things (the suggestion goes the opposite way, from an end-user point of view).

I can add a "delete" context menu item in Library->Movies->Versions, so you can delete a version that you won't use.

[Hitcher]

Or have a Whitelist so users can only enable the ones they want.

[ashlar]

Or have a Whitelist so users can only enable the ones they want.

This would probably be the ideal solution. First because whitelists are already a concept in Kodi (video resolutions), second because it doesn't waste the effort Xodidox went to in creating the list.

[black_eagle]

This is a good idea. My suggestion would be to have this file, editable, somewhere in the user directory. This way one could customize it to their needs.

 I think what I would do here, is implement it in a similar way to how the library navigation nodes are. So, there is a system defined "versions.xml" or whatever that lives in Kodi's special://xbmc/system directory. That's the file that gets loaded unless it also exists in special://profile in which case that overrides the system file and those are the strings loaded into the db. Note that this will only affect the 'system' defined strings and not any defined inside Kodi.

That way, people who are happy with the default can keep it and those that aren't can make a copy of the file in their userdata directory and edit it how they want.  @XODIDOX, what do you think?

xml:
<?xml version="1.0" encoding="UTF-8"?>

<versions>

<version name="Standard Version">40400</version>

<version name="Totally the best version ever">40401</version>

</versions>

Something like that.

If we are sticking with the new dialog box then I would like to see some scroll bars if there are enough versions / extras to scroll through.

@Hitcher, I guess what you are wanting re set like behaviour is what the new dialog does currently, show the different versions available?  What else is needed to implement that, the listitem stuff that @jjd-uk mentioned or does it also need the container stuff?

Apart from that, I'm happy that core is doing the right things with regards to what it's currently displaying in the node and adding / removing content correctly, as well as playing the right version(s).

[XODIDOX]

The list needs to be localized, so a file in profile may not work if I'm not mistaken. I would rather pressing up/down button instead of using keyboard to input anything. The current list is ordered by the frequency that I measured for them. All user created versions will be at the end, so just press up at the top will navigate to the end, it's quite convenient for me. I'll see the how the whitelist is implemented for resolution, to see if I can use that for this. My original design for the list is using library navigation node to show all of them, but with suggestions from @black_eagle, it only shows the existing ones now, so it's not a place user can hide the non-using versions now.

[XODIDOX]

@Hitcher / @black_eagle / @ashlar, I'm working on making the versions works like set in library navigation, the new version icon will appear for a movie if there are more than one version available and when you click that movie, you will be able to get into the list with all versions of the movie. I don't like this way for versions, but I can understand people want this. I'll add a new option and enable it by default for this behavior.

[ashlar]

@Hitcher / @black_eagle / @ashlar, I'm working on making the versions works like set in library navigation, the new version icon will appear for a movie if there are more than one version available and when you click that movie, you will be able to get into the list with all versions of the movie. I don't like this way for versions, but I can understand people want this. I'll add a new option and enable it by default for this behavior.

Thanks for implementing my suggestion. I think that having Movie Versions work in a similar way to Movie Sets in the GUI will be best for the majority of users. Eager to test it. Thanks again, really!

[Hitcher]

@Hitcher / @black_eagle / @ashlar, I'm working on making the versions works like set in library navigation, the new version icon will appear for a movie if there are more than one version available and when you click that movie, you will be able to get into the list with all versions of the movie. I don't like this way for versions, but I can understand people want this. I'll add a new option and enable it by default for this behavior.

Thanks for this.

[LongMan]

With versions being implemented in a similar manner to Sets. Will the play button play the default version while other versions are access from the dialog?

[ashlar]

With versions being implemented in a similar manner to Sets. Will the play button play the default version while other versions are access from the dialog?

As far as I understand it and as far as it has been discussed, it should work like this, using keyboard standard commands.

Once the "cursor" highlights a movie:

Pressing Enter goes "into" the movie versions and you'll be shown the different, labeled, versions available (Extended, Standard, UHD, etc.), in the same way as going "into" a Movie Set shows you the different movies in that set.

Pressing P (for Play) will playback the default version of a movie with multiple versions.

While pressing C (Context Menu) will allow you to then select "Manage..." and from there access the Movie Versions dialog window, where you'll be able to manage all the different configurations.

[LongMan]

Ok. Thanks

[Sylfest]

Thanks, this looks promising. Indeed a feature I will use.
I think easiest way (for me anyway) would be to name the movie version in the movie .NFO

example: something like this

<versions>
<name>Extended Cut</name>
<order>1</order>
</versions>

[jbinkley60]

With versions being implemented in a similar manner to Sets. Will the play button play the default version while other versions are access from the dialog?

I am not sure if you saw my earlier comments about various sharing solutions like MediaImporter supporting this new feature from the centralized media servers ?  The MediaImpoter code will need to be changed to sync versions / collections from Plex, Emby etc..  in order to sync them into the new table structures.  Since most of the sharing solutions already have this feature, it may or may not make sense to sync into the new tables / table structure.  The value of consistent skin integration and launching may be the decision point.  I am watching this from a Mezzmo perspective to make the same decision.  Once it is released and final, I'll take a closer look.


Thanks,

Jeff

[Hitcher]

With versions being implemented in a similar manner to Sets. Will the play button play the default version while other versions are access from the dialog?

If it's the same as Sets when you enter (click on) the version of a movie you'll see all of the different versions of that movie as a library view, from here you just pick the one you want to play.

EDIT: Here's how I explained it before -

The more I think about this, the more I feel that the big disconnect (for me) stems from the difference in presentation between Movie Versions and Movie Sets. When I select a Movie Set, I navigate "inside", where I see a list of movies that the set contains. I think my unconscious expectation, so far, was to have that for Movie Versions as well.

That's how I envisaged this feature would work as well. Maybe it would be clearer with some images.

Movies view showing that 'Alien' has different versions as indicated by the versions icon similar to how collections work -



And, in the same way as collections, clicking on 'Alien' shows all versions available -



And then clicking which version you want will play it (or whatever your default action is).

[Hitcher]

@XODIDOX I had a go at reworking the dialog to be more inline with other ones in Estuary.





Let me know if you want me to submit a pull request.