2020-06-13, 01:09
Hello all,
I have uploaded versions 3.2.92 for Leia and 3.3.92 for Matrix, to GitHub and the Amber repos.
First of all, please accept my apologies if you were auto-updated to versions 3.2.89, 3.2.90 or 3.2.91 and then you found out that the Addon Browser did not work, it just showed the background and the top bar. I missed a file I needed to include. I have included it in version 3.2.92. Thanks.
Now for the main changes in this new version:
1. New View Selector/Configurator. Thanks to @jurialmunkey and his new addon script.skinvariables, there is a new option in Amber to use a new media views selector/configurator. This is very powerful, as it allows you to set which view you want to have for each type of content for the library, and for addons. This will effectively "lock" that view for that content type. It also allows for specifying that you want a specific view for a particular type of content in a specific addon.
You can find the setting here:
If you enable the setting, then you will have the option of configuring the views, which looks like this:
As you can see from the above, you can choose what viewtype will be used for which content. The currently selected view is what is in parenthesis. So, if you wanted to change what viewtype you always (until the next time you change it) want to view episodes in the library, and you press enter on that (as shown in the screenshot), you now get a very nice, graphical viewtype selector:
Again, you can set the view for each content type, both for the library, and for addons. You can also set it for a specific addon and content type. For example, if you wanted to have videos from the YouTube addon always use the Icons viewtype, you can, in the view configuration list, go to Add Plugin View:
Select YouTube from the list of plugins:
And then select the content type you want to set the view for:
And then select the viewtype you want:
The result would be this:
And it would stay that way until you choose to change the viewtype. The new selector/configurator also supports resetting all views for the library and for all addons.
IMPORTANT: Amber version 3.2.92 includes a pre-defined view configuration in which all viewtypes are allowed for all content types, and the default is List View.
You need the addon script.skinvariables for this new functionality. You can download it from jurialmunkey's GitHub: https://github.com/jurialmunkey/script.skinvariables. As far as I know, the addon is not in the Kodi repo yet.
This new functionality is optional, you do not have to use it. If you would like to use it, please install the addon first, enable it, and then activate the Amber setting to use the new view selector.
Given the flexibility and power of this addon, the functionality to set a default view in Amber has been removed. I would rather not maintain functionality that is already available (and better!) through the addon.
2. Three-Row Shelves and Three Shelves Together with Larger Icons for Vertical Menu. Now there is a new option, for the vertical menu, to show three-row shelves and three shelves together with larger icons. You can find the setting here:
Please not the following:
a. This does not require enabling "three shelves together" for it to work. You can have a single shelf which is a triple row shelf with the larger icons.
b. This only works with the vertical menu, there is just not enough screen space in the horizontal menu. If you enable this, and then switch to the horizontal menu, the shelf will not look good, parts of it will not be visible. Unfortunately, I could not figure out how to automatically adjust the size if you change to the horizontal menu, so please disablee this setting before switching to the horizontal menu.
c. This only works if you do not have statistics line enabled, or if you have the statitstics line on the shelves.
The result, for 3 shelves together, and larger icons, looks like this:
As you can see, there are three labels at the top, which correspond to the three shelves being shown: The leftmost label corresponds to the top shelf (shelf 3), the miiddle label corresponds to the middle shelf (shelf 2) and the rightmost label corresponds to the bottom shelf (shelf 1). Navigation is the same, you press Up to move from shelf 1 to shelf 2, etc.
These were big changes, so please test thoroughly and let me know if you find any issues. Thanks.
Regards,
Bart
I have uploaded versions 3.2.92 for Leia and 3.3.92 for Matrix, to GitHub and the Amber repos.
First of all, please accept my apologies if you were auto-updated to versions 3.2.89, 3.2.90 or 3.2.91 and then you found out that the Addon Browser did not work, it just showed the background and the top bar. I missed a file I needed to include. I have included it in version 3.2.92. Thanks.
Now for the main changes in this new version:
1. New View Selector/Configurator. Thanks to @jurialmunkey and his new addon script.skinvariables, there is a new option in Amber to use a new media views selector/configurator. This is very powerful, as it allows you to set which view you want to have for each type of content for the library, and for addons. This will effectively "lock" that view for that content type. It also allows for specifying that you want a specific view for a particular type of content in a specific addon.
You can find the setting here:
If you enable the setting, then you will have the option of configuring the views, which looks like this:
As you can see from the above, you can choose what viewtype will be used for which content. The currently selected view is what is in parenthesis. So, if you wanted to change what viewtype you always (until the next time you change it) want to view episodes in the library, and you press enter on that (as shown in the screenshot), you now get a very nice, graphical viewtype selector:
Again, you can set the view for each content type, both for the library, and for addons. You can also set it for a specific addon and content type. For example, if you wanted to have videos from the YouTube addon always use the Icons viewtype, you can, in the view configuration list, go to Add Plugin View:
Select YouTube from the list of plugins:
And then select the content type you want to set the view for:
And then select the viewtype you want:
The result would be this:
And it would stay that way until you choose to change the viewtype. The new selector/configurator also supports resetting all views for the library and for all addons.
IMPORTANT: Amber version 3.2.92 includes a pre-defined view configuration in which all viewtypes are allowed for all content types, and the default is List View.
You need the addon script.skinvariables for this new functionality. You can download it from jurialmunkey's GitHub: https://github.com/jurialmunkey/script.skinvariables. As far as I know, the addon is not in the Kodi repo yet.
This new functionality is optional, you do not have to use it. If you would like to use it, please install the addon first, enable it, and then activate the Amber setting to use the new view selector.
Given the flexibility and power of this addon, the functionality to set a default view in Amber has been removed. I would rather not maintain functionality that is already available (and better!) through the addon.
2. Three-Row Shelves and Three Shelves Together with Larger Icons for Vertical Menu. Now there is a new option, for the vertical menu, to show three-row shelves and three shelves together with larger icons. You can find the setting here:
Please not the following:
a. This does not require enabling "three shelves together" for it to work. You can have a single shelf which is a triple row shelf with the larger icons.
b. This only works with the vertical menu, there is just not enough screen space in the horizontal menu. If you enable this, and then switch to the horizontal menu, the shelf will not look good, parts of it will not be visible. Unfortunately, I could not figure out how to automatically adjust the size if you change to the horizontal menu, so please disablee this setting before switching to the horizontal menu.
c. This only works if you do not have statistics line enabled, or if you have the statitstics line on the shelves.
The result, for 3 shelves together, and larger icons, looks like this:
As you can see, there are three labels at the top, which correspond to the three shelves being shown: The leftmost label corresponds to the top shelf (shelf 3), the miiddle label corresponds to the middle shelf (shelf 2) and the rightmost label corresponds to the bottom shelf (shelf 1). Navigation is the same, you press Up to move from shelf 1 to shelf 2, etc.
These were big changes, so please test thoroughly and let me know if you find any issues. Thanks.
Regards,
Bart
