does exported data get consumed externally?
#1
This is likely a newb question and apologize if this is covered somewhere already.

If I have a movie database and then export it to an external drive. Does all the data get consumed from that external drive? Or does it still sit local to where kodi is installed?

The reason I ask is I am using firesticks with the latest Kodi installed on them. I have a local NAS that has my movies on it. The metadata can actually consume a lot of space when it hundreds of movies. RAM space is at a minimum on firesticks. And yes I know there are better devices out there to stick kodi on. However I use their recast to record local TV as well as I have my security cameras integrated with Alex so its convenient.

So I am looking for a way to store that metadata externally and just have kodi point to it and consume it so that the footprint on the firestick is kept at a minimum.
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#2
When you run the Export and use To Separate Files method, an NFO file is created and saved along side the video file. If you select to export artwork also, the artwork will also be saved alongside the video files.

Kodi does not operate off NFO files during normal use. Kodi uses a database that contains all the metadata for your video library. The NFO files are a backup of that database. Kodi will only use the nfo file when scanning a movie into the library and the NFO file is available.
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#3
(2021-01-08, 22:31)xokia Wrote: The metadata can actually consume a lot of space when it hundreds of movies.

Exporting from Kodi, metadata file sizes for a movie or tv serie episode are an absolute tiny speck compared to the size of the related video file.
A typical nfo text file for a movie is 8-35 Kilobyte in size. A video file is typically anything from 200 Megabyte up to 50 Gigabyte in size.

I think your view on metadata is quite exaggerated.
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#4
(2021-01-08, 22:50)Klojum Wrote:
(2021-01-08, 22:31)xokia Wrote: The metadata can actually consume a lot of space when it hundreds of movies.

Exporting from Kodi, metadata file sizes for a movie or tv serie episode are an absolute tiny speck compared to the size of the related video file.
A typical nfo text file for a movie is 8-35 Kilobyte in size. A video file is typically anything from 200 Megabyte up to 50 Gigabyte in size.

I think your view on metadata is quite exaggerated.
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#5
@xokia I think you forgot to type your reply...
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#6
argg... quoting did not work.

I was referring to all the artwork that ends up going along with the export. That can be several hundred megabytes for around 30-40 movies I have several hundred movies.

I'd prefer for kodi to just have pointers to all the artwork packs. So it ideally it just points to the artwork that sitting on the NAS instead of importing it locally to kodi OS directories.
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#7
(2021-01-08, 22:46)Karellen Wrote: When you run the Export and use To Separate Files method, an NFO file is created and saved along side the video file. If you select to export artwork also, the artwork will also be saved alongside the video files.

Kodi does not operate off NFO files during normal use. Kodi uses a database that contains all the metadata for your video library. The NFO files are a backup of that database. Kodi will only use the nfo file when scanning a movie into the library and the NFO file is available.

The directory that I have when I exported my library is an XML along with directories for the movie fanart. I assume kodi is consuming that XML?
The XML is pointing to fanart that is via the web. So maybe its doing what I want already. Although I would prefer it point to the local copies of the fanart instead of web based fanart.

Example:
<path>smb://RT-AC66R/movie/</path>
        <filenameandpath>smb://RT-AC66R/movie/1917.mkv</filenameandpath>
        <basepath>smb://RT-AC66R/movie/1917.mkv</basepath>
        <id>tt8579674</id>
        <uniqueid type="imdb" default="true">tt8579674</uniqueid>
        <uniqueid type="tmdb">530915</uniqueid>
        <genre>War</genre>
        <genre>Drama</genre>
        <genre>Action</genre>
        <genre>Thriller</genre>
        <country>Canada</country>
        <credits>Sam Mendes</credits>
        <credits>Krysty Wilson-Cairns</credits>
        <director>Sam Mendes</director>
        <premiered>2019-12-25</premiered>
        <year>2019</year>
        <status></status>
        <code></code>
        <aired></aired>
        <studio>Universal Pictures</studio>
        <trailer>plugin://plugin.video.youtube/?action=play_video&amp;videoid=UcmZN0Mbl04</trailer>
        <fileinfo>
            <streamdetails>
                <video>
                    <codec>hevc</codec>
                    <aspect>2.394015</aspect>
                    <width>3840</width>
                    <height>1604</height>
                    <durationinseconds>7139</durationinseconds>
                    <stereomode></stereomode>
                </video>
                <audio>
                    <codec>truehd</codec>
                    <language>eng</language>
                    <channels>8</channels>
                </audio>
                <audio>
                    <codec>ac3</codec>
                    <language>eng</language>
                    <channels>6</channels>
                </audio>
            </streamdetails>
        </fileinfo>
        <actor>
            <name>George MacKay</name>
            <role>Lance Corporal Schofield</role>
            <order>0</order>
            <thumb>https://image.tmdb.org/t/p/original/80IQRdk9FIfkVJQB54Y7rZjNyDj.jpg</thumb>
        </actor>
        <actor>
            <name>Dean-Charles Chapman</name>
            <role>Lance Corporal Blake</role>
            <order>1</order>
            <thumb>https://image.tmdb.org/t/p/original/A3UGnYH7ESTBwEjWBFev7MhvBsB.jpg</thumb>
        </actor>
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#8
I don't really know what you mean by "consuming". Kodi does not use any of the Exports during normal use. They are only scanned when you force an Import or Library Updates depending on which Export method you used.

As I said, Kodi operates from the Database and always operates from the database no matter how many times you run an Export. The Export does not do what I think you are wanting it to do.

I do not recommend using the Single File Export for the Video Library.
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#9
(2021-01-08, 23:09)xokia Wrote: I was referring to all the artwork that ends up going along with the export.

Kodi export CAN do fanart as well, it's not obligatory. Also, the export function is more like a backup function. It's not actively being used, but it can be scanned/read once when doing a rescrape of a media collection into a new/empty video database.
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#10
(2021-01-08, 23:58)Karellen Wrote: I don't really know what you mean by "consuming". Kodi does not use any of the Exports during normal use. They are only scanned when you force an Import or Library Updates depending on which Export method you used.

As I said, Kodi operates from the Database and always operates from the database no matter how many times you run an Export. The Export does not do what I think you are wanting it to do.

I do not recommend using the Single File Export for the Video Library.
Yea that is what I am trying to understand. I dont actually know how Kodi uses files I haven't spent much time digging around kodi OS files. When I say consume I mean where it grabs the data from.

You stated kodi operates from the database. -> I assume this is local i.e. where kodi OS is installed.
Does that fanart also get pushed to that local database? i.e. the images copied to the firestick?

What I am trying to prevent is the fanart consuming space on the firestick. I want it to either grab that fanart from the web or ideally grab it from the NAS.
It doesnt copy the Movie itself to that database. The database just has a pointer to the movie. Which is what I would like to do with the fanart as well.

Hopefully what I am trying to do is coming across. What is the pros/cons to a Single File export vs multiple files for each move? And thanks in advance!
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#11
(2021-01-09, 00:14)xokia Wrote: You stated kodi operates from the database. -> I assume this is local i.e. where kodi OS is installed.
Yes. See here... Kodi data folder (wiki)

(2021-01-09, 00:14)xokia Wrote: What I am trying to prevent is the fanart consuming space on the firestick. I want it to either grab that fanart from the web or ideally grab it from the NAS.
All artwork is cached on the local install. It is sent to the Thumbnails folder. I don't use a Firestick so I don't know what tricks others are using to reduce storage usage.

(2021-01-09, 00:14)xokia Wrote: What is the pros/cons to a Single File export vs multiple files for each move? And thanks in advance!
Using Single File Export has the following limitations..

1. Artwork links are rewritten. So if you had URL's to the remote providers like https://image.tmdb.org/t/p/original/A3UG...MhvBsB.jpg in your above example, on Import into Kodi it gets re-written to the address of your Export folder. Then when you delete your Export folder, the artwork disappears out of Kodi.
2. You cannot modify your files and folders. The single file export expects all the media to be exactly the same - same name, same location, same file extensions- when importing back.

The Separate Files method does not have these limitations.
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#12
Thanks for the detailed explanation.

I'll have to dig around and see what other folks are doing to conserve space on firesticks. The firesticks are just so dang convenient. I also have the 2 gen fireTV which at least has an external SD card which I can push kodi to so its less of a problem. It would be nice if they came out with a newer version of that fireTV box with the same capabilities. I have my TV's mounted to the walls so space is limited.

I hear the Nvidia shield is a nice box just doesn't integrate well with the rest of my house. Sad
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