[kittmaster]

WIP Matrix version(s) operational since Mr. V's release 12/25/2020.

WIP Nexus versions currently v20.4 as of this writing. Kodi update tracking will update as things progress.

Please post your bug reports & possible feature requests here.

The starting point of this was cloning Mr. V's GitHub repository instead of forking it as it believed that his development is no longer going to be continued, therefore, cloning and continuing from that snapshot makes the most sense at this point going forward.

PREFACE: I have made multiple string changes to my personal version for clarity of operation and other readability. I will begin to look to resolve some of the bugs that have been listed in the original thread and try to add some newer features that have been asked for. The end goal is to keep the skin operational for future Kodi releases and ongoing updates as needed.

DEV NOTE: This is my first time developing a skin so there are going to be some growing pains, time delays, and flat out WTFs which I'll run into... So I ask that you be patient as I will always test it on my multiple systems before I unleash it on anyone and mess up their experience. Please be patient and I will do my best to carry the torch.

OPERATIONAL NOTE: I am not going backwards in terms of Kodi OS, all of my Kodi installs are Nexus and above. Mr. V's Version up until my 1st day snapshot should work 100% on Matrix without "issue" minus known bugs. Anything going forward will only be tested on Nexus and above. If there is a way to mod the code that can be fed back where I can satisfy a backwards fix that won't burn up hours, I'll gladly incorporate it to ensure it will work across the span of multiple Kodi versions, but will any testing on my end will be strictly limited to the current version of Kodi: Nexus or Greater. Thank you for your understanding in this matter.
 

• Untouched Mr. V's v2 cloned snapshot dated 12/25/2020 8:17PM repository can be found here: https://github.com/kittmaster/skin.madnox-master
  
• Madnox v3 repository installer with 2 methods of installation (Readme provides detailed step-by-step): https://github.com/kittmaster/KittmasterRepo
  

I look forward to the journey, help me help you.

Chris

[kittmaster]

Status & RoadMap

Work has tentatively halted on Madnox but not for the sake of wanting to get things done and moving along on it. In the wake of the Media flags bug repair and operational repairs, it has lead down the road of issues of wanting and needing to change around a few things including finding the source material to do so. In that quest, I found that many of the things I seek are tied up in texture files and most of those require a tool that everyone insist works without issue yet fails on every level for me. Yes, I've tried to reinstall the runtimes, the rub is, it works on Win7, Win10, not so much. Win 11 for some reason, some say yes... who knows. I therefore took up the torch of reviewing the source code and sure enough something is amiss. I am writing this as of 3/15/2024 and around 10 days ago I took a hard look at the Kodi texture tool is used to create the textures.xbt for skins including Madnox, it hasn't been updated in years:

https://github.com/e0xify/KodiXBMCTextureTool

From all accounts, it drives anti-virus programs crazy because of the methods it is using (calls to the users %temp% folders) and the program itself (flagged worldwide by major AV companies) to build it is completely benign, yet has an extremely bad wrap because of script kiddie assholes. I sat down and thought long and hard and realized that I needed a tool to support Madnox textures and it also seems Kodi could use continued support for this tool as well since textures are used everywhere and the author has gone AWOL. I'll talk to the power that be and see where they stand on this issue and go from there. So that is what I've been up too and it has been sucking all my energy learning an entirely new ecosystem of development and toolchain but not to far away from normal conventions of development. I now have a private build that both compiles and decompiles with exactly the same GUI and removed all the silly string and child like feedback and given it a professional workflow and more robust diagnostic feedback system so it is known exactly what is going on within the system. Many improvements like multi threading the GUI so the progress bar shows true status instead of it looking like its jammed up while processing and you never know if it really finished or not.

I plan to expanded other creature features to it as time marches on but anyway, when I'm satisfied with it, I'll be able to finish and upgrade the media flags roadmap I have planned for Madnox and carry on with further development of the skin and preparedness for Omega.

Roadmap as it stands (Updated 4/8/2024):

• Private Build Kodi Texture Tool (90%)
  
• Media flags operations (In process > 50% > New bugs found / fixed)
  
• Media flags visual change/possible overhaul (New video codec and resolution flag sets created and implemented)
  
• Nexus bugs fixes (Video Aspect Ratio in Video player view fixed)
  
• Omega deprecation fixes (Not started)
  
• User feature requests (TODO)
  

 

---

Archive Message Below:

The files in the repository as they stand are version up rev'd to 21 from 20 in title / data information ONLY. No modifications to the core files have been done as of yet. Will update this post with a changelog when I actually upload a functional update.

I am NOT force updating any of the modules or scripts from their current values like "watch next" or other widgets, only the core skin value just to set it apart as a new starting point...... "for now".

A new push will probably be in a few weeks as I am bogged down with another project, this thread is to serve as a beacon of what is to come.

Regards,
Chris

[kittmaster]

Reserved #2
Changelogs & Fixes:

• Possible fix to TMDB Info "Button Crash" / "Not Working" <> This is still WIP, it works for Movies & TV Shows but not Episodes, requires API rewrite, priority lowered for now.
  
• Hardware / Software detection fixed
  
• PortraitIconInfo & Other Display Modes Media Flags Overlapping Fixed > New overlaps found in TV Shows > Resolved
  
• ColorPicker.py Path Translation Fix Applied <> Not skin fixable, documented in Reserved #4 thread for permanency.
  
• GitHub repository & installer methods are now active <> https://github.com/kittmaster/KittmasterRepo
  
• Github repository instructions for fresh start or connection errors (Kodi local thread)
  
• Videos aspect ratio fix (From main menu > Videos > Cover List View)
  
• Diagnostic panel reformatted and PVR fixed, tangential work from Hardware/Software detection fixed linked above.
  
• New Codec and Resolution flags will be added. Colorization will be added to roadmap, for now, fixed colors to start.
  

 

---

Special Thanks & Greetz

• Folks providing feedback on fixes.
  
• mikeSiLVO for PVR dummy pointer
  

[kittmaster]

--|Fixes required outside of skin control for operation of skin core, addons, plugins, widgets...etc.|--
 Reserved #3                                                         NOTE: All path & locations are dev'd on Windows 10+

---

Repair Color Selection Tool Required For Theme Control (Updated 2/23/2023 > Windows Path Correction)
Skin Location: Skin Settings > Colors > Options > Panels > All sub options
Windows Path: \Users\USERNAME\AppData\Roaming\Kodi\addons\script.skin.helper.colorpicker\resources\lib\ColorPicker.py

Replace/Overwrite the lines to look exactly like below:

Code:


COLORFILES_PATH = xbmcvfs.translatePath("special://profile/addon_data/%s/colors/" % ADDON_ID)
SKINCOLORFILES_PATH = xbmcvfs.translatePath("special://profile/addon_data/%s/colors/" % xbmc.getSkinDir())
SKINCOLORFILE = xbmcvfs.translatePath("special://skin/extras/colors/colors.xml")


Source:
Thanks guys - replacing the 3 instances of xbmc.translatePath with xbmcvfs.translatePath in ColorPicker.py did the trick! Not sure why the author of the script hasn't already fixed this.

---

[Simkin84]

Amazing that you will improve upon this skin kittmaster!

Noob question: How do i install it? Long time since i have installed any skin now. If i put the folder in the addons directory it does not show up in the skin list. And it wont install form ZIP.

I'm on Omega Beta 2. Do i need to be on Nexus?

[kittmaster]

Amazing that you will improve upon this skin kittmaster!

Noob question: How do i install it? Long time since i have installed any skin now. If i put the folder in the addons directory it does not show up in the skin list. And it wont install form ZIP.

I'm on Omega Beta 2. Do i need to be on Nexus?

I will look to figure out how to do repository updates and things like that as I progress. But for now, click on the link in the 1st post to go to the github repository, on the green button, click code, download zip, download to a folder that your Kodi installation has ACCESS to. In Kodi, go to settings > Addons > Install from Zip > navigate to that zip file you downloaded > click to install.

It can take a minute and there are no status bars to show status but the dialog via Kodi will show when complete, so give it a minute and you should be good.

Remember, at this time, there is nothing new at this time except a version value update, no operational or bug fixes yet, so you'd just be updating to what you have already. I finished a milestone in my bogged down project so I'll be getting to look at this relatively soon, but as of now, nothing is new, just setup for things to come.

Chris

[Simkin84]

One bug that comes in mind; When using Pixel Shaders or DXVA it still says decoding: software when pressing "O" in the player. If i change skin to original it shows correct (HW)

It shows this on both my HTPC with AMD 5700G and my Desktop with RTX 4090.

[kittmaster]

One bug that comes in mind; When using Pixel Shaders or DXVA it still says decoding: software when pressing "O" in the player. If i change skin to original it shows correct (HW)

It shows this on both my HTPC with AMD 5700G and my Desktop with RTX 4090.

I started looking at the TMDB button linking to see why that wasn't working so I'm starting to get around to looking at a few bugs. This one might be a fast fix since it is probably a side by side comparison of what the skin switch is looking at vs what was coded. I'll see if I can track this one down sooner than later as it seems to be true/false > SW/HW thing.

[kittmaster]

Took a hard look at the TMDB Info button issue and it appears there is nothing wrong with it. I created a video showing a guided view of it not only working but what it takes to make it operational. Have a look and let me know what you think.

Greetz, Chris

http://kittmaster.com/imagedump/kodi/ski...utton.html

EDIT: Just confirmed (outside videos question at the end for TV shows) that the button also works for the TV shows as well, it appears to be fully operational.

[lynxstrike]

it appears to be fully operational

Hi Chris,

TMDB Info button works for movies and tv shows (at the root level.) It does not work for tv show season and tv show episode.

[kittmaster]

it appears to be fully operational

Hi Chris,

TMDB Info button works for movies and tv shows (at the root level.) It does not work for tv show season and tv show episode.

oh, well shit... none of it ever worked for me. I see it for episode not working, how are you getting to season to see the button. I don't see "information" when I context click on a season of any show.

[lynxstrike]

I don't see "information" when I context click on a season of any show.

Ooops... you are right... not displayed in season... got confused with another skin.
Never mind season, just episodes

[kittmaster]

Well the reason why it works for those 2 are because they are coded specifically for it:

Code:


    <variable name="VideoInfoTMDbVar">
        <value condition="String.IsEqual(ListItem.DBType,movie)">RunScript(script.embuary.info,call=movie,dbid=$INFO[ListItem.DBID])</value>
        <value condition="String.IsEqual(ListItem.DBType,tvshow)">RunScript(script.embuary.info,call=tv,dbid=$INFO[ListItem.DBID])</value>      
    </variable>


You can see the:

Code:


call=movie
call=tv


Which is why it works for those two and they are all drawn within the .xml file:

DialogVideoInfo.xml

I was looking around to see if there was a direct call for "episode" and there doesn't seem to be a way to do that..... at least from most of the threads I've seen. Most require you to download the entire season and parse for the episode etc... That might be a way to go. Each episode has a unique TMDBID so I'm trying to see if there is a way to call it that way via their API, but that isn't well documented in terms of anyone actually doing it.

So if I can figure that part out, then I can make it work. I may need to reach out to the auther of the "script.embuary.info" and see what their input is on the matter.

That is kind of where it is at.

[lynxstrike]

I was looking around to see if there was a direct call

@jurialmunkey has a lot of experience with this kind of addons. His skins are the best at displaying all kind of information (episode, ratings, reviews, etc). The thing is, I don't know is querying this kind of info is easily done or work intensive. May be if you reach to @jurialmunkey he may be in a better position to advice with regard this issue.

[kittmaster]

One bug that comes in mind; When using Pixel Shaders or DXVA it still says decoding: software when pressing "O" in the player. If i change skin to original it shows correct (HW)

It shows this on both my HTPC with AMD 5700G and my Desktop with RTX 4090.

Found the problem and looks like it is fixed: