Anodized Customised Moviesheet THEMES!:

 

Press right arrow on the Hub’s remote control and the moviesheet should fill up the screen.

And something more that i want to share with you. Its better for me if i rename the dummy file like this for example “AAvatar.mkv_sheet.mkv” if you do that when you open the folder you will see at first the moviesheet and not the cover of the dvd! :slight_smile:

excellent tip skip! will use this method for sure.

Excellent tip skips!

will use this method for sure.

Theres nothing to apolagize for, you’re being a great help.

I’m a DBA/Developer by trade and so I’m detailed oriented and so where as the average human can hear %85 of something and correctly interpret or assume teh rest I can’t or at least I more often then not guess/assume wrong so I just don’t try to assume.

Thanks again for the help

Well I got the sample Kick **bleep** I downlaoded to work but I’m trying still to figure out why the copy (using anotehr movie) I made did not work.  It doesn;t help that each time i want to tes I have to disconnect from the computer and hook up the hub to the TV b/c i don;t have network access to where the TV is.

There isn’t a Windows emulator for the Media Hubs os is there? Someythi9ng you cna use to test things without havihng  the Hub hooked to teh TV?

One other quetsion i had is the file size of the sheet.jpg.  Does it matter how big thsi is? the ThumbGen one I created was over 2K kb (2,246 KB  to be exact) where as the sample Kick **bleep** one I downloaded is only a few KB.

can you post the folder structure that you used to test at your first attempt?

anf for the thumbgen part is the file format for the moviesheet .png?

The file format that thumbgen produces is a png file.  Is that why the file is so large? 

As for the folder structure here is the listing, all of which are within a folder/directory named TRON (1980) 720p Xvid

folder.jpg - Smaller thumbnail size image of the DVD Box/cover

TRON (1980) 720p Xvid.avi - this is the actual movie

TRON (1980) 720p Xvid.avi_sheet.avi - this is a 1KB dummy file

TRON (1980) 720p Xvid.avi_sheet.jpg - This is the png file form ThumbGen that I renamed

TRON (1980) 720p Xvid.avi_sheet.xml - This is a copy of the 3KB xml file created using the WDTV Meta data generator app

TRON (1980) 720p Xvid.jpg - This is the same file a folder.jpg

TRON (1980) 720p Xvid.xml - This is the meta data file created using the WD TV Metadat editor avaialbel on  these forums (I forget where exactly but I magine you are familiar with it)

NOTE: After I lasttired and failed  to get this to work with my TRON movie even though the sample KICK **bleep** you provided did work I got to thinking that maybethe problem is the xml that is supposed to be the dummy file.   Maybe it should NOT be a copy of the real metadata xml file but a true dummy file, an empty xml file.

I think I finally GOT this whole file structure process in as faras what extra files you need to make this work.  Please tellme if this is right.

After you have your movie file and a well formed xml meta data file (like the one the WDTV Meta data editor can create) and you have a thumbnail appropriate image file you name folder.jpg and make a duplicate of itthat you name  to match  the name of the movie file you then need 3 additional files and they are:

This listing assumes the Directory name is MySampleMovie (2010) :

MySampleMovie (2010).mkv_sheet.jpg - This woulod be the png file thatThumbgen creates

MySampleMovie (2010).mkv_sheet.xml - this is a dummy file, an empty xml file

MySampleMovie (2010).mkv_sheet.mkv - This is another 1KB empty/dummy file which is always set to the anme of the actual movie file and then you appended to that an underscore followed by the word sheet and lastly the same file extension as that ofthe actual movie file.

That sound about right?  I think my problem with why TRON did notwork was because I did notuse a true dummyt/empty file for the dummy xml file.  I also think I  have renamed some of the  file since I last tried this, being sure thatare characters are of the same case.  I thought that perhaps the OS or sofwtarethatthe media hub uses is case-sensative.

Thoughts?

Hi edcarden, if your moviesheets does not include transparent background.

simply set it as jpg in thumbgen option. This will reduce the size.

Next, i forget to tell you., lol

Keep your filenames simple with xvid,blurayrip, etc… tag. Else if you’re using a single .xml file , there’s a chance it will not work.

To correct that, just make a copy of the xml file of the actual movie and rename it as the dummy file.

In, reponse to your post,

You’re right.

If moviesheet are not appearing, just try to include a dummy xml file for the moviesheet,

firetix

I do appreciate  your help and I hate to keep askingt about this  but  I still am having problems and their not consistent.

I have a co-workers media hub (brand new) and am loading it up forthem as they will be hospitalized for several weeks and this will give  them something to help with the stay.   I have both devices networked (each has a uniquename by appending a letterto the original name so  theyare now called WDTVLIVEHUBC and WDTVLIVEHUBG).  I can acces both.

I have done the following to try and getthe movie sheet to work.  NOTE: All of the movie files are located within folders that havethe exact same name as the video file in the folder.  All the movie folders  are in the same folder named MOVIES.  The MOVIES folder is in the MY MEDIA folder which is in the root of media hub.

As an example the path to the sample Alpha And Omega movie you include in your movie sheet template sodnwload is: \wdtvlivehubc\WDTVLiveHub\My Media\Movies\Alpha And Omega\

  1. After obtaining a video file I creat within the MOVIES folder a folder for the movie and I name the folder to match the movie file name.  So for the movie TANGLED I created a folder named “TANGLED (2010) 720p” and within that folder are the following 2 files: 

TANGLED (2011) 720p.mkv 

TANGLED (2011) 720p.nfo

The mkv is the video and the nfo file is a text file  the app that i use to rip from BluRays creates. I delete the nfo file.

  1. Using the WDTV  Metadata Editor (downloaded from this site) I create an xml file for the Media hub.  Now the folder has 3 files, the original mkv file and 1 jpg file and 1 xml file:

TANGLED (2011) 720p.mkv 

TANGLED (2011) 720p.jpg

TANGLED (2011) 720p.xml

  1. Next  I load ThumbGen Thumbnail generator and select the WDTVLive Movie Sheets profile.  I setup this profile using your instructions and sample files.

  2. Using ThumbGen I cereate the movie sheet files which results in 3 additional files being added  to the folder; a png file, a jog file and a thumbnail proprietary file whose extension is tgmd.  The contents of the folder are now:

TANGLED (2011) 720p.mkv 

TANGLED (2011) 720p.jpg

TANGLED (2011) 720p.xml

(ThumbNail created files)

TANGLED (2011) 720p.mkv.tgmd

TANGLED (2011) 720p_sheet.jpg

TANGLED (2011) 720p.png

  1. At this point I delete the jpg file as it isthe alternate movie sheetthat TNG generates.  I  then rename  the png file so that it goes from this:

TANGLED (2011) 720p.png

to this:

TANGLED (2011) 720p.mkv_sheet.jpg

Lastly I create a copy of  the file “TANGLED (2011) 720p.mkv_sheet.jpg” and name it:

TANGLED (2011) 720p.mkv_sheet.mkv

  1. The last step is  to duplicate the jog file  that the WD TV Metadata Editor created and name it “folder.jpg”.   The contents of the folder “TANGLED (2011) 720p” are now as follows:

folder.jpg

TANGLED (2011) 720p.mkv 

TANGLED (2011) 720p.jpg

TANGLED (2011) 720p.xml

TANGLED (2011) 720p.mkv_sheet.jpg

TANGLED (2011) 720p.mkv_sheet.mkv

With this I now plug the Media Hub into my TVto test and it doesn’t work.  What did I miss?

BTW - If any of the above is missspelled I apolkagize but my laptop has a beat up keyboard and I’m trying to type this duringa very short break at work.

Any thoughst are gretaly appreciateed.

I also got the same problems as you …sometimes back when my file was named with the years and resolution in brackets.

So what i did to make the sheet display is to add an xml file for the dummy file…

TANGLED (2011) 720p.mkv_sheet.jpg

TANGLED (2011) 720p.mkv_sheet.mkv

try to add an xml file for

TANGLED (2011) 720p.mkv_sheet.mkv

i.e

TANGLED (2011) 720p.mkv_sheet.xml

or  a more drastic change is to renamed your files…to a more simple way

e.g.

/Tangled  (folder name)

/Tangled.mkv (movie)

/Tangled.jpg (coverbox)

/Tangled.mkv_sheet.mkv (dummy file)

/Tangled.mkv_sheet.jpg (moviesheet)

/Tangled.xml  (named samed as folder name)

and your folder name is TANGLED (2010) 720p OR TANGLED (2011) 720p ???

firetex

I managed to get the hub hooked to the projector at work and networked atthe same time so I can more quickly make changes and test them and I have found some odd results I’d like to share.

  1. Of all my testing I do have 1 movie where it works exactly as it is supposed to and I can’t figure out why itworks when others don’t.

  2. I decided to start over with the Moviesheet templates you sent, the ones that have ALPHA & OMEGA, BURIED and CAIRO TIME.   I copied all 3 of these to my MOVIES folder.  I then replaced the Alpha And Omega mkv file (which I assume is a dummy vidoe file as its way to small to be a real one)  with a actual Alpha And Omega mkv file making sure the anme was the same as in your templates.  Thiss meant that the video file in the sample was now a real working file.

The result?

When I am browsing thru the movies and I select ALPHA & OMEGA I do get  the movi sheet screen  to come up as itshould and there are no other files listed to select from but when I select it to play the thing itstarts to load butsays invalid file format.

The file is valid because I can play itwhen not trying to use this movie sheet method so its something else going on.

As for the BURIED and the CAIRO TIME I had some interesting results there too.

BURIED - When I select BURIED while browsing  thru all the movies, what is displayed on teh screen is not the moviesheet but instead I see 2 thumbnaills/icons atthe bottom.  One is the movie file and the otehr is the moviesheet image file.  If I di not press any other buttons at this point I start to see a slide show in the  background of what appears to be images from the movie.

CAIRO TIME - Same behaivor as BURIED.

Question -

WHy does ALPHA and OMEGA show the moviesheet automatically and BURIED and CAIRO TIME do not?

Where are the images coming from that are in that background slideshow for Buried and Cairo time because they are NOT in the files that are in  the movie folders themsleves???

The images / backdrops are fetched by the hub from the internet.

Take a look at extemedigital’s suggestions:

Pay attention to notes 10,11,12

The whole Moviesheet concept is based around using your own generated custom moviesheets, for that i recommend using Thumbgen

1. Make sure Library Mode is switched on the Hub and you have either used the built in scraper or and manually created your xml files

2. Create your custom folder.jpg and moviename.jpg using Thumbgen

3. Also create your standard moviesheet at the same time with Thumbgen the moviesheet should be named as follows:-

moviename.mkv  ------>  moviename.mkv_sheet.jpg    

(This will allow your moviesheet to be compatible with BOTH the Hub and the Live media players.)

4. Create a dummy movie file to trigger the moviesheet, the dummy file should be named as follows:-

moviename.mkv  ------->  moviename.mkv_sheet.mkv

(Just create a blank Text document and rename as above)

5. The Trick is that the hub is overlaying the thumbnail over the complete screen when you enter the folder (the hub will NOT downgrade the quality of the moviename.jpg as opposed to resizing the folder.jpg)

6. This Theme will work with BOTH moviesheet or Metadata, if you have don’t use moviesheets you can still use the theme and the metadata will show.

7. It is worth noting that if you run the built in scraper to rescan the info on a movie it will overwrite your custom moviename coverbox with the original vanilla version, HOWEVER this is not a big deal as you could use this anyway, or just make the coverbox again with Thumbgen.

8. I suggest that it is best to browse using Folders rather than ALL use the Green button on the Remote to choose the view. It will be possible to browse using ALL if the moviesheet allows transparency at the bottom or the theme is redone to take this into consideration.

9. The jpg should be 1280x720 in size (this is standard for most thumbgen templates)

10. To solve the issue of the Moviesheet not showing immediately when you enter a folder

       In The Menu, Press the Green Button to get the Filter and Sorting Menu.

       Gotto Sorting -----> Ratings -------> Choose the ^ arrow and press ok

       This will filter by Ratings and as the Moviesheet as no ratings it will always show first !!!

      Alternatively a better but more time consuming method is to Rate your Moviesheet as 5 stars

      Then In The Menu, Press the Green Button to get the Filter and Sorting Menu.

      Gotto Sorting -----> Ratings -------> Choose the v arrow and press ok

     This will filter by Ratings and as the Moviesheet has the highest ratings it will always show first !!!

 

11. In the Menu goto  Setup----> Video  Settings -----> Video Playback Sequence

      Change to Normal

      This will bounce it from the dummy file to the main movie…

      Means you can press ‘PLAY’ using the Hub’s remote whilst on the moviesheet and the movie starts playing !!!

      Note use ‘Play’ button and NOT ‘Enter’ button.

  12.  Goto to Setup ------> Audio/Video Output -------> Video Output

       set as

       HDMI>>Auto>>Auto>>Yes for auto frame rate

       You should find the UI on the Hub will become turbo charged now compared to before …

@firetex

Apologies for taking so long to followup but I’ve not had time to post anything.

The good news is I have this working on my HUB and 2 co-workers hubs one of which is the owner of the company so this has been a GOOD thing for me as he loves the whole movie sheet look.

The STRANGE news is that to get this to work, to get  the moviesheet to display and everything work I had to do nothing but use thumbgen selecting the WDTVLive sheet template;no kidding.

I had so many problems that I decided  to start all over and due to time constraints I was able to use ThumbGen to create the necessary files for the moviesheet but was not able to do any file name changes before the owner had to get the  thing back.  Turns out  this process resulted in working moviesheets;  go figure.

Now all I do is create an xml file using the WDTV METADATA EDITOR and then use Thumbgen to create the moviesheet file and it works with no additional file name changes.

I don’t know why I don’t have to do all the file name changes and dummy files to make this work but it does work.

I will note that I did make a few edits  with the Thumbgens options to the WDTVLive Moviesheet template and that was  to switch to using jpg files instead of png.  This may be the secret, I just don’t know.

So to recap if I have a folder named

INCEPTION (2010) 1080p

and in it I have a file named

INCEPTION (2010) 1080p.mkv

then all I need do is create an xml file for itusing the WD TV METADAT EDITORwhich will createthe file

INCEPTION (2010) 1080p.xml

Then I load Thumbgen and select the WDTVLive moviesheet teplate and have it createthe follwoing fiies:

INCEPTION (2010) 1080p.mkv.tgmd

INCEPTION (2010) 1080p.jpg

INCEPTION (2010) 1080p_sheet.jpg

And I can then use that folder and see the moviesheet it created and itwworks like expected.  NOTE: The “_sheet.jpg” file is a secondary moviesheet image file created but not used. It is the INCEPTION (2010) 1080p.jpg file that is displayed.

Go figure.

i totally forgot about this thread.

oh!.. lol great news.’

cool

Its the most simple way to organise your files to get the moviesheet working.

@firetex

I take itt hen you aren’t suproised at all by my getting this to work and not having to do any file name changes or creation of dummy files?  I was certain I’d read a reply that I had missed X or was not taking into account that Z feature/screen/function was not working.   Just something to help clarify why this was possible when by all accounts I should haveto do more to get the moviehseet to work.

Perhaps I havethe wrong idea on how the moviesheet should work.  

When I am using the List view and see 1 row of Icons across the bottom that effectively show whatare DVD Covers and I select one I must enter that folder by pressing the OK button on the remote at whcih point the moviesheet then loads.  Is it  that while in LIST view I should see the moviesheet shown as the background of whatever image file is active in the row of images at the bottom of  the screen?

Thanks

Still cant get either of these themes working. I have all movies in one folder:

300.avi

300.avi_sheet.jpg - (transparent moviesheet)

300.jpg - (cover)

300.xml

Im on FW 2.06.10 and have tried editing the xml by adding 300.avi_sheet.jpg

All I seem to get in gallery view is a thumbnail in the center of the screen…

Help Much appreciated

with the local backdrop discovery

i’m no longer supporting these themes.

Anyway, i will upload a version with the local backdrops.

shagratt71, transparent moviesheets don’t work with local backdrops(it won’t show up, the screen stays black) and there’s totally no point in using a transparent moviesheet if your moviesheets are streamed as local backdrops…

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firetix wrote:

with the local backdrop discovery

i’m no longer supporting these themes.

 

Anyway, i will upload a version with the local backdrops.

 

shagratt71, transparent moviesheets don’t work with local backdrops(it won’t show up, the screen stays black) and there’s totally no point in using a transparent moviesheet if your moviesheets are streamed as local backdrops…

 

 

Hi Firetix, Ive tried it without local backdrops and I still cant get the moviesheets to appear, not unless I use the moviesheets as thumbnails in which case I dont get any cover art at the bottom of the page…

Is this theme compatible with v2.06.10? because all I can get to show up is the covers?

shagratt71,

As firetix said, his theme is not compatible with version 2.06.10 right now, this is why the local backdrops don’t show up using his theme.

Right now, there are only 2 themes that use this method, mine (Mojo (MS) or (MSP) versions) and JoeySmyths (Aeonish theme alternate version).  And this to themes are not interchangable because we did not design our themes around one anothers.

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