Backdrops - store backdrops locally - all the serious themers

Sorry for the long delay - Runnimg around like mad at work.

Anyway, if your flies in step 3 are all in the same directory, which I guess will mostly be the case, then you just have to to take out the URL and your backdrop will look like this:
    constantine-original02.jpg
    constantine-original03.jpg

or if you want to keep things more structual you can create a folder e.g. backdrops and your XML will look like this:

    backdrops/constantine-original02.jpg
    backdrops/constantine-original03.jpg

That’s it.

As to the question about xslt’s - I hav’nt tested it yet, but if you import it into the main XMLs I cant see why not.

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Yeah, there maybe something else happening here because this doesn’t seem to work.

Did you modify the xml before you copied it to the HUB or did you modify afterward?  Also, what firmware version are you using?

Latest firmware. mod before moving to hub. Had to recompile off-course.

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Well this seems related to the latest firmware, with earlier firmwares it was not working.

If this work, it would be nicer if wd give us an option to make the backdrops static…

need to test that once i get some free time.

Hmm interesting if this actually works on the latest firmware…It would open up some serious possibilties for themeing especially related to using moviesheets…

In fact since most themers have given the latest firmware a skip its no wonder this one escaped our attention!!!

Basically you could use the backgrounds as the moviesheets !!! (well thats my untested idea) 

I dont have access to my Hub, but if this is verified by someone…i do have a Hub i can get hold of to ‘test’ this idea further…

Ok, that maybe why.

But did you edit the xml after you already had it on the HUB or did you do it before then copy it to the HUB?

The reason I ask is because the HUB caches those images from the http, and if you already had the xml on the HUB, it may be pulling the images from the cache and not from the images you have on the HUB.  I’m not saying that is what’s happening, but I would have assumed that if you could pull background images from the HUB that you would still have to direct it where to look by inputing either a direct or relative path like: “…\yourfolder\image.jpg”.

I tested with last firmware and mochii theme

with the code

  fanart.jpg
  fanart1.jpg
  fanart2.jpg
  fanart3.jpg

it works !!!

just power off the hub to clean the cache

it’s a revolution :slight_smile:

Tinwarble.

As I said in my previous post I did it before uploading, but come to think of it I also did some after.  It’s not rreading from previous cache.  To make sure delete the thumb folder and recompile.  Also as stated earlier you have to tell it the path E.G. constantine-original02.jpg (same folder) OR images/constantine-original02.jpg (not same folder.

extremedigital - "Basically you could use the backgrounds as the moviesheets !!! (well thats my untested idea) "
As stated in my first post, this is what I’m using it for, but there is still some small issues…

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Just to clarify, the cache isn’t in the thumb folder, but is cached in the flash memory.

Anyway, as I said in the post before, I’m not saying that’s what’s happening, I was just making a statement.  Also, I understood the path, I was just stating that it is unusual from what it seems it would be, because even the theme xml’s require a relative path for the images.

But you get kudos for the find.   I’ll try testing it out later to see how it goes.

it’s a good way

but less efficient than a special @@moviesheet  variable

Yep!  That’s what we’re looking for, a seperate variable from the poster variable but that acts like @@poster.  That would be candy!:smileyvery-happy:

Ok, just tested it out and it works.

So BIG KUDOS to justmeme for the find. :wink:

Also, moviesheets seem to work using this method (only did a limited test), but the load time is a little slow, but it doesn’t seem to be any slower than the regular http images.

You can also get a semi-static image if you go into the Photo settings and change the Slideshow interval time to 5 min…

justmeme,  if you find a way to shorten the delay time let us know.  However, I’m not sure how easy this may be since I believe that this is controled by the Photo viewer.

@ justmeme

Kudos !  Nice find.

So this only works in Gallery View then ?   

I hope there is a way to speed up the display of the sheets.

Shame the sheet cant be resized ( i tried a smaller resolution sheet, which made no difference to speed, mainly because the xml code in gallery view dosent resize the sheet… it just crops it.  but it is still drawing/processing a 1280x720 sheet)

Anyways early days, i wonder what other little things WD snuck into the FW.

JS 

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is there a xml scraper tool compatible with the Justmeme trick?

may be a development fot thumbgen is the best way :slight_smile:

JoeySmyth wrote:

Shame the sheet cant be resized ( i tried a smaller resolution sheet, which made no difference to speed, mainly because the xml code in gallery view dosent resize the sheet… it just crops it.  but it is still drawing/processing a 1280x720 sheet)

 

Joey, I don’t know if this is what you are looking for, but did you try changing the Photo Setting in setup.  This is how the backgrounds are controlled and you should be able to resize by setting the Photo Scaling to Keep as Original.

Although this is untested yet, but the other settings do affect how the background is displayed.   If you change the Slideshow Transition and the Slideshow Interval Time it will change both  the backgound animation when it transitions and how long the background will display before the next background is displayed, these have been tested.

Wow… Bigtime Kudos to justmeme…

Looks like i am coming out of semi retirement to play around with this new idea…

Firmware update time on my unopened wdtv hub it is then…no point in waiting till i get back to uk on my holiday to test on my regular Hub…

Hmm looks like i have some work ahead of me setting up my network to allow me to use a Hub…(i have been using my regular wdtv live for some time now)

This idea should mean as long as the delay can be minimised any theme should be able to call up the backdrop and use as the moviesheet…

Also looks like time to have a word with Thumbgen to allow local backdrop saving directly from his program.

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great find, may have to update my FW, big thumbs up

I have just tested this…

I must say that i’m very pleased with the result…

The backdrops/moviesheets load pretty fast <5sec.

Now, there’s no need to have dummy files etc…

great discovery justmeme!! kudos to you.

WD should have mentioned it in its released log…

or perhaps its just a bug ?  lol

:smileyvery-happy:

@ Firetix

Mine change in 3 seconds

Settings > Photo Settings > Slideshow Interval Time (3 Seconds) > Slideshow Transition (Fade) > Slideshow Sequence (Repeat All)

:slight_smile:

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Yeah thx for the tip.

by the way it seems .png backdrops won’t load even if we renamed it to a .jpg