Theme: GoodBye Black Mamba (LinkSheet) Updated Dec 14th

@Pearl, you are absolutely right. With little digging and just play around the templates provided by the themers, we can able to personalize the sheets according to our taste. I am very thankful to Devicious for providing the PSD’s and thumbgen for great application and all the themers (Tinwarble/Joey ….) for their great work.

Now my question, I am trying to create Folder sheets, my idea is to create it from the covers with in the folder. So, from the Thumbgen, I am taking first movie from the folder and generating the required Backdrop, one right hand fanart and synopsis and Title info. And I want use at least 3 covers on this sheet. I copied the Covers from the movies as 1.jpg, 2.jpg, 3.jpg and placed it in the same folder where my movies resides. In my template, I was trying get these images by using %titlepath%/1.jpg,  %titlepath%/2.jpg and %titlepath%/3.jpg. But when I ran this template to create the Folder sheet, I am seeing the same cover (which is a different cover image from these 3 images). So, it is just taking the default cover image and putting it on these 3 places. Could someone let me know if the use of “%titlepath%” is correct? What I should do differently to get my 3 images on to the folder sheet? If you want I can attach my screen shots.

Thanks in advance.

@sudheer I use   the “xxx” are where you want it located and this is if you have no actions to the image.  Are the files in the same folder as the image?

questions for the Genre Thumbs,  how are you getting the rounded corners & what did u do @ the bottom where the text is, it kinda blurs the pic into a darker look.

dudeman316 wrote:

questions for the Genre Thumbs,  how are you getting the rounded corners & what did u do @ the bottom where the text is, it kinda blurs the pic into a darker look.

For me, and I assume others, I used the gradient function.

1) Make a black or other dark color rectangle that is the size you are using for your genre cover

2) Add your picture on top of that as a second layer

3) use the gradiennt function on the top (picture layer) which takes the photo from fully shown to moving though levles of opacity, the end being see through so you only see the black form the the first layer at the bottom. You are taking a layer and turnign it slowly to invisible over the length of the picture or wherver you decide to start the gradient, Just remember to have the color you want on the layer below because that is what is going to end up showing through.

4) Add a the writing in white or some other light color and place it over the black or dark bottom

5) Flatten the object so you ca save it as a JPEG intead of a multi- layer picture.

I was having the same issue you were a few weeks ago trying to find a way to get the writingt to pop, and then I read about opacity and gradience and it all made sense to me. If you have Photoshop, download and take a look at Dev’s PSD files. They are for screens but you can see how may layers she uses when building stuff which is what pushed me to figure it out. If you don’t have photoshop or want to ise something a little bit easier, i woudl highly suggest getting “paint.net.” It’s freeware, easy to learn and use compared to PS, and I end up using it about 95% of the time. Unfortunatley it will not open up PSD files.

You can ge it here:

http://download-paint-net.com/

 

Learn how to blend multiple layers and pictures togther using gradience and opacity levels for layers and you can make almost anythig you want at a “non-professional” level. After looking at Dev’s stuff, I got on it and it took a few hours to get the hang of all the options and i was off and running making some petty decent stuff fo a person with pretty much no skills in design or computer graphics. My stuff may never look like some of the graphic art folks work that is posted on this board, but it is pretty amazing what a novice can do at home these days.

Good luck

-P

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prophet_ca, I was using the name as cover front1, cover front2 etc. Some how thumbgen is ignoring the second part and putting the cover image instead of my specifications thats the reason it generating same cover image on all the spots, I changed these names, now it is generating the folder sheet with the images that i specified.

old code:

<ImageElement Name=“Cover Front1” X=“75” Y=“150” Width=“200” Height=“255” Source=“File” Offset=“0” MultiPageIndex=“-1” SourceData=“%TITLEPATH%\01.jpg” NullImageUrl=“” PreserveMetaData=“True” TGD_IsLocked=“False” TGD_IsVisible=“True”>
       
          <RoundCorners BorderColor=“-16777216” BorderWidth=“2” Roundness=“10” Corners=“All” TGD_IsVisible=“True” />
          <Glow Color=“-16777216” Opacity=“100” Softness=“5” TGD_IsVisible=“True” />
       
     
      <ImageElement Name=“Cover Front2” X=“300” Y=“150” Width=“200” Height=“255” Source=“File” Offset=“0” MultiPageIndex=“-1” SourceData=“%TITLEPATH%\02.jpg” NullImageUrl=“” PreserveMetaData=“True” TGD_IsLocked=“False” TGD_IsVisible=“True”>
       
          <RoundCorners BorderColor=“-16777216” BorderWidth=“2” Roundness=“10” Corners=“All” TGD_IsVisible=“True” />
          <Glow Color=“-16777216” Opacity=“100” Softness=“5” TGD_IsVisible=“True” />
       
     

Changed code:

<ImageElement Name=“Front1” X=“75” Y=“150” Width=“200” Height=“255” Source=“File” Offset=“0” MultiPageIndex=“-1” SourceData=“%TITLEPATH%\01.jpg” NullImageUrl=“” PreserveMetaData=“True” TGD_IsLocked=“False” TGD_IsVisible=“True”>
       
          <RoundCorners BorderColor=“-16777216” BorderWidth=“2” Roundness=“10” Corners=“All” TGD_IsVisible=“True” />
          <Glow Color=“-16777216” Opacity=“100” Softness=“5” TGD_IsVisible=“True” />
       
     
      <ImageElement Name=“Front2” X=“300” Y=“150” Width=“200” Height=“255” Source=“File” Offset=“0” MultiPageIndex=“-1” SourceData=“%TITLEPATH%\02.jpg” NullImageUrl=“” PreserveMetaData=“True” TGD_IsLocked=“False” TGD_IsVisible=“True”>
       
          <RoundCorners BorderColor=“-16777216” BorderWidth=“2” Roundness=“10” Corners=“All” TGD_IsVisible=“True” />
          <Glow Color=“-16777216” Opacity=“100” Softness=“5” TGD_IsVisible=“True” />
       
     

Now my folder sheets are working good.:smiley:

GENRE FOLDER SHEETS (updated 12/14/12)

alrighty people, here is a very easy to use genre folder sheet going with the theme and intentionally avoiding graphical overkill, they can also be used as folder sheets for movie franchises. I didn’t bundle this one since it doesn’t require much installation…

1) Download the template here

2) open your movie sheet profile in Thumbgen

3) save this profile as “Black Mamba Genre Folder”

4) unpack the rar file and copy the entire folder into ThumbGen/ Templates

5) in thumbgen options General Tab deactivate “Extra Movie Sheet”

6) in thumbgen options moviesheet tab select BlackMamba_GenreFolder (upper drop down boy on the right)

7) save the profile…

Processing the Sheet

1) pick a movie you think represents this genre best

2) process in manual or semi automatic

3) select an image for Fanart 1

4) change the title and apply it (green check symbol)

5) Generate…

it’s gonna look like this, the color will always be the same

Genre Sheets

2 Likes

That looks great Dev. Thanks for the continued support for BM. The theme just keeps getting better with every enhancement. With your latest theme, the use of linksheets and all the new templates for folders and genres, the HUB really looks amazing. What an incredible difference from what we we looking at a year ago.

Thanks

-P

@Devicious: the folder sheet looks great.

For users, my suggestion is to change the Main movisheet to “E:\Sheets$F” (replace the drive and sheet folder to your settings). With this it generates the folder sheet with folder name. so you just have to remove the extension and place the sheet in the theme root folder.

Also, if you want the folder name as your folder sheet headline, then edit the template and find for %TITLE% and replace it as %MOVIEFOLDER%. In this way you dont have to edit the title each time.

 <TextElement Name=“TextElement” X=“110” Y=“54” Width=“600” Height=“50” AutoSize=“True” Multiline=“False” Font=“HarvestItal,45,Point,0” ForeColor=“-1” StrokeColor=“-16777216” StrokeWidth=“0” Text=“%MOVIEFOLDER%” TextAlignment=“TopLeft” TextQuality=“AntiAlias” TGD_IsLocked=“False” TGD_IsVisible=“True”>

2 Likes

sudheer wrote:

@Devicious: the folder sheet looks great.

 

For users, my suggestion is to change the Main movisheet to “E:\Sheets$F” (replace the drive and sheet folder to your settings). With this it generates the folder sheet with folder name. so you just have to remove the extension and place the sheet in the theme root folder.

 

Also, if you want the folder name as your folder sheet headline, then edit the template and find for %TITLE% and replace it as %MOVIEFOLDER%. In this way you dont have to edit the title each time.

 

 <TextElement Name=“TextElement” X=“110” Y=“54” Width=“600” Height=“50” AutoSize=“True” Multiline=“False” Font=“HarvestItal,45,Point,0” ForeColor=“-1” StrokeColor=“-16777216” StrokeWidth=“0” Text=“%MOVIEFOLDER%” TextAlignment=“TopLeft” TextQuality=“AntiAlias” TGD_IsLocked=“False” TGD_IsVisible=“True”>

that’s good advice, I really didn’t much much thought in it, was literally a 5 minutes job.

pearl wrote:

That looks great Dev. Thanks for the continued support for BM. The theme just keeps getting better with every enhancement. With your latest theme, the use of linksheets and all the new templates for folders and genres, the HUB really looks amazing. What an incredible difference from what we we looking at a year ago.

 

Thanks

 

-P

Thanx Pearl :slight_smile:

with link sheets the hub became an entirely different devices and the best of it all is that it has erased all the firmware changes that made life harder such as the TV Sheet Trigger. Without the library the whole things has a really good performance too and I can’t even explain how many hours I have spent restarting the device and waiting for the reboot because it wouldn’t properly add my external HDDs (WD) Since the library is off again I never had this problem again. Even when I don’t use the device anymore because of my other project, Link Sheets made it worth playing with it again.

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ok lets see if I word this to make it understandable lol.

I am wanting to use thumbgen to make just a folder thumb, but I want it to match the ones the blackmamba thumbs put out, but I am wanting it for say movie sets. For example, Indiana Jones Quadrilogy, I have a thumb that I am using, but the thumbs look so much better ran through thumbgen.

I guess what I am wanting to do is kinda like the TV Series Folder thumb, but for movie sets. Any help would be much appreciated. Thanks all.

dudeman316 wrote:

I guess what I am wanting to do is kinda like the TV Series Folder thumb, but for movie sets. Any help would be much appreciated. Thanks all.

it’s exactly that profile you gonna use, just change the collectors to themoviedb.com and you should be able to do it

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Hello

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thanks DeV, will give it a try & prophet, looks good.

ok prophet, how did you do the Underwold Sheet? I Like it

does somebody know how to remove the white/blank line between the covers and the reflection?

i want to move the upper part down or the reflection part up

I cant seem to get the zip to work , does anyone have an smp zip file ready to go for a noob like me.

is it best to remove all my thumbs and backdrops i already have then start fresh when i have installed this theme as some images arnt showing properly?

OK,

 haveing same problem …the smp can only handle 30 mb for themeing ,yet the zip of the GBM is 40.3 mb…whats the work around …please anyone who has solved this hit back…few of us stuck…BTW runs great on HUB …thnks for ur work .

SMP info

btw, this is probably the last time, I’m going to post this, after all, I think this is the 4th or 5th post in 2 days

http://community.wdc.com/t5/WD-TV-Live-Streaming-Discussions/homebrew-now-available/td-p/523646 

follow the link, I posted 2 links, one to the wdlxtv required, at minimum for initial set up

and 2 a link about osd stuff

I was surprised, this was made public, this early in the process

there’s very few instructions, but for those with just a bit of knowledge, it’s not difficult at all

just wdlxtv the device, then set 1 path using the cmd line

1 Like