ExtremeMix Mega Hub Theme Pack 3.0

Here is one last idea that almost deserves it’s own thread…

My last bugbear about using the dummy file method was that if you mistakenly pressed ‘Enter’ instead of ‘Play’ you got a message that the video file was invalid…

So i have put togeather a small intro video that i now use as my dummy file.

Basically after you run Thumbgen to create your moviesheets xml dummy file etc… copy and use this file instead of the dummy file just rename it accordingly

http://www.mediafire.com/?m6qtkmb9q2kmlii

Ps still leave the video setting on the Hub the same as before and if you press ‘Enter’ instead of ‘Play’ the Hub will only play the intro part, you still need to press ‘Play’ button on the remote for the hub to start playing the movie straight after the intro…

Enjoy…

Hi lee, you also need a folder.jpg

either copy your moviename.jpg and rename as folder.jpg

or use the extra moviesheet template in TG to create it at the same time you create your other files (thats if you use TG)

the folder.jpg is in the folder its the blu ray covr,

Toy Story 2.mkv

Toy Story 2.jpg    Moviesheet

Toy Story 2.xml

Folder.jpg            Blu Ray Cover

but when im viewing my folders the thumbnails are blocky???

Hi lee, thats a strange one…

Are they more blocky with this version 3.0 ?

i haven’t done anything to the the themes that should affect the quality of the folder.jpg thumbnails.

Yes we know there is an issue if you make the thumbnail so large it will become blockly as the Hub will not scale the folder.jpg the same way it does the moviesheet

Perhaps you can connect via your pc and delete the thumbs folder in the Hub found here :-

 WDTVLiveHub.wd_tv\thumb

Lastly i notice you dont use the dummy file method (which is perfectly fine) but just for an expirement could you please create a dummy file called

Toy Story 2.mkv_sheet.mkv

rename your moviesheet

Toy Story 2.mkv_sheet.jpg

and copy your folder.jpg as

Toy Story 2.jpg

what will that do then?

na its been like it on all themes,

trickle is the worst when im scrolling over my folders u can’t even make out what the blu ray logo is

Ok…i see

Yes the folder.jpg is never as focused as the moviename.jpg its a fault of the Hub that it will not scale it the same way…

For example if you did the experiment of using the dummy file, when you enter the folder you will notice that the moviename.jpg will be alot sharper than the folder.jpg on the outside…

Lets hope WD fix this bug in the firmware…

whats the difference between 

ExtremeMix STD 3.0

and

ExtremeMix STD OSD 3.0

NM figured that out.

I also made a slight mofication to rv_gallery_browse_page.xml in the ExtremeMix STD 3.0 and ExtremeMix STD OSD 3.0 themes.

Replace the whole section for <!--thumbnail--> and <!--focus --> with the below information:

<!--thumbnail-->
<wrapper w="143" h="200">
<image name="th0" image="@@browse_0_thumbnail" default_image="@@default_thumbnail_0"
x="35" y="190" scale="100"/>
<image name="th1" image="@@browse_1_thumbnail" default_image="@@default_thumbnail_1"
x="209" y="190" scale="100"/>
<image name="th2" image="@@browse_2_thumbnail" default_image="@@default_thumbnail_2"
x="389" y="190" scale="100"/>
<image name="th3" image="@@browse_3_thumbnail" default_image="@@default_thumbnail_3"
x="568" y="190" scale="100"/>
<image name="th4" image="@@browse_4_thumbnail" default_image="@@default_thumbnail_4"
x="748" y="190" scale="100"/>
<image name="th5" image="@@browse_5_thumbnail" default_image="@@default_thumbnail_5"
x="927" y="190" scale="100"/>
<image name="th6" image="@@browse_6_thumbnail" default_image="@@default_thumbnail_6"
x="1105" y="190" scale="100"/>
<image name="th7" image="@@browse_7_thumbnail" default_image="@@default_thumbnail_7"
x="30" y="415" scale="100"/>
<image name="th8" image="@@browse_8_thumbnail" default_image="@@default_thumbnail_8"
x="209" y="415" scale="100"/>
<image name="th9" image="@@browse_9_thumbnail" default_image="@@default_thumbnail_9"
x="389" y="415" scale="100"/>
<image name="th10" image="@@browse_10_thumbnail" default_image="@@default_thumbnail_10"
x="568" y="415" scale="100"/>
<image name="th11" image="@@browse_11_thumbnail" default_image="@@default_thumbnail_11"
x="748" y="415" scale="100"/>
<image name="th12" image="@@browse_12_thumbnail" default_image="@@default_thumbnail_12"
x="927" y="415" scale="100"/>
<image name="th13" image="@@browse_13_thumbnail" default_image="@@default_thumbnail_13"
x="1105" y="415" scale="100"/>
</wrapper>

<!--focus -->
<wrapper w="166" h="215" align="hcenter" scale_type="fixratio" scale="100" selected_scale="100" >
<image image="@@frame_0" x="25" y="180"/>
<image image="@@frame_1" x="199" y="180"/>
<image image="@@frame_2" x="379" y="180"/>
<image image="@@frame_3" x="558" y="180"/>
<image image="@@frame_4" x="738" y="180"/>
<image image="@@frame_5" x="917" y="180"/>
<image image="@@frame_6" x="1095" y="180"/>
<image image="@@frame_7" x="20" y="405"/>
<image image="@@frame_8" x="199" y="405"/>
<image image="@@frame_9" x="379" y="405"/>
<image image="@@frame_10" x="558" y="405"/>
<image image="@@frame_11" x="738" y="405"/>
<image image="@@frame_12" x="917" y="405"/>
<image image="@@frame_13" x="1095" y="405"/>
</wrapper>

This will make the icons slighlty smaller and shift them into a position that will not get them cut when changing pages.

I also deleted the following information that removed all the NA info on folder screens.

<!--metadata -->
<text x="930" y="460" w="330" h="20" text="@@director" fontsize="18" textcolor="0xffffff" align="left"/>
<text x="930" y="485" w="330" h="20" text="@@year" fontsize="18" textcolor="0xffffff" align="left"/>
<text x="930" y="505" w="330" h="20" text="@@totaltime" fontsize="18" textcolor="0xffffff" align="left"/>
<text x="930" y="530" w="330" h="20" text="@@genre" fontsize="18" textcolor="0xffffff" align="left"/>
<text x="930" y="555" w="330" h="75" text="@@actor" fontsize="18" numlines="3" textcolor="0xffffff" align="left"/>
<text x="930" y="100" w="330" h="320" text="@@overview" fontsize="18" numlines="16" textcolor="0xffffff" align="left"/>

If you dont want to edit the file yourself but still want the changes, let me know, ill post the file and you can just replace it.

Hi Guys back after a week…

Im moving from London back home to Lagos with my family in approx 3 weeks time :dizzy_face: so have been busy back home in Lagos making preparations.

Anyways whilst sitting on the plane i had an idea to solve the ‘no thumbnails’ issue, when not using the dummy file method. However this could also be adapted to work with the dummy file method as well.

I will try to work on it but the basic idea is to use a ‘wide thumbnail’ at the bottom of the page so for example if your moviesheet is 1280x720 then you could use this moviesheet resized 128x72 or better still perhaps a little bigger 256x144.

So your folder.jpg would still be a normal coverbox BUT your moviename.jpg would be either the actual moviesheet if you are not using the moviesheet (in fact very similar to Joey’s mod)

OR

If you are using the dummy file method then the moviename.jpg would act as a backdrop so you could create a sheet that was clean with just the backdrop and the name of the movie. this backdrop could then be drawn twice once at the bottom (scaled down) and also to fit the full screen.

Hopefully i should have something out in the next day or two

Ok, so far so good.

I am running the ExtremeMix theme and I have Datasheets working fine now with the dummy file.

What I would like to know is when in the folder view, when you are scrolling through the DVD cover thumbnails, above there is a section which has info on the film, is there any way to make a coversheet or datasheet appear up there on this box, or is that only populated from internet?

At the moment I have to actualy click OK on the film and then once inside the folder I see its data sheet. What id like to have is some brief info, maybe the IMDB rating, an image and synopsis appear above as I scroll the DVD covers…

I have a feeling you are going to tell me thats not possible :slight_smile:

with the current firmware, metadata is not supported on folders. Only on files.

This has been raised as a request to WD so maybe in the future.

Hi Silver…

You are not doing anything wrong, basically its a bug with the Hub firmware, Metadata used to show for folders, but stopped working a couple of firmware updates ago.

The only way the xml metadata now shows is when you enter the folder and highlight the movie file.

It has to be my biggest bugbear with the Hub, and i keep hoping WD will fix it.

Thats why in some of my earlier Themes i removed the metadata altogather as i hate seeing in N/A, however for the sake compatibilty with both metadata and moviesheets i put them back in.

Basically it sounds like you have moviesheets working now, again you will only see the moviesheet when you highlight the movie file…

Basically the ‘moviesheet trick’ is based on taking the moviename.jpg (ie the normal thumbnail) and making it a 1280x720 jpg which then fills the screen.

There are limitations to the trick which are well documented, but basically again it will only work when hovering on the movie file and AFTER the Hub has completed a scan for the media library.

What someone like Joey has done is taken the idea the logical step forward and arranged the movie all in one folder…then the moviesheet works as you scroll along…

personally i prefer to have my movies in indidivual folders hence my themes are written this way.

Btw the idea of all movies in the same folder is how you would have to arrange your files if you wanted to get the best from Tinwarbles theme as well.

Incidently my theme would also work, but you would have a slow down on most of my themes in gallery view apart from my wide theme version

  http://community.wdc.com/t5/Themes/ExtremeMix-Wide-Sheet-3-0-Moviesheet-Theme/td-p/163148

Ok, thanks, I hope they do update it.

Really nice box functionally but cant really get my head around the thinking when it came to designing the firmware, a few simple features and it would be top class. I suppose they just assumed everyone would just use the Live features, which is fine, but its nice to have a pysical setup also so internet isnt mandatory for browsing easily.

Thanks extreme, well the one folder solution seems to provide the result I want, but I really dont want to go to one folder. One of the best things about this box is it encouraged me to put my digital house in order and sort everything INTO folders LOL

Going back and taking them all out again doesnt really appeal to me, I guess I will just live with it as it stands until WD are good enough to update the firmware to allow for folder xml data again!!

Nice work, really nice skin.

You are not doing anything wrong, basically its a bug with the Hub firmware, Metadata used to show for folders, but stopped working a couple of firmware updates ago.

 

The only way the xml metadata now shows is when you enter the folder and highlight the movie file.

 

It has to be my biggest bugbear with the Hub, and i keep hoping WD will fix it.

 

Hi ED !!

I would disagree slightly with your comment above, as I have noticed that the metadata does in fact show instantly for folders (in  gallery view) for VOB. ISO.files, ie ligit ripped copies of DVD’s. Why i do not know, but perhaps this was intentional by the firmware design?

That said, this avenue could be worth exploring to perhaps replicate a dvd ripped file structure within the movie folder, similar to your idea of the moviesheet dummy file approach?   

I’m no expert but i thought it was worth throwing this idea into the forum!

I would also be interested if anyone else has actually noticed this?

_____________________________________

Apologies edit-  ISO files do not work, but .vob files along with the accompanying .IFO and .BUP files all in the one folder definately do work with Metadata !

AND goodluck with your move ED, are you going east, west, or UP north where i reside (UK) LOL!!

hmm architectonic,

Thanks for the tip, i will certainly look into this next week, unfortuantely i have boxed up and tv and Hub ready to be shipped as i am relocating next week

So let me get you right (sorry i dont use vob or iso file, all my collection is mkv) Basically IF you have an .iso file inside the folder and the name is the same as the folder then the folder xml work…

i am sure in the past i tried but didnt get it to work so it must have something to do with the structure of your iso, i will try ripping a dvd (thats if i can find an old one LOL) as i only watch bluray nowadays…

BUT if this is true i am sure that there must be a way to use a dummy iso flle to trick the Hub to show the folder metadata…this would be a big find so thank you

perhaps you or someone could try this theory out ie create a folder and put 2 movie files in it, one an mkv and another an iso and see if the metadata xml is picked up on the folder level

Hey Extereme,

Im using datasheet for main movies due to folder organisations, but for TV series I think the one folder method is perfect as all my TV series are in a single forlder per season, so the scroll over popup method would work for them?

Question would be does your theme support that method, and if so is there a particulary template or something I need to use in ThumbGen in order to make it work?

Thanks,

Hi Silver,

No probs, yes the themes can support both metadata and moviesheets when all the files are in one folder for your tv shows.

One point to note is that gallery view will be extremely slow (apart from the wide sheet theme which is ok to use).

However i would recommend using List view as this is much faster and better suited for Tv shows using the method you wish to use.

If you are going to make moviesheets i suggest the following format:—

Dont use the dummy file method:—

So for example a folder called

‘Chuck Season 1’ would have the following files

Chuck se01e01.mkv

Chuck se01e01.jpg ----------> Moviesheet

Chuck se01e02.mkv

Chuck se01e02.jpg  ---------> Moviesheet

folder.jpg

Chuck Season 1.xml  -------------> folder metdata this can be blank or have information however it MUST BE NAMED EXACTLY the same as the folder for the moviesheets to trigger.

Hope this helps

Just a quick note to say my move went well so far, im online even though my current connection is a little slow, so it will take me a while to build my new home network and get back into the flow of thing.

However i must say from my quick scan of the forum there seems plenty for me to chew on whilst i sort out my media setup LOL…

good luck catching up. I have been hanging around but havent done much for awhile.

Glad the trip was good, enjoy the unpacking and setting up