Theme Question

ritaben · February 17, 2014, 8:47pm

nmiller0113 wrote:

All the XML files in my moviesheets just have links to external artwork and whatnot, so if linksheets are still XML’s wouldn’t that be the same? Or do linksheets point to something local and that is why there 30MB limit comes into play, because I couldn’t imagine a bunch of small XML files could fill 30MB that quickly.

Maybe I’m just way off base in my thinking or followings…I’ll keep reading and likely post these questions in another thread as I wouldn’t want to get this one too off topic. Anyway…thank you again for all your help!

Linksheets do not generate or need xml files for the theme to see them. It is the linksheets that have to be placed in the theme folder on the usb drive that require the disk space.

The only xml files required are the ones in the actual theme.

Cheers

ps Pearl beat me to the reply

KAD79 · February 17, 2014, 8:50pm

well moviesheets and linksheets are very similiar

the term linksheets actually comes from a prior device, where in order to display moviesheets at all, custom firmware was needed and was accomplished by a script called linksheets, which created symlinks pointing to the moviesheets

fast fwd to new device and new options

why thumbgen, well it was always the defacto standard for WD moviesheets, but as already said prior devices required custom firmware, so there was no internal scapping engine

with the current SMP you have a couple of different components depending on the theme

xml data, some theme’s display xml data, this is a text based overlay

and if using the media library, it also allows sorting by these text based entries

things like actor, genre, year, etc …

some theme’s don’t display xml data at all

there’s where thumbgen is able to burn this data into the .jpg moviesheet

so while it’s not searchable/sortable it does get displayed when you see the moviesheet

thumbgen also allows for template design

which is way many themer’s will remove the xml entries from their themes

this means users should use thumbgen to create the moviesheets

but allows the themer to create a customized look for moviesheets that will match their theme

most people tend to prefer this, customized streamlined look

as for linksheets on the SMP

this is achieved by adding some theme entries

so when using linksheets you must select a theme that supports linksheets

and while it’s possible to use xml’s with linksheets the normal recommended way is that you delete all xml files

and rely soley on the WD’s abiliyt to display a .jpg

the limitation on SMP is that maximum theme 30MB

and all those .jpg linksheets that you create have to go inside the theme

it’s pretty common for the theme itself to take 15 - 20MB

so you’re left with approx 10MB div by size of the .jpg’s and you run out of room very quickly

why are linksheets faster, they don’t rely on the photo slideshow function

there’s no 1 - 2 second delay for them to be displayed

they are displayed immediately

edit: and you both beat me

nmiller0113 · February 17, 2014, 8:54pm

And that’s where my blocker, as far as understanding the difference, was. For some reason I thought I read earlier that linksheets were XML’s as well. This makes sense as to why they are faster and also why the 30MB limit comes into play. A linksheet is just a jpg with all the information displayed in that single file / picture.

Since I’m using the latest standard firmware and default mochi in gallery view with media library turned on and the internal scraper are the XML’s being generated considered moviesheets still? And last, but not least, do the links in the XML’s have to be to external jpg files? I only ask because it appears from everything I’ve read on thumbgen it downloads those which in my opinion would definitely be faster if the jpg’s were stored locally my movie files on my NFS shares.

nmiller0113 · February 17, 2014, 8:56pm

Wow…I replied back and had three more replies with some EXCELLENT detail. You guys really do rock! Thanks again!

pearl · February 17, 2014, 9:03pm

KAD79 wrote:

edit: and you both beat me

Nothing like a good healthy competition to see who can be helpful first. Not something you see on a lot of forums these days :smileyvery-happy:

Ready, Set, Goooooooooo

-P

KAD79 · February 17, 2014, 9:06pm

a moviesheet or a linksheet

is the .jpg image usually 1280 x 720

the xml’s are just xml’s that point to a moviesheet

KAD79 · February 17, 2014, 9:06pm

LOL

JoeySmyth · February 17, 2014, 10:11pm

Just to throw a spanner into the works :smileyvery-happy:

A Linksheet can also be a PNG image.

In my testing on the WDTV Live Hub they appear to be faster and more responsive compared to JPG (i sent Pearl this little test folder … although he wasn’t getting the significant speed increase i was … overall he did agree)

Here’s a comparison Theme and Test Folder:

http://www.mediafire.com/download/51901g0omi3quuo/SPEEDTEST.7z

One big problem with PNG (easily solved) is … When using Thumbgen to generate PNG Moviesheets it does not use any Compression !

PNG Linksheets of a size of 1MB and over will not Display (Thumbgen typically generates 2+MB PNG Moviesheets)

However, batch processing these Moviesheets using Irfanview reduces them back to 300-500kb

A Before and After Comparision:

2.44MB PNG MOVIESHEET BACKDROP (Thumbgen)

510KB PNG MOVIESHEET BACKDROP (Post Processed with Irfanview)

Lastly, here’s a “speedtest” video of something i was tinkering with…

PNG Linksheets 1280x610 … WDTV Live Hub Firmware 2.07.17

(60MB HD MKV Video+Sound) http://www.mediafire.com/download/v74pjsdgfgtggq2/AeonishMkII.mkv

Another “Design” benefit on PNG Linksheets is Aplha Transparency (Thumbgen template using seldom used “Bitmap Masks”)

KAD79 · February 17, 2014, 10:36pm

png’s, I like it

this could easily allow themer’s to create some very interesting layering effects

another piece of WD history

why were moviesheets always traditionally .jpg

because average .png size is very large by comparison (although joey demonstrates ,they can be shrunk down)

original WD Live and Live Plus supported moviesheets/linksheets up to a maximum size of 500KB

silki · February 27, 2014, 4:00pm

Ok I have spent a little time playing with this now.

Is there anyway to fix a backgroud with this Theme and not use my selected one shown on all the other WD TV views ?

I single coulour would be fine IE BLACK

I notice some times it shows a Black border around some of the cover art where is this in teh XMl so I can remove it ?

silki · February 27, 2014, 4:00pm

THEME :

<?xml version="1.0" encoding="utf-8"?>
<page background="./image/RV-BG.jpg">

<image image="image/keyboard_mask_bg.png" x="0" y="0" w="1280" h="720" bg="1" disable="@@disable-thumbnail-bg" />
<image image="@@preview_rect_image" default_image="@@default_preview_rect_image" x="0" y="0" w="1280" h="720" textcolor="@@preview_rect_color" keycolor="1" ignore_keycolor="1" bg="1" />
<image image="image/video_browse_gallery_overlay.png" x="0" y="0" w="1280" h="720" bg="1" />
<ctrlgrp>
<include filename="./rv_multi_edit_ctrls.xml" />
<include filename="./rv_browse_common_ctrls.xml" />
<linebreak />
<listbox valkey="browselist" move="row" cols="7" rows="2" lbmask="ud" hormove="1" loop_scroll="1" autoenter="1" />
</ctrlgrp>
<text x="155" y="610" w="970" h="42" text="@@browse_text" fontsize="24" textcolor="0xffffff" align="hcenter" speed="1" delay="2" />
<image image="@@metadata_left_arrow" x="57" y="338" w="39" h="53" align="hcenter" scale_type="fixratio" scale="100" />
<image image="@@metadata_right_arrow" x="1180" y="338" w="39" h="53" align="hcenter" scale_type="fixratio" scale="100" />
<widgetghost valkey="marquee" x="29" y="168" w="1226" h="386" ctrlname="browselist" step="20">

<wrapper w="122" h="169" align="hcenter" scale_type="fixratio" scale="100" selected_scale="100">
<image image="@@rv_browse_page_bg_0" x="143" y="176" active="@@act-browselist-0" disable="@@bg_disable_0" />
<image image="@@rv_browse_page_bg_1" x="289" y="176" active="@@act-browselist-1" disable="@@bg_disable_1" />
<image image="@@rv_browse_page_bg_2" x="435" y="176" active="@@act-browselist-2" disable="@@bg_disable_2" />
<image image="@@rv_browse_page_bg_3" x="581" y="176" active="@@act-browselist-3" disable="@@bg_disable_3" />
<image image="@@rv_browse_page_bg_4" x="727" y="176" active="@@act-browselist-4" disable="@@bg_disable_4" />
<image image="@@rv_browse_page_bg_5" x="873" y="176" active="@@act-browselist-5" disable="@@bg_disable_5" />
<image image="@@rv_browse_page_bg_6" x="1020" y="176" active="@@act-browselist-6" disable="@@bg_disable_6" />
<image image="@@rv_browse_page_bg_7" x="143" y="376" active="@@act-browselist-7" disable="@@bg_disable_7" />
<image image="@@rv_browse_page_bg_8" x="289" y="376" active="@@act-browselist-8" disable="@@bg_disable_8" />
<image image="@@rv_browse_page_bg_9" x="435" y="376" active="@@act-browselist-9" disable="@@bg_disable_9" />
<image image="@@rv_browse_page_bg_10" x="581" y="376" active="@@act-browselist-10" disable="@@bg_disable_10" />
<image image="@@rv_browse_page_bg_11" x="727" y="376" active="@@act-browselist-11" disable="@@bg_disable_11" />
<image image="@@rv_browse_page_bg_12" x="873" y="376" active="@@act-browselist-12" disable="@@bg_disable_12" />
<image image="@@rv_browse_page_bg_13" x="1020" y="376" active="@@act-browselist-13" disable="@@bg_disable_13" />
</wrapper>

<wrapper w="134" h="187" align="hcenter" scale_type="fixratio" scale="100" selected_scale="100">
<image image="@@rv_browse_page_bg_0" x="137" y="168" active="@@act-browselist-0" disable="@@bg_f_disable_0" />
<image image="@@rv_browse_page_bg_1" x="283" y="168" active="@@act-browselist-1" disable="@@bg_f_disable_1" />
<image image="@@rv_browse_page_bg_2" x="429" y="168" active="@@act-browselist-2" disable="@@bg_f_disable_2" />
<image image="@@rv_browse_page_bg_3" x="575" y="168" active="@@act-browselist-3" disable="@@bg_f_disable_3" />
<image image="@@rv_browse_page_bg_4" x="721" y="168" active="@@act-browselist-4" disable="@@bg_f_disable_4" />
<image image="@@rv_browse_page_bg_5" x="867" y="168" active="@@act-browselist-5" disable="@@bg_f_disable_5" />
<image image="@@rv_browse_page_bg_6" x="1013" y="168" active="@@act-browselist-6" disable="@@bg_f_disable_6" />
<image image="@@rv_browse_page_bg_7" x="137" y="368" active="@@act-browselist-7" disable="@@bg_f_disable_7" />
<image image="@@rv_browse_page_bg_8" x="283" y="368" active="@@act-browselist-8" disable="@@bg_f_disable_8" />
<image image="@@rv_browse_page_bg_9" x="429" y="368" active="@@act-browselist-9" disable="@@bg_f_disable_9" />
<image image="@@rv_browse_page_bg_10" x="575" y="368" active="@@act-browselist-10" disable="@@bg_f_disable_10" />
<image image="@@rv_browse_page_bg_11" x="721" y="368" active="@@act-browselist-11" disable="@@bg_f_disable_11" />
<image image="@@rv_browse_page_bg_12" x="867" y="368" active="@@act-browselist-12" disable="@@bg_f_disable_12" />
<image image="@@rv_browse_page_bg_13" x="1013" y="368" active="@@act-browselist-13" disable="@@bg_f_disable_13" />
</wrapper>

<wrapper w="122" h="169" align="hcenter" scale_type="fixratio" scale="100" selected_scale="100">
<image image="@@checked_0" x="143" y="176" active="@@@@act-browselist-0" />
<image image="@@checked_1" x="289" y="176" active="@@@@act-browselist-1" />
<image image="@@checked_2" x="435" y="176" active="@@@@act-browselist-2" />
<image image="@@checked_3" x="581" y="176" active="@@@@act-browselist-3" />
<image image="@@checked_4" x="727" y="176" active="@@@@act-browselist-4" />
<image image="@@checked_5" x="873" y="176" active="@@@@act-browselist-5" />
<image image="@@checked_6" x="1020" y="176" active="@@@@act-browselist-6" />
<image image="@@checked_7" x="143" y="376" active="@@act-browselist-7" />
<image image="@@checked_8" x="289" y="376" active="@@act-browselist-8" />
<image image="@@checked_9" x="435" y="376" active="@@act-browselist-9" />
<image image="@@checked_10" x="581" y="376" active="@@act-browselist-10" />
<image image="@@checked_11" x="727" y="376" active="@@act-browselist-11" />
<image image="@@checked_12" x="873" y="376" active="@@act-browselist-12" />
<image image="@@checked_13" x="1020" y="376" active="@@act-browselist-13" />
</wrapper>

<wrapper w="114" h="161" align="hcenter" scale="100" scale_type="fixratio" selected_scale="100">
<image name="th0" image="@@browse_0_thumbnail" default_image="@@default_thumbnail_0" x="147" y="180" active="@@act-browselist-0" disable="@@thumbnail_disable_0" />
<image name="th1" image="@@browse_1_thumbnail" default_image="@@default_thumbnail_1" x="293" y="180" active="@@act-browselist-1" disable="@@thumbnail_disable_1" />
<image name="th2" image="@@browse_2_thumbnail" default_image="@@default_thumbnail_2" x="439" y="180" active="@@act-browselist-2" disable="@@thumbnail_disable_2" />
<image name="th3" image="@@browse_3_thumbnail" default_image="@@default_thumbnail_3" x="585" y="180" active="@@act-browselist-3" disable="@@thumbnail_disable_3" />
<image name="th4" image="@@browse_4_thumbnail" default_image="@@default_thumbnail_4" x="731" y="180" active="@@act-browselist-4" disable="@@thumbnail_disable_4" />
<image name="th5" image="@@browse_5_thumbnail" default_image="@@default_thumbnail_5" x="877" y="180" active="@@act-browselist-5" disable="@@thumbnail_disable_5" />
<image name="th6" image="@@browse_6_thumbnail" default_image="@@default_thumbnail_6" x="1023" y="180" active="@@act-browselist-6" disable="@@thumbnail_disable_6" />
<image name="th7" image="@@browse_7_thumbnail" default_image="@@default_thumbnail_7" x="147" y="380" active="@@act-browselist-7" disable="@@thumbnail_disable_7" />
<image name="th8" image="@@browse_8_thumbnail" default_image="@@default_thumbnail_8" x="293" y="380" active="@@act-browselist-8" disable="@@thumbnail_disable_8" />
<image name="th9" image="@@browse_9_thumbnail" default_image="@@default_thumbnail_9" x="439" y="380" active="@@act-browselist-9" disable="@@thumbnail_disable_9" />
<image name="th10" image="@@browse_10_thumbnail" default_image="@@default_thumbnail_10" x="585" y="380" active="@@act-browselist-10" disable="@@thumbnail_disable_10" />
<image name="th11" image="@@browse_11_thumbnail" default_image="@@default_thumbnail_11" x="731" y="380" active="@@act-browselist-11" disable="@@thumbnail_disable_11" />
<image name="th12" image="@@browse_12_thumbnail" default_image="@@default_thumbnail_12" x="877" y="380" active="@@act-browselist-12" disable="@@thumbnail_disable_12" />
<image name="th13" image="@@browse_13_thumbnail" default_image="@@default_thumbnail_13" x="1023" y="380" active="@@act-browselist-13" disable="@@thumbnail_disable_13" />
</wrapper>

<wrapper w="126" h="179" align="hcenter" scale="100" scale_type="fixratio" selected_scale="100">
<image name="th0_f" image="@@browse_0_thumbnail" default_image="@@default_thumbnail_0" x="141" y="172" active="@@act-browselist-0" disable="@@thumbnail_f_disable_0" />
<image name="th1_f" image="@@browse_1_thumbnail" default_image="@@default_thumbnail_1" x="287" y="172" active="@@act-browselist-1" disable="@@thumbnail_f_disable_1" />
<image name="th2_f" image="@@browse_2_thumbnail" default_image="@@default_thumbnail_2" x="433" y="172" active="@@act-browselist-2" disable="@@thumbnail_f_disable_2" />
<image name="th3_f" image="@@browse_3_thumbnail" default_image="@@default_thumbnail_3" x="579" y="172" active="@@act-browselist-3" disable="@@thumbnail_f_disable_3" />
<image name="th4_f" image="@@browse_4_thumbnail" default_image="@@default_thumbnail_4" x="725" y="172" active="@@act-browselist-4" disable="@@thumbnail_f_disable_4" />
<image name="th5_f" image="@@browse_5_thumbnail" default_image="@@default_thumbnail_5" x="871" y="172" active="@@act-browselist-5" disable="@@thumbnail_f_disable_5" />
<image name="th6_f" image="@@browse_6_thumbnail" default_image="@@default_thumbnail_6" x="1018" y="172" active="@@act-browselist-6" disable="@@thumbnail_f_disable_6" />
<image name="th7_f" image="@@browse_7_thumbnail" default_image="@@default_thumbnail_7" x="141" y="372" active="@@act-browselist-7" disable="@@thumbnail_f_disable_7" />
<image name="th8_f" image="@@browse_8_thumbnail" default_image="@@default_thumbnail_8" x="287" y="372" active="@@act-browselist-8" disable="@@thumbnail_f_disable_8" />
<image name="th9_f" image="@@browse_9_thumbnail" default_image="@@default_thumbnail_9" x="433" y="372" active="@@act-browselist-9" disable="@@thumbnail_f_disable_9" />
<image name="th10_f" image="@@browse_10_thumbnail" default_image="@@default_thumbnail_10" x="579" y="372" active="@@act-browselist-10" disable="@@thumbnail_f_disable_10" />
<image name="th11_f" image="@@browse_11_thumbnail" default_image="@@default_thumbnail_11" x="725" y="372" active="@@act-browselist-11" disable="@@thumbnail_f_disable_11" />
<image name="th12_f" image="@@browse_12_thumbnail" default_image="@@default_thumbnail_12" x="871" y="372" active="@@act-browselist-12" disable="@@thumbnail_f_disable_12" />
<image name="th13_f" image="@@browse_13_thumbnail" default_image="@@default_thumbnail_13" x="1018" y="372" active="@@act-browselist-13" disable="@@thumbnail_f_disable_13" />
</wrapper>

<wrapper y="448" w="134" h="187" align="hcenter" scale_type="fixratio" scale="100">
<image image="@@frame_0" x="137" y="168" />
<image image="@@frame_1" x="283" y="168" />
<image image="@@frame_2" x="429" y="168" />
<image image="@@frame_3" x="575" y="168" />
<image image="@@frame_4" x="721" y="168" />
<image image="@@frame_5" x="867" y="168" />
<image image="@@frame_6" x="1013" y="168" />
<image image="@@frame_7" x="137" y="368" />
<image image="@@frame_8" x="283" y="368" />
<image image="@@frame_9" x="429" y="368" />
<image image="@@frame_10" x="575" y="368" />
<image image="@@frame_11" x="721" y="368" />
<image image="@@frame_12" x="867" y="368" />
<image image="@@frame_13" x="1013" y="368" />
</wrapper>
</widgetghost>
<image image="@@bg-PIP_ZOOM" x="620" y="250" w="49" h="42" disable="@@disable-PIP_ZOOM" active="@@act-PIP_ZOOM" />
<image image="@@play_stat" x="787" y="406" w="35" h="40" />
<image image="@@speed_stat" x="823" y="414" w="39" h="21" />
<text x="450" y="160" w="372" h="26" text="@@text-options" fontsize="24" textcolor="0x07b5ff" align="hcenter" disable="@@disable-text-options" />
<include filename="./rv_multi_edit_widgets_for_gallery.xml" />
<include filename="./rv_browse_common_widgets_new.xml" />
<include filename="./inc_loading.xml" />
<include filename="./decoration.xml" />
</page>

silki · March 5, 2014, 2:19pm

BUMP… anyone ??

"Is there anyway to fix a backgroud with this Theme and not use my selected one shown on all the other WD TV views ?

I single coulour would be fine IE BLACK

I notice some times it shows a Black border around some of the cover art where is this in the XMl so I can remove it ? "

JoeySmyth · March 5, 2014, 2:37pm

Black Background ?

1.

<?xml version="1.0" encoding="utf-8"?>
<page background="./image/RV-BG.jpg">

edit to this ... will give you a blank black background .. (movie backdrops will still display)

<?xml version="1.0" encoding="utf-8"?>
<page>

2.

<?xml version="1.0" encoding="utf-8"?>
<page background="./image/RV-BG.jpg">
<image image="@@preview_rect_image" default_image="@@default_preview_rect_image" x="0" y="0" w="1280" h="720" textcolor="@@preview_rect_color" keycolor="1" ignore_keycolor="1" bg="1" />
<image image="image/video_browse_gallery_overlay.png" x="0" y="0" w="1280" h="720" bg="1" />
<ctrlgrp>

place a black backdrop graphic in the theme (image folder) eg. black.png and provide a link to it (this will also hide any movie backdrops from displaying)

<?xml version="1.0" encoding="utf-8"?>
<page background="./image/RV-BG.jpg">
<image image="@@preview_rect_image" default_image="@@default_preview_rect_image" x="0" y="0" w="1280" h="720" textcolor="@@preview_rect_color" keycolor="1" ignore_keycolor="1" bg="1" />
<image image="image/black.png" x="0" y="0" w="1280" h="720" bg="1" />
<ctrlgrp>

3. Don't want the black borders around thumbnails ?

delete this........