database link with screen

[abobader]

Hi all,

I am planning to use xlobby as a server side that have all the movies, dvd rip, and tv show and my sons use the clients (fat one), but I need some help.

As example here with the default skin:

1- Main menu issue:

I want to rename some menu iteams to the following:
Webcams ---> TV Show
Lighting -----> Cartoon
Files ---------> Family Film (the one we made by camcoreder)

The database for TV Show and Cartoon are similer as:

a) TV Show:

\\TVE\TV (server name and sharing folder)
......\\TVE\TV\Lost
---------------\\TVE\TV\Lost\Season1
----------------------------\\TVE\TV\Lost\Season1\01 - es. title 1
----------------------------\\TVE\TV\Lost\Season1\02 - es. title 2
etc.

b) Cartoon:

\\TVE\kids (server name ans sharing folder)
......\\TVE\kids\tom_jerry
----------------\\TVE\kids\tom_jerry\disk1
----------------------------\\TVE\kids\tom_jerry\disk1\01 - es. title 1
----------------------------\\TVE\kids\tom_jerry\disk1\02 - es. title 2
etc.

c) Home File is same as movies menu.

How I can change the sreens (menu items) and link the database to it? as well please example for the database and the metamasks.

Thanks in advanced, my best.

[dalanik]

Did you read the skinning guide?

http://www.xlobby.com/documentation/

[abobader]

Hi dalanik,

Yes, I did, it a well doc, but I lost in some area, for that I just need some headup example for where to start.

Again thanks in advanced for any headup, my best.

[abobader]

Hi all,

Sorry to bump the topic when last reply only 2 days ago.

I only need for now (after doing a lots of search here):

I rename one of the menu "lighting" to "tv show", and now I need how to clone the "movies" to that menu, as well lonking the database I will do for "tv show" to it.

As when I clik on the menu "tv show", I want same submenu of "movies" come on.

Now how I can do that as well link database to menu items?

Sorry for my poor language, my best.

[rembetis]

If I am understanding you correctly, you want to clone the Movies screen for your TV shows, link your TV database to that new screen, and adjust the database so that it has a Show/Season/Episode level structure.

1. Create your new TV database:
a. Hit F2 to bring up the setup screen.
b. Under Databases > Import, type a new name for your TV show database in the New DB field and click Add.
c. Select that new database in the "Import to DB" drop-down menu and select the paths to your TV files.
d. Read this thread and this thread for options on how to create an import template with Show/Season/Episode structure.
e. Click Import.

2. Create your new TV show screen:
a. Hit Pause/Break to bring up skin editor
b. Under the "Goto" tab on top, choose your movies screen.
c. Then under the Screen > Add tabs, type in a new name for your TV Show screen in the "New Screen" field and hit Clone.
d. Now, under the Item > Category > Database tabs, click on the area that contains your movie database, make sure it is highlighted and then select your new database.
e. Options under the Item > Category > Layout tabs will help you customize the number and spacing of your database entries.

Hope that helps. If you're lucky, and you have your TV files sorted properly, this should create the database as you want. If not, you may need to play with the import template some more. I don't have a TV database, so I can't help you any further with that.

[abobader]

Thanks rembetis!

I will try that today, many thanks for the headup issue.

My best.

[abobader]

Hi all,

I think my way do not take me anywhere, in the main menu after I renamed some items like "lighting" to "tv series", and did rembetis steps (many thanks for the great info) still when i click on the menu "tv series" it take me to submenu of the old "lighting" menu.

When I go to skin editor, goto tab, to "tv series" it all good, I see it imported the tv shows I have, that one thing.

From that screen I test it the play of the tv show, it actully import all ok, but when I click on the for example on "Columbo" then season 1 there, click on it, nothing in that popup, just empty box.

Anyone know a url for step by step for making or modifying meun iteam as well screen issue, I been reading the skinning doc for many times now, but still a no go.

My best.

[rembetis]

I think my way do not take me anywhere, in the main menu after I renamed some items like "lighting" to "tv series", and did rembetis steps (many thanks for the great info) still when i click on the menu "tv series" it take me to submenu of the old "lighting" menu.

Sorry, I guess I left the part out about changing events

1. First, you will need to create a new event "Goto TV Series":
a. Hit F2 to bring up the Setup menu.
b. Click on Events on the left, and then open up Skin > Goto. With "Goto" highlighted, click Add Event.
c. Call the new event "TV" or "TV Series" or whatever.
d. With your new event highlighted, and the Commands tab open on the right part of the screen, open the Xlobby group and select "Goto Screen"
e. Type in the name of the screen you created for your TV Series (make sure it's exactly the same).
f. Click Add and make sure the new event now appears on the left.
e. Close the Setup screen

2. Once your new event is created, you need to assign it to the button:
a. Open the Skin Editor (Pause/Break)
b. Use the Goto Menu to open your Menu page.
c. Click and highlight the button you want to change (or create a new one with Screen > Add Button).
d. Under Item > Event, click Assign under Click Event.
e. Find your new event in the Skin subfolder and click it.
f. Close the Skin Editor and test your button.

Now as far as your empty popup screen after clicking Columbo > Season 1, you will need to change some things there as well. If you look at your Movies screen as an example, and highlight the database section in the Skin Editor, you will see under Item > Category that in the Info Screen field it says "overlay:movieviewer". Movieviewer is the name of the screen that shows the info on the selected movie and allows you to play it, so you will need to clone Movieviewer and make a TVviewer screen (named whatever you want). Use the steps I already gave to do that, and then change "overlay:movieviewer" on your TV page to "overlay:TVviewer". You will also need to highlight and change the various information boxes in the TVviewer overlay so that the Item> Text reads "category>[name of your TV database]>[database field, like actors, year, etc]

However, it sounds like you still need one more level in your TV database structure if you go straight from Season to the overlay without choosing an episode. You may also need to change the event associated with the "Play" button, depending on what software you use to play your TV episodes.

Hope that helps.

[abobader]

rembetis,

Many thanks for this very well guides steps and for taking the time to post all that in clear issue, well done indeed! Without you, I could not manage to bring as it is now, many thanks indeed.

Now the "TV Series" come out a live with the tv shows covers and a like, but I face one problem now:

When I click on the menu "movies" the films covers all there and everything ok, going back to the menu "TV Series", I see the same movies listing there, I have to "reset" then the tv shows come out, then going back to the menu "movies", I see the tv show listing there, again I have to apply the "reset" to bring the movies listing again.

Also, when i hover on the menu without clicking the item, like move over the mouse to the menu "movies", it display some random covers of the movies list, how I can do that for "TV Series"? since it still bring that old lighting images when I hover the mouse on it, it not a big issue, but sure it will be nice to do it.

Again, many thanks rembetis for your great help.

My best.

[rembetis]

When I click on the menu "movies" the films covers all there and everything ok, going back to the menu "TV Series", I see the same movies listing there, I have to "reset" then the tv shows come out, then going back to the menu "movies", I see the tv show listing there, again I have to apply the "reset" to bring the movies listing again.

If you go to your TV database screen, and highlight the database in the Skin Editor, under Item > Category, what does it say in the Name field? You need to have the same name as your TV database there. I think I forgot to mention that before and you probably have "movies" for both your TV and Movie screen, which is why Xlobby is not updating the images when you switch between them.

Also, when i hover on the menu without clicking the item, like move over the mouse to the menu "movies", it display some random covers of the movies list, how I can do that for "TV Series"? since it still bring that old lighting images when I hover the mouse on it, it not a big issue, but sure it will be nice to do it.

This feature is controlled by the "Show and Hide" command under Item > Advanced in the Skin Editor. A collage called "collage-xx" is created for every database you have, where the "xx" is the name of each database. To make that collage appear and disappear on the menu screen:

1. Go into the Skin Editor, goto your Menu screen, and then go to Screen > Add Button.
2. Find your "collage-TV" button in the list and click add. You will probably want it to match the other collages in size and position, so select one of the other collages in the Item > Default list and see its dimensions (W x H) and screen postion (X x Y) above. Then re-select your new collage and type in the same data.
3. Now type its name (e.g. "collage-tv.png") into the "ID" field.
4. Put a check mark in the "Hidden" box.
5. Now, select/highlight the button that sends you to the TV screen, and under Item > Advanced, you should have the option to select "collage-tv.png" (or whatever you called it).

[abobader]

rembetis! Well done!

Many thanks for all the help, without you, I could never go this far. All working ok now as it should.

Two things, not big issue tho, when I am in the "TV Series" screen, and do search, still bring the search for "movies", any headup to correct this if possible?

And second one regarding the Meta Mask for the database "tv" I used, as I use one of the direct page you recommanded:

\\(?<Series>.*)\\Season\s(?<Season>\d*)\\.(?<EpNum>\d*)\s-\s(?<Name>.*)\. *
\\(?<Series>.*)\\Season(?<Season>\d*)\\.(?<EpNum>\d*)\s-\s(?<Name>.*)\. *
\\(?<Series>.*)\\(?<Season>.*)\\(?<Name>.*)\. *

My folders as in orgnized as:

\\Tve\TV\Columbo\session1\01 - Blueprint For Murder.mpg
\\Tve\TV\Columbo\session2\01 - Prescription Murder.mpg

That metamask make it show like this:

list all series with covers with each, then click on columbo will bring 2 boxs for season 1 and 2, then click on season 1 will bring boxes for each Ep. as box cover list (no cover tho). Any way to make it list the ep. as list insted of boxes? as same as music list.

If no fix for that, it not that important, many thanks for your great help.

My best always.

[rembetis]

When I am in the "TV Series" screen, and do search, still bring the search for "movies", any headup to correct this if possible?

As before, you'll need to create a new event and a new search screen (cloned after the movie search) and set the button to take you there. You can learn a lot by bringing up the skin editor, highlighting the button you are having problems with, looking at the Event assigned to it, and then looking at what that Event is actually doing in F2 > Setup > Events. In this particular case, "movies: show search" is not only sending you to an overlay search screen called "moviessearch" it is also setting the filter of that search to "movies" and "sorttitle." You just need to adapt all that to your new TV search screen and new TV database.

With all due respect, I'm not going to be able to answer every question you have. I'm still just learning myself. And the only way I learn is to mess around with the program -- just be sure you always keep a backup of your entire Xlobby folder.

Any way to make it list the ep. as list insted of boxes? as same as music list.

You would need to create a TV details overlay page -- take a look at what information is in Item > Category in the skin editor when you highlight your music database to get some clues. But as I mentioned before, I don't have a TV database and so I can't really help with this. Hopefully someone who does, like a06lp, will read this and help out.

[abobader]

rembetis,

You in fact answer how to solve this problem as well, giving more direction and light on how to solve the problem.

Well done indeed and many thanks Mr. rembetis.

Mod. team please close this topic, since the problems are solved already.

My best.

[abobader]

Hi all,

I think I talk too soon, for unknowing reason, seem xlobby lose the truck, and when i try to open one of the tv series (it was working before), it go open the movies, I rechecked everything, database link correct to the tv series, but as I said, it kept linking to movies database as it seem.

As well now, crashing while I look around in the skin editor.

I will restart again, hope this issue been solved.

One thing, this start to happend when I start the server/net.

My best.

[rembetis]

I think I talk too soon, for unknowing reason, seem xlobby lose the truck, and when i try to open one of the tv series (it was working before), it go open the movies, I rechecked everything, database link correct to the tv series, but as I said, it kept linking to movies database as it seem.

Double-check to see if xlobby put "movies" back in under Item > Category > Name for your TV Database screen. I just did a little test following my own directions and I think because we cloned the Movie screen Xlobby is getting confused.

Try this instead: go to your TV screen, highlight the TV Database and delete. Then go to Screen > Add and type the name of your TV database into the Category field and click add. Now go back to Item > Category > Database and link the TV database again. Lastly, make sure the name of the database in the the "Name" field at the top. Because you have multiple levels to your database, you may need to include a Category reset event in your Goto TV Screen event if you find that the TV Database isn't reset to the top level whenever you open it.

To do this, open up the Events section of the Setup Menu, find your goto TV event, highlight it, and then navigate to Command > Category > Reset in the window on the right. Type your Category name in empty field (should be same as your database name if you followed the directions above) and then add that event to your Goto TV event.

Hope that helps.