Fanart Handler (1 Viewer)

[edterbak]

I think there was a db change and therefore the db and backdrop folders needed to be cleared. This was going from v0.8 > 0.9X. If the handling / naming of the backdrops are unchanged, it is not needed to back things up and do a rescrape in future releases. But, It was not the intention to put the backup back again in the thumbs folder.

 

[Dadeo]

Thanks edterbak, but you lost me.

It was not the intention to put the backup back again in the thumbs folder.

If you don't put the music fanart images back, then wouldn't you have to rescrape? How else would you get them? Maybe I'm just not awake yet! You have been using it with X-Factor right? So what did you do when upgrading from 9.5 to 9.6? Did you have to rescrape?

I fully appreciate we have been in beta testing and we should expect to have to redo things. I was thinking more of the future. And wondering what will be required for upgrading to new releases. It took me 3.5 hrs to scrape all my artists I don't wanna have to do that again too often!

 

[cul8er]

Hi Dadeo,

However, you do not say if you can copy the fanart back to the skin folders after installation. I just wanted to double check that is what should be done. I am assuming you do not need to re-scrape your fanart for each new release. Is that correct

When version one is released the answer is, no you do not need to scrape every time after a new release but now during beta status the answer is that all images you had locally from the beginning you can re-apply. But if you put all the images scraped by an earlier release you WILL have problems. The reason is that when deleteing the fanart database all releation to the original name on htbackdrops are lost. If you then put these allready scraped images back into the music folder the next scrape the scrpaer will try to download up till max images per artist and you would get the same image again..

One of the reasons why I have stressed that the Beta versions are only for skinners and not for end users

cheers
cul8er

 

[edterbak]

Thanks edterbak, but you lost me.

Yeah, sorry about that. Cul8er said it understandably.. It was early indeed, for me also.

1 question; If I were to delete current backdrop/database and press reset scraper, the plugin starts to scrape all over again right? But how can I tell it is done with it? Or even if scraping has started?

 

[Dadeo]

Hi cul8er - thanks for the clarification. I just tested it by copying the backup folders back in and yes, it does download duplicate images and then indexes and cycles the duplicate images. However, this applies only to Music images correct? Since those are the only ones being scraped? So I can copy all my video/pictures etc. fanart from the backup folder no problem?

Beta 9.6 is still having trouble indexing numeric only videos like 1408, 21, 2012, 300, 9. When I check the .db3 file using SQLite DB Browser (since I cannot access Video fanart in the Manage Fanart tab) the title (Artist) is blank for those three movies. When I try and display the fanart it cycles the fanart images for all the numeric only movies (with blank titles) for each one I select. I even tried modifying the database but it seems to require text after the number to index correctly. Normally I would not make MP nervous by tinkering with it's precious db3 files, but since I will be reindexing soon anyway

If it were me, I would just let users enter/edit the Artist field in the Manage Fanart tab and be done with it! You could spend forever trying to get every little variation to work and you are so close to perfection already. But that likely opens the door to other issues

edterbak - I find checking the fanart handler log is the best (only?) way to see what stage the scraping is at.

 

[edterbak]

HI Cul8er,

I just thought of an idea. Maybe you can do something with it. Is it possible to create a button in the configurator which is called "Start Scraping". And maybe even after that a progress bar on the totall scraping time (estimated). OFcourse I dont have a clue about how much work will go into this, or how difficult it is. It was just an idea. I would find something like this very usefull.

Regards.

 

[Ingram]

I don't think this is working for me?

If I play artists whom I have wallpaper of already (Which I put there myself) it loads that wallpaper into the background when I play that artist. However if I play another artist whom I haven't got wallpaper for it just shows the default picture of the girl sitting against the wall?

EDIT: I seem to have something working, it's rotating lots of album covers that are really low resolution, so it looks pretty horrible.

 

[Dadeo]

Hi Ingram - Cul8er is busy trying to get the RC ready for release so I thought I would take a crack at answering your query. By wallpaper I assume you mean fanart images? Yes, if you don't have fanart, it will display the default backdrop, which in X-Factor is the 'girl against the wall' You may configure the plugin to display album covers or not and choose the minimum resolution you wish to display. See the Fanart Handling WIKI where cul8er explains it very nicely. Keep in mind that cul8er has frequently said this plugin is still in beta and should only be used by skinners/testers until he has a final release ready.

 

[montecristo]

hi guys,

as i mentioned before all my movie backdrops (which are located in the right folder) don't show up in my movie playlist in mp 1.0.2.0
now i found out what the problem is.
all my backdrops are PNG format as it always has been. and always worked before.
but before i did not have fanart handler.
it was located in a fanart folder inside the skin folder.
so i copied them to the new folder under the thumbs folder.

what i've seen now is that PNG files are not working.
i changed one of the backdrops from PNG to JPG format and now the backdrop in my movies is showing.
so, to keep it short PNG format is not working. JPG format does work.

as for the backdrops in my music this is now all been downloaded through fanart handler and are all JPG formats which is working fine.

is there a way to have PNG formats displayed as backdrops?
i'm not looking forward to change a few hundred backdrops from PNG to JPG format.


regards,

montecristo

 

[cul8er]

Hi montecristo,

Unfortunately PNG files cannot be used by the fanart handler plugin. Since we are using the thumbs directory in MP it is a really bad idea to use PNG files. MP add all PNG files to the cache so if you put PNG files here it can cause performance issues in MP. The only way to solve this would be for this plugin to stop using the thumbs folder but then we would loose all the good things like mediaportaldirs.xml support etc.

best regards
cul8er