Improve BasicHome performance by removing MultiImage (1 Viewer)

[Imokles]

The one thing that has always concerned me about X-Factor was the fact that it was quite slow when re-entering Basichome. On my ION330-based HTPC it took about 3 to 5 seconds to load basichome when jumping from another section of Mediaportal. During this time the application was completely unresponsive.

Playing around with the basichome.xml I found that the section that ate up those seconds was the multiimage functionality. I had 12 different backgrounds, however, I did not really use multiimage - I only had a single picture in each of the "Animiation" subdirectories. So I decided to replace the multiimages by standard images. Jumps to basichome are now instant, and the whole menu feels a lot more responsive to me.

What I basically did was the following. Assume that for the "news" background, you have a file "default.jpg" in "Animations" you want to show instead of the whole folder content. You would then replace the section

<control>
<description>BACKGROUND 0</description>
<id>1200</id>
<type>multiimage</type>
<posx>0</posx>
<posy>0</posy>
<width>1280</width>
<height>720</height>
<imagepath>news</imagepath>
<timeperimage>30000</timeperimage>
<fadetime>800</fadetime>
<loop>yes</loop>
<randomize>True</randomize>
<animation effect="fade" start="0" end="100" time="250">VisibleChange</animation>
<visible>Control.HasFocus(77046)</visible>
</control>

with

<control>
<description>BACKGROUND 0</description>
<id>1200</id>
<type>image</type>
<posx>0</posx>
<posy>0</posy>
<width>1280</width>
<height>720</height>
<texture>Animations//news//default.jpg</texture>
<animation effect="fade" start="0" end="100" time="250">VisibleChange</animation>
<visible>Control.HasFocus(77046)</visible>
</control>

Repeat that for some or all of the multiimages and note that the "Weather" functionality is handled differently, so leave that section alone.

 

[zilexa]

Wow this is great!
Although I have a dualcore 2.6Ghz (5050e) cpu and 4GB, I still find the delay to go back to BasicHome annoying.
Perhaps because my cpu runs on 1ghz by default and if necessary it goes up to the max but I don't want to run it on max by default because then I hear my fan noise.

I hope this will be an installer option in the future. Although I understand it can be difficult.

 

[cul8er]

Hi,

This is allready included in the version soon to be released for every image you can now choose if it should be a multiimage or a dedicated image.

cheers
cul8er

 

[zilexa]

Wow great!

Btw I just discovered, if I adjust MP settings/skin settings and startup MP, I have to use menuscreenselector again to change to the view I want. Perhaps the Skin editor could include the option to select the default menu style?
BTW I like the horizontal menu but its unclear to me wich submenu is selected because they are all black (or perhaps dark grey?) and I suppose it's always the one in the middle, but not if you only have 3 items or so..
I use the vertical menu (actually still dont know wich I like best... so many great options!)
Ooh.. and in MovingPictures, I cannot choose to view all or only unwatched movies. I can only select layout (via Switch view and Toggle View). I have to use my mouse-right click to get this option.

Thanks for all your hard work so far!

 

[Ticiano]

Thank you for the tip, Imokles.

I think the performance is one of the crucial priorities for this skin. This is the best skin for me, but it could be faster... Nice move to add this option in the next version, cul8er.

 

[Imokles]

This is great news, cul8er! Thanks for including this as an option.