Questions of a beginner - how do I add standard menus? (1 Viewer)

[thoath]

I am new to MediaPortal.
First Question: I'm just trying to add with the help of Home Basic Editor the ordinary MP standard plug-ins (myFilms, MyVideos, myMusic, MyPictures, Weather) to the first level of the "revaMPed"-layout . How can I make this. Which windows I have to choose? What are the names of this windows?
Second Question. I also use the mouse to control. Therefore I would like to see the top bar. But it does not appear. In the plug "top bar" i can configure "overwrite the skin setting". But nothing happens.
What can I do?

 

[TLD]

Click on the top level menu item you want to change to myFilms for example then use the drop down list to find the myFilms entry and select it, that should change the menu item to myFilms.
You cannot add more menu items than are shown in the top level menu you must change the menu item that's there to to a different menu item, also you must install the myFilms plugin first before the menu item will show up in the drop down box.

You need to turn on the top bar in the Media Portal configuration then you will see it when you move your mouse cursor to the top of the window.

Edit: you cannot change the "More or Games" menu items.

 

[Dadeo]

Hi thoath - just to add to what TLD said - topbar is disabled in the Basic Home window. But you can change it easily in the BasicHome.xml file at the top where it says <disabletopbar>yes</disabletopbar> (change it to no) You probably want to change your mod in the aMPed\Layouts\BasicHome subfolder as well.
If you are using a mouse, you might find Vintage Basic Home layout works better on 4x3. It's difficult to open submenus on revaMPed layout with a mouse.
If you need more help - the wiki docs for aMPed Basic Home Editor might provide some answers.

Edit: you cannot change the "More or Games" menu items.

You can't? I am pretty sure I have. You should be able to. Of course that applies only to revaMPed layout.

 

[TLD]

Doesn't change for me and i'm using RevaMPed, i'd love to get rid of the games menu as i don't have any games in MP.

Edit: I'm wrong just tried it and it changed, could have sword that i tried before and it wouldn't change.

 

[Dadeo]

Heh, heh - I get to tease you some more Perhaps you tried to modify revaMPed itself and save it under the same name? You can't overwrite revaMPed, you have to save any mod under a new name.

Yeah I removed the Games and More menus for 3.4 as there are very few games left that support 1.2.x (and probably will be less for 1.3.x)
So I was able to add Pictures to main level, with games and miscellaneous plugins on the sub menu, and Plugins to main level with system related plugins on sub menu (like UpdateControl, HTPC Info, Programs etc) So the main revamped layout only has two levels now

I have moved the Settings option (and Extensions plugin when there are no Updates available) to the Actions menu because Settings (and Extensions settings) will be a lot more useful/developed in 1.3.0 and I wanted it to be more obvious/accessible.

 

[thoath]

Hi TLD,

thanks for Your answer. Some things works some things not. I can now change the windows.
- But how I can know, whether the window is an realy existing plugin or only a window without functions?
- Is it possible to change the name of a menu?
- I can change the menu to "Music", but nothing happens if I use it in MP. How is the technical name of the myMusic-Plugin. I also cannot find it in MP Extension Installer. How can I install again?

Hi Dadeo,

I changed <disabletopbar>yes</disabletopbar> to <disabletopbar>no</disabletopbar> but nothing happens.
What can I do?
Best regards

thoath

 

[Dadeo]

hi thoth - topbar only displays when you move your mouse to the top of the screen. Do you mean when you do that it still does not display? If so, check if the Topbar plugin is enabled in MP Configuration > Plugins (it normally is enabled by default)

About Basic Home editor - all the items in the drop down menu (when you are choosing a menu/item) are valid plugins (only the ones you have installed and enabled), EXCEPT Games and More, although you can select a hyperlink. even for those in Advanced options if you wish. A hyperlink is just the window ID, which you can usually find in the skin xml file at the top. However, you don't have to do that - the Editor normally inserts the hyperlink and text label for you when you select a window/plugin from the drop down list. The Advanced Settings are there in case you wish to customize even more. So yes you can change the name that displays for any Menu/item by entering whatever you wish in the Label/ID field in Advanced Settings for the Menu/item. That is all documented in the wiki, is it really that unclear?

Music is installed with MediaPortal. As long as you did not disable it in MP Configuration > Plugins it should work. If you go to the Classic Home screen (press H on keyboard, or usually green key on remote) and select Music does it work from there?

Note that 'Music' is the MP Music feature, while 'Music Menu' is aMPed's music menu - usually used with Vintage Basic Home layout but can be used in revaMPed as well. It is enabled by default.

If you still have trouble, attach the BasicHome.xml of your mod and I can take a look and maybe figure out why it isn't working.

EDIT: I should add that IF you select an item that is not a plugin (like Games or More) it will display in Blue text in the main Editor window once you add it, so you will always know if a Menu item does not link to a window/plugin.

 

[thoath]

Hi Dadeo,
Thanks for your detailed help.

- Top bar:
The top bar works now fine. After several reboots of MP I could use the mouseover on the top. Very nice.

- Home Basic Editor:
Thanks for the tip. I'm in the beginning was a bit confused, because in the standard menu after installing were linked some plugins that I had not installed (eg Chess). So I did not know where they come from, because I can not even choose. It would perhaps be better to make the initial filling only with the standard plug-ins.

- Menu-name:
Sorry, where can I change the menu names, I still do not know. In the advanced options I only can see:
Label ID: 3
Window ID: 6
Hover Image: hover_my Videos.png
Where can I change the name? This is unfortunately not in the wiki.
What is the function of label ID:

- Music
Yes, I had disabled the music plugin, I do not know why. After Reactivating, I could also assign the plugin to the node . this works well.

Best regards
Thomas

 

[Dadeo]

Great you got some things sorted Thomas. It always takes time with a new app, especially one as detailed as MediaPortal.

Label IDs are how MediaPortal translates labels/text strings into different languages. In the MediaPortal\language folder you will find 'strings' files such as strings_en.xml for English, or strings_de.xml for German translations. So ID 3 links to <String id="3" prefix="My ">Videos</String> in those strings files. I try to use Label IDs wherever they exist so that labels auto translate into different languages. However, sometimes there are no label IDs. So, you can always just enter whatever text you like in the Label ID field to either customize the label or translate it if your language is not supported. That's all you have to do to change the Menu Item text to whatever you want.

The wiki does refer to the Label ID, but you are right, it really doesn't make that very clear. Thanks for pointing that out, I added some more explanation (under Edit Item - Advanced button). Let me know if you think that is clearer.

I have thought about adding only 'standard' items to the default Basic Home Layouts, but everyone has a different idea about what is 'standard' . So I decided it is easier to remove items you don't need/use than to add them. Also, it provides an overview of most of the plugins supported by aMPed, and let's new users know what is available. You're right it is a bit confusing, because you see the items and don't know why they don't work (or if it is a bug!) I wanted to display items not installed or enabled in a different color, or greyed out a bit, but I haven't been able to get that to work... yet!

 

[thoath]

It's Great, the renaming works and I understand the changed Wiki-Text.
Thanks for Your help, thanks for the skin.