thumbs folder (1 Viewer)

[kyleh0000]

Hi all,

im looking for a bit of help, im currently working on a mod a skin and i want to use some imaged from the thumbs directory

now if i put the full path of the files in it works fine (ie c:\program data\team mediaportal\mediaportal\thumbs\artists\someartists.jpg)

however in xp the thumbs path is different to vista, and for some people its in a different location all together

is there a variable I can use or a way to find the thumbs folder from with the skin files?

thanks in advance!

 

[citizenkeys]

I thought of doing something similar, but it can't realistically be done.

The reason is because MediaPortal needs to cache all the skin images when it loads.
So you can't use those folder images dynamically.
Plus, MediaPortal has its own naming the cached folder images when you access them the first time, and there's no way to know the filenames.

 

[Dadeo]

I just used two controls one for Vista and one for XP. Since a user will not have both, only one will display. I'm still getting users to test it, but it seems to be working OK. I don't know any way to specify multiple paths, nor have I found a way to enter a variable for [userdata] folder in a skin xml file, and I have been asking for a while now!

EDIT: I am hoping that in MP 1.1.0, when skin files move to the [userdata] folder that we can use \..\ to reference other folders in the [userdata] folder.

EDIT2: citizenkeys - I believe MP only caches .png images, and only the ones in the main skin folder, not the .jpg files in the thumbs folder in [userdata]. I have referenced them in a few cases without difficulties (YET!). I have not encountered any memory problems either, unless using a multiimage code on a folder with a ton of huge files in it. Reducing the resolution/filesize of images does improve performance condiserably though.

 

[citizenkeys]

i was trying to figure out a folder image caching issue earlier and ended up clearing something like 3000 cached folder.jpg's out of:
C:\Documents and Settings\All Users\Application Data\Team MediaPortal\MediaPortal\thumbs\Music


they were all named sequencially. so folder.jpg's are definately cached.

 

[kyleh0000]

cool well thanks for everyone help i guess ill just put in to controls one for XP and the other for vista

cheers

KYLe

 

[petrovice]

plz take a look at the NowPlaying XML from theatre skin. Nanogod is using the Cache Folder image from an artist to view it in the background. Works under XP and Vista without modifications!

Regards,
Peter

 

[Dadeo]

Actually Peter, theatre does not get my images in Vista. Both the nowplaying xmls (MyMusicPlayingNow.xml and MyMusicPlayingNow2.xml) use the XP path and the Vista path is not listed anywhere! But it is the same idea as what I did in aMPed except I put both controls - for XP and Vista in the same xml.

 

[petrovice]

That is very strange Running theatre without any modifications under Vista and almost all pictures are shown. Only if the artist tagname can´t be found in the cache folder i.e. songs from a soundtrack, then no image can be found. Nanogod uses the string %ArtistName%L.jpg - maybe you´re tags are not alright or the image is missing.

 

[Dadeo]

Now I am getting really confused LOL! AFAIK you cannot use "%ArtistName%L.jpg" as code in an xml - MP will not recognize the variable, or were you just using that to indicate the variable? The actual code used in my version of theatre's MyMusicPlayingNow.xml is #Play.Current.ArtistL.jpg and the path specified is C:\Documents and Settings\All Users\Application Data\Team MediaPortal\MediaPortal\thumbs\Music\Artists\

My artist images in Vista are in C:\ProgramData\Team MediaPortal\MediaPortal\thumbs\Music\Artists\%ArtistName%L.jpg I get all the images showing in aMPed, but not in Theatre? Go figure. Perhaps you have a more up to date version of theatre? I'd really like to figure out how your images are showing in Vista! Can you post the MyMusicPlayingNow.xml you are using, and maybe try this one to see if it also works for you?

Anyway, we are slipping a bit off topic - I don't want to focus the discussion on theatre skin (which I love BTW) rather on the way(s) to reference images from the [userdata] thumbs folder as I think it can be a valuable addition to any skin.

Maybe we should just ask Nanogod what he did - nah, too easy LOL!

 

[petrovice]

Sorry, I don´t want to confuse you. This example "%ArtistName%L.jpg" was from programming point of view to show you how the filename of the image must be in thumbs folder.

I thought that this could be the answer to your problem, because it works under xp(nanogod) and vista(my system). My Vista Path to the thumbs is equal to yours "C:\ProgramData\Team MediaPortal\MediaPortal\thumbs\Music\Artists\%ArtistName%L.jpg" and my version of MyMusicPlayingNow.xml is also equal.
If I copy and paste the XP Path into the Windows Explorer, I am getting to my thumbs folder from MP.