Customising home screen menu items?

[xbs]

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<control type="button" id="90163">
    <include>ButtonHomeSubCommonValues</include>
    <label>Documentary</label>
    <onclick>ActivateWindow(VideoFiles,Documentary,return)</onclick>
 </control>

In Videos files > add Source (with documentaries) and name the source Documentary.

[byron]

AFAIK Video Library is for Movies and TV Shows... not sure if you can have Documentaries in Library mode.

I think you're right about that (from the wiki):

Library.HasContent(string)
Returns true if the XBMC libraries have the content from string. Valid Strings are (Video, Music, Movies, TVShows, MusicVideos, MovieSets)

I wasn't thinking about that, but I just tried the above method with one of my SMB shares and it worked fine, thanks for straightening it out

@ Truman...I might have misunderstood what you were looking for, but if you want this on the "Videos" submenu, just restore the original file and add the above button (with an unassigned id like 90199) to HomeSubMenuVideos instead. On the plus side you have it scanned into your library now

[Truman]

Code: Select all

<control type="button" id="90163">
    <include>ButtonHomeSubCommonValues</include>
    <label>Documentary</label>
    <onclick>ActivateWindow(VideoFiles,Documentary,return)</onclick>
 </control>

In Videos files > add Source (with documentaries) and name the source Documentary.

That is exactly what Ive done XBS. Added a source and browsed to my documentaries folder. Named it Documentary. But when I go into movies>Documentary its just a blank window.
I also tried

<onclick>ActivateWindow(Videos,Documentary,return)</onclick>
and
<onclick>ActivateWindow(VideoLibrary,Documentary,return)</onclick>

[Truman]

AFAIK Video Library is for Movies and TV Shows... not sure if you can have Documentaries in Library mode.

I think you're right about that (from the wiki):

Library.HasContent(string)
Returns true if the XBMC libraries have the content from string. Valid Strings are (Video, Music, Movies, TVShows, MusicVideos, MovieSets)

I wasn't thinking about that, but I just tried the above method with one of my SMB shares and it worked fine, thanks for straightening it out

@ Truman...I might have misunderstood what you were looking for, but if you want this on the "Videos" submenu, just restore the original file and add the above button (with an unassigned id like 90199) to HomeSubMenuVideos instead. On the plus side you have it scanned into your library now

Byron,

I actually wanted to put this on the main menu so I have weather, pictures, vidoes, movies, tvshows, documentaries etc etc.

If thats not possible then the first sub menu would have done. If I put it under HomeSubMenuVideos instead will it work as so far it doesnt seem to be working in the movies sub menu for some reason.

Thanks again for your help.

[skatulskijean]

i have not look but will the way from main xbmc over smartplaylists not work?

Here the HOW-TO

http://forum.xbmc.org/showthread.php?tid=89678

Here Smartplaylist examples from xbmc4xbox Wiki

http://www.xbmc4xbox.org.uk/wiki/Playli ... t_Examples

Regards Jan

[EFORCE]

Main menu Movies points to

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<onclick>ActivateWindow(VideoLibrary,Movies,return)</onclick>

i.e. Movies node

Videos submenu Movies points to

Code: Select all

<onclick>ActivateWindow(VideoLibrary,MovieTitles,return)</onclick>

i.e. Movies title (node)

To add a documentary button to main menu you need to add a button in home.xml pointing to 'VideoFiles,Documentary'.
Next you need to add a video source named it Documentary (folder name/path can be anything).

Code: Select all

<onclick>ActivateWindow(VideoFiles,Documentary,return)</onclick>

It's much easier to add the Documentary folder/path to Favourites

THANKS XBS, I was able to edit the includes_home.xml for Transparency! succesfully. I use movies in library mode, but TV Shows and Clips in file mode. With this change when I open TV Shows, it brings me directly to the TV Shows source and for Clips it opens my music DVD source.
Great stuff!!!! I could have added them to the favourties, but I am a sucker for customizing the backgrounds for each home button based on the content, so now it all works...

[byron]

@Truman...did you rename your smb folder to documentary? And it should be possible what you were suggesting. ..

Actually, I feel bad for wasting your time try this. Just make sure that the smb folder is labeled "documentary." Also if you want to change the actual menu label or move it to a different spot that's fine, but the smb folder name has to be "documentary"

[Truman]

Byron,

Don't feel bad mate you've helped me out a lot and certainly haven't wasted my time. I appreciate the help.

Okay that worked and I now have Documentary in the home menu screen...except it says Documentary | Documentary and scrolls across.

But if I enter Documentary I still get a blank folder. I went into Videos>add source and re-added my documentary folder from my smb shared drive. I named it Documentary. i scanned it in but still no luck when I try to enter it from my new main menu button titled Documentary.

[byron]

I know it works because I tried it on my version of conflunce lite...is there content available if you click on the actual folder in video files?

[Truman]

Yes if I go to video>files>documentary I see all of my documentarys and can play them no problems.

The debug log doesnt tell me much either. (I just pasted the relevant section.)

DEBUG: Instantiating addon using automatically obtained id of "script.xbmcbackup" dependent on version 2.1.0 of the xbmc.python api
13:19:55 T:3043590144 DEBUG: CGUIMediaWindow::GetDirectory (Documentary)
13:19:55 T:3043590144 DEBUG: ParentPath = [Documentary/]
13:19:55 T:3043590144 ERROR: GetDirectory - Error getting Documentary
13:19:55 T:3043590144 ERROR: CGUIMediaWindow::GetDirectory(Documentary) failed
13:19:55 T:3043590144

[Dom DXecutioner]

here's a suggestion...

assuming that you're using the library mode and you have scanned the items to your library; you can then place a "debug" label in your MyVideoNav.xml like so:

Code: Select all

		<control type="label">		<!-- [DEBUG.LABEL] -->
			<posy>690</posy>
			<posx>0</posx>
			<width>1280</width>
			<height>28</height>
			<align>center</align>
			<aligny>center</aligny>
			<font>font.12.bold</font>
			<textcolor>white</textcolor>
			<label>FolderPath: $INFO[Container.FolderPath] | FolderName: $INFO[Container.FolderName]</label>
		</control>

then navigate to your library hub and select movies, then genres and then documentary... at this point you will be shown all of your movies in the documentary genre; the debug label will show the path within the database, which begins with videodb://, as displayed in the screenshot i've attached...

the next step will be to make the OnClick of the button as follows:

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<onclick>XBMC.ActivateWindow(VideoLibrary,videodb://1/1/22/)</onclick>

and you should be good to go... you can do this with any genre in your library!

just my 2 cents

[byron]

@truman...try downloading that again and reinstalling it and see if that works, I also fixed the text over run.

@dom...that's pretty slick, I wanna pick your brain on that one

[Truman]

@truman...try downloading that again and reinstalling it and see if that works, I also fixed the text over run.

@dom...that's pretty slick, I wanna pick your brain on that one

My 13 year old son actually suggested how to fix the text over run. He said maybe the words too long so I changed the label to docos and its good now. But will use your file again as I would rather it say Documentarys.

Thanks once again for all your help Byron.

[byron]

no worries, yea I just made all of the label widths a tad larger....after you reinstall that file give it a reboot as well

[Truman]

here's a suggestion...

assuming that you're using the library mode and you have scanned the items to your library; you can then place a "debug" label in your MyVideoNav.xml like so:

Code: Select all

		<control type="label">		<!-- [DEBUG.LABEL] -->
			<posy>690</posy>
			<posx>0</posx>
			<width>1280</width>
			<height>28</height>
			<align>center</align>
			<aligny>center</aligny>
			<font>font.12.bold</font>
			<textcolor>white</textcolor>
			<label>FolderPath: $INFO[Container.FolderPath] | FolderName: $INFO[Container.FolderName]</label>
		</control>

then navigate to your library hub and select movies, then genres and then documentary... at this point you will be shown all of your movies in the documentary genre; the debug label will show the path within the database, which begins with videodb://, as displayed in the screenshot i've attached...

the next step will be to make the OnClick of the button as follows:

Code: Select all

<onclick>XBMC.ActivateWindow(VideoLibrary,videodb://1/1/22/)</onclick>

and you should be good to go... you can do this with any genre in your library!

just my 2 cents

Dom,

Thanks for the information. The problem is if I navigate to my library hub and select movies, then genres and then documentary... at this point you will be shown all of your movies in the documentary genre, I only see 3 documentaries that are actually located in my movies folder and must have xml data that tag them as docos. (Im guessing thats how genres are detected and filtered)

All of my docos are in their own folder and are a mixture of both a series of tv shows such as Brew masters part 1-6 or a single movie that was a doco such as "A world without oil". Ive just placed them all into the one folder and called it documentarys.
Is there an easy way to fix this?

[byron]

so did that work? I was thinking you should also replace the IncludesHomeSubMenuItem with the original as well. Keep in mind that I was not using this in library mode

[Truman]

so did that work? I was thinking you should also replace the IncludesHomeSubMenuItem with the original as well. Keep in mind that I was not using this in library mode

Ive already replaced IncludeshomeSubMenuItem with the original one just to take it back to basics again.

I added your updated home.xml file and it now displays Documentarys properly in the home menu. Bu unfortunately I still cant get it to link to my actual documentarys.

Thanks anyway for trying to help out.

[skatulskijean]

so did that work? I was thinking you should also replace the IncludesHomeSubMenuItem with the original as well. Keep in mind that I was not using this in library mode

Ive already replaced IncludeshomeSubMenuItem with the original one just to take it back to basics again.

I added your updated home.xml file and it now displays Documentarys properly in the home menu. Bu unfortunately I still cant get it to link to my actual documentarys.

Thanks anyway for trying to help out.

You ask and will not have a Solution!
The way is simple you must create a Smartplaylistplaylist for your documentary !!

A Howto is on the link from my post before!!

Regards Jan

[skatulskijean]

so did that work? I was thinking you should also replace the IncludesHomeSubMenuItem with the original as well. Keep in mind that I was not using this in library mode

Ive already replaced IncludeshomeSubMenuItem with the original one just to take it back to basics again.

I added your updated home.xml file and it now displays Documentarys properly in the home menu. Bu unfortunately I still cant get it to link to my actual documentarys.

Thanks anyway for trying to help out.

You ask and will not have a Solution!
The way is simple you must create a Smartplaylistplaylist for your documentary !!

A Howto is on the link from my post before!!

As example look on the confluence mod (madmax for main xbmc) https://github.com/mad-max/skin.moddedconfluence
he have add a playlist folder on the skin with the smartplaylists for example doku on it under backgrunds you have the background for the Doku!

it s give a newer confluence mode for frodo(main xbmc) the base is confluence light and it have to the documentary on it!

Regards Jan

[byron]

@jan...that's really good info, I must have looked over that post earlier (thanks for the link). The thing that's bugging me is that I didn't do any of that and I can still select the home Doc's button that I made, and it takes me into the smb folder that i created (with content). So as cool as that is, I didn't need to do that in order to link the folder and the menu button. It's really messing with me because Truman and I both have the same Home.xml file, but mine works and his doesn't (I even tried this approach with another skin today and it was also successful). This is why messing with skins drives you nuts

@Truman...I don't mind helping if I can, but it really bugs me that my button was successful and yours wasn't (especially because we both have the same button). I just flat out don't get it, you should have content in that folder by clicking on the home menu documentary button. Anyway...

It's much easier to add the Documentary folder/path to Favourites