SageMC Import - iMovies Beta 1

[Technophobe]

O.K. Brah…,

I downloaded your work and I must say that you are defiantly on to something here. GREAT WORK! I understand this is more of a concept and not by any means a final draft and as you wanted some productive input as opposed to criticism.

FIRST OFF… let me first say again, Great work.

1) I would like to see the last video in my collection to the left of the first video of my collection on the opening screen.

2) Implementing concept #1. I would like the ability to scowl backward starting from the first video in my collection on the opening screen. Catch my drift?

3) The ability to choose the size of the video in focus independent of the other videos. And I would like that to include the ability to enlarge the video in Focus to any size I want, even if it requires that the video in focus “OVERLAP “in front the other videos on the screen. (I have Hi resolution Images and could enjoy being able to utilize that fact.) I can totally understand those people who have low resolution film covers – not wanting to exaggerate the horror of the quality, but you are trying to make this for everybody)… right?

4) The ability to change the size of the other video’s independent of the video in focus.

5) The ability to scroll left and right using the wheel of the mouse.

6) the ability to select a video with a pointing device, e.g. A mouse point and click,

7) The ability to scroll by page increments [page left] and [page right ] by (keyboard) and (remote control)

8) I think I would like to see the video list more in the center of the screen.( Perhaps that’s more nagging than productive). Better Yet… The ability to move the entire row up or down as a group. This is great so we can change the Themes of the entire program and readjust this particular screen (in the same manner in which we can adjust icons on the main screen)

9) Going back to Idea number 3 – allow us the ability to also reposition the FONT hire or lower. So if we make the video in focus very large, the text won’t be blocked by the Video in Focus. Or easier yet. Make sure the Text layer remain to the foremost front as so if we enlarge the Video in focus very large, the Text will remain Visible.

That’s my wish list….

I’ve read that some of these things have already been coded so… well… I understand

VERY NICE WORK OVERALL - As it stands now... I would still use and enjoy it.

Technophobe

[Skirge01]

Originally Posted by jvl711

Sorry, yes I meant left/right scroll is already coded. I just have left scrolling disabled because people seem to like the left as back. This will be an option in the next release.

Would it make more sense if I only allowed going all the way up to close the menu but going all the way down would wrap focus back to the top of the options menu?

Thank you for your input.

Admittedly, I have not used this yet, but I'm very interested in it. I'm also thinking about using this with my Harmony 880, so buttons may be slightly different for everyone. I think you'll understand my logic, though, even if you don't agree with it! I've got a couple of ideas to throw out:

o Why should you need to push DOWN to get the alphabetical list? What about just pressing the numbers or letters on the remote causing it to pop up? Then, it disappears after a user selectable period of time? This frees up a directional key to perhaps pull up a quick summary of the selected movie or something.

o Counter to the above idea, what about simply using the numbers/letters on the remote directly from the movie list to jump to that letter? Or to pop up a list of letters/numbers from that key to select from?

o Building on the previous one, what about having it begin filtering based on intelligent text typing. So, pressing 223 would slim the list to movies that started with ADD, BAD, CAD, etc.

o To back out of the iMovies menu, what about using UP to bring up the filters and add a "back" button to get out? It could even be the default selection. To leave iMovies with that configuration, you'd hit UP, OK.

o I like the idea of channel +/- to move through the filter menus. If you add a scroll bar on the right, it'd make it pretty obvious, but would also cause people to think DOWN would scroll down one line. Which leads to...

o Add a CLOSE, ACCEPT, or OK button to get out of the filter menu. This frees up DOWN for what it should be for: moving around.

o Are you planning to use an INFO button of some sort to display movie info? If not, that could also be used for bringing up the filter menu, which would free up that UP button for going to the BACK icon to back out of iMovies. There's also the MENU button, if you don't want to use the INFO button.

Regardless of what anyone thinks of my ideas, I'm still very happy to see this being done.

[Skirge01]

Originally Posted by jvl711

Would you mind showing me your entries for the dynamic menus that filter out the video library. I would like to add this feature, I am just not sure how it is currently being done. Does anyone know how the dynamic menus pass the filters?

Thanks for the good suggestions!

I've been posting in this thread regarding the filtering capabilities of SageMC and how I've implemented them.

[jvl711]

Originally Posted by Technophobe

O.K. Brah…,

I downloaded your work and I must say that you are defiantly on to something here. GREAT WORK! I understand this is more of a concept and not by any means a final draft and as you wanted some productive input as opposed to criticism.

FIRST OFF… let me first say again, Great work.

1) I would like to see the last video in my collection to the left of the first video of my collection on the opening screen.

2) Implementing concept #1. I would like the ability to scowl backward starting from the first video in my collection on the opening screen. Catch my drift?

3) The ability to choose the size of the video in focus independent of the other videos. And I would like that to include the ability to enlarge the video in Focus to any size I want, even if it requires that the video in focus “OVERLAP “in front the other videos on the screen. (I have Hi resolution Images and could enjoy being able to utilize that fact.) I can totally understand those people who have low resolution film covers – not wanting to exaggerate the horror of the quality, but you are trying to make this for everybody)… right?

4) The ability to change the size of the other video’s independent of the video in focus.

5) The ability to scroll left and right using the wheel of the mouse.

6) the ability to select a video with a pointing device, e.g. A mouse point and click,

7) The ability to scroll by page increments [page left] and [page right ] by (keyboard) and (remote control)

8) I think I would like to see the video list more in the center of the screen.( Perhaps that’s more nagging than productive). Better Yet… The ability to move the entire row up or down as a group. This is great so we can change the Themes of the entire program and readjust this particular screen (in the same manner in which we can adjust icons on the main screen)

9) Going back to Idea number 3 – allow us the ability to also reposition the FONT hire or lower. So if we make the video in focus very large, the text won’t be blocked by the Video in Focus. Or easier yet. Make sure the Text layer remain to the foremost front as so if we enlarge the Video in focus very large, the Text will remain Visible.

That’s my wish list….

I’ve read that some of these things have already been coded so… well… I understand

VERY NICE WORK OVERALL - As it stands now... I would still use and enjoy it.

Technophobe

Thanks for the positive feedback and all of the suggestions.

1) Wrapping the video list instead of it having an end... I will be doing this. I was going back and forth on the way it is now and wrapping.

2) Will do this if #1

3) I should be doing this at some point, but I am not sure which version. This would be a good bit of work.

4) Same as 3

5) I like this idea. I do not know if it is easy or not with the Sage API.

6) On my list to add. I always forget alot of the mouse click stuff because my main focus is HD100

7) Will be doing. I think this might be a necessity.

8) I will look into changing the position.

9) Same answer as 3

Thanks again for the feedback. I will try to implement as much of your suggestions as possible.

[jvl711]

Originally Posted by briands

Maybe you could use another key (Channel+/-) to cycle through the genre list. Then you could dsiplay the Genre name at the top of the screen in another rolling menu.

That is an interesting idea. I do not know about channel +/- because that is usually used for page up/ page down functionality. But maybe FF/REW.

I will keep this in mind. This would completely agree with my design.

[jmarti31]

Hi Everyone,

New to sage from media center and really like My Movies and think this might be a great alternative. But i am like Ghostlobster in a previous post in which i am not sure how this is set up.

Not sure how to define a new menu entry for the plugin. The screen is named iMovies."

How is this done?" Please help a newbie. Thanks

[jvl711]

Originally Posted by jmarti31

Hi Everyone,

New to sage from media center and really like My Movies and think this might be a great alternative. But i am like Ghostlobster in a previous post in which i am not sure how this is set up.

Not sure how to define a new menu entry for the plugin. The screen is named iMovies."

How is this done?" Please help a newbie. Thanks

Not using Dynamic Main Menus:
There are 6 custom menu items available in the Main Menu. You can assign any screen to be launched from one of these buttons.

1. Go To Settings->SageMC->Main->Screen Specific Options->Main Menu->Custom1 Menu Screen

2. An Option Menu will appear with a list of all of the screens that are available. Go To the bottom of the list and choose iMovies.

3. You Can rename the menu item with the Custom1 Menu Name.

4. Go To The Main Menu and open the options menu->Main Menu Options.

5. Select the Custom1 Menu to make it visible.

Using Dynamic Main Menus:
This allows for much more granular definition of menu items and sub-menus

1. Go To Main Menu->Options->Main Menu Options

2. New...->New Internal Screen

3. An Option Menu will appear with a list of all of the screens that are available. Go To the bottom of the list and choose iMovies.

4. Put in a name for the new menu item.

5. To save the changes to the menu go to File...->Save menu file.

6. If you would like you can save the menu file to a different name so that you can revert back to the old menu file if needed.


I hope this helps. I am not the best at giving detailed directions.

[Technophobe]

I think that the left and right motion of the drop down screen needs to be reversed. You know… the screen with the Category filter and file system filter, etc. When I [press right]… I want to naturally go to the [next screen on the right]. And when I [press left]… I want to naturally go to the [next screen on the left.] That’s the way you have programmed in the movie list so you might want to keep that consistant through out the screen.

When selecting a movie you press right the then you go to the next movie on the right. You should hold that movement consistent in the drop down menu.

I know how difficult programming can be. You’ve obviously have placed a lot of thought and time into this screen. Sometimes a programmer needs to be told how fantastic their work is. Listening to everyone’s idea’s can be frustrating. Don’t let it get you down. You are doing great work here and people all around the world can see that!

Truth be told! As your work stands now… reversing the left and right functionality within the same screen is the only thing that truly bothers me as the other ideas are just icing on the cake.

[jmarti31]

Thanks jvl711 for your help. I will give it a try later tonight.

Don't know where us newbies would be without the help of experienced users like you. Thanks again and keep up the great work.

[VikingCrown]

jmarti,

I'm loving this plugin so far, I just have 1 question, is it possible to select a movie and then change its watched status? I have a bunch of movies that I have watched already, but not through sage. It would be nice to have a manual toggle to really make the watched/unwatched filter more efficient.

so far so good, keep it up and i'm really excited to see the next version of this plugin. if you're looking for anyone to test it out, keep me in mind.

~ Brian

[jvl711]

Originally Posted by VikingCrown

jmarti,

I'm loving this plugin so far, I just have 1 question, is it possible to select a movie and then change its watched status? I have a bunch of movies that I have watched already, but not through sage. It would be nice to have a manual toggle to really make the watched/unwatched filter more efficient.

so far so good, keep it up and i'm really excited to see the next version of this plugin. if you're looking for anyone to test it out, keep me in mind.

~ Brian

This feature has been on my list. It should be in the next beta release.

Thanks to everyone for all of their input and positive feedback. If you still have ideas keep it coming. I am trying to add as many of the request as possible.

[jvl711]

I have added a lot of the features that all of you have requested. I wanted to give you guys a quick preview of what is coming in the next release.

1. Full customization of icons, title and other objects... Plus many more options
2. Parameter passing from the Dynamic Main Menus for different filter options
3. Wrapped navigation of the movie icons

Here are a few quick screen shots.

[jaminben]

Whoa, that is looking really nice. Can't wait to give it a whirl

[swats]

Agreed-- great job! I was holding off on the first release but I am SO downloading this when you finish!

[PGPfan]

WOW, Bravo on a marvelous job with this plug-in! Can't wait to try it out!
Just curious, about how long did it take you to get past the Studio learning curve? Any tips for those of us well intention amateurs looking to learn?

-PGPfan

[jvl711]

Originally Posted by PGPfan

WOW, Bravo on a marvelous job with this plug-in! Can't wait to try it out!
Just curious, about how long did it take you to get past the Studio learning curve? Any tips for those of us well intention amateurs looking to learn?

-PGPfan

Thanks for the feedback...

I feel I must preface that I am a programmer by trade, and have been seriously programming for close to a decade, and program in close to a dozen different languages.

Studio was very intimidating. The first read thru of the manual and toying with Studio left me confused. So I put it down for a long time, and just followed the forums.

Once I figured out what gkusnick import tools did I started to feel like I might be able to make an import. I started with the stock manager plugin, which started out slow. The multi dimensional tables confused the hell out of me. But by the time I created the second version I think I found my groove, and it started to become a lot easier. Gkusnick studio tools are must have in my opinion.

[jaminben]

Originally Posted by PGPfan

Just curious, about how long did it take you to get past the Studio learning curve? Any tips for those of us well intention amateurs looking to learn?

-PGPfan

I'm also a keen amateur but with no exprience in programming at all (electrician by trade) and its very difficult learning from scratch but not impossible. In the last 6 weeks or so I've managed to create my own menu and even add a few animations, not rocket science but still progress.
I have to admit my best skill is copying and pasting which often breaks things but also allows me to see how those things work. I'd say if your keen and you want to contribute then its worth taking the time to learn as it can be very satisfying and rewarding when you make something work or look better.

One tip I would offer is take lots of breaks as it can be seriously frustrating.

Ben

[thecgmguy]

Hiya,

I'm definitely looking forward to trying out the new release when it comes out... I just have a few questions...

Where does it find the dvd covers? Am I going to need to download and/or scan these? How does it associate video files with the covers?

Thanks,

-M

[jvl711]

Originally Posted by thecgmguy

Hiya,

I'm definitely looking forward to trying out the new release when it comes out... I just have a few questions...

Where does it find the dvd covers? Am I going to need to download and/or scan these? How does it associate video files with the covers?

Thanks,

-M

It does not automatically grad cover art. It uses the cover art that is stored or pointed to by the sage database. You can either manually add cover art by the procedures that are outlined in the SageTV manual, or you can use one of the many plugins that are available to grad the coverart from the internet.

I have thought of adding some automated data lookups into the plugin, but this would be a future enhancement. Sorry, I know it is a pain to lookup all of the cover art.

[Cutty Shark]

Would it be possible to add a Custom Sort? Something like this.

Sort by Date added?
Last 10/20/30 movies added?

Something like that. That was one of the Nice features of MyMovies for MCE. Add a DVD and it was at the top of the list.

Edit: Btw...LOVE the feel of this interface. It looks and feels smooth. Although i have to agree with above poster about the left right movement of the dropdown menu. Great work, the kids and Sig O love it.