FanArt for SageMC - Tutorial & Finding Images

[babgvant]

next rev - http://babgvant.com/files/folders/sa...ntry11528.aspx

[mp328]

i cant get the settings to accept any folder, does the folder have to exist, why doesnt it accept it if the folder does not exist and just create a new folder??

i wanna try it out, but no matter what folder i typed in it's always some kind of error there

[babgvant]

The folder has to exist, it shouldn't let you save settings if it doesn't.

Double click the textbox to open a folder brower dialog to select the folder (you can create it using that).

It will create the subfolders if they don't exist.

[Brent]

Originally Posted by babgvant

The application automatically appends the child folder based on media type (I'd like to eventually support TV and Music, that's why it's designed in that way).

Looks like Brent used Movies in his write up (I was using Movie), so I'll change it for the next rev.

I get the following in my log - showing a similar error:

2008-12-28 11:29:23.59 : WS: http://localhost:8129/sage/home
2008-12-28 11:29:25.02 : Fanart Dir: \\Mediaserver\HMedia\Fanart
2008-12-28 11:29:25.02 : Media Path: \\MEDIASERVER\TMedia\Movies\10 Items Or Less\Video_TS Title: 10 Items or Less SafeTitle: 10 Items or Less
2008-12-28 11:29:25.34 : Error ScanMediaDoWork: System.Net.WebException: An exception occurred during a WebClient request. ---> System.IO.DirectoryNotFoundException: Could not find a part of the path '\\Mediaserver\HMedia\Movies\10 Items or Less.jpg'.
   at System.IO.__Error.WinIOError(Int32 errorCode, String maybeFullPath)
   at System.IO.FileStream.Init(String path, FileMode mode, FileAccess access, Int32 rights, Boolean useRights, FileShare share, Int32 bufferSize, FileOptions options, SECURITY_ATTRIBUTES secAttrs, String msgPath, Boolean bFromProxy)
   at System.IO.FileStream..ctor(String path, FileMode mode, FileAccess access)
   at System.Net.WebClient.DownloadFile(Uri address, String fileName)
   --- End of inner exception stack trace ---
   at System.Net.WebClient.DownloadFile(Uri address, String fileName)
   at System.Net.WebClient.DownloadFile(String address, String fileName)
   at babgvant.MetaDataLookup.ScanMedia.SaveFileResource(String resUrl, String fileName)
   at babgvant.MetaDataLookup.ScanMedia.bwFindProperties_DoWork(Object sender, DoWorkEventArgs e)
2008-12-28 11:29:25.34 : Error: System.Net.WebException: An exception occurred during a WebClient request. ---> System.IO.DirectoryNotFoundException: Could not find a part of the path '\\Mediaserver\HMedia\Movies\10 Items or Less.jpg'.
   at System.IO.__Error.WinIOError(Int32 errorCode, String maybeFullPath)
   at System.IO.FileStream.Init(String path, FileMode mode, FileAccess access, Int32 rights, Boolean useRights, FileShare share, Int32 bufferSize, FileOptions options, SECURITY_ATTRIBUTES secAttrs, String msgPath, Boolean bFromProxy)
   at System.IO.FileStream..ctor(String path, FileMode mode, FileAccess access)
   at System.Net.WebClient.DownloadFile(Uri address, String fileName)
   --- End of inner exception stack trace ---
   at System.Net.WebClient.DownloadFile(Uri address, String fileName)
   at System.Net.WebClient.DownloadFile(String address, String fileName)
   at babgvant.MetaDataLookup.ScanMedia.SaveFileResource(String resUrl, String fileName)
   at babgvant.MetaDataLookup.ScanMedia.bwFindProperties_DoWork(Object sender, DoWorkEventArgs e)

Is that because I'm using Movies instead of Movie as my subdirectory name?

[babgvant]

did you pull down 1.0.0.2? I changed it to use Movies.

[Brent]

Originally Posted by babgvant

did you pull down 1.0.0.2? I changed it to use Movies.

Actually yes - that's the version I was using from the log above. So it must be something else I did wrong...

[MeInMaui]

I'm working on fixing up some issues with fanart support and I'd like to add some new features. Unfortunately it is getting difficult to deal with supporting fanart in both a central location and placed with the media files.

So I propose dropping support for placement of fanart with media files and just keeping the central location. Further, I'd like to hard code the TV, Music and Movies subdirectories for each type of fanart. Any thoughts and suggestions are welcome. Thanks.

Aloha,
Mike

[jaminben]

Originally Posted by MeInMaui

Any thoughts and suggestions are welcome.

Hmmm, I currently use both methods to view fanart. Movies, Music and TV shows work fine using the central location but if I aquire a tv show from other sources it usually comes in the format of chuck.s02e06.720p.hdtv.x264-ctu which I just dump in the respective tv show folder. So for fanart to work in this case I have to place background.jpeg in the tv show folder and not the central location.

This is the only issue with removing the local folder option for me and not a massive problem but its still gonna be a pain in the rectum to rename each file every time.

Regards

Ben

[babgvant]

Originally Posted by MeInMaui

I'm working on fixing up some issues with fanart support and I'd like to add some new features. Unfortunately it is getting difficult to deal with supporting fanart in both a central location and placed with the media files.

So I propose dropping support for placement of fanart with media files and just keeping the central location. Further, I'd like to hard code the TV, Music and Movies subdirectories for each type of fanart. Any thoughts and suggestions are welcome. Thanks.

Aloha,
Mike

Works for me.

[Brent]

Originally Posted by MeInMaui

I'm working on fixing up some issues with fanart support and I'd like to add some new features. Unfortunately it is getting difficult to deal with supporting fanart in both a central location and placed with the media files.

So I propose dropping support for placement of fanart with media files and just keeping the central location. Further, I'd like to hard code the TV, Music and Movies subdirectories for each type of fanart. Any thoughts and suggestions are welcome.

I'm okay with this and see why it would help with the coding. I have all of mine in a central location already - although as Ben notes below there are probably several who use the local option of storing fanart.

Originally Posted by jaminben

Hmmm, I currently use both methods to view fanart. Movies, Music and TV shows work fine using the central location but if I aquire a tv show from other sources it usually comes in the format of chuck.s02e06.720p.hdtv.x264-ctu which I just dump in the respective tv show folder. So for fanart to work in this case I have to place background.jpeg in the tv show folder and not the central location.

This is the only issue with removing the local folder option for me and not a massive problem but its still gonna be a pain in the rectum to rename each file every time.

I think the best way to handle this issue is to prepare for a move in the direction of using a central folder for all fanart, but also work towards using the IMDB database id's for the file names and probably use themoviedb.org API to access the metadata etc. While this could take more work on the front-end, it could also eliminate the "pain" required to rename fanart files to match your collection and make it easier for those who haven't done so yet.

I'm okay with just dumping the local fanart option, but thought I'd offer up a suggestion as a comprimise in case it was a possibility.

[KJake]

Originally Posted by mp328

i cant get the settings to accept any folder, does the folder have to exist, why doesnt it accept it if the folder does not exist and just create a new folder??

i wanna try it out, but no matter what folder i typed in it's always some kind of error there

try adding an http:// to the webserver address?

[KJake]

Originally Posted by babgvant

next rev - http://babgvant.com/files/folders/sa...ntry11528.aspx

It's working for me! Pretty cool, it actually grabbed a few that I didn't have yet and only made one mistake. Thanks!

[jaminben]

Originally Posted by Brent

but also work towards using the IMDB database id's for the file names and probably use themoviedb.org API to access the metadata etc.

Some other usefull links in the quest for better metadata are:-

http://www.thetvdb.com/
http://code.google.com/p/moviejukebox/

I'm sure your already aware of these but I thought I'd point them out anyway

[gatorwes]

Originally Posted by MeInMaui

I'm working on fixing up some issues with fanart support and I'd like to add some new features. Unfortunately it is getting difficult to deal with supporting fanart in both a central location and placed with the media files.

So I propose dropping support for placement of fanart with media files and just keeping the central location. Further, I'd like to hard code the TV, Music and Movies subdirectories for each type of fanart. Any thoughts and suggestions are welcome. Thanks.

Aloha,
Mike

While I will humbly accept whatever direction you take as I am very grateful for all of your work, I would prefer maintaining the status quo. I use centrally located fan art for TV and music, but I could not get this feature to work well with movies and after some thought decided I wouldn't want to use that feature anyway. The reason that I like fan art to be with my movie files is that as I periodically delete movies to maintain disk space, I delete an entire folder which "gets" the movie, cover, and background image. If the background images were all located centrally, I could readily imagine the folder getting large quickly with unneeded backgrounds and therefore requiring periodic maintenance. It just seems easier to me to have the fan art in the same folder as the movie. Yes, I realize the same issues exist with TV and music backgrounds, but the rate of "churning" is significantly less as I rarely delete music and TV shows have a longer life (multiple seasons).

My $0.02.

Wes Simmons

[babgvant]

New Rev: http://babgvant.com/files/folders/sa...ntry11528.aspx

1.0.0.3
- fixed issue when generating background path (Brent's issue)
- fixed a unicode issue

[Kirby]

Originally Posted by MeInMaui

So I propose dropping support for placement of fanart with media files and just keeping the central location. Further, I'd like to hard code the TV, Music and Movies subdirectories for each type of fanart. Any thoughts and suggestions are welcome. Thanks.

Aloha,
Mike

Is there any reason why TV and Movies sub-dirs cant be merged? That way movies you record will have fan art as well as movies that are imported.

[mp328]

well whatever issues i had with .2 release was fixed with .3

all working now

tnx for ur effort

[toricred]

Originally Posted by Kirby

Is there any reason why TV and Movies sub-dirs cant be merged? That way movies you record will have fan art as well as movies that are imported.

I'd like to second this. I never set up subdirectories for each and so all are in one folder for me. Since I don't have many movies I could do it, but it would be simpler to avoid if possible.

[babgvant]

Originally Posted by Kirby

Is there any reason why TV and Movies sub-dirs cant be merged? That way movies you record will have fan art as well as movies that are imported.

It's probably setup that way to avoid naming collisions (TV show, Music, or Movie with the same name).

[Kirby]

So then we have to duplicate all movie fanarts into the TV directory for any potential movies that are airing. Not ideal. I would rather have it scan both directories on a TV lookup, or just merge the two and be done with it. Just my opinion though.