STV: MalDude2 custom STV (V1.6 Feb 9)

[Opus4]

MalDude2 v1.6 STV - For SageTV v2.1 and v2.2

With nielm's STV for v2.0 and now Cayars' STV for v2.1+ containing everything, including the proverbial kitchen sink, I'm not too sure that this STV is needed by anyone, but here goes...

Once again, I have been out raiding other STVs and stealing others' hard work so that I could create something to call my own. The fact that those other people gave me permission to do so makes me feel a little better about it. MalDude2 combines all the features of malore's custom STV and some additional features that I find useful. This STV is only for SageTV versions 2.1 and 2.2.

(See the link at the top of this post for details and the file to download.)

Brief overview of MalDude2 STV Features:

• malore: All features of the Oct 15 2004 version of his STV.
  
• salsbst's Weather Report Suite is available from the Main Menu.
  
• malore's lists views have wrap-around scrolling enabled.
  
• The background image from the mlbdude2 STV has been used as the default background. The background image may be changed via the opus4/background property.
  
• The watched command can be used during video playback to toggle a recording’s watched status.
  
• The middle mouse button toggles play/pause during playback.
  
• The LiveTV Guide displays channel number & name on one line. The number of channel rows displayed in the LiveTV Guide is configurable in Detailed Setup -> Custom. (Uses the ui/epg_num_rows property.)
  
• There is an option to automatically reset the watched flag when an already-watched recording is played again. Enable in Detailed Setup -> Custom; uses the opus4/reset_watched_when_played property -- set it to true or false.
  
• The Favorite Details menu contains Timeslot and Watched Status options.
  
• My extended version of nielm's disk status bar can be displayed on the header bar above the menu title. Click on the bar to change its settings. Enable it in Detailed Setup -> Custom; uses the opus4/diskbar_enabled property -- set it to true or false.
  
  
• Use the Options command while in the LiveTV Guide menu for options to set the grid's rows count, column count, and font size.

Notes:

As before: I would like to thank malore, mlbdude, salsbst, and nielm (I hope I remembered everyone) for allowing me to plagiarize their STV work in this way, and for the assistance I received in doing so. And, of course: thanks for your hard work making all these useful features available in the first place!

History:

October 17, 2004 -- Version 1.0, initial release

October 18, 2004 -- Version 1.1, main changes:

• Fixed problem where the Detailed Setup -> Custom option to change the number of LiveTV Guide channel rows didn't take effect until restarting SageTV.
• New properties for malore’s custom lists:
  • multimenu_menu_font_style – font style for the menu lists; default: Bold
  • multimenu_menu_font_face – font used for the menu lists; default: Verdana
  • multimenu_description_font_style – font style for show descriptions; default: Bold
  • multimenu_description_font_face – font used for show descriptions; default: Verdana

October 26, 2004 -- Version 1.2, main changes:

• Fixed Favorite timeslots to show correct AM/PM choices. Noon is still displayed as “0PM”; should be fixed in a future SageTV release.
• Updated Weather Report Suite.

October 26, 2004 -- Version 1.3, main changes:

• Updated to be compatible with SageTV release 2.1.8 RC5.
• Found & updated the “About” pop-up on Main Menu to show the release date of the STV. (Use the Info command.)

October 28, 2004 -- Version 1.4, main changes:

• Updated to be compatible with SageTV release 2.1.9 RC6.
• SageTV RC6 update fixed Favorite timeslot display. Noon is now shown as “12PM”.

February 9, 2005 -- Version 1.6, main changes:

• Comskip might now be disabled during DVD playback.
• LiveTV Guide menu's Options dialog (use the Options command) now has options to set the grid's rows count, column count, and font size.
• New property:
  • opus4/ui/EPG_font_size - LiveTV Guide grid font size; default: 18

- Andy

[alon24]

Firstly I want to Thank u for a nice STV.

Since only in this sageTV version 2.1 do I have hebew support all the way it is nice to see that there is already a fine STV for it.

My problem is that in the regular TVGuide (when in overlay, no 3dacceleration), we see hebrew just fine.

But in the custom guides, we still see the names of the programs as a bunch of ?????? !.

is there a way for you to fix this, since SAGE have fixed it on their side already (the normal tvguide).

also, is there a way to add non english keyboard keys to where we seek our favorites?

I gather it souldn't be a very big addon, just change the labels and so we could seek for whows in hebrew

Thanks in advance

[malore]

How automatic was hebrew language support? Do you have to use certain fonts?

[alon24]

Did not have to change anything, just need to use overlay since in vmr (3daccelerate) it does display hebrew at all, just boxes.

[Opus4]

Originally Posted by alon24

But in the custom guides, we still see the names of the programs as a bunch of ?????? !.

Following malore's comments, this may be a matter of what font those screens use. If so, that might be fixable & could post an update if such a change works.

also, is there a way to add non english keyboard keys to where we seek our favorites?

Hmmm... I think that would be like trying to recreate all possible keys for all languages. Does it work to simply type in a name using the keyboard?

- Andy

[alon24]

hebrew was automaticly in so i guess its just a matter of fonts.
simply typing would be great.
another way to implement is just to add a "a,b,c,d,e.." in any lang, map this to the buttons, and then when clicked, just add that string to the search string.

but simple typing would be excelent.

hebrew fonts can be seen in font David (and others), maybe encoding needs to be taken into account (Cp1255 is ok), but as I said sage has this fixed on their end in 2.1

[Opus4]

alon24: check your PM and let me know what happens when you change the font. (Oh yeah -- don't forget to close SageTV to change the property.)

- Andy

[alon24]

Excelent.

This rocks.

now will it be possible for u to add the option for me to write (in hebrew) in the search fields?

right now it shows nothing when i write in hebrew, and ok when I write in english.

alon24

[Shuyun]

Opus4,

What are the chances of getting commercial skip in this skin?

Thanks,
Shuyun

[stanger89]

It's in there already. You just have to download the comskip exe.

[malore]

Originally Posted by Shuyun

Opus4,

What are the chances of getting commercial skip in this skin?

Thanks,
Shuyun

Unless Opus4 took it out, it's already in there. Just grab either my original comskip program from my web page or grab Jere_Jones' updates to comskip on the commercial skip thread.

[bizarro]

Got it up and running, no problems. Edited the weather section to show Traffic Maps, Wind,& Total Rain for 10 days for my city. This is going to make my mornings brighter!

[Opus4]

Originally Posted by alon24

now will it be possible for u to add the option for me to write (in hebrew) in the search fields?

Don't know yet... will have to look to see how easy it would be. Does it at least accept what you type, even if it doesn't show anything? Does it give results?

Originally Posted by Shuyun

What are the chances of getting commercial skip in this skin?

Others have already noted that it is there, but if you go to the MalDude2 web site, there are links to info for commercial skipping. That's all I know about it.

- Andy

[malore]

Originally Posted by alon24

now will it be possible for u to add the option for me to write (in hebrew) in the search fields?

right now it shows nothing when i write in hebrew, and ok when I write in english.

alon24

It looks like the search field's font is determined by the property:
ui/subheading_font_face

I don't think SageTV responds to anything other than simple keypresses. I can't use the ALT+0183 combo to get a bullet mark. How do you enter special Hebrew characters?

[Opus4]

Originally Posted by alon24

right now it shows nothing when i write in hebrew, and ok when I write in english.

Now I'm really curious whether any input is being accepted at all -- Does it enter spaces or anything at all between English characters?

The LiveTV Guide listings & the search field text look like they are using the same font: Arial. So, I don't know why nothing is being displayed there unless perhaps the input is not even being used. (??)

Edit: Oops, I originally said they used the same property, but I don't think they do.

- Andy

[Opus4]

October 18, 2004 -- Version 1.1, main changes:

• Fixed problem where the Detailed Setup -> Custom option to change the number of LiveTV Guide channel rows didn't take effect until restarting SageTV.
  
  
• New properties for malore’s custom lists:
  • multimenu_menu_font_style – font style for the menu lists; default: Bold
  • multimenu_menu_font_face – font used for the menu lists; default: Verdana
  • multimenu_description_font_style – font style for show descriptions; default: Bold
  • multimenu_description_font_face – font used for show descriptions; default: Verdana

alon24: the name of those 2 test properties have been changed, so you'll need to edit the new properties listed above to use your preferred font.

- Andy

[alon24]

thanks for u'r replies.

Nothing happens when I click in hebrew, since I have the hebrew lang installed, I do not use alt+###, I just type.

I type in english, and it's accepted, then I switch to hebrew and nothing happens, then I switch back to english and it keeps typing from where it started.

btw:
My idea was to add a property describing the letters of the alphbet, (a,b,c,d...) and thus with multipul langs, all can enter their alphabet into the properties file.

sage can then read this and change the letters on the search buttons, and maybe add a combo to select lang.

is that a possibility?

alon24

[Opus4]

Originally Posted by alon24

Nothing happens when I click in hebrew, since I have the hebrew lang installed, I do not use alt+###, I just type.

I type in english, and it's accepted, then I switch to hebrew and nothing happens, then I switch back to english and it keeps typing from where it started.

Then, as malore comments above, it sounds to me like SageTV is only responding to the base ascii alpha-numeric characters. If that really is true, then it would require a change in the program to recognize other chars.

My idea was to add a property describing the letters of the alphbet, (a,b,c,d...) and thus with multipul langs, all can enter their alphabet into the properties file.

Same problem as above -- if those letters are not recognized as input, then there may not be a way to input them from those buttons either.

- Andy

[alon24]

can a sage represenative who reads this forum confirm or deny this assumaption?

[bizarro]

When I return from watching a recorded show and just exit to the Recordings screen the menu background is black but the text shows and the bars will show if I drag the mouse over them. If before I exit a recording I halt it and then exit everything is fine. I am using a PVR350 svga out.