MovieSheets+ - Live Version

[perfectdark]

Perfectdark, I would prefer we keep the conversation on one thread vs. both here and in email. Let me know your preference.

Standard can support folder, but only if you define them. Again, read my notes and disable the sheet delay feature if you are not using the fast thumb navigation feature (i.e. holding the remote button down).

The double display means you have another plugin enabled that is adding extra content on the fly to the video_run.xml, thus producing a double display of information. Per my documention, themes customized a large amount of OSD files including a themed media bar when playing\pausing movies. Having another plugin also doing this is not a compatible approach so you will need to disable that plugin.

Be happy to hear what the plugin is and possible future support if it is providing additional functionality you want. The lag in playing a movie might indeed be caused by this collision but you are the first of 1000's of users that have mentioned this problem. We might need to enable some debug to determine what is going on.

Thanks Markster.... Let's keep it in email for now as I dont want to fill up the thread with my garbage
When we figure this out, if it's a DAU (dumb Ass User) issue or somethign else, then I can repost so other newbies to Moviesheets+ might not run into these issues
cheers

[kroetkroet]

Please call this homebrew firmware "WDLXTV firmware" and not "b-rad firmware" - thank you. If there is something wrong with the firmware, we are eager to learn from your debugging too Markster.

Thank you.
KK

[Markster]

Agreed.......

No issues to report that I am aware of.

[perfectdark]

Thanks Markster

Load times are normal, movie play times are normal and double video bar is gone after i removed my plugins and installed Sapphire theme. It appeared, from the asiistance of Markster, that somehow another plugin or OSD was trying to run as well asMoviesheets+


(1)
So now I'm trying to set this up as STD mode. and what i would like it to use Trasnparent sheets moviesheet and a fodler sheet. I have tried to change the number of thumbs that are displayed by editing the WDLXTV config from the gui but no matter what i change it to, it is always displaying 15 thumbs. This makes the thumbs look small and hard to see on smaller TVs. Is there a way, I'm missing, to change this to 10 or 12?

(2)
When scrolling through the thumbs the folders have the blue highlight (so you know which thumb you are on) I thought when you did this, the thumb that the cursor was on would enlarge to make it more noticeable from the others? Am I wrong on this? If so, mine isn't doing this and not sure why.

(3)
I tried creating 1 moviehseet,followed Marksters awesome doucmentation guide. Using the template from Sapphire and creating moviesheet and spare sheet. And then changing the Options for In/Out from JPG to PNG and creating the transparent moviesheet and spare sheet. I noticed both were over 512k so i tried PNGCrush and one went down to 300-something and the other from 1,500something to 825K and i cannto get it any smaller. I even tried PNG Gaunlet program and same result 825 is the smallest I can get the file. So i tried to view this sheet on my TV anyway and the top half of the folder sheet and moviesheet are displayed correctly but there is no bottom half (transparent sheets) being dispalyed. Is this because of the file size? If so how can i crush it more? Or does anyone have any other templates for STD wtth transparent sheets to be used with Moviesheets+

Cheers guys

[Markster]

(1) Note that on page 19 it says to leave the default setting of 163 x 245. If you don't than XML document will be clobbered with a different, unsupported XML one, which is not compatible with the theme. At this time there is only one mode for STD and WALL, which is driven by the theme template. Why, because each theme template was created such that the LIST and or THUMBS fits within the area expected on the template.
If this wasn't done then the thumbs, like your size, would clobber the template design.

However, in your case you appear to NOT be using a folder template when on a folder and are likely hiding the thumbs when viewing a movie. I will look into supporting, for WALL and STD modes, a few different configurations, especially now that users can use their own (non-theme) templates using FULL JPG ONLY option. I will look to squeeze this into one of the pre-release 2.0.3 stages starting in a few days. This enhancement will not be offered in the first phase of this release.


(2) You are referring to the "Pop-Up" feature from version 1.02 of the OSD MovieSheets+ application. Release 2 was a complete re-write and as indicated on my website and documentation, it focused entirely on the new theme feature. It also stated that features from 1.0.2 would be introduced back into 2.0.X in subsequent releases leading up to release 2.1.0. As many of the subscribers will attest to, I tried to introduce the Pop-Up feature back in release 2.0.2, but unfortunately it was causing a crash situation of the OSD. This crash issue has been documented by other developers when trying to read pre-defined variables associated with the browse XML's. However, I am happy to report that I AM introducing it in pre-release 2.0.3, phase 1. I have found a method to limit my XML variable reading\changes to one value. This is not 100% bullet proof though but appears to be fairly stable in my use of the WD. As such the Pop-Up feature will be configurable (turn on\off at your choice). I look forward to the feedback during the 2.0.3 pre-release stage.

(3) There are two templates for every sheet. One is used to create the JPG (in sheet mode would render a JPG sheet that is 1280x 470), and the other is to render the PNG transparent piece (in sheet mode would render a PNG sheet that is 1280 x 250). So you need to change both the input/output to PNG and choose the transparent template. Sounds like you didn't switch to choose the PNG template, as I have never seen a PNG that large unless you were generating a much larger sheet, hence my suspicion you are still using the 1280 x 450 template for JPG.

Check your resolution\size of the PNG sheet in question and confirm it is 1280 x 250. I have created over 10,000 sheets, using STD, WALL, SHEET mode, with different templates (including the Winter Soltice) and only have found a few that would generate at 800K and not compress beneath 512K. For those, I simply chose a different background picture and that resolved the issue.

[perfectdark]

(1) ok so for now I have to stick with the 15 thumbs per page

(2) got ya, thanks

(3)
I followed the guide. Created movie sheet and folder sheet with sapphire templates under JPG in.out options, then generated.
Then changed optiosn to PNG and changed templates to trasnparent for both movie and folder and generated

Here is what i see
the movie is 300 for example
300_sheet.jpg = 1280x470
300_sheet.png = 1280x250 (finally compressed this down to 542kb, still above 512kb)
300.m2ts_sheet.jpg = 1280x470
300.m2ts_sheet.png = 1280x250

So you would suggest just attempting a different background?
Would I be able to email you one of the templates i use to use and could you make it transparent?

Also, I'm still loading my Sapphire theme across the network.. I tried this "/USB2/xxxxxxxx/" to have it load from my USB2 stick but it didn't work. What is the folder structure to have it load from the USB2 stick?

[Markster]

Yes, would try a different background. Please also send me an email with the original 300_sheet.jpg just so I can see what you are seeing.

You can send me the template yes, but I have a long list of activities in my queue, including getting release 2.0.3 published, adding all the new templates I already have to the Extras section (per other users requests), and working with two other theme developers to get their themes published. So I can't promise "when" it will be done. Also note that making your template transparent is not always possible as it may not work well with transparency.

If you want to use it until I have a look, set the SHEET_DISPLAY mode to "JPG with Music" or "JPG Only", and all your sheets will work as is.

[perfectdark]

Thanks Markster, everything is working and all my questions have been answered.
I see allot of requests directed to Markster for him to update their existing templates to his transparent sheet for use in MS+. I assume Markster may have updated some of them, if so has anyone uploaded them to an online repository for everyone to download?

[Markster]

I have updated approx. 6 templates for users, including the LSTAR split sheet version (which is the sample style I sent you in the JPG). I will attempt to get the STD mode for Sapphire out to you this weekend, and the rest published over the coming weeks. Version 2.0.3 pre-release is my immediate focus.

[Markster]

Happy to announce that MovieSheets+ pre-release 2.0.3 phase 1 is now available for subscribers!
- supports "pop-up" thumbs (active thumb is larger than the others)
- supports "remote start-up keys" which allows you to move the WD menu to a different "starting point" when you turn your WD on
- works with 5.1.1
Click here for more information.