Unclear how to install knewc and use it in Kodi

[smbunn]

I followed the instructions to add the repository and then add in the new NextPVR interface.   I then managed to find it (that's actually quite hard as it is not under any of the standard Kodi options, instead you have to drill though add-ins, my-add-ins, program-add-ins and there it is.  I opened that and configured it.  It all works if I hit the 'run' button which is the sixth step if you ever want to see live TV.  

BUT of course it is not available directly in Kodi.  I have to go through these six steps every time I want to use TV.  Is this the way it is intended? I cannot use the TV link in Kodi itself, it says no front-ends or back-ends are loaded.  If I used the old NextPVR add-in of course it then becomes the Kodi TV add-in and works straight away.  I do prefer the new interface and its guide so would like to use it, but not if it is this painful.

If I just use the new NextPVR interface it opens a brand new interface which does not support the mouse.  Arrow keys on my keyboard and my MCE remote work with it.  But there is no movies etc.  I can click on 'videos' but this just opens the file explorer.  I wanted the movie view in Kodi with the icons for each movie.

So is it 'just the new interface' with no easy access to it and no movies, music or pictures, just a file explorer view.  Or do I have to exit the new interface every time I want to use Kodi's nice features and then make the six steps to launch the new interface if I want TV?

I feel I am missing something here

Simon

[mvallevand]

Most users just you the Kodi built-in pvr and but assuming you want to use the UI client view in knewc, I think the first thing you are missing is to tell it to "Auto Start UI client" in the knewc addon configuration settings.

Reducing the number of keys to start knewc will partly depend on how you want to use Kodi. You can reduce it to no key if you follow the steps in the read me https://forums.nextpvr.com/showthread.ph...#pid463553

UI clients like knewc are remote clients to NextPVR, it is not a skin for Kodi. I saw on other posts you use Windows so you would normally setup the folders in NextPVR.exe. There is no way to link these to the Kodi libraries if that is what you are looking for.

Basic mouse key support is in knewc, but I agree UI clients are generally better with a remote or keyboard. There is a design issue with knewc as double clicks are hard to pass and some UI client modes do only support double clicks even if an item is highlighted. I will look at this to see if I can improve it a little.

I am not going to document how to use or configure Kodi here but maybe these suggestions will help, use the Kodi wiki if you need to get more information

- you definitely don't need to use the setting run command to start an add-on, just click it or hit enter.

- I would add knewc to your Kodi Favourites via the context menu on the add-on

- if you do want to quickly navigate to some of the common Kodi libraries you configure they keyboard or remote. By default ctrl-m (Music), ctrl-i (Pictures) and ctrl-i (Videos) will jump out of knewc.

- Consider adding a shortcut to Favourites or a shortcut to the add-on itself. If you don't use the built-in TV function you can use that key.

- You can configure the Kodi interface to start in Favourites or Addo-ons if you like.

Martin

[mvallevand]

I had another look at the mouse actions and it is working pretty much the way it is designed, you just need to get used to double clicking slowly. UI client in knewc is a non standard add-on and Kodi doesn't even provide a way of intercepting the mouse keys so it is hacked in. The server rendered screens are quite unique too. I can't imagine even if I cleaned up the ancient code that was the basis for knewc that it would get accepted in the Kodi repository.

I did make this video to show the mouse in action https://imgur.com/a/UVTkyXN You can see when the video starts at the ending of the previous show you are very limited to navigation especially move a few seconds. You might be able to click the timeline but it is rough. At the end of the video I show how you would turn on the Kodi mouse control which probably is a little better but even there the mouse short navigation can be trouble. I do use comskip so I don't have to skip.

By limiting yourself to mouse you are limiting yourself in a UI client so I discourage it. Here is an idea of the keystrokes that you might use in a UI client. https://github.com/emveepee/Testing/wiki...dReference

Martin