Naming Format for Recording Files

[phmt]

I got IGL set up and it does a very nice job. It was sufficient to allow XBMC to add the show to the library and scrape them. Shows in the library are presented much nicer then accessing them from a generic file list. For now using IGL works well enough. I will have to say though that XBMC presents shows that are in season folders even nicer. Since XBMC is a lot about look and feel, at some point in time users will likely complain about how npvr saves files. I think npvr (or possibly IGL) will not only need to create/save under the show name, but create/save under season. In addition, I think there will need to be an optional mapping file. I ran into issues with Castle and Doctor Who for example. There needs to be a config file (or some means) that would allow:

Castle ----> Castle (2009)
Doctor Who ------> Doctor Who (2005)

But anyways, thanks for IGL it goes a long way to help with the integration of XBMC and NPVR.

[Graham]

Does <AutoCreateFolders> in config.xml do what you want?

It creates a folder for each series. Good Luck.

[mvallevand]

I will have to say though that XBMC presents shows that are in season folders even nicer.

What view is the different?

I ran into issues with Castle and Doctor Who for example.

If you have a North American guide data you should be getting a zap2it ID that handles that, assuming you are using the current version and have the --zap2id command line option set on your calls. You might need to delete the base files ie Castle.* from Media\Shows an Plugins\Searchlite\Series to use this.

There needs to be a config file (or some means) that would allow:

Castle ----> Castle (2009)
Doctor Who ------> Doctor Who (2005)

There is one already, but it is for the zap2it only, I will make it more international. I also will document this later since people might actually use this feature now,

Here is how it works for me in Plugins\Searchlite\Searchlite.xml

Code:

<?xml version="1.0"?>
<settings>
    <PluginSettings>
        <SearchLite>
            <UseUniqueID>true</UseUniqueID>
            <Offline>false</Offline>      
            <!--Language>no</Language-->
            <Themes>true</Themes>
        </SearchLite>
        <CustomNames>
            <Name uid="01363756">Being Human</Name>
            <Name uid="01162574">Being Human (UK)</Name>
        </CustomNames>
  </PluginSettings>
</settings>

Martin

[phmt]

What view is the different?

If you have all the correctly named files (SxxExx) in a single series folder, the XBMC library shows them in a single folder and displays them (for S01E03 for example) as "1 x 3 Episode Name". If you have season folders under the series folder, within the season 1 folder (for example) XBMC displays S01E03 as a cleaner "3 Episode Name". If you only have a season or two it is not a big deal, but the more seasons/episode you have there gets to be a lot of numbers and "x"s if everything is in one folder. You actually have to think a second (or at least I do) what the difference is between 1 x 2 and 2 x 1 in the displayed list. From a functional standpoint there is no difference, but there is a difference in the "look and feel".

If you have a North American guide data you should be getting a zap2it ID that handles that, assuming you are using the current version and have the --zap2id command line option set on your calls. You might need to delete the base files ie Castle.* from Media\Shows an Plugins\Searchlite\Series to use this.

There is one already, but it is for the zap2it only, I will make it more international. I also will document this later since people might actually use this feature now,

Here is how it works for me in Plugins\Searchlite\Searchlite.xml

Code:

<?xml version="1.0"?>
<settings>
    <PluginSettings>
        <SearchLite>
            <UseUniqueID>true</UseUniqueID>
            <Offline>false</Offline>      
            <!--Language>no</Language-->
            <Themes>true</Themes>
        </SearchLite>
        <CustomNames>
            <Name uid="01363756">Being Human</Name>
            <Name uid="01162574">Being Human (UK)</Name>
        </CustomNames>
  </PluginSettings>
</settings>

Martin

I do use a North American guide (Schedules Direct). I will look at using --zap2id in conjunction with Searchlite.xml and see how it works. Of course my point is also that Searchlite finding the correct show and naming the file correctly is only one part of it. My first try (before your post) with IGL did not find/name Castle. I then went in and manually renamed the files correctly (I only had a few since I am just starting out). These files were in the "Castle" folder that npvr auto created. XBMC did not recognize this and did not add or scrape Castle. I had to change the FOLDER name to Castle (2009) before XBMC would act on it (same with Dr Who etc). For example, I had a folder "Stargate All Seasons" that XBMC ignored until I renamed it Stargate. The problem now is that any future Castle recordings, even if named correctly will be saved under the npvr auto created Castle folder, not under Castle (2009). Of course I can (and will) move those files from Castle to Castle (2009) but that will mess up the npvr database I think. Also, unless I can figure out how to do it via batch file commands (if file name contains Castle move file) , I will have to do it manually.

Obviously, as I see it, the biggest benefit is to get IGL to name correctly in all cases. It looks like there is an existing solution for that (I still need to test it though). So the integration is in a pretty good state it seems for now. I only see a manual solution though for the correct npvr naming of the series folders (in the special cases) and the addition of season folders. My suggestion was for npvr to have something similar to Searchlite.xml that would allow the mapping of Castle to Castle (2009), for example, so that when "Castle" was recorded, npvr would auto create/save it to the Castle (2009) folder. Even better yet if there was a method after rename to key on the Sxx and auto create/save/move Castle.SxxExx to folder Castle (2009)\Season xx.

Edit: Apparently since I use Schedules Direct I don't need the --zap2id.

[johnsonx42]

@sub,

Would it be possible to allow an external utility (like Martin's ImageGrabLite) to pre-populate the recording filename field of scheduled recording? Then when the recording actually starts, have NRecord use the pre-populated name if present otherwise just create the name as normal.

I'm of course assuming Martin wouldn't mind adding logic to the IGL --updateepg command to pre-populate the names if you woud support their use. It would use the same filename generation logic as the --rename function, but just put the calculated file name in the filename field (without path - NRecord would add the path at recording time).

I request this because I've found running IGL after-the-fact to rename recordings creates problems often enough that it's just not worth it and I've given up. It seems far more logical to use the desired name right from the start.

[jam_zhou]

not sure how XBMC works (still trying to wrap my head around it) but can we just get IGL to put an xml (metadata) file for each episode? This way no renaming is necessary? I loathe the idea of changing file names.

Just shooting out an idea and not sure if it's in the right place.

[phmt]

not sure how XBMC works (still trying to wrap my head around it) but can we just get IGL to put an xml (metadata) file for each episode? This way no renaming is necessary? I loathe the idea of changing file names.

Just shooting out an idea and not sure if it's in the right place.

According to the XBMC wiki, the file name is expected to be in some sort of season/episode format. There is no indication that it will look at an xml file as part of the library update process. I have not tested this though. I do know for a fact that the folder name has to match TvDb or XBMC skips it regardless of what is inside the folder.

It does appear that you can make your own naming conventions / rules by adding or editing regular expressions in the advancedsettings.xml file, with the tvshowmatching tag. But that is just getting a bit too complicated and not something your regular XBMC user will likely be able to do. It just seems a lot cleaner to me to get the folder and file name "right" at the beginning (just as johnsonx24 suggested).

[mvallevand]

The problem is thetvdb isn't always update to date before the programs is recorded, or networks change the order. It is user supported afterall and everyone counts on someone else to do the work.

Martin.

[mvallevand]

If you have all the correctly named files (SxxExx) in a single series folder, the XBMC library shows them in a single folder and displays them (for S01E03 for example) as "1 x 3 Episode Name". If you have season folders under the series folder, within the season 1 folder (for example) XBMC displays S01E03 as a cleaner "3 Episode Name". If you only have a season or two it is not a big deal, but the more seasons/episode you have there gets to be a lot of numbers and "x"s if everything is in one folder. You actually have to think a second (or at least I do) what the difference is between 1 x 2 and 2 x 1 in the displayed list. From a functional standpoint there is no difference, but there is a difference in the "look and feel".

I don't know, in Season view if the only difference is that littel 1x beside the Episode number on the right that seem too trivial to worry about. There are utilities like TVRenamer if your that concerned. AFAIK the main number I care about is the one on the left and what I see on the XBMC remote.

I do use a North American guide (Schedules Direct). I will look at using --zap2id in conjunction with Searchlite.xml and see how it works. Of course my point is also that Searchlite finding the correct show and naming the file correctly is only one part of it.

It does rename as Castle (2009) if you have it configured correctly, but they will be in the Castle folder. I will have to check to see what XBMC does with on of these on my system

Obviously, as I see it, the biggest benefit is to get IGL to name correctly in all cases.

The best way is to send your imageGrabLog files, it shows all the rules that I use and I can detect issues in the naming logic. You should enable the option --extra to keep more logs. The options is --zap2it (a t not d)

Martin

[phmt]

I don't know, in Season view if the only difference is that littel 1x beside the Episode number on the right that seem too trivial to worry about. There are utilities like TVRenamer if your that concerned. AFAIK the main number I care about is the one on the left and what I see on the XBMC remote.

Martin

Never mind. Ignore/forget all my previous comments about season folders. I thought you had to have different seasons in different season folders to get the Season View. You don't. I was wrong. XBMC is smart enough that if you have episodes from various seasons, all in the same folder, it automatically creates the season view for you.

So...yea, we just need to get the recorded files in the correct SxxExx format and preferably in the correct series folder (Castle (2009) instead of Castle).

So far IGL seems to be working for me.