Anime Library - Support Thread

[Ommina]

Yes - seems the newer version of WizUiHelper is not 100% backward compatible with the version I was using. I changed to the new version of the library last night and found the same thing. At any rate, that challenge, at least, has been fixed up

For the "left" thing, I should have been more clear. Just meant "cursor-left key" (or whatever remote-control equivalent). I really should not have used the phrase "click left". Hm - "use the cursor-left arrow to switch between menus" make more sense?

I'll check into the config.exe shortly. Will also send you a link to a new build later this evening.

[Gedanken]

Great! so other than the occasional ban, I should be good to go with the WIzUtil fix. The new scanner is much more stable, from what I have seen. Not a single crash while scanning all those files I moved.

Thanks!

[Ommina]

June 17 2010 - 1.9.0
-------------

• BLUE button (previous disabled) reassigned to a Group Status popup, which will display a list of groups releasing files for the selected anime, along with a graphical representation of what episodes they have completed, which episodes the user has collected, and which episodes the user has watched.
  - Colours are defined via NamedColors in skin.xml
  
• Addition of (optional) graphic representations to the anime lists displaying collected and watched bars.
  - In practice, these graphics take a lot of processing, and tend to make long lists look cluttered, but can be effecting in the "Watching" list.
  - Enabled (and disabled) via options
  
• Finally trim episode titles / message lengths / notification titles to match user's resolution, instead of my development monitor.
  
• Dramatically enhanced notification system for those running full-time PVRs. Local data will now be updated within minutes of the data changing on AniDB. Especially handy on ongoing series where details and episode titles can change frequently.
  
• Added a 'similar anime' list, where available, to the top of the episode list.
  - Keep in mind this list is AniDB-user generated, and may or may not reflect personal opinions.
  - The percentage represents the consensus among AniDB users that the titles are, in fact, similar.
  
• Added option to play files with an external player.
  - Originally added to enable file playback using DXVA acceleration, it has been made largely unnecessary by the newest ffdshow builds.
  
• Fixed [group] [source/resolution] display for episode list giving silly results
  - If the same episode is collected by two groups, EACH episode will have [short group name] appended
  - If multiple files are collected by the same group, each episode will have [source/resolution] appended
  
• All character details are retrieved at once, instead of gradually over several requests.
  
• Fixed successful PING to server not marking the client as unbanned
  
• Fixed autohash not restarting if all pending files are removed
  
• Added option to redisplay PlayFile popup on video completion (mostly to make voting for an episode convenient)
  
• Fixed parsing of dates to handle different date formats returned by SQL, which varied by culture
  
• Made the file handling a bit more friendly toward UNC paths vs. mapped drive letters
  
• Moved Haali dub/sub toggling FROM the red button TO a menu option (second menu)
  - Click LEFT on the button list to access the second menu, click LEFT again to return to the primary menu.
  
• Added Haali increase/decrease ASS scaling buttons to second menu (remote options remain)
  
• Added a "Wishlist" list to the second menu (wishlist retrieved from AniDB daily)
  
• Added a "Notification" list to the second menu (notification list retrieved from AniDB daily)
  
• Fixed getting bumped back to GBPVR's menu after watching the final episode of a series
  
• Files that are in the database but which the operating system subsequently claims are unavailable will be rendered in yellow
  
• Fixed retrieval of character pictures (would delay until the next update)
  
• Added a "Wishlist" / "Notification" popup to the YELLOW button (ctrl-y)
  - Some notes on notifications:
  Notifications are created by the AniDB servers, not by the plugin. Users that do not select 'Receive AniDB notifications' in the plugin's config will not see the results of the notifications in the plugin. They WILL be available on the AniDB website, however.
  Two of the three notification types ("All New Episodes" and "New Episodes by Group") work by reading the user's AniDB MyList to determine what episodes have already been collected, and by what groups. If the does not maintain an AniDB list, avoid these two options, and stick with "All Files".
  Notifications respect AniDB language preferences. If you are receiving notifications for languages you don't want, change your AniDB profile settings, and notifications will be filtered to match.
  
• Plugin will no longer enter an infinite loop if the network is not available
  
• Before attempting to scan a network drive for changes, the machine will be pinged first. If no ping reply is received, no changes will be made to files residing on that machine.
  This is to prevent files being marked as 'deleted', when they are merely temporarily unavailable. This will NOT catch permission problems, in which the machine is available but inaccessible.
  
• Bug fix for HTTP API parsing that would crash the plugin and PVRX2 if the AniDB server's power supply failed.
  

For reasons that will be obvious to most, this version of the plugin will work only up to GBPVR 1.4.7 (the PVRX2 series), and will be the last version to do so. With GBPVR transitioning to nPVR, the Anime Library plugin will need to do the same.

That said, for those sticking the 1.4.7 for the foreseeable future, 1.9.0.7 of the plugin does represent all the features I'd wanted to see in the first version, and is taken about as far as it can go in the GBPVR framework.

The next (/cough) version of the library will be using the new capabilities (and look) of nPVR.

As always, before upgrading, backup your database.

Find the download link on the wiki.

[Takkun]

Hi Ommina,

Sorry for posting a bug after being gone (well, not posting) for a very long time but I'm kinda in a bind.

[ SITUATION ]
I'm using webaom to automate the organization and renaming of my collection. Its fairly slow and not bug-free but does automate any/all tedious tasks involved. However, AniLib doesn't take kindly to file-changes.

[SIZE="1"]BTW: If AniLib could auto-rename files like webaom and move them to a new folder based on the same criteria, then I wouldn't need webaom... hint-hint, nudge-nudge. Aw, never-mind. It's no big deal.[/SIZE]

[ ERROR ]
When I initiate a scan from within PVRX2, it imediately crashes to my desktop. In my logs I get this:

...
2010-11-02 22:28:53.718 VERBOSE [1] AnimationStage: 20
2010-11-02 22:28:53.718 VERBOSE [1] z: 1.176
2010-11-02 22:28:53.718 VERBOSE [1] z: 1.176
2010-11-02 22:28:53.750 VERBOSE [1] AnimationStage: 41
2010-11-02 22:28:53.750 VERBOSE [1] z: 1.1298
2010-11-02 22:28:53.750 VERBOSE [1] z: 1.1298
2010-11-02 22:28:53.750 ERROR [12] FATAL UNHANDLED EXCEPTION:: System.ArgumentException: An item with the same key has already been added.
at System.ThrowHelper.ThrowArgumentException(ExceptionResource resource)
at System.Collections.Generic.Dictionary`2.Insert(TKey key, TValue value, Boolean add)
at at.c.m()
at at.a(List`1 A_0)
at bb.a()
at System.Threading.ThreadHelper.ThreadStart_Context(Object state)
at System.Threading.ExecutionContext.Run(ExecutionContext executionContext, ContextCallback callback, Object state)
at System.Threading.ThreadHelper.ThreadStart()
2010-11-02 22:28:53.781 VERBOSE [1] AnimationStage: 41
2010-11-02 22:28:53.781 VERBOSE [1] z: 1.1298
2010-11-02 22:28:53.781 VERBOSE [1] z: 1.1298

From the AniScan app, I get 'nearly' the same error (at least the exception is identical). I've attached the pic.

I assuming it's not referring to a database index (simply because it's a named field >:3 ::its a lion:: ). If collections in .NET are anything like C++ then you should always check for it's existence first before you ever creating a new index (unless using syntax that does both, as with most any array operations).

[ DETAIL ]
I have encountered these errors before, some time ago, and got around it by recreating my anilib.db from scratch. That took days! Well, about 3 but still... This time I'm trying to standardize my collection with files anidb can recognize. It's really a hit or miss process I'm not pleased about, not that I have much choice.

All I really desire is a patched AniScan. I'm more then satisfied with AniLib; it's really coming along nicely. Besides the current version number 'is' pretty close to that v2, :3 THX

[Ommina]

"There is no possible way that can happen!" he protests, in the face of all evidence to the contrary.

The function in question populates a list from the current filenames in the db, which, in turn, has a unique constraint. So unless there is some really odd stuff going on, it really shouldn't be possible for it to get a duplicate key. And, yet, despite that, it's pretty difficult to argue with the exception staring me in the face. Weird.

Hm. The constraint has been there since day one, I can't see how it could have avoided being created. Nor can I blame it on nulls; they are explicitly excluded. Constraint isn't case sensitive, so can't be that either. I may need to beg you to send me a copy of your db! (Hey, it's been a while!)

Can you tell me a bit more of the process you use to do the organizing? Is the PVR / plugin running while you're running the files through webaom?

---

Unrelated - you (may) have better success using the official AniDB applet for the organizing / moving. I really don't know if it has the same scripting support that webaom has, but it doesn't have the bugs webaom has either. At this point, the individual nominally in charge of maintaining webaom has swore off touching it unless it is a matter of life or death, and only then with a doctor's note. In triplicate.

For my part, I do, in fact, intend to include a small renaming utility with a future release of the library. It always seemed like a natural addition, since all the fields are right there in the database, so a mass change in naming convention is quick and convenient, with no rehashing.

But at this point, I need to get it working with npvr (did they ever decide on a name?) first. And without JavaWiz's convenient UI library. Fooey.

[Takkun]

[ RANT ]
The Impossible? That's generally what people Unit Test for. :3
Normally one wouldn't think to test such things ...which is why I doubt Microsoft preforms Unit Testing.

[ WEBAOM ]
Initially I just wanted to validate my collection and automatically update the mylist. How else would I get practical use out of an anidb account? Through a lack of creativity thinking of search terms and nearly endless browsing of anidb's horrendous wiki, I found this mildly helpful page.

Yeah, well I had practically ZERO success with AniDB O'Matic. Around the time I started posting here, I gave it a serious whorl. Back then I wasn't interested in auto-renaming/organizing. Well it didn't turn out that way (this actually might have been before I started using AniLib). The hashing was just-awful; sometimes it would validate some files and later it may mark them as invalid for no apparent reason. It took a while before I noticed the problem in the MyList. It also stalled in random file-hashing for some reason. I tried tracking some solutions and stuck with it for a while but found nothing and just wasn't consistent enough to be worth my time.

Next, I quite easily (at that time) found the WebAOM Applet. "Cool, I don't even need to install anything," I thought in ignorance to the horror that lay before me. Well, nothing but banning issues ensued. Still, somehow (likely being the Java-fanboy I was) I decided to try downloading it instead and try it. This worked well by comparison to everything I've found previously -- but I dont remember ever using it much. I might have ditched it for AniLib :3

When I got back home last spring (I was away from my PVR-PC over the fall-winter) I decided to organize my collection and sift out the hundreds of junk non-anidb-compliant files I still had. Couldn't watch them like the others, couldn't auto-upload hashes to anidb, didn't update mylist, so I didn't want them! Should I try the problematic AniDB O'Matic? Neh, one attempt and I finally uninstalled it. What left? Well I didn't even have it anymore (likely lost the file somewhere). So I re-downloaded it, opened it up, and got really confused. I read somewhere it could rename files but how? I looked EVERYWHERE!!!! ...on the web. After a few desperate and wasted days, I found a Russian document that explained it. Yes, Russian. Later, I did run into an English version somewhere but it matched Google's translation to a 'T'. If I was smart, I would have downloaded the source files, which I now see is available.

So I setup a decent organization specs and it works well. It is a memory-hog (I cant really watch anime wile running it) so I run it over night and it's finished the following afternoon.

[ ORGANIZATION ]
With these specifications, I get a folder containing the anime-title, language-support, and the encoder. So, if any of these are different, I'll get multiple folders for a single series telling me I need to pick one and download the missing files.

Ex: Series "Nana"

• Nana [DL] Holo
  Nana [ENG] Holo

Here I have two folders. With folders organized by name, I see these two right next to each other. Both types are encoded by Holo (which is good) however, the second folder holds files that are not Dual Audio. Good to know for when I am able to fix that.

Of course, within AniLib's PVRX2 Anime-Browser, I wouldn't want this behavior as its primarily a user-friendly video player above all else.

My videos are similarly named. First the episode# to keep the list ordered, then the CRC Hash code, then the Episode-Title. I place the CRC code before the title to keep the text evenly aligned. I've seen some collections providing the crc's at the end but look fuggly and are difficult to quickly scan through. Why the crc? That way, if I'm missing a file I can Google the valid crc codes to try and find a valid collection to download my missing file from. :3

#MOVE

if A(unknown) DO FAIL

DO SET 'J:\[] THEMED\[] ANIME'

DO ADD '\'

IF I (eng) DO ADD '%eng'
ELSE IF I (fre) DO ADD '%fre'
ELSE IF I (pol) DO ADD '%pol'
ELSE IF I (swe) DO ADD '%swe'
ELSE IF I (swe) DO ADD '%swe'
ELSE IF I (swe) DO ADD '%swe'
ELSE IF I (ger) DO ADD '%ger'
ELSE IF I (ann) DO ADD '%ann'
ELSE DO ADD '%kan'

IF D(english,eng,en);D(japanese,jap,jpn,jp) DO ADD ' [DL]'
ELSE IF D(english,eng,en) DO ADD ' [ENG]'
ELSE DO ADD ' [JPN]'

DO ADD ' %grp'

DO ADD '\'

#RENAME
#DO SET '%ann - %enr - %epn '
#IF G(!unknown) DO ADD '[%grp]'
#ELSE DO ADD '[RAW]'

if A(unknown) DO FAIL
DO SET '%enr - [%CRC] - %epn'

[ PROCESSING ]
Well I got really sick/tired of not seeing all my anime I've downloaded (esp the 1 or 2 episodes that aren't legit out of an entire set). So, I threw ALL my anime in a subfolder called "...\[] ANIME\[] UNSORTED\..." which WebAOM sorts into "...\[] ANIME\...". Its done this way because AniScan is much faster then WebAOM and works in the background. So if I go to watch some anime and realize I forgot to orginize the series, AniScan has likely aready picked it up and I can still watch it and start WebAOM when I'm done.

[ FILES ]
Sure. I'm including recently modified logs and a recent backup of the database that was made coincidentally right before I used webaom a few days ago (see my previous post, lol). Hopefully it helps.

[Takkun]

Hi Ommina,

I hope all is well. I see its been pretty nil since last I posted. :worry:


I'm in the process of reinstalling GBPVR. However, I'm curious whether or not AniLib will be ported to nPVR? (I'll port the wiki page over if you want. I really should update a couple of things anyway; key-bindings & adv-options).

At first I was pretty ticked at Sub's new variation of GBPVR but am reconsidering after seeing many-fewer files created on install. ...I don't see why he keeps renaming it tho.

Take it easy; just don't ignore the high road.

[Ommina]

I'm in the process of reinstalling GBPVR. However, I'm curious whether or not AniLib will be ported to nPVR? (I'll port the wiki page over if you want. I really should update a couple of things anyway; key-bindings & adv-options).

Funny you should pick today (well, yesterday) to ask, as I've been devoting this weekend to that very task. It's been... slow going, as I'm having to learn all sorts of nPVR UI stuff from which JavaWiz's UI tools shielded me before. But progress is being made. Slow, prodding progress, but progress nonetheless.

I will say, the change from gbpvr to npvr was a blow, and I've not at all been anxious to take on the task of porting the plugin over. Only by going for much smaller goals ("the menu, I'll just do the menu, that's all") have I been able to get myself moving.

On the plus side, I guess it does let me redesign that playfile dialogue. I've never been really happy with it.

[Takkun]

...having to learn all sorts of nPVR UI stuff from which JavaWiz's UI tools shielded me before...

Ah-Ha! So some of the OLD code remains, huh? I new it! The config did look relatively unmodified.

Take all the time you need. Learning is essential to any programmer, even if it is UI stuff. I doubt I'll be using nPVR until AniLib is ready but I do have it installed so just holler if you need a guinea-pig.

I think it'll be to your advantage keeping your own UI classes on hand. You'll know more and be able to do more with it.

[Ommina]

Well, progress, of sorts. We have stuff on the screen! Titles! Episodes! Icons!

Granted, it doesn't do anything esoteric like "play a file" or something like that, but it's something. One might even say the most painful bits are behind me. I hope.

At any rate, right now the plugin relies on two (three?) additions sub has made to the base npvr code. My plan is to have the npvr version head out with the next npvr release. Unless it turns out to be this weekend.

Today, however, I'd like some feedback on the "play file" popup - the one which presently features the episode vote and a character image. I've never been entirely happy with it, and now is the time to redesign it. I want to keep the episode voting, but the rest, I'm open to changes.