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[Araj]

Can anyone tell the rest of us what it's possible to display dynamically in Theater View and what the parameters are to do so? Great tool, but don't know where to find some of the ingredients...

For example, track#. I presume it's possible to generate the track number on screen from a Text field - in the same way that "ARTIST" shows the current artist? I tried using "TRACK" or "TRACK#" etc. to no effect...

[Araj]

Nobody's interested?

Nobody knows?

It's a deadly secret only for those who have undergone the arcane initiation ritual?

Even a reply saying "we're not going to tell you" would be better than dead silence...

[glynor]

[Track #] is the proper identifier for the Tag.

[Araj]

Thanks Glynor - but erm, if I use Track # as the text parameter in Vis Studio, all I get in Theater/Display view is exactly that: "Track #" - i.e. there is no track number loaded dynamically onscreen from the ID tag in the files.

[LanceD]

Good luck. I've asked for these a few times. The only variables that work in Theater View (AFAIK) are "Location", "Time", and "Zone".

If any of the Media Center developers read this, PLEASE implement the ability to put tag info into text fields in Theater View... PLEASE!

[glynor]

I have no experience using the Visualization Studio.  The only visualizations I, personally, use are those from Soundspectrum.com (G-Force and whatnot).  However...

You can include any tag in your MC library as part of the caption (or text) shown in Theater View.  As with referring to any tag field in MC, the "[]" are required.

For example, if you want your Theater View track listing to look like:


You need to set Options --> Theater View --> Advanced --> File Caption to:

Code: [Select]

[Track #]. [Name] - [Artist]
You can check in the MC Help File under Smartlists --> Smartlist and Search - Rules and Modifiers for some assistance on what is possible.

Generally, any time you want to refer to one of MC's fields, but have it be replaced with the actual tag from the current track, you want to enclose the field's name in square brackets.  So, when I said: "[Track #]" I meant exactly that.

[LanceD]

Thanks for the info, Glynor! It's very useful, and is a workaround for what I really want to do. What I'm asking for is a way to add this :

Code: [Select]

<Item Text="[Description]" Location="Video\**" TextColor="FFFFFF" Rect="10,50,99,99" Capitalization="0" Alignment="1" />
to a skin. This way, I can specify a field to display the description of videos and ISO DVD files and place that field wherever I want. It would make things so much more functional in Theater View.

That being said, I've got to give a kudos to the MC team. Theater View is just a small part of the app, and it's as functional for HTPC setup as some apps that are built exclusively for HTPC. All I need is an EPG and I'll be able to get rid of Beyond TV and just use MC.

Once again, thanks Glynor!

[glynor]

Well... I just went in and played with the Visualization Studio a bit.  It appears that you're right and I can't get the Track # to appear either.  I don't know why (as I said, I've never used it before).

I will say this though... I realize that it's not always easy to use precise terminology when you don't know exactly what things are called.  However, it would really help you get better answers if you are much more descriptive in your question.  It's always better to be too verbose than not enough.

I had no idea when you asked initially what you were trying to accomplish, what screens you were looking at, or where you wanted the Track # to show.  In your initial question, you made no reference to the Visualization Studio, adding a Text Visualization, or anything similar.  In fact, you referred only to Theater View (which is something else entirely -- shown in my screenshot above).  If you want help from other users (we are unpaid tech support after all), do everything in your power to describe exactly what you are trying to do, including step by step, click-here-type-this-click-okay type instructions.  Vague and misleading questions generate vague and misleading responses.

[glynor]

All I need is an EPG and I'll be able to get rid of Beyond TV and just use MC.

Yep.  Me too.  That and the ability to control my DirecTV box via a Serial cable.

EDIT: One other small thing -- for help with Skinning, you might get more responses if you post in the Third Party Plugins, Programs, and Skins board.  The "skinning people" tend to frequent that board fairly often...  Activity in the MC11.1 board has died down quite a bit since MC12 became the "latest and greatest".  I tend to only check it out once every other day or so...