Change default in Movies to "By Folder"

Dev Community Apps & Creations
1

In another thread, a solution was provided to change the default movies selection from "On Deck" to "All Movies" by editing MovieSectionTopLevel.xml changing "navigation currentIndex" from 1 to 0.

This works well for movies and you can do similar for the TVSectionTopLevel.xml file.

 

Looking at the MoviesSecondary.xml file, the By Folder selection is at the bottom.  Is there a way to copy this (maybe adjustments needed?) over to the MovieSectionTopLevel.xml?  If so, then setting the "navigation currentIndex" accordingly would bring up the By Folder view as the default.  There maybe another file or two that might also require some mods but, is this feasible and if so, what would it take to do it?

 

Matt

 

 

2

By using ‘by folder’ as your main default view are you not missing the whole point of using Plex to automatically scrape metadata and organise your library?
I can see the point for home movies but for general TV or movies etc does it not take you back 5 years?

3

You make a good point, but it's kind of a perspective from a pure "user's" point of view.  I'm attempting to set this up for the rest of the family.  With the "By Folder" view there is one screen full of items to select and no menu to be concerned with.  All the folders for "specialized movies" ex) Animated, Chick Flix etc... are at the top, you can click on one of them and be presented all of the movies within.  While I've got "Collections" setup it forces others to first go across the top with right arrow pushes, select Collections, then a number of down arrow pushes to get to the collection desired, followed by enter before a movies can be chosen. BTW, the bulk of the movies ) approx 60% are in the root directory with the rest located in specific folders below it as in the example just mentioned.  Granted the total number of button pushes isn't that much different but the simplicity of the "By Folder" approach appears to be what the rest of the family prefers.  Notice, I didn't say I preferred it ;)  Sometime its better to keep things in harmony if you get my drift.....

At any rate, is there a way to accomplish what I'm looking for?

Matt

4

You can just set those folders up as separate sections in PMS to have them at the top level eg I have 3 “movie” sections (movies, documentaries and stand up).

5

Not certain I understand, would that just create (in my case 7 additional) entries across the top starting with ex) All Movies, On Deck, Animated, Chick Flixs ..... etc ? If so, not what I'm looking for.  The current deployment of "by folder" is exactly what we want, just want it to be the default display after selecting Trailers>Movies on the aTv3.  Still would like to know if this could be done and if so what changes would be required via editing the xml files within the Templates folder under Assets to make it so?  I'm not suggesting this should be incorporated in any build.  It would be a personal edit I would have to redo for each update to plexconnect.

6

If you do what I suggest it will be on the first “page” and not across the top of the navi bar, which is what would happen if you were able to edit the XML file.

7

Ok. I’ll take a look at PMS. Since it already ingested my entire movie folder including the sub folders I’ve been referencing, do I need to restructure the folders so the subs are now on the same level as movies? Guess I’m scratching my head on how to set these subs up as separate sections?

8

Go into PMS, My Library, hit the + button, select type (movie/TV etc) and create what you want.

Try creating a test section with a couple of files in.

9

Tried it.  What it does is put the folder selection at the higher level equal to "movies" and "tv shows" vs within the "movies".  Unfortunately this is not what we are looking for.  So it's again back to the original question:

"...The current deployment of "by folder" is exactly what we want, just want it to be the default display after selecting Trailers>Movies on the aTv3.  Still would like to know if this could be done and if so what changes would be required via editing the xml files within the Templates folder under Assets to make it so?  I'm not suggesting this should be incorporated in any build.  It would be a personal edit I would have to redo for each update to plexconnect."

10

The original question is interesting… I had the same need, but for “personal videos”

But PlexConnect seems to not make difference between “films” and “personal videos” types of sections:(

11

Dale, why not make a new “home movie” section in PMS for personal videos?

12

I think Dale is looking for a "home movies by folder" thing... e.g. /Year2009, /Year2010, ...

13

I have a Home movies section, and a Movies section (and Tv series one too). My problem was I wanted to keep the grid, on desk, presentation for the Movies section, so for Home movies I wanted to use a list, by folder, presentation…

But si ce PlexConnectt can’t make difference between Home videos section and Videos (films) section, in Settings… I had (still have) no other solution than one présentation for both. :frowning:

14

>>All the folders for "specialized movies" ex) Animated, Chick Flix etc... are at the top

Isn't that like the PMS Genre filter?

I guess, "by folder" really doesn't fit into the PMS idea. It really is for us old-style guys who organize data directly on their hard drives. Without tags and stuff like that. :-)

>>Tried it.  What it does is put the folder selection at the higher level equal to "movies" and "tv shows" vs within the "movies".  >>Unfortunately this is not what we are looking for.  So it's again back to the original question:

Moving your "directory structure" on level up will save you even more key presses...

It *could* give you a Library main view like

 - Movie - Animated

 - Movie - Kids

 - Movie - Action

Pretty close to  the folder view, I guess.

Anyways, you want to change the source, nobody is stopping you. Here is a starter:

MovieSectionTopLevel.xml defines the navigation bar with "On Deck", "Unwatched", ... "More".

You want to add a new  (or edit an existing...) for "By Folder", as found in MovieSecondary.xml.

Also check out your PMS-XML, address like http://127.0.0.1:32400/library/sections// - it should look like this:

<MediaContainer size="19" allowSync="0" art="/:/resources/movie-fanart.jpg" content="secondary"identifier="com.plexapp.plugins.library" mediaTagPrefix="/system/bundle/media/flags/" mediaTagVersion="1365532643"thumb="/:/resources/movie.png" title1="Movies_TEST" viewGroup="secondary" viewMode="65592">
<Directory key="all" title="All Movies_TEST"/>
<Directory key="unwatched" title="Unwatched"/>

...

<Directory secondary="1" key="firstCharacter" title="By First Letter"/>
<Directory key="folder" title="By Folder"/>
<Directory prompt="Search Movies_TEST" search="1" key="search?type=1" title="Search..."/>
15

I have a Home movies section, and a Movies section (and Tv series one too). My problem was I wanted to keep the grid, on desk, presentation for the Movies section, so for Home movies I wanted to use a list, by folder, presentation...
But si ce PlexConnectt can't make difference between Home videos section and Videos (films) section, in Settings... I had (still have) no other solution than one présentation for both. :(

The question is...

does PMS treat them differently?

XML for a "Home Movies" folder:

...

XML for std. Movies:

 
...
 
So the only real difference is the icon of the thumbnail - video vs. movie. I am not really sure if this picture can be manipulated - currently I don't think it is a good idea to base a view type decision on that information... I think PMS needs to better distinguish between those two.
 
Hm. Looking into it in more detail, it seems that we switch photo/tv show/movie in the same way:
    elif PMSroot.get('viewGroup','')=="secondary" and (PMSroot.get('art','').find('movie') != -1 or PMSroot.get('thumb','').find('movie') != -1):
        XMLtemplate = 'MovieSectionTopLevel.xml'    
    elif PMSroot.get('viewGroup','')=="secondary" and (PMSroot.get('art','').find('show') != -1 or PMSroot.get('thumb','').find('show') != -1):
        XMLtemplate = 'TVSectionTopLevel.xml'
    elif PMSroot.get('viewGroup','')=="secondary" and (PMSroot.get('art','').find('photo') != -1 or PMSroot.get('thumb','').find('photo') != -1):
        XMLtemplate = 'PhotoSectionTopLevel.xml'

I have to wonder: Who accepted that? :-D

Based on that, I think one *could* (with some effort) add a home movie view type...

16

I think the main difference is in the default scanner used to identify the media within.

17

Baa, it would be great ! if PlexConnect would treat them differently as PMS does. And, so, I could use different "presentation" settings for my "Home movies" (grid, on deck) and my "Movies" (list, by folder) :)

18

I didn't say, I am doing it... did I?

19

Not you, specifically, Baa... but if someone would work on it, it would be great ! (ou "it would be great...")

Anyway, as said, it's not a big problem... (I am currently using "list view, on deck" for all my movies, until better option).

;)

20

>>
 
Anyways, you want to change the source, nobody is stopping you. Here is a starter:
 
MovieSectionTopLevel.xml defines the navigation bar with "On Deck", "Unwatched", ... "More".
You want to add a new  (or edit an existing...) for "By Folder", as found in MovieSecondary.xml.
Also check out your PMS-XML, address like http://127.0.0.1:32400/library/sections// - it should look like this:
 





...
 






Hi all, Ive searched the forums high and low. Is this possible to do for Plex/Web? I imagine I have to locate the localhost files and DB (eg. 127.0.0.1:32400) and so some minor editting? However ive had little success doing so. I can see the XML mentioned above via the web browser but was wondering how I can edit it?

Reason I ask is that I access my Plex Server on multiple devices using multiple clients (such as GoodPlayer on my iPad, default DLNA client on a Smart Tv etc etc).

Thanks in advance.