Overview

How to use the Sample Movies Database to try out (or skin) My Films

Installation

If you do not use My Films personally, or would like to try a 'test' run, a sample database is provided to try (or skin) all the features

To install the Sample Database:

1. Make sure it is 'checked' during install (see Getting Started)
2. At the end of installation when the Setup Wizard opens,
   1. Choose to create a new My Films Configuration (i.e. select Yes):
      1. Enter any name you wish for the Sample database, such as Sample
      2. Catalog Type = Ant Movie Catalog (default -preset)
      3. Country = USA (default) is fine
      4. Press OK
   2. Select a movie catalog :  SampleMovies.xml - My Films should open to the Team MediaPortal\MediaPortal\MyFilms\Catalog folder where you can select it. (Note the folder has changed as of v 6.0)
   3. Select Original Title (as the sample Database is English)
   4. Choose the folder for your movies = Team MediaPortal\MediaPortal\MyFilms\SampleMovies - which should be preset for you. (Note the folder has changed as of v 6.0)

Note: To implement all the new features of v 6.0.0 or later, you must create a new config for Sample Movies using the Setup Wizard in 6.0.x, evenif you had already created a SampleMovies database for v 5.x.x, and select the new Sample Movies folder : 

• ...\MediaPortal\MyFilms\SampleMovies

  data folder (NOT

   ...\MediaPortal\thumbs\MyFilms\SampleMovies

As of v 6.0.0 you may select 'USA (Full Detail grabbing)' as your country in the Setup Wizard to use the IMDB-Full grabber script which grabs more data, such as writers, AKA (alternate titles), and supports more Grabber options.

Importing data for Sample Movies

The SampleMovie database will be empty until you add data, and artwork. This also gives you the opportunity to see how My FIlms imports data.

There are two options:

Load MP and My Films and Update DB via GUI

1. Load MP using Default skin, and Open My Films - it should display SampleMovies and say 'No Films Found'
2. Go to the Menu > Options > Global Options > Import/Update all movies (AMC Updater)
3. Select the grabber script (the default IMDB is usually faster than IMDB-Full)
4. Go for coffee, or do something else in MP (since the update runs in the background). My Films will add data, movie covers and fanart for each film.  Depending on your internet connection/bandwidth available the update will take about 2-10 min.

That's it!  You should not need to alter any options in Setup in order to try out or skin My Films.  Even sample trailer files are included so you can check out, or skin. media file availability for both movies and trailers.

For more details, see Import New Films

Use AMC Updater to scan and add info for your movies

My Films 5 has enhanced and integrated the powerful database management utility originally developed by OrionHall called AMC Updater (because it works only for Ant Movie Catalog types). To use it to import your Sample Movies to your SampleMovies DB:

1. In My Films Setup, select your Sample Movies catalog (you probably only have one catalog so far)
2. Press the Import button
3. On the Import Movies tab, press Begin to start importing data - the default settings should work for you.
4. You can view the results in the Log Window as they happen.

AMC Updater offers more control over manually matching films that cannot be matched automatically.

Note: You can also run AMC Updater via a desktop shortcut without loading My Films Setup in MP Configuration.

For further information see the[ Import Setup|Import Setup] guide.

Testing with your own Movies

If you feed comfortable with the results, you are ready to test your configuration with your own movie data.
You can use the sample setup for that purpose by just adding (or replacing) the Movies search path with a path to your own movie media files.

Related

• Getting Started