Customize Grabber (Grabber Interface)

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1. Overview
2. Grabber Options
3. Grabber Interface
1. 3.1. Configuration Options
2. 3.2. User Options
  1. 3.2.1. Detail Grabber Options
  2. 3.2.2. Mapping
4. What's Next
5. Related

1. Overview
2. Grabber Options
3. Grabber Interface
1. 3.1. Configuration Options
2. 3.2. User Options
  1. 3.2.1. Detail Grabber Options
  2. 3.2.2. Mapping
4. What's Next
5. Related

Overview

My Films provides a unique tool, the Grabber Interface, which allows you to easily customize many grabber script features, as well as to create grabber scripts for your preferred websites.

Grabber Options

First, make sure you understand the different Grabber options on Grabber Scripts.

You may use the Grabber Interface tool to select options for a specific grabber script. These options will apply any time you use the grabber, in AMCU, in MF Updates (Get Internet Film info), or in MF Global Updates, as well as in any Configs you create that use the script.

To start customizing a grabber script, select the Grabber Options button in My Films Setup on the Internet Grabbing tab

Or create a desktop shortcut for MyFilms_Grabber_Interface.exe stored in your MediaPortal Program Files folder.

Grabber Interface

When you first open the Grabber Interface window, it opens to the main User Options page, which is all you will normally need.

As of v 5.2 the default is Expert Mode which provides access to all features of the Grabber Engine.

Configuration Options

At the top of the Grabber Interface window are options for the main configuration:

Browse - opens the My FIlms grabber scripts folder (e.g. \ProgramData\Team MediaPortal\MediaPortal\scripts\MyFilms) to select a grabber to modify or use as a basis for your custom grabber or even a new grabber. Once you select a grabber, (which is done automatically when you open the Grabber Interface via My Films setup) the following fields are entered for you:
1. Configuration File - displays the grabber script path and file name
2. Name - 'friendly' name of My Films grabber (the one used as a basis for custom grabbers)
3. URL_prefix - the site url used by the grabber
4. Language - the language of the site/grabber which is used when you select Grabber Filter Options on the Internet Grabbing tab in Setup
5. Version - the version number of the grabber script

Save - saves any changes made to current grabber
Save as - saves changes to new name so you can 'retain' custom grabber scripts and use diff grabber options in different cases.
New - to create a new grabber from scratch
MyFilms Wiki - link to this Wiki page
Simple mode - disables options for Name, URL, Language and Version as well as all options on Search and Details tabs. Use Simple mode if you only wish to change User Options on the main tab and not accidentally alter any other grabber settings.

User Options

The User Options tab is the main tab you normal use for customizing options for a specific grabber, or saving it as a custom mod. You can select:

Detail Grabber Options - for grabbing persons data, secondary titles and certifications
Mapping options - to customize which data is grabbed for a field

Detail Grabber Options

These options are very similar to the Grabber override options, except they apply only to this grabber, wherever it is used.

Also, you may specify different person limits for Actors, Producers, Directors or Writers.

Note: If an option is 'grayed out' it means it is not supported in the currently loaded grabber. You may contact the grabber script author, if the script can be improved - but the possibility also depends on the internet site providing the data.

You may also select different country settins for Secondary Title (AKA) and Certification if you wish. For example, you may wish to onlly grab AKA titles for the USA, so you only get alternate English titles. However you may wish to get Certifications only for your specific country.

Mapping

In the Grabber Output Field Mapping section you have total control to map data however you wish. This is important because AMC supports only a limited number of fields.

For example, you can map Certification to the start of Comments field (particularly if you do not grab Comments) or Taglines to the start of the Description field.

Source - the field you wish to map (i.e. 'from' field)
Destination - from the drop down list, select the field you wish to map the data to (i.e. 'to' field)
Replace - check the box if you wish to replace the entire contents of the field, for example if you wish to map Writer to Producer field
Add to Start - add the data to the start of the field, e.g. add Tagline to start of Description
Add to End - add the data to the end of the field, e.g. add Tagline to end of Description

Note: You can also use the mapping to "merge" several fields into one, e.g. because you need a certain field for other purposes.