Bumper pack structure

[Phil 6]

Hi, all-

I searched for the answer to this but it's too vague-

I know that there are specific directories for different types of bumpers, and that there are specific filemasks for trivia sets (e.g., questions, answers, and hints).  Is there any way to do this without having to download a bumper pack and distribute each file into its specific directory?  For example, if I download MorkBumpers.zip and MindyBumpers.zip, can I set CinemaVision to look at one directory for specific filenames?  I.e., can I have the following:

\Bumpers

\Bumpers\Mork

\Bumpers\Mork\MorkTheaterIntro.mp4

\Bumpers\Mork\MorkTriviaIntro.mp4

\Bumpers\Mork\MorkTrailerOutro.mp4

...

\Bumpers\Mindy

\Bumpers\Mindy\MindyTheaterIntro.mp4

\Bumpers\Mindy\MindyTriviaIntro.mp4

\Bumpers\Mindy\MindyTrailerOutro.mp4

...

 

I'm hoping that CinemaVision would be able to look in \Bumpers and pick one subdirectory at random (e.g., \Bumpers\Mindy) and then use the appropriately named files for their respective purpose.  I'd like to avoid picking a random theater intro with a different random trivia intro with a different random theater outro,  etc.

 

Thanks,

-Phil

 

[Ragnarok 198]

35 minutes ago, Phil said:

Hi, all-

I searched for the answer to this but it's too vague-

I know that there are specific directories for different types of bumpers, and that there are specific filemasks for trivia sets (e.g., questions, answers, and hints).  Is there any way to do this without having to download a bumper pack and distribute each file into its specific directory?  For example, if I download MorkBumpers.zip and MindyBumpers.zip, can I set CinemaVision to look at one directory for specific filenames?  I.e., can I have the following:

\Bumpers

\Bumpers\Mork

\Bumpers\Mork\MorkTheaterIntro.mp4

\Bumpers\Mork\MorkTriviaIntro.mp4

\Bumpers\Mork\MorkTrailerOutro.mp4

...

\Bumpers\Mindy

\Bumpers\Mindy\MindyTheaterIntro.mp4

\Bumpers\Mindy\MindyTriviaIntro.mp4

\Bumpers\Mindy\MindyTrailerOutro.mp4

...

I'm hoping that CinemaVision would be able to look in \Bumpers and pick one subdirectory at random (e.g., \Bumpers\Mindy) and then use the appropriately named files for their respective purpose.  I'd like to avoid picking a random theater intro with a different random trivia intro with a different random theater outro,  etc.

Thanks,

-Phil

 

Hey Phil, sure you can do that. It won't work exactly like you outlined, but it's pretty painless. We built the directory structure because we intend to have the add-on automatically download and unpack files correctly for RedCarpet Club members. It also has the added benefit of not making you browse an entire directory structure which makes setting up your Sequence a bit easier.

That said, you are more than welcome to use any directory to house video content, and can point Modules to those directories or directly to the content files themselves. CinemaVision can't determine what to play based on a file name, but you can play any file from any navigable location anywhere in your Sequence. You can build different Sequences with a specific theme, and specific content if you'd like. We'll be expanding on that during our next round of development, so stay tuned.

[Phil 6]

So as of now, is there any way to have all of the "Mindy" bumpers chosen without specifying each one? E.g., in a sequence, is there any easier way to do the following?:

TheaterIntro = \Bumpers\Mindy\MindyTheaterIntro.mp4

TriviaIntro = \Bumpers\Mindy\MindyTriviaIntro.mp4

TrailerOutro = \Bumpers\Mindy\MindyTrailerOutro.mp4

If not, that's OK- I can set up one sequence for Mindy, then change the filenames and save it as a Mork sequence.  If I do that, though, how do I select a movie and tell it to use a specific sequence?  The only way to invoke CinemaVision that I know of is to select the movie in my library, bring up the context menu and choose "CinemaVision" but the default sequence will be used instead of a specific one.

Thanks again,

-Phil

 

[Ragnarok 198]

3 hours ago, Phil said:

So as of now, is there any way to have all of the "Mindy" bumpers chosen without specifying each one? E.g., in a sequence, is there any easier way to do the following?:

TheaterIntro = \Bumpers\Mindy\MindyTheaterIntro.mp4

TriviaIntro = \Bumpers\Mindy\MindyTriviaIntro.mp4

TrailerOutro = \Bumpers\Mindy\MindyTrailerOutro.mp4

If not, that's OK- I can set up one sequence for Mindy, then change the filenames and save it as a Mork sequence.  If I do that, though, how do I select a movie and tell it to use a specific sequence?  The only way to invoke CinemaVision that I know of is to select the movie in my library, bring up the context menu and choose "CinemaVision" but the default sequence will be used instead of a specific one.

Thanks again,

-Phil

 

As it sits right now, you would have to have two Sequences that specified the files you wanted to play. The easiest way to select a specific sequence is to enable the Queue Editor in the Playback settings for CinemaVision. You can change your Sequence in the upper right corner of that dialog. In the future, you'll be able to specify specific criteria for using certain Sequences so that when you start an action movie, for example, it will use a Sequence that you've built for action movies.

[Phil 6]

Nice!  Thanks!

-Phil

 

[Phil 6]

On 12/30/2016 at 11:34 PM, Ragnarok said:

As it sits right now, you would have to have two Sequences that specified the files you wanted to play. The easiest way to select a specific sequence is to enable the Queue Editor in the Playback settings for CinemaVision. You can change your Sequence in the upper right corner of that dialog. In the future, you'll be able to specify specific criteria for using certain Sequences so that when you start an action movie, for example, it will use a Sequence that you've built for action movies.

I hope this helps someone else-

I don't know how to organize a specific set/theme of video bumpers to create a seamless experience.  The only ways that I know of are to specifically state which files to use (not really flexible) or to only have one theme in the \Video Bumpers directory.  The latter is more flexible but file management comes into play.  So... I wrote a batch file that does the file management for me.

The content directory structure that CV uses is not modified.  The batch file just moves files into them (deleting any existing ones).  It takes them from one (the source) directory of everything that is contained in \Video Bumpers (i.e., no trailers or trivia slides are manipulated).  It can handle any theme (by name) including random bumpers, if desired.

The source directory looks like this:
    <theme name>_<bumper type>*.*

E.g.,:
    Nineties Tech_Trailers Intro it doesn't matter what goes here.mp4
    Nineties Tech_Trailers Outro.mp4
    Nineties Tech_Countdown (a really cool one).mp4
        -etc. for any other "Nineties Tech" bumpers
    
    Halloween_Trailers Intro it doesn't matter what goes here either.mp4
    Halloween_Trailers Outro.mp4
    Halloween_Countdown from 1956.mp4
        -etc. for any other "Halloween" bumpers

It handles random bumpers by copying multiple files of the same bumper type and letting CV pick from them...
    You can use the theme name "Random" or "Whatever You Want To Name It".
    Random_Theater Intro (the red one).mp4
    Random_Theater Intro (the blue one).mp4
    Random_Theater Intro.mp4
        -etc. for any "Random" bumpers

The important thing here is that all video bumpers in the CV content directory will be deleted and replaced by whatever theme you specify.  To use the example themes above, assuming that ALL of those files are in the source directory, you would type any one of the following:
    SetCinemaVisionVideoBumpers "Nineties Tech"
    SetCinemaVisionVideoBumpers Halloween
    SetCinemaVisionVideoBumpers Random

One additional feature(?) is that anything that uses a theme named STATIC will ALWAYS be copied.  So if there are, say, courtesy bumpers that you always want to be potentially shown, name them:
    STATIC_Courtesy (Minions 1).mp4
    STATIC_Courtesy (Minions 2).mp4
    STATIC_Courtesy - Gremlins (old).mp4
So if "Nineties Tech" is being used as your seamless theme, the following files are all candidates to be picked and shown by CV:
    Nineties Tech_Courtesy.mp4
    STATIC_Courtesy (Minions 1).mp4
    STATIC_Courtesy (Minions 2).mp4
    STATIC_Courtesy - Gremlins (old).mp4

The only things to change in the .BAT file are:
    LOG_NAME
    MY_CONTENT_DIR
    CV_CONTENT_DIR
Change them before the first run and as long as content directories don't change, the .BAT file doesn't need to change.  See the notes right after these constants are defined in the file for their specific syntax.

REMEMBER- THE CONTENTS OF WHATEVER DIRECTORY "CV_CONTENT_DIR" IS SET TO WILL BE DELETED WITHOUT WARNING, SO SET IT ACCORDINGLY!!

It's attached.  Let me know if it helps anyone or if I reinvented the wheel.  Also let me know if you have any suggestions or questions.

-Phil

 

SetCinemaVisionVideoBumpers.bat