[REL]Movie Cat beta 6 - AMC modification

[Tikonderoga]

Hello all.

I've just released Movie Cat beta 6

It has 'beta' in name, but its almost complete product (only without help files and automatic installation). Beta 6 has been tested by volunteers from my forum, so I hope there are a few bugs in it.

Brand new features of Movie Cat itself:

* Full support of catalog files of original AMC.
* Possibility to add up to 10 screens to every movie.
* Additional fields for keeping info about movie version (for example - 'director's cut' or 'unrated') and release notes.
* Added support for multi select from dropdown boxes for Media Type, Category, Languages and Subtitles fields. Now you can set Sci-Fi and Love Comedy categories together, for example...
* Rating system have some visual improvements.
* Possibility to customize user interface - move fields, rename it or hide (with tool GUI Designer).

The major innovation of current release is tool GUI Designer. With it help you can change Movie Cat interface - move fields, rename it or hide. Some examples of such modified GUI are included to installation package as well as GUI Designer guide (see in mc_designer_readme.html).

Also there are important changes in Movie Cat itself.

Most important - it is much easier to work with screens. In addition, a possibility to export MC catalogs in the original format of Ant Movie Catalog. And many more pleasant improvements - read the version history.

Files:
Movie Cat beta 6
Readme
Version history
Forum thread with screens

[merti]

Great!!!
Nice to see that someone brings this projekt back to life.

[doudy]

Nice.
Where can i download this version for testing ?

[bad4u]

Too pity, that this excellent program is no longer being updated...

I must have missed something
Nevertheless an interesting modification.


But you should not call your modification "Ant Movie Catalog x.x.x" as it might confuse users of the original version - and it is against the GPL.

GPL v2 says:
If the software is modified by someone else and passed on, we want its recipients to know that what they have is not the original, so that any problems introduced by others will not reflect on the original authors' reputations.

GPL v3 says:
For both users' and authors' sake, the GPL requires that modified versions be marked as changed, so that their problems will not be attributed erroneously to authors of previous versions.

[antp]

Indeed, as I will myself some day (I hope) release a version 4, it is better to find a way to differentiate it.

Development is not stopped. It is not often updated, but it is not "no longer"

Depending on how these changes were done I may just keep your version as the new official one

[Tikonderoga]

Hello again.

To keep difference between my version of movie Catalog and original one, lets call it Bug Movie Catalog At least for developing period.

New version available for test purposes here - BMC_02.zip (I know, its not best hosting, but have patience...)

Changes from original AMC 3.5:

* Added possibility to add up to 10 screenshots for every movie.
To get access to new function, use right click menu on thumbnail window.
* Added new field - Version (for example - 'director's cut' or 'unrated').
* Added new field - Release notes (additional info about movie).
Both new fields added to design as template, need to be redisigned.
* Added support for multi select from dropdown boxes for Media Type, Category, Languages and Subtitles fields. Now you can set Sci-Fi and Love Comedy categories together, for example...
* Rating control changed from text fied with spin button to 'stars', like on IMDB.com. Try to move mouse over it... To set rating press on star, to clear rating, click once more.
* File format for catalogs changed. New versions will read 3.5 and below catalogs, but will write ONLY in new format (it have to keep screenshots and new info).

If you want to try it, download archive from link above and unpack to you AMC folder (or somewhere else).

Do Not Forget To Make Backups Of Original Files and Catalogs!

All new ideas, comments and bug reports will be greatly appreciated. Thank you.

[antp]

I notice that you used the "ComboboxX" component for the drop-down lists. I tested it some time ago as I also wanted to use that for multiple-selections, but I forgot why I finally did not use it.
These stars-rating look nice, like IMDB

One remark: the version & release note fields are not very well aligned (space below, width, ...)

About file format, you forgot to change the header: it writes
AMC_4.0 Ant Movie Catalog 4.0.x
Also something strange, after the header in the file you find the message "Unable to save file" (though that the file works fine).
I guess it picks a random text from memory because the lenght of the header is not the right one?

[Tikonderoga]

I notice that you used the "ComboboxX" component for the drop-down lists. I tested it some time ago as I also wanted to use that for multiple-selections, but I forgot why I finally did not use it.

Because its not original ComboBoxX, I take it as template and changed some things - added Windows XP theme support for drawing and completely redone combo-box part (it now inherit from CheckListBox, not from ListBox).

About file format, you forgot to change the header: it writes
AMC_4.0 Ant Movie Catalog 4.0.x

Yes, I remember...

Thank for advices Antoine. From you its very helpful.

[antp]

added Windows XP theme support

So that's probably the reason why I did not use it
There was also a problem when it was put at the bottom of the window if I remember well: it dropped below the lower edge of the screen instead of dropping to the up.

[elman]

Nice mod. Just gave it a try and bringing some thoughts:
- When I first started the mod, I could only see images sized 8x8px (not sure if it was resized or cropped). When I turned "Fit picture" on and off, worked OK.
- ComboboxX looks ok, however could it use also "/" as delimiter? Original imports it that way, so would be nice if new combo could use it. Also I miss typing completion
- Text in release notes jumps whole width, when text is longer that input box. It's weird, isn't it? Producer field jumps like 15 chars at the time.
- Adding captures doesn't work for me. I add picture, but it's not shown

Anyway adding multiple images for a movie is one of my 2 most wanted features, so I love it. However I would use it for multiple covers / posters, not for captures.

And if you would ask, the other most wanted feature is possibility to make series. For example Omen. First movie is name Omen, second is Damien: Omen 2 and third is Final Conflict. So I would love one field for series name and other for sequence number. Then I could group movies by series name field or I could just use it in title formatting as prefix

[antp]

To group you can put the series name in media label or another unused field, and use the existing group feature

[Tikonderoga]

Hello again.

New beta version will be released till the end of current week. I had some problems with performance for catalogs with large amount of screens, but now its ok. My own catalog has more than 200 screenshots (size of catalog file about 40 Mb) and last releases works fast.

ComboboxX looks ok, however could it use also "/" as delimiter? Original imports it that way, so would be nice if new combo could use it. Also I miss typing completion

I'll add possibility to use "/" as delimiter and autocomplete function will be back also.

- Text in release notes jumps whole width, when text is longer that input box. It's weird, isn't it? Producer field jumps like 15 chars at the time.

Already fixed, release notes now have 2 lines.

Adding captures doesn't work for me. I add picture, but it's not shown

Well, thats strange. Any error message? By the way, how you keep pictures - in catalog file or as external files?

[elman]

To group you can put the series name in media label or another unused field, and use the existing group feature

Hi,

yes, I thought about that, however currently I use all available fields as they are supposed to be used, so no luck for me there...

Elman

[elman]

I'll add possibility to use "/" as delimiter and autocomplete function will be back also.

Great

Adding captures doesn't work for me. I add picture, but it's not shown

Well, thats strange. Any error message? By the way, how you keep pictures - in catalog file or as external files?

No, no error message. I just select image for first thumb, everything looks ok, but no image shows. Even context menu changes and allows me to Copy, Save As and Delete file. When I copy it and paste to Photoshop I get 12x12 white image.

Also movie covers are displayed as 12x12px box every time I start catalog. I always have to turn "Fit Images" on and off.

I use XML catalog with images stored alongside xml.

[Tikonderoga]

I use XML catalog with images stored alongside xml.

Ah, ok. I didn't tested this kind of catalog, looks like I should do it.
Thank.

[Tikonderoga]

New version available for test purposes here - Movie Cat 4 (beta 4)

Whats new:

* Added possibility to use different characters as delimiter in comboboxes with multiply selections (right now only ',' and '/' available in options).
* Added autocomplete for comboboxes with multiply selections.
* Added support for XML catalogs. I do not recommend to use XML for your catalogs, anyway, especially, if your images are large. (Upd. XML still have some bugs with picture naming)
* Various optimization and bug fixing. No more 'Bug' on the main window caption, at least.
* Statistics now counts mixed values as different. For example, movie with 2 categories will be count as 2 in stats graphs.
* Screenshots now use cache to draw thumbnails. Cache stored into catalog file (only for *.amc catalogs, not for XML!) and make program start much faster. Now only after first program start and after changing thumbnail size cache will be updated.
* Added option tab to change size of screenshots thumbnails.

If you want to try it, download archive from link above and unpack to you AMC folder (or somewhere else).

NB: file format changed. If you already converted your catalogs from 3.5.0 to previous beta, let me know and I'll add support for previous beta formats.

Do Not Forget To Make Backups Of Original Files and Catalogs!

All new ideas, comments and bug reports will be greatly appreciated. Thank you.

[antp]

I do not recommend to use XML for your catalogs, anyway, especially, if your images are large.

Why? For large images it is better to not stored them in the catalog anyway.

[Tikonderoga]

Re-uploaded, link changed.
XML catalogs still have some mistakes.

2 antp
I making preview images for large screens. In native *.amc catalogs its possible to store it inside the catalog file, in XML it's need to store it separetely or do not store at all. Right now for XML catalogs I generating preview at program start, later I'll find better solution...

[antp]

You could store them as external files, as it is done for the image of each movie.

[Wotan]

will wait till xml is fully supported...as i too store covers externally but it looks nice so far...nice to see a star rating system