Some ideas to improve the Graphical EPG screen

[bbbuk]

yo

here is the EPGSelection.py
https://github.com/OpenViX/enigma2/blob/master/lib/python/Screens/EpgSelection.py

and then here is the EPGList.py
https://github.com/OpenViX/enigma2/blob/master/lib/python/Components/EpgList.py

Is there anyway of checking on github when the epgselection.py file was last updated/comitted so I can see that I don't apply matt's modded version against a recent update (ie as part of new oe-a/image release)?

It states:

andyblac on 28 May 2014 [EpgSelection] fix possible BSOD.

Is this the last time this file was updated?

 

[darkdreamingdan]

Sorry for the bump but i just registered to say you guys have done an amazing job on this! THanks a lot matt and bbbuk for your channel search update. I can see why OpenViX won't integrate stuff like the channel search and some customizations because it's very sly-like rather than versatile. However, I do think the default key mappings of Ch+/- being horizontal are completely obsurd, it's completely illogical given the layout of the remote. I get that +/- 24 hours is a preference inherited from sly usage.

Regardless, great job on your hacking, it works great! i do recommend you guys package it properly and release it as package that can just be unzipped into root ftp directory, because this is a massively underrated feature. It took me about a half hour of googling to come across this thread after I wanted to try and mod it in myself...then I read 27 pages of posts and got the epg.png, skin_Blue-HD.xml and EpgSelection.py from various posts, then I had to search where these are placed within FTP, then finally install.

I think a fresh thread with a release of "Blue-HD Sly EPG Keymappings" with a package which has the directories preconfigured would really help the less tech savvy people find this useful mod!

Cheers

 

[darkdreamingdan]

Channel numbers on Graphical EPG

Hey Guys

I've been building on matt007 and bbbuk's work, and decided to add something that I found strangely missing:

As you can see, I've added Channel numbers to the Graphical EPG, which in my opinion makes things much tidier and easier to find your favourite channels.

Also, I've added some 'primary bouquet' functionality:


What this does is, when displaying channel numbers on the Graphical EPG from a different category, it'll use it from the 'Primary Bouquet'. Currently this is hardcoded to be the first bouquet available (i.e. 'All Channels'), but in future could allow the user to select which bouquet Channel numbers are inherited from. What this means in practice is, that all Bouquets will use the channel numbers from All Channels, rather than keep adding numbers for different categories. The Channel from the Primary Bouquet is also zapped to.

Attached is the files required to install this, including matt007 and bbbuk's excellent key remappings (Ch-/Ch+ for scrolling pages, and Yellow/Blue for +/-24 hours, 0-9 keys for channel search) and all their work so far.

I hope this helps someone - I did it mostly for myself but learning some Enigma2 was somewhat rewarding. Please note, the setup.xml may require manual modification because this file has changed in newer versions of OpenVix - so you may lose some main menu items. If this is the case, open the original file and edit it manually according to source code changes.

Remember to keep backups in case something goes wrong! Use OpenVix's image backup feature!

After installing, you need to make the following changes in settings:
Menu -> Setup -> System -> EPG -> GraphicalEPG:
* Set "Service Title mode" to include Channel number
* "Use Channel Numbers from First Bouquet" -> Yes

 

[scwheeler]

Works great. I'm looking to slightly rework MetrixHD's EPG so may look at integrating this. Cheers.

 

[Rob van der Does]

The zip-file only contains compiled files. If you also supply the source files, I can have a look if we can embed this in ViX.

 

[divil_a_bit]

The zip-file only contains compiled files. If you also supply the source files, I can have a look if we can embed this in ViX.

This is something I'd love to see in ViX.

 

[Rob van der Does]

Hold your horses: it will need a thorough check, also in relation to the other available EPG's (multi/single).
So let's await the source files first.

 

[ketmp]

The zip-file only contains compiled files. If you also supply the source files, I can have a look if we can embed this in ViX.

He has included link to his own github section forked off from Vix. It looks like it is setup for Graphical EPG only as that's where the option is included and so it won't do anything for other types of epg's. However, a look at his github implies he is working on infobar epg!

@killercow, Thanks for this. I've got a few ideas of extending this even more now and will have a play this weekend

 

[Rob van der Does]

Please show me the link; I don't see it.

 

[darkdreamingdan]

Here's my work on github:

https://github.com/Talidan/enigma2/commits/Dev

it works on the Graphical Infobar EPG if you make a 1 line change to UsageConfig.py (as in the latest commit). I can make a .zip package if desired.

 

[Rob van der Does]

Yes, please give me the complete package as source files.
Did you already check if these changes influence the other EPG's (Quick/Single/Multi)?

 

[darkdreamingdan]

Yes, but I only use the quick infobar, graphical EPG and graphical infobar EPG. I haven't thoroughly checked the others, but it should be impossible anyway because as you'll see from the diffs on github, no modifications were made to those EPGs. It's probably easiest you just download my source tree from github: https://github.com/Talidan/enigma2/archive/Dev.zip (to ensure they're the latest files)

Relevant files are the same ones from my previous package:
data/setup.xml -> usr/share/enigma2/setup.xml
lib/python/Components/EpgList.py -> usr/lib/python/Components/EpgList.py
lib/python/Components/UsageConfig.py -> usr/lib/python/Components/UsageConfig.py
lib/python/Screens/EpgSelection.py -> usr/lib/python/Screens/EpgSelection.py

For anyone wanting to install the latest version (i.e. Channel Names in graphical infobar EPG), first make sure you've installed matt007's skin modifications from the .zip file (just install everything) from my previous post, then you can install the files listed above from Dev.zip in their corresponding directory.

Then, just like with Graphical EPG, go into Graphical InfoBar EPG settings and set Service Title mode to include channel names.

 

[abu baniaz]

Maybe this helps for reference/comparison purposes
http://www.world-of-satellite.com/showthread.php?48142-EPG-Screens-and-Navigation

 

[darkdreamingdan]

Thanks abu. According to abu's definitions, here's the status of Channel Numbers:

• Graphical EPG: Main functionality of this mod - Channel Numbers are here after installation.
• Info Bar: This functionality existed already, in Menu > Setup > System > User Interface > Settings > Show channel number in infobar. Previous behaviour unaffected.
• Second Info Bar: Same as "Info Bar". Previous behaviour unaffected.
• Graphical InfoBar EPG. Standard setting (Multi EPG): This was added in my most recent commit.
• Graphical InfoBar EPG. Single EPG: I personally don't use this Infobar, so this does not have any channel number modifications. I reckon it should be very easy to add if anyone actually wants. Previous behaviour unaffected.
• Single EPG: I don't use this either, and I don't think having Channel Number is needed or in demand here. Previous behaviour unaffected.

 

[rossi2000]

they should be pretty straight forward to pick into vix if need be.

but as was discussed before, the idea was rejected to be included in vix.

 

[duoduo]

they should be pretty straight forward to pick into vix if need be.

but as was discussed before, the idea was rejected to be included in vix.

Only by the people with power, the majority would love for it to be integrated fully into vix.

 

[abu baniaz]

It took a while for me to understand that Enigma2 does not have true numbering. It is dynamic.

Official receivers are limited to the one provider, the UK and a few other countries, have the numbers system whereas most do not.

Removal of the number navigation is detrimental to those with multi sat/mode receivers. So long as changes are configurable, then that is the best way to go

 

[Larry-G]

Only by the people with power, the majority would love for it to be integrated fully into vix.

yeah well luckily for us this is not a democracy so regardless of what the majority would love, WE still get the final say. That said 90 percent of the ViX image has been tailored specifically to the users needs over time but at some point we have to just say no, that is not going to happen.

 

[darkdreamingdan]

they should be pretty straight forward to pick into vix if need be.

but as was discussed before, the idea was rejected to be included in vix.

I personally don't really understand this notion. I'm in fact pretty sure that Graphical EPG channel numbers was never rejected (feel free to correct me). I could have easily posted this in a fresh thread in another section of the forum and dropped any previous baggage of this thread - it's an isolated feature that has no reliance on any previous mods. In the past the solution to this problem was to switch out AutoBouquetsMaker with Lraizer's AB, as can be seen in many threads:
http://www.world-of-satellite.com/showthread.php?37707-Show-channel-numbers-on-Epg-screen
http://www.world-of-satellite.com/showthread.php?47282-Channel-numbers-on-multi-EPG
http://www.world-of-satellite.com/showthread.php?32768-Channel-numbers
etc. The previous request used to be to add Channel numbering into ABM. As far as my research went, this is not deemed a proper solution and I understand why - hacking in numbers into the service name is inelegant. My development thus far was inspired by this very post:
http://www.world-of-satellite.com/s...fo-Bar-Missing&p=213562&viewfull=1#post213562
The idea being, that channel numbers should be implemented in a non-hacky way that conforms to the way E2/ViX works. That's what I hoped I've achieved.


The only thing that was 'rejected' was matt007's bindings and visual changes. And the reasons for rejection were dubious at best: http://www.world-of-satellite.com/showthread.php?44345-Which-coloured-EPG-options-do-you-prefer . There's some (imo) crazy logic to some of the rejections, which led me to install it myself:

• Displaying the other available Bouquets is illogical because not everyone has < and > keys. What?? You could make this argument for absolutely anything. Displaying the other Bouquets has almost nothing to do with keys because the functionality exists whether you have them or not - only before there are no visual cues for it.
• Assigning blue/yellow to Add Timer and Add Autotimer when the recording button is a much more logical key that already serves this purpose. Freeing up these leaves a nice place for +/- 24 hours, or even something else.
• Using Ch+ and Ch- keys, which are arranged vertically on a remote, to navigate horizontally

These are all points that have been argued before. As for other customisations (such as Green for recordings), I believe they're inherited from preferences of being used to a Sly box, so it's understandable that they're not accepted. The borderline case is number keys - I'm sure people are used to these shortcuts and like them just how they are. However, they seem incredibly power-user with absolutely no visual guidance for them (besides the obscure HELP screen). This is why a number search fits so much more naturally to number entry. There are other valid reasons for rejection such as skin compatibility - but it is very disappointing to see an entire implementation rejected rather than trying to make the solution compatible or accepting the compatible changes, and I hope the same doesn't happen here.

Anyway, I'm not trying to start an argument here, as I say people are free to install these mod if they choose to, I just thought I'd get my opinions from previous UI development across. Ultimately the solution has to come to a user preference option because it's what makes ViX great. Whatever the case, I purposely pushed my changes to GitHub to allow the developers to cherry pick things as they like, or not. I did do this for myself for fun and ultimately it's Team ViX's decision which I'll respect because they've built such a great firmware by maintaining a strong codebase.

p.s. rossi, i think your blue-hd skin is absolutely fantastic and I dont mean to cause any offense, just spark some debate!

 

[Rob van der Does]

they should be pretty straight forward to pick into vix if need be.

OK, I'll leave it to you then.
Be aware that all skins need to be adapted.