[axbmcuser]

Following up on the discussions from 2008-2019:

- https://forum.kodi.tv/showthread.php?tid=42857
- https://forum.kodi.tv/showthread.php?tid=200401
- https://github.com/xbmc/xbmc/pull/8409

Small example (view at 100% 1:1 px size):


For more:
! View Full Example !  with more items  (! view image at 100% 1:1 px size !)


All KODI 18 builds are based on a clean KODI 18.4 nightly with the following additions:

- Added global GUI mipmapping with 2 separate negative LOD bias values
(One for global use and one for the pictures slideshow (which already supported mipmapping before these builds))

- Advancedsettings changes:
- - Possible imageres / fanartres range changed to 1080-9999 (pixels)
- - Database-scaler "imagescalingalgorithm" forced to lanczos
(To ensure the GUI has cached high quality artwork to work with. You should make sure your scraper delivers at least 1080px-height artwork)
- - Added 3 new values to advancedsettings to disable/enable global mipmapping and changing the two LOD bias values (More details a later time)

Usage:
1) Install or update to the downloaded test build
2) Delete "userdata\Thumbnails" folder to remove old low quality/resolution artwork. With these builds it's recommended to use 1080px-height-hq-artwork. No need to go lower in quality.
3) Reboot and let KODI re-cache and/or re-scrape the artwork from a HQ source (hq local artwork or hq scraper source)
4) Done.


KODI 17

- Download KODI 17.7 DSPlayer x64 | Windows x64  (bettergui-build)  (See separate thread)


KODI 18

- Download KODI 18.4 | Mac OS x64  (bettergui001-build)  (Alternative Mirror: Dropbox)


- Download KODI 18.9 | Windows x64  (bettergui001-build)  (Alternative Mirror: Dropbox)
Older: - Download KODI 18.4 | Windows x64  (bettergui001-build)  (Alternative Mirror: Dropbox)

- Download KODI 18.4 | LibreELEC 9.2  (bettergui001-build)   .TAR  (Alternative Mirror: Dropbox)
- Download KODI 18.4 | LibreELEC 9.2  (bettergui001-build)   .IMG.GZ  (Alternative Mirror: Dropbox)




Feedback and a "thumbs up" welcome :-)

[axbmcuser]

[reserved post]

[docwra]

Wasn't that PR merged in the end though?

[axbmcuser]

Yes, but the mentioned PR is limited to an initial and purely optional support of mipmapping for the pictures-slideshow function only (using a hard coded LOD bias of -0.5 for OpenGL - on Windows it's missing to set a negative LOD bias).
See picture settings: https://kodi.wiki/view/Settings/Player/P...ownscaling

[icebaer]

I've installed the 17.7 DS version.
To have a better comparison to my existing (portable) installation of 17.6 DS, can I just copy the portable_data folder (with removing Thumnbails folder)?

Is there anything else, I can or need to configure?

[axbmcuser]

That was faster than expected, but just in time.

I think you already have the bettergui002 build from 2020-02-04 now? (This is the new one i was talking about.)

Yes, good idea.
Just make the bettergui002 17.7 build also portable and copy the portable_data folder (without Thumbnails/ ) from your 17.6 dsplayer version to it.

- Is your existing 17.6 DS the x64 version?

[beeswax]

Just trying out the DSPlayer variant of this but hit a problem straight away, I can't figure out why this version won't let me use or install the Aeon Nox Silvo skin.  If I try to download using the in-Kodi addon browser, it only offers the ancient AeonNox.  If I copy the skin folder (skin.aeon.nox.silvo) into the \addons folder, it still doesn't even list it as an option to switch to.  It works fine in DSPlayer x86 and as far as I know, skins are completely agnostic when it comes to processor architencture.  Any ideas?

edit: Sorry, forgot some important info:  Windows 10 1909 x64.  Fresh install of this version in portable mode.  Existing DSPlayer install is the x86 version, also in portable mode and that works OK with the skin.

edit2: Figured it out, I needed to not carry across anything in settings.xml or guisettings.xml from the other DSPlayer install and then I was able to select Nox Silvo as a usable skin.

[axbmcuser]

I did some checking regarding a potential addon install problem and had no problems with a clean install so far. I tried multiple random different addons from zip and repos.
No problems found so far. Will look some more, but maybe it's just a usual normal random quirk or so.


Regarding a skin not being selectable in skin menu:

If a skin is not not selectable as a usable skin, the problem often is that the addon is installed, but not enabled.
This is escpecially the case when you "install" a addon by copying the folder into your install. After that you have to go to Addons, My Addons, All, find the addon and enable it.
Installing via zip or repo is preferred of course, because only then Kodi check to install all the dependencies.

[axbmcuser]

Additional testing:

I also tried installing a self created zip "skin.aeon.nox.silvo.zip" from github (aeon nox silvo krypton branch)

(file name "skin.aeon.nox.silvo.zip" with a correct exact folder name "skin.aeon.nox.silvo" inside the zip file)

It installed correctly including the dependencies from the above mentioned zip on my clean test install.

[bkury]

@axbmcuser

Is there a public patch/repo available for your BetterGUI (image scaling) modification? KODI 18.8 compatible would be great ...
Sorry for hijacking this thread but I can't send you a PM (your quota exceeded)

Thanks!

[axbmcuser]

@bkury
Due to lack of interest there was no follow up on this. I never adapted or compiled the changes to KODI 18.5+ (only 18.4) because of that.
I'm still happily using this on my dsplayer 17.7 build every day and could not imagine going back to the visually "broken" GUI.

Further more: According to experiences in the past, i doubt that the changes would be merged to kodi master git after creating a PR despite it being an optional solution.

As soon as i have spare time i can still look into creating a PR if you want to check it out for yourself and for you to compile your own KODI 18 build with the better GUI. :-)

[docwra]

Please create the PR at least, it is always useful

[bkury]

Due to lack of interest there was no follow up on this. I never adapted or compiled the changes to KODI 18.5+ (only 18.4) because of that.

That's a shame! Would it be that difficult to merge your 18.4 changes with 18.8? Most KODI 18.4 --> 18.8 changes were minor fixes and shouldn't affect your patch, or am I wrong here?
 

Further more: According to experiences in the past, i doubt that the changes would be merged to kodi master git after creating a PR despite it being an optional solution.

I understand (I really do ) but even if your changes won't make it to kodi master there is still a small community out there who would love to have beautiful scaled images/fanart.
 

As soon as i have spare time i can still look into creating a PR if you want to check it out for yourself and for you to compile your own KODI 18 build with the better GUI. :-)

That's perfect! A patch file / diff or link to your patch would be sufficient for me but as docwra already pointed out creating a PR would also be a good idea.

Thanks!

[axbmcuser]

@bkury
Not technically difficult, but a matter of time. I did not touch all this stuff for a year. (which feels like 4) :-)

We will work something out, i guess.
And: If i don't find the full time for a clean PR with text and all that stuff - i might be able to send you basic patches or the changed files src package. Give me some time. Thanks.

[axbmcuser]

@bkury

As promised - after many hours of wandering through the old code folders and cleaning up, please have a look:

https://github.com/axbmcuser/xbmc/tree/g...ption_leia
https://github.com/axbmcuser/xbmc/tree/g...ion_matrix

At the moment i don't have all the extra hours to create a PR with all the text+requirements that come with it.
Also i miss the SSD space to make further test compiles with the two branches - but everything should work fine.
Let me know if it worked out for you.

As mentioned before, DX-platforms like Windows and OpenGL-platforms like MacOS and most Linux devices (NUC etc.) are supported. "OpenGL ES" platforms (without full OpenGL support) like Android devices are not supported because they are missing support for texture LOD bias.



To activate global gui texture mipmapping, add this to your "userdata\advancedsettings.xml":

xml:


<imagemipmappingglobal>true</imagemipmappingglobal>



<imageres>1080</imageres>

<fanartres>1080</fanartres>

<imagescalingalgorithm>lanczos</imagescalingalgorithm>

If you got a 2160p display instead of a 1080p display you may use this instead to benefit further:

xml:


<imagemipmappingglobal>true</imagemipmappingglobal>



<imageres>2160</imageres>

<fanartres>2160</fanartres>

<imagescalingalgorithm>lanczos</imagescalingalgorithm>

Afterwards delete userdata\Thumbnails and recache everything. (Backup before - as always.)

Hopefully i could help. :-)