Updated 05/08/2010 Dune Explorer 2.0.6
After much wait (thank's for you patience), I'm glad to introduce you the second version of Dune Explorer :
Dune Explorer 2 allows you to generate easily icons and synopsis for your entire movie collection.
Here are a few screenshots of the Dune interface in order to show you the results obtained with Dune Explorer 2 :
Features :- - Multilingual interface French / English
- Automatic creation of the icons and the synopsis for all the movies in a directory
- Two providers available : Allociné and TheMovieDB
- Ability to customize and create your own templates for the icons and the synopsis
- Display icons and synopsis currently present in the directories
- Backup of the last scan
- Window in order to select a picture if the provider offers more than one
- Possibility to edit the text of the synopsis
- Ability to hide the Dune interface in order to see only the icons on the screen
Requirements :
How does it work ?
When you lauch the software for the first time, you will have to do a new scan, thank's to the "New scan..." button or the "File" menu, "New Scan..."
You will see all the directories and sub-directories in the tree on the left.
The color code for the directories is as follows :
- - RED : there are no icons neither synopsis in the directory
- GREEN : there is only an icon in this directory, the synopsis is missing
- BLUE : there are the icons and the synopsis in this diretory
When you select a
RED directory, the search starts automatically among the providers, the result is shown in the list in the middle of the window.
When you select a
GREEN or a
BLUE directory, the search field (above the list) will be filled but the search doesn't launch automatically.
It's possible to modify the string located just above the list. In order to start the search operation, you just have to press the Enter key on your keyboard or to click the Search button symbolized by the binocculars.
Then you have to select a result in the list. Depending on the providers, the various buttons around the list will be highlightened.
Just click on the buttons to download the pictures :
- - "Add poster to icon" : allows to download the poster of the movie and uses it as the icon
- "Add poster to synopsis" : allows to download the poster of the movie and uses it as a poster in the synopsis
- "Add text to synopsis" : allows to download the summary of the movie and uses it in the synopsis
- "Add background to synopsis" : allows to download a fanart of the movie and uses it in the synopsis
- "Add all to synopsis" : allows to download the poster, the summary and the fanart and uses them in the synopsis
- "Add all to icon and synopsis" : allows to download the poster, the summary and the background and uses them for the synopsis and the icon (only the poster will be used for the icon)
Once the pictures downloaded, you can change the icon template or the synopsis template via dropdowns at the top right of the window. You can also modify the text of the synopsis thank's to the "Edit synopsis text" button or the "Synopsis" menu, "Edit synopsis text..."
When everything is all right, just click on the button "Save image(s)" or the "File" menu, "Save image(s)" menu in order to save the icon and the synopsis in the movie directory.
When you will have performed all the icons and all the synopsis of a directory, right-click on this directory (on the left tree) and choose the "Auto update Dune_folder files" menu. This way you will update all the Dune_folder for this directory and all its sub-directories.
You can also select the "Edit" menu, "Auto generat all Dune_folder files" menu in order to update all the Dune_folder files of the tree.
Settings :
This window lets you customize the application.
- - You can choose which suppliers you want to use when searching. All suppliers checked will be used for search.
- You can choose the size of the icons generated by Dune Explorer. Icons of 300 * 300 allows you to display up to 18 icons per page (with the option Hide Dune interface checked) and a size of 200*200 lets you display up to 28 icons per page.
- You can choose the extension of the picture generated by Dune explorer. Each extension has a different viewing speed. Here are the extensions from the fastest to the slowest : AAI, BMP, PNG, JPG.
- Options : - * "Autolaunch movie if no synopsis" : allows to launch the movie if there is no synopsis in the directory.
* "Save synopsis into for future editions" : allows to backup all the datas of the synopsis (the poster, the background and the summary). It's usefull because you can change easily the synopsis or you can edit easily the summary. For example, if a new synopsis template is available, you will just have to change the template without re-downloading all the datas.
* "Ignore parenthesis in search" : allows you to ignore the text that is bracketed during the search. This allows you to add the information you want in the directory name without having an impact on search.
* "Hide Dune interface" : hide the Dune interface in order to display more icons all across the screen.
Auto generation Wizard
The wizard generates automatically all the icons and all the synopsis for all the movies in the selected directory and all its subdirectories. You can choose the provider for each data : the icon, the summary and the background. Then select the template for the icons and the template for the synopsis. Choose your options and the Wizard will do the rest. If the provider offers more than one picture, the wizard will choose automatically the first one by default.
TIP : If you want to increase the efficiency of the wizard, be sure to name your directories with the original title of the movie. You can use the following format : original title (your custom title or informations). By selecting "Ignore parenthesis in the folder names during search", the bracketed text will not be taken into account when searching.
Customizing templates
BE CAREFUL : If you want to customize your templates, please save your files in another directory. This way, your files won't be overwritten with an update of the software.
Customizing icons :
In order to display the directory containing the icon templates, select the "Edit" menu, "Icon Templates..." menu. This directory contains a file
Dune.Explorer.Icons.Template.xml and some pictures. In order to add your own template, edit the xml file. In this file there are a lot of comments which will help you.
To sum up, for the creation of an icon template you need to :
- - create (with photoshop or another sofware) a picture of 300*300 which will be used as a mask (placed above the poster)
- edit the file Dune.Explorer.Icons.Template.xml in order to declare the new template (Balise <Icon name=""></Icon> )
- In the XML document : specify the name of the picture that will be used as a template, define coordinates for the position where the cover will be placed in the template.
- backup the modified xml file in another directory
- Launch Dune Explorer 2 and look at the result 
Customizing synopsis :
In order to display the directory containing the synopsis template, select "Edit" menu, "Templates Synopsis..." menu. This directory contains a file
Dune.Explorer.Synopsis.Template.xml and some pictures. In order to add your own template, you have to edit this file which contains a lot of comments to help you.
To sum up, for the creation of a synopsis template you need to :
- - create (with photoshop or another sofware) a background picture (with transparency it's better) that will be displayed just above the Fanart.
- create (with photoshop or another sofware) a foreground picture (with transparency it's better) that will be displayed on the top. Useful for adding effects of reflection on a box for example.
- edit the file Dune.Explorer.Synopsis.Template.xml in order to declare a new synopsis template (Markup <Synopsis Name=""></Synopsis> )
- In the XML document (Examine the template "Aeron like FR" as an example) : declare your background picture (<BackgroundCustomImage> ), declare your foreground picture (<ForegroundCustomImage> ), define the coordinates, font and color of each text (<Title>, <Genre>, <Year>, <Director>, <Duration>, etc..) and finally determine the coordinates of the poster.
- backup the modified xml file in another directory
- Launch Dune Explorer 2 and look at the result
Download :
A new version of Dune Explorer is available (2.0.6), you can download it here :
http://the.quake.killer.free.fr/Dune...orer_2.0.6.zip
Just extract the file where you want and launch "Dune Explorer 2.X.X.exe"
This way publishing will be easier for me because ClickOnce was a little buggy.
Changes since intial version :
Code:
- 2.0.6 :
- New : Theatre1 new synopsis template (Thanks to Patrick.L)
- New : Now using AAImageLib to show and save AAI images ;-)
- Correction : TheMovieDB provider
- Correction : Changed business rules with templates comboboxes
- Correction : Add save message before launching the wizard
- Correction : Copy/Paste from image files
- 2.0.5 :
- New : 9 new Synopsis templates (Thanks to Baloub and Patrick.L)
- Correction : it's now possible de cancel the image selection screen
- 2.0.4 :
- New : Spanish
- New : icon template 'CD' (Thanks to Drobanir CD template)
- 2.0.3 :
- New : Massive template update (Right click on a folder)
- New : New way to launch movies
- New : Lots of new features in synopsis templates (See template xml comments)
- New : Video informations on synopsis (Manual input for the moment)
- New : Original title in synopsis
- New : Synopsis freetext markup variables (Auto translate text)
- Correct : Don't scan Zappiti folders
- Correct : Allocine provider
- 2.0.2 :
- New : 3 new languages (Thanks to : Starwarp, Redyak and Birillo67)
- New : Show captions parameter
- New : 2 new fields in synopsis usable in templates
- New : yaDIS like synopsis templates (Thanks to djoole)
- Correction : YAMJ icon templates aspect ratio (Thanks to djoole)
- Correction : Allociné provider
- Correction : Replace quote by space during search
- Correction : Shows only capable providers in wizard comboboxes
- 2.0.1 :
- New : 12 new providers
- New : 7 new icon templates
- New : replace underscores by spaces during search
- Correction : bug with synopsis edition when search returns 0 results
- Correction : auto launch bug in dune_folder files
- 2.0.0 :
- Dune Explorer 2 final release
DUNE Explorer 2 official topic
MyMovies for NMJ: 
