Easy home menu customisation, and better addons integration

[HexusOdy]

Hi Guys,

I've had a feature request on Trac for a little while now but thought I would mention it here for discussion.

I think a major leap forward in the XBMC interface would be the ability to add Custom links to the home page outside of the default options.

For example, the option is there at the moment to select which of the standard home menu items you want on or off in settings. In the same location I would like to see the ability to Add a custom home page item, choose the text you want displayed and then choose where you want that to link to (I'd suggest limiting it to a list of installed plugins).

Once thats done you can associate it with a background or background folder like you can any other shortcut.

I think this is important for both XBMC and the future of Plugins. At the moment there are many slick skins for XBMC and many great plugins with new ones launching everyday. But the integration between the 2 is poor.

[AnalogKid]

Hi Guys,

I've had a feature request on Trac for a little while now but thought I would mention it here for discussion.

I think a major leap forward in the XBMC interface would be the ability to add Custom links to the home page outside of the default options.

For example, the option is there at the moment to select which of the standard home menu items you want on or off in settings. In the same location I would like to see the ability to Add a custom home page item, choose the text you want displayed and then choose where you want that to link to (I'd suggest limiting it to a list of installed plugins).

Once thats done you can associate it with a background or background folder like you can any other shortcut.

I think this is important for both XBMC and the future of Plugins. At the moment there are many slick skins for XBMC and many great plugins with new ones launching everyday. But the integration between the 2 is poor.

Slightly confused about this, since you're part of the Aeon group, I have assumed you're fair capable with XBMC....

Is this not a skin limitation rather than XBMC?

[HexusOdy]

I was only a tester for Aeon. I know next to nothing about developing.

But I've yet to see a Skin with a Custom home menu option. If it's possible already please let me know?

[spiff]

yes, possible

[HexusOdy]

yes, possible

Do you mean its possible for a skinner to put that option in their skin because the code is there in XBMC to do it?

Or do you mean that its possible by manually editing the XML file?

[spiff]

first

[HexusOdy]

Spiff, can you point me in the direction of any guide for using this code or anything official about it?

I swear its the best kept secret because I haven't seen a single skin use it and there are multiple threads on here about custom home shortcuts that all say it can only be done with manual editing.

[Aenima99x]

In most skins, you just need to go in and edit the home.xml and add whatever you want visible for the menus.

[spiff]

use skin settings to setup the links.
then stuff those skin settings in a static list of some kind...