Howto: Music album covers in Thunar Nautilus and everywhere!

[Yuzem]

INTRODUCTION

This began as a tiny script and now I have a lot of ideas for it.
If you just want to know what is this about then take a look at the screen shots:

Thunar (CD theme):


This is Nautilus with some vinyls (I can only post 8 images):
http://img176.imageshack.us/my.php?i...llazo06kr3.jpg

The DVD theme is used by the imdb grabber (for firefox bookmarks) and the film grabber (for video files)
Nautilus with a custom background:


Nautilus again (picture avatars and photo theme) :


YouTube Avatars


tv-show grabber:


The music widget (support drag and drop):


mame Avatars in nautilus:


comic Avatars:
They can be bookmarked as shown on the screenshot:


DESCRIPTION

Avatar Factory is a bash script that creates shortcuts (Desktop Entry files) with eye candy icons that represent music albums, photo albums, DVD films, youtube videos, mame roms and more. When clicked the avatars can perform different actions as launching a video, start playing some music (compatible with many music players), open a folder, etc...
They can be viewed in Nautilus, Thunar or any application that support Desktop Entry files.

BEFORE INSTALL

I have to say that I don't have any previous knowledge about programing. I have learned most of what I know by doing this script. If something is implemented in an inconvenient way just tell me. I am really a beginner at this.

Check this post to see what a newbie I am:
http://ubuntuforums.org/showthread.php?t=460259

Thanks to the people there for helping me out with some very basic things.

INSTALLATION

You can install it from the deb or the rpm package
If you prefer to install it from the tar file follow the instructions in the README.
Download (gnomefiles)

USAGE

You can use the graphic interface (zenity) from the applications menu but it is much more powerful to use the command line.

From the command line:

For instructions type:

man avatar-factory

For grabbers specific instructions and description type:

avatar-factory -g grabber_name --help

To get a list of available grabbers:

avatar-factory -lg

Automatic cover download (for the music grabber)

You can check this posts about mass grabbing covers directly to the correct folders:
Album Cover Art Downloader
Sonata
exaile-cover-mover

[Bossieman]

Really nice work.
But there is some problems. The first one is that when I change the player to Amarok it wont play them. A error message in Amarok saying the file is not supported/readable or something like that.
Is there anyway you can make this script open upp the folder with the album when you dubbelklick the albums? That would be very sweet.
The skript crashed when I sat the path to my whole harddrive. Worked fine when I specified the folder with the music.

[Yuzem]

Yes, you can make it open up the folder, add to the following to the command:

--type 0

I don't know why it crashed. Right now the script does not detect if a folder has music inside. It will make an album for every folder with a jpg or a png picture inside.
It is better right now to point it to your music folder.

[edmondt]

That looks so cool!

[Bossieman]

Originally Posted by Yuzem Yes, you can make it open up the folder, add to the following to the command: --type 0 I don't know why it crashed. Right now the script does not detect if a folder has music inside. It will make an album for every folder with a jpg or a png picture inside. It is better right now to point it to your music folder.

Very nice, thank yoy! This is awsome!

[MetalMusicAddict]

Ok so does this work recursively and does on work on any folder structure?

ie: /artist/album/image.jpg?

[MetalMusicAddict]

Ok. Looking into this further I know realize this does NOT make your folders for your music look like the covers contained inside. Kinda like XP can do with the image inside.

I wonder if there's a way to adapt this to do that?

Don't get me wrong. This is still cool. Just not what I was expecting.

[Yuzem]

You can use the "--type 0" option to make it go inside the folder when you clic on the albums.

[schnupi]

love it! really good thanks! my avatar-launcher was in /usr/local/bin btw

pity exaile doesnt work with it but im really impressed with the whole thing

[Yuzem]

There is a new version:
Now it should work with exaile and it should be easier to configure amarok and M.O.C.

You must set them in the configuration file:

gedit ~/.avatar-factory/avatar-launcher

For moc:
(this will clear the current playlist)

music=mocp

For exaile:

music=exaile

For amarok:
(this will clear the current playlist)

music=amarok