Overview

How to add and use your own custom backdrop images in aMPed

Introduction

You can add, change or remove either Default or Home screen backdrops - both My Home, or aMPed's Basic Home layouts: revaMPed or Vintage - just by adding, removing, or replacing images in the backdrop folders

Always backup all fanart and backdrop images you create/use so you never lose them

Customize Home Screen Backdrops

You can just remove or replace any or all backdrops in:

• \skin\aMPed\Media\animations subfolders

However, then you have to repeat your changes for each new version of aMPed.

A better option is to either

1. Copy the backdrops you like to a folder(s) anywhere on your hard disk.
   1. When selecting "Home Screen backdrops"  either in the Basic Home editor or on the Backdrops tab in aMpedConfig: 
   2. Choose either Single Image or Multiimage backdrops and use the Browse option to select the folder where you copied your favorite images
2. Copy your favorite images to the Fanart Handler folder: ...\Team MediaPortal\MediaPortal\thumbs\Skin FanArt\UserDef\pictures
   1. When selecting "Home Screen backdrops"  either in the Basic Home editor or on the Backdrops tab in aMpedConfig: 
   2. Choose the 'Fanart' backdrops option and the User Defined pictures folder. 

 Using either of the above two options you can display your own hand picked backdrops, and never lose them when you reinstall aMPed or MediaPortal.

Customize Default Backdrops

If you don't like the default backdrops, or get tired of them, you can always change them. The default Single and Multiple Image backdrops are stored in

• \skin\aMPed\Media\animations sub-folders

For example, the default backdrops for all windows displaying videos are located in

• \skin\aMPed\Media\animations\Video

Note, you must use the same filenames for the default backdrops, as they are referenced throughout aMPed skin files.

OR you can change the default single image backdrop in a specific window. To do this you must edit the related xml file. At the top of all aMPed skin files, the backdrops (if supported) are defined by:

• <define>#multiimagepath:Music</define> - cycling multiimage backdrops
• <define>#backdrop:animations\Music\Blue Abstract.jpg</define> - single image

when using fanart, the default backdrop, when a fanart image is not available, is defined by:

• <define>#music_multiimagepath:Music</define> cycling with fanart
• <define>#music_backdrop:animations\Music\backdrop_Record_Player.jpg</define> single image with fanart

For multiimage - i.e. cycling backdrops, you specify the name of the folder containing the images you wish to use. For single image, static backdrops, you specify the path within the aMPed media folder, and the file name.

Weather Backdrops

If you don't like the weather backdrops or get tired of them, you can always change them, or add new ones. The Weather backdrops are stored in:

• \skin\aMPed\Media\animations\Weather

In aMPed 3.3 Weather backdrops change according to the weather condition. 

Customize Fanart Backdrops Display

By default, Fanart always displays in plugins that support it, such as TV Series, Moving Pictures, Showtimes, Anime and My Films. However aMPed 3.3 offers a new feature to display fanart only in Details or Menu view, so you can choose to use Big Covers and wide lists instead, yet still display your fanart when you wish.  See Choosing Options.

MediaPortal (v1.2.0 or later) offers an option to scrape fanart for all your movies as well.

To use fanart in Music/Video windows select the options in the Fanart Handler plugin See

Using the Fanart Handler plugin you can even choose to display music artist images as backdrops if fanart is not available. If you want great artist images in Music windows:

• Make sure your music database is updated (don't use Shares if you want fanart)
• Use the to download them from Last.fm

Please note: fanart will not display until you 'scrape' or download some. So, when you first install the Fanart Handler plugin you must allow it time to download all your fanart.

Related

• Fanart Handler User GuideAudioscrobbler pluginCustomization