Overview

How to Edit Vintage (formerly known as Classic) Basic Home

Introduction

You may modify Vintage Basic Home and save your own versions which display only the menu items you wish in the layout you design

You can configure which window opens when you select a menu item or button. On Basic sub Menus, you can arrange the buttons as you wish and even create your own 'layouts'.

You can select backdrop options for the Basic Home layout, but not for each sub menu.  Usually there are so many buttons on sub menus you could not see any backdrop in any case.

Create as many different layouts as you wish, one for each member of your family.  Then save them in Profiles so each user can start MediaPortal with their own Basic Home layout.

How do you do all this?  Easily, using the aMPed Basic Home Editor within aMPedConfig. The editor displays a user friendly graphic display, to show your menus and sub menus almost exactly as they will appear in MediaPortal.

Edit Vintage Basic Home

1. Select Vintage in the Basic Home Layout on the Layouts Tab in aMPedConfig
2. Click the Edit button below the Preview window.

It is so easy you really don't need any instructions!

Note: If you ever wish to remove one of your modified (mods) Basic Home layouts, just press Delete.

Edit the Basic Home Layout

Note: You cannot add or remove buttons on Vintage Basic Home. There must always be five buttons.

1. Use the Move Right/left buttons to arrange the buttons how you wish
2. Use Edit to change which items appear

Edit Buttons

1. Highlight a button and select Edit
2. Choose a supported Item from the drop down box.

Note: Only plugins/windows which are installed and enabled will display in the list.

The correct label text and hover (button) image will automatically be selected for you.

1. Press the Advanced button to change the Label or hover image to whatever you wish.

Edit Backdrops

Change backdrops or use fanart backdrops on Vintage Basic Home (not supported on Basic sub Menus)

1. Click the Backdrop button
2. Select Single Image, Multiple Images or Fanart
3. Then select the backdrop images you wish.
4. Or, browse to a folder and select your own preferred single image, or a folder for multiple images.

See Backdrops for further information.

Edit the Basic Menus

Basic Menus are sub menus for each option on Vintage Basic Home. They are provided by aMPed plugins, unique to the skin, but require no configuration.

You may also edit these Basic Menus which can be linked to the five Basic Home menu items, such as aMPed, Watch, Games, Music, System, News or Extra.

1. Select the Basic Menu you wish to edit from the drop down box at the bottom of the Editor Window.

You may edit these Basic Menus exactly like Basic Home, (see above) to move or edit buttons.

You can also add or remove buttons/items as you like.

1. Select Remove to remove a button - the button background will still display in the Editor, so you can add an item to it, but it will not display in MediaPortal.

Save Your 'Mod' or Basic Home Layout

Once you have completed your modifications, press the Save As button in the lower right and select a name for your new Basic Home. layout.

Don't worry, you cannot overwrite the default layouts, you will have to select a new name.

Your new Basic Home will be saved in it's own folder in the \Layouts\BasicHome folder and it will automatically display for you in aMPedConfig.

You can create a new layout for every member of your family so they can select their own Basic Home layout when they start MP using aMPedConfig.

Note: Your Basic Home 'mods' are backed up in the programdata\aMPed\BasicHome folder and are restored whenever you choose to reinstall aMPed while preserving your settings.  However, due to changes in MediaPortal and aMPed, you cannot always resuse your Mods in a new release of aMPed. Just recreate them from the default Vintage Basic Home layout, then delete your old mods.