DOWNLOADS EXAMPLES SKINS DOCS SUPPORT
 
 

Using Cover art Images

Wimp can load either a JPG or SWF files into the graphic container. You can also activate the cover art graphic so that it behaves like a "hot link" button, so that when the graphic is clicked, the user will go to a new web page.

Loading Graphics

There are three kinds of cover art, all of which work "out of the box" when using Wimpy to automatically list and play the contents of your Wimpy Installation folder.

1. Folder Cover Art

Wimpy automatically looks for a file named "coverart.jpg" in the Wimpy installation folder and sub-folders. If the file exists, Wimpy will load it into the graphic container:

1. When Wimpy starts up
2. When a user clicks on a sub-folder

Example:

http://www.youriste.com/mp3s/coverart.jpg
http://www.youriste.com/mp3s/subFolder/coverart.jpg

In the example above, when Wimpy starts up, the "coverart.jpg" file will load into the graphic container.

Wimpy will also display "subFolder" in the playlist. When "subFolder" is clicked the coverart.jpg file found within that sub-folder will load into the graphic container.

2. Track and XML Playlist Cover Art

Wimpy also automatically looks for a JPG file that uses the same file name as the MP3 file. If the file exists, Wimpy will load the JPG file into the graphic container when the file is played.

For example, if you have an MP3 file and and associated JPG file that uses the same "base name" as:

http://www.youriste.com/mp3s/subFolder/file1.mp3
http://www.youriste.com/mp3s/subFolder/file1.jpg

... then when "file1.mp3" is played, the graphic container will load the associated JPG file (file1.jpg) into the graphic container.

Likewise, if there is an XML playlist in the folder, and the playlist is clicked, then the associated JPG file will load into the graphic container:

http://www.youriste.com/mp3s/subFolder/myPlaylist.xml
http://www.youriste.com/mp3s/subFolder/myPlaylist.jpg

CONFLICTS

If you're using both individual track and folder cover art at the same time, Wimpy will attempt to load the folder cover art first, then the track's cover art. These events can happen at the exact same time... which can cause the graphic container to fail.

Enter the "Cover art container background image" option...

3. The "Cover art container background image" option

This option can be configured using the Customizer tool and is found in the "Advanced Options" area of the Customizer tool. This option can be used in conjunction with, or instead of the default coverart.jpg per folder.

Using this option will place an image behind any loading cover art images, so if there are any conflicts along the way, the image defined for this option will always be visible.

Think of this option as setting up a "fall back" graphic.

Click here for more information on this option.

 

 

 

 

HINT: If you wish to use a different "default" file name instead of "coverart.jpg" you can use the Customizer Tool and set "folder cover art file name" to something else. This option is located in the "Wimpy Script Configuration" section. Do not use a URL for this option, just use a file name. By default, wimpy will look for a file named "coverart.jpg" in folders and subfolders. This configuration option tells Wimpy the name of the "default" file that wimpy should look for when automatically reading the contents of folders.

For advanced users, you can change the default file name with the coverartBasename directive.

Using Cover Art with XML Playlists

Wimpy will use the logic described above for tracks -- where Wimpy will attempt to load a JPG image that uses the same "base name" an is in the same folder as the XML playlist.

For Example, Wimpy will load the following JPG image because it is in the same folder a has the same "base name"

http://www.youriste.com/mp3s/myPlaylist.xml
http://www.youriste.com/mp3s/myPlaylist.jpg

To load cover art for individual tracks, enter the URL to the image into the <visual> tag for each <item>

Example:

<playlist>
  <item>
    <filename>http://path/to/myTrack.mp3</filename>
    <title>My Track</title>
    <visual>http://path/to/graphic.jpg</visual>
  </item>
</playlist>

 

  

Activating the graphic to act as a button

You can activate the graphic to act as a button through ID3  or XML tags. To do so, include a URL in the <comments> tag:

Through ID3 tags:
Put the URL into the "comments" section of the MP3 file's ID3 tag. In order to use this feature, getMyid3info must be enabled so that wimpy.php/asp/cfm can read the contents of each MP3 file's ID3 tag.

NOTE: The ASP version of Wimpy only reads ID3 version 1 tags. ID3v1 tags only allow a maximum of 30 characters in the "comments" tags, which may not be enough for a long URL.

Through XML tags:
Enter a URL to use as the hyperlink on the graphic into the <comments> tag for each MP3 file listed in the playlist

Example:

<playlist>
  <item>
    <filename>myTrack.mp3</filename>
    <title>My Track</title>
    <visual>http://path/to/graphic.jpg</visual>
    <comments>http://path/to/link.html</comments>
  </item>
</playlist>

  

Notes on using SWF as cover art

- The Flash document for your coverart.fla should be set up at exactly 125x125 pixels.

There is no method for determining the "stage.width / height" for a loaded SWF, hence, Wimpy calculates the dimensions of the SWF based on the size of all the objects on the main stage. The dimensions for all of the objects on the main stage should not exceed, nor be less than 125 x 125 pixels.

We recommend creating a 125x125 box / movie clip and placing it on the bottom layer. Doing so will ensure that if all the object's combined dimension is less than 125 pixels, Wimpy will recognize the SWF as being the proper dimensions.

If your SWF contains animated objects that go outside of the 125x125 boundary before the 20th frame, the image will get distorted. Wimpy will stop reading the width and height of all the objects after the 20th frame, so your animation should not begin until after the 20th frame. After the 20th frame, objects may exceed the 125x125 limit. We recommend masking your SWF so that the animation does not go outside of the boundary for the graphic container.

If your SWF contains text and animation that exceeds 125x125, you should use a dynamic mask -- otherwise the text may become invisible. A dynamic mask is created using the following actionscript:

this.setMask(maskMC);

- Animations will run at 24 frames per second, regardless of the actual frames per second you set in the coverart.fla. (All externally loaded swf movies take on the frame rate of the swf that it is loaded into... Wimpy runs at 24 frames per second)

- If Wimpy's "graphic container " is resized using Skin Machine, the loaded SWF file will be stretched or squished accordingly.

- When you export the coverart.swf file, be sure to set the Flash output (as defined in the "Publish" settings) to: Flash Version 6, Actionscript version 1.0.

You can download an example coverart.fla file by clicking here.

 

Image / cover art issues

- Wimpy can only display JPG or SWF files in the cover art box. Wimpy will NOT display GIF or PNG images.

- Flash will not display "progressive" JPG images. The main reason that some JPG files do not load is because the JPG file was saved using the "progressive" option. The "progressive" option formats the JPG file in such a way that prevents Adobe Flash from being able to render the image within the context of a Flash movie (i.e. Wimpy). Click here for more information on this topic

- The "base" file names must be identical (case sensitive)-- only the extension should be different. The JPG files must be stored in the same folder as the MP3 files:

Example:
some_song.mp3
some_song.jpg

 

  

 

 

 

 

 

 

 
  ©Copyright Plaino LLC. All rights reserved.