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Exporting Cast and Crew
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DVD Profiler Desktop and Mobile RegistrantStar ContributorAiAustria
Profiling since 2004
Registered: May 19, 2007
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I'm looking for a possibility to export the complete cast and crew list from my local database.

Why? - I'm sure, that there are headshots hidden in my database, which I did not contribute to the official headshot thread. Therefore I'd like to export my personal database and compare it against an export of the current headshot database.

Therefore I'd need a list with structured names and a flag, if a headshot is attached (in any format, I can import to Excel or something similar):
FirstName;MiddleName;LastName;BirthYear;PhotoYesNo

Is anyone arount here, who can provide such a list?
Or any other ideas, how I could compare two databases??
Complete list of Common Names  •  A good point for starting with Headshots (and v11.1)
DVD Profiler Unlimited RegistrantStar Contributorgreyghost
Registered: March 13, 2007
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.
Registered: February 10, 2002
 Last edited: by greyghost
DVD Profiler Desktop and Mobile Registrantmediadogg
Aim high. Ride the wind.
Registered: March 18, 2007
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What is it you want to compare; just the existence of a head shot, or the actual head shot, or both?

In other words, do you also need to see the head shots?

I think Cinematic Collection Viewer has some head shot features - not sure about the details.

Also, take a look at the tools of:

DJDoena
Gsyren
Mithi
Thanks for your support.
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Hey, new product!!! BDPFrog.
 Last edited: by mediadogg
DVD Profiler Desktop and Mobile RegistrantStar ContributorAiAustria
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Registered: May 19, 2007
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I don't need the photos exported; a boolean indicating the presence of a headshot is enough for me.

But I need the whole cast & crew tables; all the existing tools operate on profiles, which excludes all cast/crew entries, which are not used for an existing profile.
Complete list of Common Names  •  A good point for starting with Headshots (and v11.1)
DVD Profiler Desktop and Mobile RegistrantStar ContributorAiAustria
Profiling since 2004
Registered: May 19, 2007
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... just a thougt: Does anybody know, which data base the files in the database folder belong to? Maybe the files can be imported to Access or another data base??
Complete list of Common Names  •  A good point for starting with Headshots (and v11.1)
DVD Profiler Desktop and Mobile Registrantmediadogg
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Registered: March 18, 2007
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Quoting AiAustria:
Quote:
... just a thougt: Does anybody know, which data base the files in the database folder belong to? Maybe the files can be imported to Access or another data base??

Did you look at the tools and links I provided? There is at least one that creates an Access from the XML export.

Only problem is: the XML does not have a flag for the existence of a head shot (maybe I'm wrong, I only checked briefly). But of course that information is available internally to a plugin.

If you can confirm by looking at the references I gave, that nothing is available, I would be willing to take a look at doing something quick. Probably stuff some code it into a non-public version of an existing plugin such as MyTools, that you could install temporarily. It wouldn't be pretty, but I would try to make it do what you need.
Thanks for your support.
Free Plugins available here.
Advanced plugins available here.
Hey, new product!!! BDPFrog.
 Last edited: by mediadogg
DVD Profiler Desktop and Mobile RegistrantStar ContributorAiAustria
Profiling since 2004
Registered: May 19, 2007
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Quoting mediadogg:
Quote:
Did you look at the tools and links I provided? There is at least one that creates an Access from the XML export.

Yes; though I have to admit, that I've already taken a look at most of them before...
Quote:
Only problem is: the XML does not have a flag for the existence of a head shot (maybe I'm wrong, I only checked briefly). But of course that information is available internally to a plugin.

Yes, and the fact, that the XML export only covers cast and crew for exported profiles. Cast and crew members, which are not listed in any profiles are ignored.
Quote:
If you can confirm by looking at the references I gave, that nothing is available, I would be willing to take a look at doing something quick. Probably stuff some code it into a non-public version of an existing plugin such as MyTools, that you could install temporarily. It wouldn't be pretty, but I would try to make it do what you need.

... this sounds great. Pretty is not the topic. Minimal workload seems to be more apropriate for a thing only used once...

I'ver never looked into plugin development. What environment do you use for DVDP Plugins?
Complete list of Common Names  •  A good point for starting with Headshots (and v11.1)
DVD Profiler Desktop and Mobile Registrantmediadogg
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Ok, a couple of things:

1. I need that confirmation. No points for doing work that is already done. (Edit: I think you already did that in a post that I missed.)
2. I'm not sure I can access cast / crew not attached to a profile, even in a plugin. So maybe I can't help after all ... I think the Repair Tool will strip them out, but I don't see a way for a plugin to get that data. I'm guessing that it would be orphaned data that was not removed when a profile was deleted or edited. I can't think of another way non-connected cast / crew could get into a database. Can you?

Plugins can use either Delphi or C#. But first you must get approved as a developer. All details are then available in the Plugin Development Forum. It would be nice to get another developer.
Thanks for your support.
Free Plugins available here.
Advanced plugins available here.
Hey, new product!!! BDPFrog.
 Last edited: by mediadogg
DVD Profiler Desktop and Mobile Registrantmediadogg
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Registered: March 18, 2007
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Just to be sure, you are not talking about custom photos that are in the CreditPhotos or ScenePhotos folders, right? They are of course, already mostly organized by profile ID, except you can have files or folders with Cast or Crew names as well.

Do you have some of those that you didn't know about?
Thanks for your support.
Free Plugins available here.
Advanced plugins available here.
Hey, new product!!! BDPFrog.
DVD Profiler Desktop and Mobile RegistrantStar ContributorAiAustria
Profiling since 2004
Registered: May 19, 2007
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Quoting mediadogg:
Quote:
I think the Repair Tool will strip them out, ...

Yes, the repair tool offers options to remove that entries. But there is also an option to preserve orphans (I'll stick with this term) with images:

Quote:
... but I don't see a way for a plugin to get that data.

That's bad news.
Quote:
I'm guessing that it would be orphaned data that was not removed when a profile was deleted or edited. I can't think of another way non-connected cast / crew could get into a database. Can you?

Yes, on importing a headshot database. Headshot databases are per definition orphaned cast crew members only. When you import one of them, the headshots get linked to the existing cast/crew members and cast/crew members which are not existing in the current data base get created as such orphans...
Here is a very small one for testing. And, hence, since I'm aware of the problems finding and managing such orphaned cast/crew entries, I provide a profile (second file) for my updates; I even create profiles for updates which I import from other users. But there are no profiles for the initial (large) data base available - and I can't imagine to create them for thousands of cast/crew entries...
Complete list of Common Names  •  A good point for starting with Headshots (and v11.1)
DVD Profiler Desktop and Mobile Registrantmediadogg
Aim high. Ride the wind.
Registered: March 18, 2007
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Ok got it. The code for profile-attached head shots was easy (i.e. flag cast / crew with/without images). It was an interesting diversion, so I did it, but I think that feature is also part of CCV. If I can find a way to discover orphans inside a plugin, I will let you know.
Thanks for your support.
Free Plugins available here.
Advanced plugins available here.
Hey, new product!!! BDPFrog.
DVD Profiler Unlimited RegistrantStar ContributorMithi
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Registered: March 13, 2007
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Quoting AiAustria:
Quote:
Yes, and the fact, that the XML export only covers cast and crew for exported profiles. Cast and crew members, which are not listed in any profiles are ignored.

Brutal solution (feasible?): Create one mock-profile and assign all possible cast & crew to it? 
Mithi's little XSLT tinkering - the power of XML --- DVD-Profiler Mini-Wiki
DVD Profiler Desktop and Mobile Registrantmediadogg
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Registered: March 18, 2007
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Quoting Mithi:
Quote:
Quoting AiAustria:
Quote:
Yes, and the fact, that the XML export only covers cast and crew for exported profiles. Cast and crew members, which are not listed in any profiles are ignored.

Brutal solution (feasible?): Create one mock-profile and assign all possible cast & crew to it? 

Even that would not be so brutal if there were a way to do it with a program. But even a plugin can't do that - at least I haven't found a way. A USER can do it - manually - but .... yeah ....
Thanks for your support.
Free Plugins available here.
Advanced plugins available here.
Hey, new product!!! BDPFrog.
DVD Profiler Desktop and Mobile RegistrantStar ContributorAiAustria
Profiling since 2004
Registered: May 19, 2007
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Austria Posts: 5,703
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... 50.000 to 100.000 cast/crew entries...
Complete list of Common Names  •  A good point for starting with Headshots (and v11.1)
DVD Profiler Desktop and Mobile RegistrantStar ContributorAiAustria
Profiling since 2004
Registered: May 19, 2007
Reputation: Highest Rating
Austria Posts: 5,703
Posted:
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But, thanks, I'm thankful for every input...
Complete list of Common Names  •  A good point for starting with Headshots (and v11.1)
DVD Profiler Desktop and Mobile Registrantmediadogg
Aim high. Ride the wind.
Registered: March 18, 2007
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I just looked at the Cast Edit screen. It is ripe for an AutoIt approach. Place the cursor in the cast list and press arrow down. Scrape the name and birth year. Notice whether an image appears in the fixed rectangle (it will either be mostly all white or not - simple). And loop until done. Do the same for crew.

Anybody up for a fun AutoIt game?
Thanks for your support.
Free Plugins available here.
Advanced plugins available here.
Hey, new product!!! BDPFrog.
 Last edited: by mediadogg
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