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• Launchpad entry: https://blueprints.launchpad.net/ubuntu/+spec/g-playah

• Packages affected: None

Summary

This spec discuss the creation of "G-Playah" a central media center using alreading existing gnome aplications to create an easy to use evironment for those using a remote or other simple input device even just a mouse with a scroll and buttons with no movement.

Rationale

Most user environments have a simple (or rather confusing) program to play media and music as if their computer was a media center. Gnome has been discussed, but to my knowledge they have never come to a definite conclussion. This is my proposal. An environment that can play Media. Anything that gnome can play now... DVD's, CD's, Music, etc... will be used... we use all the programs that already exist for gnome. Rhythmbox's partymode, Totem's fullscreen, etc... All glued together with the magic of Python. I hope to even go so far as to create a 3d and 2d based version.

Use cases

• Mommy Katri has a large collection of movies she has rips to her computer. She has her remote and click the start G-Playah "Button" and then select Movies, then has a list of her movies she selects it and it starts Totem Movie Player in full screen and starts the file, and returns to G-Playah at the end of the file play.
• Veikko want to start his music from his couch so he grabes his remote and Presses the G-playah Button. He is then from the couch able to see and select the song play list that he would like to play. (This could be done in Totem or Rhythmbox, the choice has not been made yet.)
• Solomon wants to play a directory of pictures while in his party. He is able to select the directory with G-Playah and then select the directory, the music that has been selected for this directory automatically starts. He is able to control the pictures, going back and forth, and change the song too.

Scope

3d or 2d Interface G-Playah could have a 3d interface that smoothly moves from one option to another. Think of the Media remote for Mac but more Gnomish. 2d will also be an equally powerful option with all the same features, jsut not "Blingin' awesome!"

Simplicity is KEY! This device will be nice because it is like many aplications for gnome simple (is better) ideology. Great effort will be used to make the device fit will with everyone. HIG compliance is a requirement.

Remote control or mouse I hope have the program use no more than the amound of buttons on a common mouse, so people could use there mouse buttons and scroll to run G-Playah. 5 Buttons MAX used. The options "could" be given for more buttons.

A weather program? It may be nice to have a few additional nice features to make the device more useful, Weather program... maybe, maybe a program to play pod casts. That would be a rhythmbox thing.

Design

Python, PyGTK, and a few Python based OpenGL based Librarys. I hope to uses as few extra or special libraries. Probably no more than 3dChess in Gnome would use. This is to keep the could easy to work with. And the requirements and a bare minimum. Everything will also be documented for accurate coding.

Implementation

There are other programs that do Media Center work... but use many aplications that are not Gnome based. I want to create an itegrated environ that can be used easily from within gnome without all the special setup and libraries needed outside of gnome. Font sizes may be an issue I will have to work with as I want the user to be able to read the Media Center information easily from a distance. I don't think it will be any big issue at all though.

Code

Code will be entirely Python Programming. Created using the Python Plugin for Eclipse. Python python python! It will also be written with the intent of further improvements. Very Object based code.

Unresolved issues

G-Playah has neither been accepted or rejected as a Google Summer of Code Project.

BoF agenda and discussion

CategorySpec