NFO files/Creating - Revision history

Crystalp: episode nfo were missing

2025-08-10T16:19:15Z

episode nfo were missing

← Older revision		Revision as of 16:19, 10 August 2025
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	\|-		\|-
	\| Artists \|\| '''''artist.nfo'''''		\| Artists \|\| '''''artist.nfo'''''
			\|-
			\| Episodes \|\| '''''<'''{{red\|VideoFileName}}'''>.nfo'''''
	\|-		\|-
	\| Movies<sup>note</sup> \|\| '''''<'''{{red\|VideoFileName}}'''>.nfo''''' or '''''movie.nfo'''''		\| Movies<sup>note</sup> \|\| '''''<'''{{red\|VideoFileName}}'''>.nfo''''' or '''''movie.nfo'''''

Karellen: Updated for v20

2023-02-13T02:43:36Z

Updated for v20

← Older revision		Revision as of 02:43, 13 February 2023
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	<syntaxhighlight lang=xml enclose="div">		<syntaxhighlight lang=xml enclose="div">
	<title>Blade Runner 2049</title>		<title>Blade Runner 2049</title>
	<title> = opening tag
	~~Blade~~ Runner 2049 = metadata		<title> = opening tag
	</title> = closing tag		Blade Runner 2049 = metadata
			</title> = closing tag
	</syntaxhighlight>		</syntaxhighlight>
	</div>		</div>
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	'''After the NFO files are scanned into the library, they are no longer used and only ~~serves~~ as a backup.		'''After the NFO files are scanned into the library, they are no longer used and serve only as a backup.


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	{{top}}		{{top}}
	{{updated\|19}}		{{updated\|20}}

	[[Category:Karellen]]		[[Category:Karellen]]
	[[Category:Music library]]		[[Category:Music library]]
	[[Category:Video library]]		[[Category:Video library]]

Karellen: fix syntax box

2022-10-09T10:07:58Z

fix syntax box

← Older revision		Revision as of 10:07, 9 October 2022
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	3. Between the opening and closing category tags are the tags for the metadata. Each tag must have an opening tag and a closing tag. eg...		3. Between the opening and closing category tags are the tags for the metadata. Each tag must have an opening tag and a closing tag. eg...
	:<syntaxhighlight lang=xml enclose="div"><title>Blade Runner 2049</title>		<div style="margin-left: 1.5em;">
			<syntaxhighlight lang=xml enclose="div">
	<title> = opening tag		<title>Blade Runner 2049</title>
	Blade Runner 2049 = metadata		<title> = opening tag
	</title> = closing tag		Blade Runner 2049 = metadata
			</title> = closing tag
	</syntaxhighlight>		</syntaxhighlight>
			</div>

	4. Available tags are listed in the appropriate Metadata NFO page.		4. Available tags are listed in the appropriate Metadata NFO page.

Karellen: fix bad tag

2021-04-23T00:15:50Z

fix bad tag

← Older revision		Revision as of 00:15, 23 April 2021
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	= Introduction =		= Introduction =
	This page explains the various methods available to create NFO files.<section end="intro" />		<section begin="intro" />This page explains the various methods available to create NFO files.<section end="intro" />

	~~<section begin="intro" />~~For template and example NFO files, see... '''[[NFO_files/Templates\|Templates and Samples]]'''		For template and example NFO files, see... '''[[NFO_files/Templates\|Templates and Samples]]'''

Karellen: First creation

2021-04-22T23:39:07Z

First creation

New page

{{NFO_content}}
{{mininav|[[NFO files]]}}

__TOC__

= Introduction =
This page explains the various methods available to create NFO files.<section end="intro" />

<section begin="intro" />For template and example NFO files, see... '''[[NFO_files/Templates|Templates and Samples]]'''

= Kodi Created nfo =
This option requires that your library has already been scraped with metadata.

Using the built in [[Import-export_library| Import & Export]] function of Kodi will export the existing library metadata into individual nfo files which are correctly created and saved.

This is useful if you have an existing library and would like to '''[[backup]]''' the library or to import the library into another {{kodi}} installation.

Using these exported NFO files, it is possible to edit the metadata and '''[[Updating_or_removing_videos#Individual_Refresh|Refresh]]''' the changes back into the library

:'''See: [[Import-export_library| Import & Export]]'''

= Manual Creation =
: '''See- [[NFO_files/Templates|Templates and Samples]]'''
NFO files can be created using a simple text editor such as Notepad in Windows, or the equivelant in other operating systems. There are dedicated code editors that can also be used. They will not provide the required {{kodi}} tags, but they will avoid glitches when saving the nfo file, which is commonly experienced with text editors.

Two common code editors that can be used:
*[https://notepad-plus-plus.org/ Notepad++]
*[https://code.visualstudio.com/ Visual Studio Code]

'''Structure of the nfo file''':

1. The file is saved as Unicode Transformation Format-8 (UTF-8). The first line of the file will contain the following...
:<syntaxhighlight lang=xml enclose="div"><?xml version="1.0" encoding="UTF-8" standalone="yes"?></syntaxhighlight>

2. The second line and the last line of the file contains the appropriate opening and closing tags for the class of media. Avaliable classes are...
:<syntaxhighlight lang=xml enclose="div"><movie></movie>, <tvshow></tvshow>, <episodedetails></episodedetails>, <artist></artist>, <album></album> and <musicvideo></musicvideo></syntaxhighlight>

3. Between the opening and closing category tags are the tags for the metadata. Each tag must have an opening tag and a closing tag. eg...
:<syntaxhighlight lang=xml enclose="div"><title>Blade Runner 2049</title>

<title> = opening tag
Blade Runner 2049 = metadata
</title> = closing tag
</syntaxhighlight>

4. Available tags are listed in the appropriate Metadata NFO page.

5. Once created, the file is named as follows:
<section begin="NFOnaming" />
:{| class="prettytable"
|-
| Albums || '''''album.nfo'''''
|-
| Artists || '''''artist.nfo'''''
|-
| Movies<sup>note</sup> || '''''<'''{{red|VideoFileName}}'''>.nfo''''' or '''''movie.nfo'''''
|-
| Music Videos || '''''<'''{{red|MusicVideoFilename}}'''>.nfo'''''
|-
| TV Shows || '''''tvshow.nfo'''''
|}
<section end="NFOnaming" />
<div style="font-size: 0.8em; margin-left: 20pt;">
'''Note:'''
{{#lst:NFO_files/Movies|MovieNFONaming}}
</div>

= Media Managers =
Media Managers can create nfo files in one of three ways:
#Scraping- This is the same process as performed by the {{kodi}} scraper. The Media Manager will fetch metadata from the online scraper site and will create the nfo file which then needs to be scanned into the library, unlike {{kodi}} that imports the metadata directly into the library.
#Manual- The Media Manager offers an interface that allows you to manually type in the data.
#Combination- A combination of both methods can be used. If you are not satisfied with the scraped metadata, then you are able to modify it.

<section begin="MediaManagers" />The following is a list of Media Managers on the forum. Questions regarding their use should be directed to the media manager developers.
*[https://forum.kodi.tv/forumdisplay.php?fid=195 Ember Media Manager]
*[https://forum.kodi.tv/showthread.php?tid=361141 Tiny Media Manager aka TMM]
*[https://forum.kodi.tv/showthread.php?tid=129134 Media Companion 3]
*[https://forum.kodi.tv/showthread.php?tid=136333 MediaElch]

Be aware there are many other media managers available that claim to be {{kodi}} compatible but have not been updated in many years. Use of these incompatible media managers have been known to corrupt the library database which requires rebuilding using the {{kodi}} scrapers.

= Scanning nfo files =
To add a '''new''' title to the library using nfo files:
* The normal '''[[Updating_or_removing_videos|Library Update]]''' function, or
* Locating the new title in Videos>Files then pressing {{keypress|i}} on a keyboard or
* Selecting ''Scan to library'' from the '''[[Basic_controls#Context_Menu|context menu]]'''

To load changes to an '''existing''' title in the library:
* Select '''[[Updating_or_removing_videos#Refresh_Library|Refresh]]''' from the '''[[Basic_controls#Information_Page|Information page]]'''

'''After the NFO files are scanned into the library, they are no longer used and only serves as a backup.

{{top}}
{{updated|19}}

[[Category:Karellen]]
[[Category:Music library]]
[[Category:Video library]]