NFO files: Difference between revisions

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(Removed Known Issues in v17)
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{|class="infobox" style="width:200px"
{{NFO_content}}
! NFO Contents
 
|-
|
* '''[[NFO_files|NFO Files]]'''
** '''[[NFO_files/Movies|Movies]]'''
** '''[[NFO files/TV shows|TV Shows]]'''
** '''[[NFO files/Music|Music]]'''
** '''[[NFO files/Music videos|Music Videos]]'''
|}
{{mininav|[[Video library]] {{l2| [[Music library]] }} }}
{{mininav|[[Video library]] {{l2| [[Music library]] }} }}
{{See also| Databases | Import-export library | Artwork}}




<section begin="intro" />NFO files can be used to provide metadata to the library for video and a music files. They are helpful if the metadata fetched from a web site does not match the video or music you have, or if data for that particular file does not exist, such as for home movies. It can also be used to control the search behaviour of scrapers.<section end="intro" />
<section begin="intro" />NFO files are used to populate the music and video library using locally stored information. They are helpful if data for your particular title does not exist, such as for home movies and sporting events. They can also be used to control the search behaviour of scrapers when problematic and ambiguous titles prevent your preferred title from being fetched.<section end="intro" />




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'''nfo''' is a contraction of Info or Information. It is a Filename Extension - ''mymovie.nfo'' and the contents of the file are written in [http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/XML XML]. The file itself does nothing except hold information. It is basically a text document with special tags inserted around the information. These tags are recognised by Kodi which enables data importing.  
'''nfo''' is a contraction of Info or Information. It is a Filename Extension - ''mymovie.nfo'' and the contents of the file are written in [http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/XML XML]. The file itself does nothing except hold information. It is basically a text document with special tags inserted around the information. These tags are recognised by Kodi which enables data importing.  


Kodi uses nfo files as one way of importing metadata into the library. It may also be used as a method of exporting the library for various reasons, including backup.  '''''See: [[Import-Export_library | Import & Export]]'''''
Kodi uses nfo files as one way of importing metadata into the library. It is also be used as a method of exporting the library for various reasons, including backup.  '''''See: [[Import-Export_library | Import & Export]]'''''


One of the most considered features of Kodi is the way media is displayed. Gone are the days when choosing a movie to watch or album to listen to involved scrolling through lines of text. Kodi uses [[Artwork]], and Extended Information to display your media. This information includes Actors, Directors, Plots, Taglines, Ratings, Run Times  and more. All this data, known as metadata, is stored in the Kodi Library. The Library is a [http://www.sqlite.org/ SQLite database].
Kodi uses [[Artwork]], and Extended Information to display your media. This information includes Actors, Directors, Plots, Taglines, Ratings, Run Times  and more. All this data, known as metadata, is stored in the Kodi Library. The Library is stored in an [http://www.sqlite.org/ SQLite database].


There are two primary methods to load metadata into your library:
There are two primary methods to load metadata into your library:
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= Types of nfo =
= Types of nfo =
Kodi can use the nfo file in one of three ways depending on the contents of the nfo file. This page and sub-pages primarily deal with the Metadata nfo.
Kodi can use the nfo file in one of three ways depending on the contents of the nfo file, as explained in the following sub-sections.




== Metadata nfo ==
== Metadata nfo ==
This is the most common use of the nfo file. The Metadata nfo contains the metadata for the movie/tv show/music video/album/artist within the file. Kodi will scan this file and import its contents into the library.
This is the most common use of the nfo file. The Metadata nfo contains the metadata for the movie/tv show/music video/album/artist within the file. Kodi will scan this file and import its contents into the library.
For more details on creating and using the common Metadata NFO file, see the following sections...
=== Movie nfo ===
:'''''See: [[NFO_files/movies | Movie nfo]]'''''
=== TV Show nfo ===
:'''''See: [[NFO_files/tvshows | TV Show nfo]]'''''
=== Music nfo ===
:'''''See: [[NFO_files/music | Music nfo]]'''''
=== Music Video nfo ===
:'''''See: [[NFO_files/musicvideos | Music Videos nfo]]'''''






== Parsing nfo ==
== Parsing nfo ==
A Parsing nfo does not contain any metadata that Kodi can use to import into the library. Instead it contains the URL to the movie/tv show/album/artist that you want scraped.
A Parsing nfo does not contain any metadata that Kodi can use to import into the library. Instead it contains the URL to the the information at the site of the information provider.


As an example, searching for ''The Mummy'' on [https://www.themoviedb.org/ TMDB] returns 65 titles. If you are attempting to add one of the more obscure versions to your library, chances are that Kodi will scrape the incorrect title, and trying to navigate to the 65th entry within Kodi will be problematic. The Parsing nfo offers an easy solution to this problem.  
As an example, searching for ''The Mummy'' on [https://www.themoviedb.org/ TMDB] returns 65 titles. If you are attempting to add one of the more obscure versions to your library, chances are that Kodi will scrape the incorrect title. The Parsing nfo offers an easy solution to this problem by pointing {{kodi}} to the correct title.


{{red|Note: Most online Movie and TV Show databases have IMDB fields that allow you to add the IMDB ID. This allows you to use the IMDB address in the Parsing NFO for Movies and TV Shows. This does NOT mean you will scrape the entry from IMDB. The scraper simply recognises the ''ttxxxxx'' ID in the Parsing nfo and uses it to search for the title at the online database of the currently active scraper. If you want the IMDB data, then you need to install the appropriate scraper.}}
{{red|'''Note''': Most online Movie and TV Show databases include an IMDB field that contains the IMDB ID. This allows the use of the IMDB address in the Parsing NFO for Movies and TV Shows. This does NOT mean the title will be scraped from IMDB. The scraper simply recognises the ''ttxxxxx'' ID and uses it to search for the title at the online database of the currently active scraper. If your preference is for IMDB data, then you will need to install the appropriate scraper.}}




To create and use the parsing nfo, follow these steps:
To create and use the parsing nfo, follow these steps:
#Locate the title at the appropriate scraper site
#Locate the title at the appropriate site of the information provider, eg ''[https://www.themoviedb.org/ TheMovieDB]''
#Ensure you have named your media files/folder the same as shown on the scraper site and in accordance with the '''''[[Naming_video_files|Kodi naming conventions]]'''''
#Ensure you have correctly named your media files/folder. See: '''''[[Naming_video_files|Kodi naming conventions]]'''''
#Open a text file and copy the entire address of the movie at the scraper site from the address bar and paste it into the text file. No surrounding tags are required. ''see examples after step 5''
#Open a text file and copy the entire URL address of the movie from the address bar and paste it into the text file. No tags or code is required. ''See example below''
#Save the file in accordance with the naming convention as detailed on the linked Movie/TV Show/Music Video pages. '''Ensure the extension is *.nfo and not *.nfo.txt or *.nfo.doc'''
#Save the file and ensure it is correctly named. See the nfo sub-pages listed above for correct naming. '''Ensure the extension is *.nfo''' and not ''*.nfo.txt'' or ''*.nfo.doc''
#Run an ''Update Library'' or a ''Scan item to library''. Kodi will parse the URL and locate the title and scrape the correct metadata.
#Run an ''Update Library'' or a ''Scan item to library''. Kodi will parse the URL and locate the title and scrape the correct metadata.


Examples of Parsing nfo :
 
;[[NFO_files/movies | Movie nfo]]
Example of Parsing Movie NFO :
''https://www.themoviedb.org/movie/15849-the-mummy''
 
;[[NFO_files/tvshows | TV Show nfo]]
<syntaxhighlight lang="xml">
''https://www.thetvdb.com/?tab=series&id=73545&lid=7''
https://www.themoviedb.org/movie/15849-the-mummy
;[[NFO_files/tvshows | Episode nfo]]
</syntaxhighlight>
''{{red|Parsing nfo files '''cannot''' be used for episode nfo's}}''
 
;[[NFO_files/music | Music nfo]]
'''Note:''' Parsing NFO files cannot be used for episodes
''https://musicbrainz.org/release/8fe0fbdf-33fc-4d0a-81f1-e02c79f474c8''
;[[NFO_files/musicvideos | Music Videos nfo]]
''http://www.theaudiodb.com/track/32794741''
<!--- http://kodi.wiki/view/Scraper#.3CCustomFunction.3E --->






== Combination nfo ==
== Combination nfo ==
It is possible to combine the above two types of nfo files into one nfo file. An example use would be to override data from the scraper site such as the title, runtime, movieset etc. It will scrape the metadata located between the <movie></movie> XML tags and the omitted data will be scraped at the provided URL. An example:  
It is possible to combine the above two types of nfo files into one nfo file. An example use would be to override data from the scraper site such as the title, runtime, movieset etc. It will scan the metadata located between the ''<movie></movie>'' XML tags and the omitted data will be scraped at the provided URL. An example:  
 
{{red|'''Note:''' Cannot be used for Episode nfo files}}
 


'''{{red|Cannot be used for Episode nfo files}}'''
''Example: Contents of Combination NFO file:''
<syntaxhighlight lang="xml">
  <movie>
  <movie>
     <title>Star Wars (1977 Original Theatrical Release)</title>
     <title>Star Wars (99 second cut)</title>
     <runtime>121 min.</runtime>
     <runtime>2</runtime>
     <set>Star Wars Saga</set>
     <set>Star Wars Saga</set>
     <sorttitle>Star Wars1</sorttitle>
     <sorttitle>Star Wars 01</sorttitle>
    <genre clear="true">SciFi</genre>
    <genre>Romance</genre>
    <genre>Action</genre>
  </movie>
  </movie>
  http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0076759/
  http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0076759/
<br />
</syntaxhighlight>
 


By default the following listed xml tags will have their data '''added''' to the scraped entry in the database and may result in some duplicates. If the tag is not listed below, this paragraph does not apply. Does not apply to Music.
Various tags allow multiple entries, eg multiple ''<genre>'' and ''<director>'' tags. If you use these tags in a Combination nfo, these tags will have their data '''added''' to the scraped entry in the database and, in some cases, may result in duplicate entries. To avoid this, use the ''clear'' attribute to clear out the downloaded metadata for those particular tags. See the <genre> tag in the above example.


<genre clear="true"></genre>
A listing of which tags allow multiple entries can be found in the appropriate sub-pages. Does not apply to muic.
<credits clear="true"></credits>
<director clear="true"></director>
<studio clear="true"></studio>
<actor clear="true"></actor>
<artist clear="true"></artist> (Music Video only)


If you want to completely override the scraped result you need to set a clear attribute for the relevant xml tag in the .nfo file as shown in the example below.
<movie>
    <genre clear="true">Action</genre>
    <genre>Horror</genre>
    <genre>Thriller</genre>
    <director clear="true">Frank Miller</director>
    <director>Robert Rodriguez</director>
    <director>Quentin Tarantino</director>
</movie>
http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0401792/
Tags that support the ''clear'' attribute are ''genre, director, studio, actor, credits'' and ''artist'' for Music Videos. There is no support in Music tags.




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== Media Managers ==
== Media Managers ==
This is, by far, the simplest method for creating nfo files for your media. The Media Manager can create nfo files in one of three ways:
The Media Manager 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, unlike Kodi that imports the metadata directly into the library database.
#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 a simple interface that allows you to manually type in the data. This method does not require you to have knowledge of XML tags
#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 simply modify it.
#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.
 


Once the program has been setup and pointed at your media, very little input is required by the user. Select a movie, tv show, album or artist and select scrape. Depending upon your settings, the media manager will scrape the media and create the nfo which is placed in the correct location with the media file. It can also download all artwork for the media.
The following is a list of Media Managers on the forum. Questions regarding their use should be directed to the media manager developers.
There are a few media managers available. The following managers can be found in the Kodi forum:
*[https://forum.kodi.tv/forumdisplay.php?fid=195  Ember Media Manager]
*[https://forum.kodi.tv/forumdisplay.php?fid=195  Ember Media Manager]
*[https://forum.kodi.tv/showthread.php?tid=142723  Tiny Media Manager aka TMM]
*[https://forum.kodi.tv/showthread.php?tid=142723  Tiny Media Manager aka TMM]
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*[https://forum.kodi.tv/showthread.php?tid=136333  MediaElch]
*[https://forum.kodi.tv/showthread.php?tid=136333  MediaElch]


Further information, screenshots and guides are available at the websites of the Media Managers.
Be aware there are many other media managers available that claim to be Kodi compatible but have not been updated in many years, and are clearly not compatible. Use of these incompatible media managers can break your library and require rebuilding using the {{kodi}} scrapers.
 


{{red|'''Note''': While Media Managers offer some level of control, convenience and peace of mind to the more demanding user, there are limitations with using them. As Kodi is constantly in development, new features are added while existing code is changed and updated or removed entirely. This causes changes to the way Kodi scans, scrapes and imports information into the library. Media Managers are known to be slow in catching up to these changes, or these changes may never be incorporated. There are many other media managers that have not been updated in many years claiming to be Kodi compatible.}}
{{red|'''Note''': While Media Managers offer some level of control for the more demanding user, there are limitations with their use. {{Kodi}} is in a constant state of development which may causes changes to nfo files to allow new types of data or features into the library. No media manager is 100% Kodi compatible. Media Managers are known to be slow in catching up to changes and, in many instances, these changes are never incorporated.}}


{{red|Remember that Kodi can create correct and accurate NFO's from the data already in the library which has been populated by a correct scraping process. See the next section for further details.}}
'''{{red|Kodi can create correct and accurate NFO's from the data already in the library which has been populated by a correct scraping process. See the next section for further details.}}'''




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== Manual Creation ==
== Manual Creation ==
The more difficult of the three methods. It requires basic knowledge of XML Tags. They 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.
NFO files are simple text files containing XML tags. Creating your own nfo files is simple, and templates and examples are provided in the sub-pages of this wiki topic. They 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:
Two common code editors that can be used:
*[https://notepad-plus-plus.org/ Notepad++]
*[https://notepad-plus-plus.org/ Notepad++]
*[https://code.visualstudio.com/ Visual Studio Code]
*[https://code.visualstudio.com/ Visual Studio Code]


Requirements of the nfo file are as follows:
#The file must be in Unicode Transformation Format-8 (UTF-8). The file must be saved in this format. The first line of the file must contain the following... <syntaxhighlight lang=xml enclose="div"><?xml version="1.0" encoding="UTF-8" standalone="yes"?></syntaxhighlight>
#The second line may contain a note detailing the creation time and date. It may also include the name of the media manager, if one was used to create it, or any information relevant to you. This is optional. <syntaxhighlight lang=xml enclose="div"><!-- created on 2017-08-10 15:09:33 - by MediaManager --></syntaxhighlight>
#The next line sets the nfo category and the last line of the file contains the closing tag using the relevant following tags... <syntaxhighlight lang=xml enclose="div"><movie></movie>, <tvshow></tvshow>, <episodedetails></episodedetails>, <artist></artist>, <album></album> or <musicvideo></musicvideo></syntaxhighlight>
#Between the opening and closing category tags are the tags for the media metadata. Each Tag must have an opening tag and a closing tag. eg <syntaxhighlight lang=xml enclose="div"><title>my movie title</title>.  <title> = opening tag | my movie title = metadata | </title> = closing tag</syntaxhighlight>
#Available tags are listed in the relevant sub-pages listed in sections 5-8.
Once created, the file must be saved with the nfo extension in accordance with the details in the relevant sub-page listed in sections 5-8.


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


1. The file must be 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>


= Scraping nfo files =
There is no special procedure to scrape nfo files. Performing the usual '''''[[Updating_or_removing_videos|Library Update]]''''', or selecting '''''[[Updating_or_removing_videos#Refresh_Library|Refresh]]''''' for individual items, will scrape the nfo files into the library. Be aware that nfo files are not easily interchangeable between Movies, TV Shows, Music Videos, Artists and Albums. Although they all share common tags, each also has its own specific tags that won't be recognised in other parts of the library.


'''After the NFO files are scanned into the library, the NFO file is no longer used and only serves as a backup. If you make changes to the NFO file you will need to ''[[Updating_or_removing_videos#Refresh_Library|Refresh]]'' that library entry for the changes to be loaded into Kodi.''' An Update Library will not capture the change as this only looks for '''new''' items.
2. The second line and the last line of the file contains the nfo category opening and closing tags. Avaliable category tags are...  
:<syntaxhighlight lang=xml enclose="div"><movie></movie>, <tvshow></tvshow>, <episodedetails></episodedetails>, <artist></artist>, <album></album> and <musicvideo></musicvideo></syntaxhighlight>


Kodi also contains a Local-NFO-only mode for when you add videos to the library, but this mode is only required if you want to prevent online lookups for videos that lack NFO files.


3. Between the opening and closing category tags are the tags for the media 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>


= Troubleshooting =
4. Available tags are listed in the relevant sub-pages along with a sample and template nfo file.
If you have followed the guidelines of this page, and one of the following pages relevant to your circumstance, and the NFO File still does not scan into the library, then check the following:


#Ensure your NFO File is encoded correctly. The NFO File must be encoded as a '''UTF-8''' type file. ANSI, has also been known to work.
Once created, the file must be saved with the ''.nfo'' extension in accordance with the details in the relevant sub-pages.
#Check the setting '''Movies are in separate folders that match the movie title''' in the scraper settings is correctly set for your folder structure.
#If TV Shows are being mixed, this is most likely caused by using outdated or incorrectly created NFO Files. Ensure at least one of the following tags is in the tvshow.nfo file. If there are no ID's at the scraper site (eg home movies) then any random number will suffice.
  <id></id>
  <uniqueid type="imdb"></uniqueid>
  <uniqueid type="tvdb" default="true"></uniqueid>






= Movie nfo =
= Scanning nfo files =
For specific details of nfo files for Movies
There is no special procedure to scrape nfo files. Performing the usual '''''[[Updating_or_removing_videos|Library Update]]''''', or selecting '''''[[Updating_or_removing_videos#Refresh_Library|Refresh]]''''' for individual items, will scrape the nfo files into the library.
:'''''See: [[NFO_files/movies | Movie nfo]]'''''


Be aware that nfo files are not easily interchangeable between Movies, TV Shows, Music Videos, Artists and Albums. Although they all share common tags, each also has its own specific tags that won't be recognised in other parts of the library.


'''After the NFO files are scanned into the library, they are no longer used and only serves as a backup. If you make changes to the NFO file you will need to ''[[Updating_or_removing_videos#Refresh_Library|Refresh]]'' that library entry for the changes to be loaded into Kodi.''' An Update Library will not capture the change as this only looks for '''new''' items.


= TV Show nfo =
For specific details of nfo files for TV Shows and Episodes
:'''''See: [[NFO_files/tvshows | TV Show nfo]]'''''




= Troubleshooting =
If you have followed the guidelines of this wiki topic, and the NFO File still does not scan into the library, then check the following:


= Music nfo =
#Ensure your NFO File is encoded correctly. The NFO File must be encoded as a '''UTF-8''' type file. ANSI, has also been known to work.
For specific details of nfo files for Music Artists and Albums
#Check the setting '''Movies are in separate folders that match the movie title''' in the scraper settings is correctly set for your folder structure.
:'''''See: [[NFO_files/music | Music nfo]]'''''
#If TV Shows are being mixed, this is most likely caused by using outdated or incorrectly created NFO Files. Ensure at least one of the following tags is in the tvshow.nfo file. If there are no ID's at the scraper site (eg home movies) then any random alpha-numeric entry will suffice.


:<syntaxhighlight lang=xml enclose="div">
  <uniqueid type="" default="true"></uniqueid>
  <!-- Where type="" contains the identifier for the ID. eg imdb, tvdb, tmdb, or other as chosen by the user. eg type="home" for home movies -->
</syntaxhighlight>






= Music Video nfo =
= References =
For specific details of nfo files for Music Videos
<references />
:'''''See: [[NFO_files/musicvideos | Music Videos nfo]]'''''




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{{updated|17}}
{{updated|18}}
[[Category:FAQ]]
[[Category:FAQ]]
[[Category:Index]]
[[Category:Index]]

Revision as of 08:56, 18 August 2019

NFO Contents

NFO Main Page


See also:


Return to:

Home icon grey.png   ▶ Video library
▶ Music library
▶ NFO files


NFO files are used to populate the music and video library using locally stored information. They are helpful if data for your particular title does not exist, such as for home movies and sporting events. They can also be used to control the search behaviour of scrapers when problematic and ambiguous titles prevent your preferred title from being fetched.


What is nfo

nfo is a contraction of Info or Information. It is a Filename Extension - mymovie.nfo and the contents of the file are written in XML. The file itself does nothing except hold information. It is basically a text document with special tags inserted around the information. These tags are recognised by Kodi which enables data importing.

Kodi uses nfo files as one way of importing metadata into the library. It is also be used as a method of exporting the library for various reasons, including backup. See: Import & Export

Kodi uses Artwork, and Extended Information to display your media. This information includes Actors, Directors, Plots, Taglines, Ratings, Run Times and more. All this data, known as metadata, is stored in the Kodi Library. The Library is stored in an SQLite database.

There are two primary methods to load metadata into your library:

  1. Use the online scraper
  2. Create a nfo file, from which Kodi is able to import the metadata

For information on how to use the online scraper within Kodi:

See: Adding Music to Library
See: Adding Video Sources

The remainder of this wiki topic will provide the required information to create and use nfo files.


Types of nfo

Kodi can use the nfo file in one of three ways depending on the contents of the nfo file, as explained in the following sub-sections.


Metadata nfo

This is the most common use of the nfo file. The Metadata nfo contains the metadata for the movie/tv show/music video/album/artist within the file. Kodi will scan this file and import its contents into the library.

For more details on creating and using the common Metadata NFO file, see the following sections...

Movie nfo

See: Movie nfo

TV Show nfo

See: TV Show nfo

Music nfo

See: Music nfo

Music Video nfo

See: Music Videos nfo


Parsing nfo

A Parsing nfo does not contain any metadata that Kodi can use to import into the library. Instead it contains the URL to the the information at the site of the information provider.

As an example, searching for The Mummy on TMDB returns 65 titles. If you are attempting to add one of the more obscure versions to your library, chances are that Kodi will scrape the incorrect title. The Parsing nfo offers an easy solution to this problem by pointing Kodi to the correct title.

Note: Most online Movie and TV Show databases include an IMDB field that contains the IMDB ID. This allows the use of the IMDB address in the Parsing NFO for Movies and TV Shows. This does NOT mean the title will be scraped from IMDB. The scraper simply recognises the ttxxxxx ID and uses it to search for the title at the online database of the currently active scraper. If your preference is for IMDB data, then you will need to install the appropriate scraper.


To create and use the parsing nfo, follow these steps:

  1. Locate the title at the appropriate site of the information provider, eg TheMovieDB
  2. Ensure you have correctly named your media files/folder. See: Kodi naming conventions
  3. Open a text file and copy the entire URL address of the movie from the address bar and paste it into the text file. No tags or code is required. See example below
  4. Save the file and ensure it is correctly named. See the nfo sub-pages listed above for correct naming. Ensure the extension is *.nfo and not *.nfo.txt or *.nfo.doc
  5. Run an Update Library or a Scan item to library. Kodi will parse the URL and locate the title and scrape the correct metadata.


Example of Parsing Movie NFO :

https://www.themoviedb.org/movie/15849-the-mummy

Note: Parsing NFO files cannot be used for episodes


Combination nfo

It is possible to combine the above two types of nfo files into one nfo file. An example use would be to override data from the scraper site such as the title, runtime, movieset etc. It will scan the metadata located between the <movie></movie> XML tags and the omitted data will be scraped at the provided URL. An example:

Note: Cannot be used for Episode nfo files


Example: Contents of Combination NFO file:

 <movie>
    <title>Star Wars (99 second cut)</title>
    <runtime>2</runtime>
    <set>Star Wars Saga</set>
    <sorttitle>Star Wars 01</sorttitle>
    <genre clear="true">SciFi</genre>
    <genre>Romance</genre>
    <genre>Action</genre>
 </movie>
 http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0076759/


Various tags allow multiple entries, eg multiple <genre> and <director> tags. If you use these tags in a Combination nfo, these tags will have their data added to the scraped entry in the database and, in some cases, may result in duplicate entries. To avoid this, use the clear attribute to clear out the downloaded metadata for those particular tags. See the <genre> tag in the above example.

A listing of which tags allow multiple entries can be found in the appropriate sub-pages. Does not apply to muic.


Creating nfo

The following are the three methods that may be used to create nfo files for Kodi. The simplest method is using a Media Manager.


Media Managers

The Media Manager can create nfo files in one of three ways:

  1. 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.
  2. Manual- The Media Manager offers an interface that allows you to manually type in the data.
  3. 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.


The following is a list of Media Managers on the forum. Questions regarding their use should be directed to the media manager developers.

Be aware there are many other media managers available that claim to be Kodi compatible but have not been updated in many years, and are clearly not compatible. Use of these incompatible media managers can break your library and require rebuilding using the Kodi scrapers.


Note: While Media Managers offer some level of control for the more demanding user, there are limitations with their use. Kodi is in a constant state of development which may causes changes to nfo files to allow new types of data or features into the library. No media manager is 100% Kodi compatible. Media Managers are known to be slow in catching up to changes and, in many instances, these changes are never incorporated.

Kodi can create correct and accurate NFO's from the data already in the library which has been populated by a correct scraping process. See the next section for further details.


Kodi Created nfo

This option requires that your library has already been scraped with metadata. Using the built in Import & Export function of Kodi, you can export the 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.

See: Import & Export


Manual Creation

NFO files are simple text files containing XML tags. Creating your own nfo files is simple, and templates and examples are provided in the sub-pages of this wiki topic. They 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:


Structure of the nfo file:

1. The file must be saved as Unicode Transformation Format-8 (UTF-8). The first line of the file will contain the following...

<?xml version="1.0" encoding="UTF-8" standalone="yes"?>


2. The second line and the last line of the file contains the nfo category opening and closing tags. Avaliable category tags are...

<movie></movie>, <tvshow></tvshow>, <episodedetails></episodedetails>, <artist></artist>, <album></album> and <musicvideo></musicvideo>


3. Between the opening and closing category tags are the tags for the media metadata. Each tag must have an opening tag and a closing tag. eg...

<title>Blade Runner 2049</title>

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

4. Available tags are listed in the relevant sub-pages along with a sample and template nfo file.

Once created, the file must be saved with the .nfo extension in accordance with the details in the relevant sub-pages.


Scanning nfo files

There is no special procedure to scrape nfo files. Performing the usual Library Update, or selecting Refresh for individual items, will scrape the nfo files into the library.

Be aware that nfo files are not easily interchangeable between Movies, TV Shows, Music Videos, Artists and Albums. Although they all share common tags, each also has its own specific tags that won't be recognised in other parts of the library.

After the NFO files are scanned into the library, they are no longer used and only serves as a backup. If you make changes to the NFO file you will need to Refresh that library entry for the changes to be loaded into Kodi. An Update Library will not capture the change as this only looks for new items.


Troubleshooting

If you have followed the guidelines of this wiki topic, and the NFO File still does not scan into the library, then check the following:

  1. Ensure your NFO File is encoded correctly. The NFO File must be encoded as a UTF-8 type file. ANSI, has also been known to work.
  2. Check the setting Movies are in separate folders that match the movie title in the scraper settings is correctly set for your folder structure.
  3. If TV Shows are being mixed, this is most likely caused by using outdated or incorrectly created NFO Files. Ensure at least one of the following tags is in the tvshow.nfo file. If there are no ID's at the scraper site (eg home movies) then any random alpha-numeric entry will suffice.
   <uniqueid type="" default="true"></uniqueid>
 
   <!-- Where type="" contains the identifier for the ID. eg imdb, tvdb, tmdb, or other as chosen by the user. eg type="home" for home movies -->


References




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