Skip steps

From Official Kodi Wiki
Jump to navigation Jump to search
Home icon grey.png   ▶ Video library ▶ Video playback ▶ Skip steps

Template:Isengard


Skip steps is a new seeking function that has been implemented into Kodi v15 and is a method of additive skipping (also known as additive seeking) that applies to both videos and music, it allows you to skip backwards and forwards with the left and right cursor keys (this is the default keyboard and remote mapping), and by pressing these keys multiple times you can skip with increasingly larger steps.
The following Action ID's are for now forwarded to the new seeking function:

  • StepForward
  • StepBack
  • SmallStepBack - note this action is going to be removed as it is now redundant with the new seeking behaviour.


Configuration

The settings can be found in the Videos -> Playback section and Music -> Playback

File:Skip steps.jpg



Skip steps - This allows you to set the number of skip steps and the value for each step, the default values available here are -30 min, -15 min, -10 min, -5 min, -60 sec, -30 sec, -15 sec, -7 sec, 7 sec, 15 sec, 30 sec, 60 sec, 5 min, 10 min, 15 min, 30 min.

Skip delay: This is the amount of time Kodi waits for you to press the left or right key again (if using the default keyboard and remote mapping) , before actually performing the forward or backwards skip, can be set to None and from there in 250ms steps until 3000ms.

Custom skip steps

The available skip step values can be further customised via the advancedsettings.xml file with the <seeksteps> entry. This is an optional step for users who want more granular control over what options are available.

IMPORTANT: This advanced setting only overrides the values to be listed in the GUI Skip steps setting , in order to activate them for use you need to select them in the GUI using the Skip step setting, otherwise Kodi will carry on using the previously selected values. The values you enter are integers, so they apply for both the negative and positive directions e.g. a value of 10 will result in -10 sec and 10 sec appearing in the Skip step list.



Example:


<seeksteps>10, 20, 30, 40, 50, 60</seeksteps>


This will result in the Skip step list in the GUI of -60 sec, -50 sec, -40 sec, -30 sec, -20 sec, -10 sec, 10 sec, 20 sec, 30 sec, 40 sec, 50 sec, 60 sec

Additive skipping

Additive skipping (additive seeking) is a method of having increasingly larger skip steps the more times you press either the left or right key, you need at least one skip step configured for either the positive or negative direction together with having a skip delay set. Note - If you press either the left or right key more times than there are configured steps for that direction, then the last configured skip size value will be summed up for each subsequent key press.

Example 1

Skip Steps: -30 sec, -15sec, -7 sec, 15 sec, 30 sec, 60 sec
Skip Delay: 750ms

This table shows what happens with multiple presses of either the left key or the right key:

Key Presses Left x 5 Left x 4 Left x 3 Left x 2 Left Right Right x 2 Right x 3 Right x 4 Right x 5
Time to be skipped 90 seconds backwards 60 seconds backwards 30 seconds backwards 15 seconds backwards 7 seconds backwards 15 seconds forwards 30 seconds forwards 60 seconds forwards 120 seconds forwards 180 seconds forwards
IMPORTANT: As there are 3 skip values in the positive direction with 60 sec being the last value, therefore a 4th right key press will take 60 sec (value for 3 key presses) and add a further 60 sec thus the skip size will be 120 sec forwards, a 5th right key press will be 180 sec, and so on. The same behaviour also applies for the negative direction.



Example 2

Skip Steps: -7 sec, 30 sec
Skip Delay: 750ms

This table shows what happens with multiple presses of either the left key or the right key:

Key Presses Left Left Left Left Left Left Right Right Right Right Right Right
Time to be skipped 21 seconds backwards 14 seconds backwards 7 seconds backwards 30 seconds forwards 60 seconds forwards 90 seconds forwards
IMPORTANT: As there is only 1 skip value of 30 sec in the positive direction therefore a 2nd right key press will take 30 sec (value for 1 key press) and add a further 30 sec thus the skip size will be 60 sec forwards, a 3rd right key press will be 90 sec, and so on. The same behaviour also applies for the negative direction.



It is worth experimenting with Skip Delay to find the optimal setting for your hardware and the type of response you wish, for 250ms allows use of the additive function while retaining an almost instant response however this needs very quick presses for multiple presses to be registered.

Instant skipping

With no more than a single negative or positive step configured, together with Skip Delay set to none, then Kodi will instantly skip without a delay.

Example

Skip Steps: -7 sec, 30 sec
Skip Delay: None

Key Presses Left Right
Time to be skipped 7 seconds backwards 30 seconds forwards