File Blocks¶
When using Kometa, the structure of each library is made using File Blocks
Example Library Structure
In the above example, collection_files
is the type of File, which tells Kometa that the entries that follow will
create/update collections and - default:
is the type of Path, which Kometa that the file it is looking for is a
Kometa Defaults file.
These ideas will be further outlined on this page.
Files¶
Files define the structure and format for creating Collections, Overlays, Playlists, and Metadata Edits within your libraries.
Files are modular and when properly leveraged, they not only facilitate the management of your library's collections and metadata but also serve as a crucial backup resource in case a restore is necessary.
These are the File types that can be utilized against Plex servers:
File Type | Description | Parent Attribute |
---|---|---|
Collection Files | Defines the data for building collections, allowing you to group and showcase your library in unique ways. | collection_files |
Overlay Files | Defines the data for building overlays, allowing you to place information such as resolutions and ratings onto your posters. | overlay_files |
Metadata Files | Defines the data for editing metadata, allowing you to find and manipulate the metadata on individual items within your library. | metadata_files |
Playlist Files | Defines the data for building playlists, allowing you to combine media from multiple libraries and share them with users on your server. | playlist_files |
Template Files | Defines templates in external files, allowing you to use the same templates across multiple other files. | external_templates |
Example File Blocks (click to expand)
libraries:
TV Shows:
collection_files:
- file: config/TVShows.yml
- folder: config/TV Shows/
overlay_files:
- default: imdb
- repo: overlays
playlist_files:
- url: https://somewhere.com/Playlists.yml
In this example, multiple file blocks are defined for the "TV Shows"
library:
Unlike the others, Playlist Files are not defined per-library.
Within the above example, Kometa will:
-
First, look within the root of the Kometa directory (also known as
config/
) for a collection file namedTVShows.yml
. If this file does not exist, Kometa will skip the entry and move to the next one in the list. -
Then, look within the root of the Kometa directory (also known as
config/
) for a directory calledTV Shows
, and then load any collection files within that directory. -
Then, look in the defaults folder within the local Kometa folder [or docker container] for a file called
imdb.yml
. -
Then, look within the Custom Defined Repo for a file called
overlays.yml
. -
Finally, load the playlist file located at
https://somewhere.com/Playlists.yml
Blocks¶
Each time a file is called it's going to use what we call a "File Block". Each block must have the file location type and path and can have other attributes to add more control to that file.
Every file block under the parent attribute begins with a -
.
Example Block
This example has 2 blocks each using location type - default
with the path being tmdb
and imdb
respectively
under the parent attribute collection_files
.
Location Types and Paths¶
There are multiple location types that can be used to call a file. They can either be on the local system, online at an
url, part of the Kometa Defaults, directly from the
Kometa Community Configs repository, or from another
Custom Repository
.
The location types are outlined as follows:
file
- Used to run a local file.¶
Used to run a file which is located within the system that Kometa is being run from.
File locations need to be accessible to Kometa at those paths; this is typically only something you need to consider when using Docker.
folder
- Used to run all local files in a directory.¶
Used to run all files located in a directory which is located within the system that Kometa is
being run from.
Folder locations need to be accessible to Kometa at those paths; this is typically only something you need to consider when using Docker.
url
- Used to run a file hosted at a URL.¶
Used to run a file hosted publicly on the internet and accessible at a URL.
This needs to point directly to the YAML file. A common error is using a gitHub link that points to the page displaying the YAML. In gitHub, for instance, click on the "Raw" button and use that link.
default
- Used to run one of the built-in Kometa Defaults file.¶
Used to run a built-in Kometa Defaults file. The values you'd enter here are listed in the
default usage guide.
git
- Used to run a file hosted on the Kometa Community Configs repository.¶
Used to run a file hosted on the
Kometa User Configs repository.
Note that you enter the bits of the items path relative to the top level of the repo [meisnate12/People
] and you
don't need the .yml
extension.
repo
- Used to run a file hosted on a custom repository.¶
Used to run a file which is hosted on a repo specified by the user with the
custom_repo
Setting Attribute.
Note that as with git
you enter the bits of the items path relative to repo [meisnate12/People
] and you don't
need the .yml
extension.
Other Block Attributes¶
You can have some control of the files from inside your Configuration file by using these block attributes.
template_variables
- Used to define Custom Template Variables for a file.¶
Passes all given Template Variables to
every template in the file.
Note: the file has to be properly set up to use the variables.
Attribute: template_variables
Accepted Values: Dictionary of values specified by each particular file.
Default Value: None
Example
libraries:
TV Shows:
collection_files:
- default: genre
template_variables:
schedule_separator: never
collection_mode: hide
- default: actor # Notice how the `-` starts this block
template_variables:
schedule_separator: never
collection_mode: hide
In this example there will be two template variables added to every template in the git file default: genre.
schedule_separator
is set to never
to not show a separator in this section and collection_mode
is set to
hide
.
What these variables will do depends on how they're defined in the Collection File.
schedule
- Used to schedule when a file is run.¶
Used to schedule when this file is run using the schedule options.
Warning
This does not work with Overlays as they cannot be scheduled individually. Use the
schedule_overlays
Library Attribute to schedule Overlays.
Attribute: schedule
Accepted Values: Any schedule option
Default Value: daily
asset_directory
- Used to define Asset Directories for a file.¶
Specify the directory where assets (posters, backgrounds, etc) are located for this
specific file.
Tip
Assets can be stored anywhere on the host system that Kometa has visibility of (i.e. if using docker, the directory must be mounted/visible to the docker container).
Warning
Kometa will not create asset directories. The directories that you specify have to exist already.
Attribute: asset_directory
Accepted Values: Any directory
Default Value: [Directory containing YAML config]/assets
Example
libraries:
Movies:
collection_files:
- file: config/Movies.yml
asset_directory: <path_to_assets>/Movies
- default: actors
asset_directory: <path_to_assets>/people
overlay_files:
- default: imdb
playlist_files:
- file: config/Playlists.yml
asset_directory:
- <path_to_assets>/playlists1
- <path_to_assets>/playlists2