Poster overlays

[ZLuckyTraveler 0]

16 minutes ago, GrimReaper said:

There's number of other plugins/tools, both official and community-made, that might help you achieve desired results: CoverArt, Iconic Image Inhancer, Kometa Emby Overlays, Poster Overlay Tool etc. 

None of these allow for automation and using custom overlay images. This is an extremely tedious task trying to constantly keep up with every new media being added, especially for people with extensively large libraries.

Additionally most of these require permission to directly write to the server or storage. That’s a big no for me. Nothing should be changing or touching this, and should be contained within the plugin itself. 

Edited May 26, 2025 by ZLuckyTraveler

[GrimReaper 4739]

28 minutes ago, ZLuckyTraveler said:

None of these allow for automation

I honestly don't know what do you mean by that, as most/all? do, as far as my understanding of "automation" goes. 

28 minutes ago, ZLuckyTraveler said:

and using custom overlay images

CoverArt does, Iconic uses vector icons, don't know for Poster Overlays and EmbyKometa as not using; you can always post a question in respective plugin/tool topic. 

Edited May 26, 2025 by GrimReaper

[GrimReaper 4739]

20 minutes ago, ZLuckyTraveler said:

Additionally most of these require permission to directly write to the server or storage. That’s a big no for me. Nothing should be changing or touching this, and should be contained within the plugin itself. 

CoverArt and Iconic do not. EmbyKometa don't know but I'd assume it also doesn't. Poster Overlay likely does, though that's only assumption based on plugin description. 

[ZLuckyTraveler 0]

By automation, I mean automatically applying and updating overlays to all current and newly added media.

I haven’t seen a way to upload your own custom images to Covert Art or Icon Badges. I have jpg and png files for the overlay images I use. As an example if I wanted to use the same overlays I have in posters in the image above, I can’t. There’s a selection of images/icons you can choose from and edit for those plugins, but this isn’t the same. It’s also not documented that this can be done.

Poster Overlay offers no automation at all, it’s all manual work for each individual poster one by one.

Ive tried all of these plugins before, none of them have been able to automatically add and update overlays with custom images uploaded.

The closest is Emby Kometa Overlay, but that plugin is fairly new and still a WIP, and also requires using its own individual Plex server just to operate as well.

Edited May 26, 2025 by ZLuckyTraveler

[GrimReaper 4739]

37 minutes ago, ZLuckyTraveler said:

By automation, I mean automatically applying and updating overlays to all current and newly added media.

As said, CoverArt and Iconic apply on-the-fly/cached overlays/treatments. I assume EmbyKometa does as well. 

37 minutes ago, ZLuckyTraveler said:

I haven’t seen a way to upload your own custom images to Covert Art

From the above linked plugin topic:

Quote

To configure these indicators, go to the Indicator Overlays config page and select the type of overlay (3D, Media Info, Subtitles or Specials).  Then select the location of the indicator (which corner of the image) and either None (for no overlay), Internal (for the internally defined style overlay) or Custom (for a custom image you provide).

You might also read through related topic for hints/tips/naming scheme for indicator image files:

 

37 minutes ago, ZLuckyTraveler said:

I have jpg and png files for the overlay images I use. As an example if I wanted to use the same overlays I have in posters in the image above, I can’t. There’s a selection of images/icons you can choose from and edit for those plugins, but this isn’t the same

Sure you can, as per above. 

37 minutes ago, ZLuckyTraveler said:

It’s also not documented that this can be done.

Linked above. 

37 minutes ago, ZLuckyTraveler said:

or Icon Badges

As said:

1 hour ago, GrimReaper said:

Iconic uses vector icons

not image files, no Custom images for that plugin at present time. 

37 minutes ago, ZLuckyTraveler said:

The closest is Emby Kometa Overlay, but that plugin is fairly new and still a WIP, and also requires using its own individual Plex server just to operate as well.

As per plugin dev:

On 5/8/2025 at 2:57 PM, Killface69 said:

You’ll currently need a Plex install with one library as I haven’t removed all traces/made it fully standalone.

I'd guess that making a standalone plugin is on the roadmap/not too far in the future. Even in present state, spinning a Plex instance with a single library shouldn't be much of a hassle. 

[Killface69 96]

51 minutes ago, GrimReaper said:

As per plugin dev:

On 08/05/2025 at 18:57, Killface69 said:

You’ll currently need a Plex install with one library as I haven’t removed all traces/made it fully standalone.

I'd guess that making a standalone plugin is on the roadmap/not too far in the future. Even in present state, spinning a Plex instance with a single library shouldn't be much of a hassle. 

Yes, it's planned to make the whole script standalone. Not sure if it'll be a fork of its own or if my work will someday be integrated in the main branch.
The script is still relying on Plex objects in some cases, thus the dependancy without actual usage.

Overlays do work as expected with a separate plugin, meaning you can change the poster but keep the overlays. The overlay is ItemId specific, meaning a new donload of a film requires the script to run again.
I use my Kometa version in a docker; every day at 5 am it creates/updates the collections and overlays, I only have to hit "Save" in the plugin for the overlay update.

Worst thing that can happen: it adds additional tags for some collection items like " LIBRARY_NAME Based on a Book" or " LIBRARY_NAME Halloween Movies".

Testers & feedback welcome.

 =  +  

Edited May 26, 2025 by Killface69