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How to setup Kodi & 3D SBS:

Download Kodi for XREAL Beam/Android Devices With No Google Play Store (APK Pure) or Android devices with Google Play Store.

Using Kodi with 3D mode requires a third party launcher for easy setup/somewhat permanent solution to having 3D mode. XREAL Beam does have a way to enabling the option called 0DoF in their special developer settings but this gets disabled after restart (or may get disabled automatically for other reasons) so it's not as convenient to have to go back to the secret menu all the time to enable 0DoF for 3D mode. Click here for how to install third party launcher (opens new window.)

Enabling 3D SBS Mode on Kodi allows you to view the entire interface correctly in 3D SBS including navigation, player controls, and subtitles. Everything is correctly lined up in SBS mode when the SBS mode is enabled on Kodi. Also, the artwork for movies/tv shows etc sort of "pop" out on the home screen of Kodi.
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Installing Kodi thru XREAL Beam - Computer Method
- Download and install Kodi for Beam apk from the link above.

 - Connect your XREAL Beam (latest firmware) to your PC. Make sure to connect a USB cable for XREAL Beam's first USB C port to the USB port of your PC.

 - Go to the Downloads folder of where you downloaded Kodi on your PC.
- Drag or copy/paste the Kodi apk file to XREAL Beam "Downloads" folder. (Location on my computer >>This PC\Beam\‎‏‎‎‎‎‎‏‎‏‏‏‎‎‎‎‎‎‏‎‎‏‎‎‎‎‏‏‏‏‏‏‏‏‏‏‎‏‎‏‏‏‎‏‎‎‏‏‎‏‎‏‏‎‎‏‎‏‎‏‎‏‎‏‏‏‎‎‏‏‎‏‏‏‏‎‎‏‎‎‏‎‎‎‎‏‎‎‎‎‎‏‏‏‎‎‎Internal shared storage‎‏‎‎‏‎\Download)
- Detach XREAL Beam once you are done adding APK files to the device.
- Connect XREAL glasses to the right USB-C OUT port of XREAL Beam.
- Click the "Files" app on Beam's home page located in a folder called "2D Applications."
Note: The "Files" app may have Chinese language when you first use the app. In order to change to English, you would have to go to the settings menu (far right corner is a setting icon when your on the main screen) of XREAL Beam. Settings>Language>Choose different language that isn't English and change back to English. This should fix the issue.
- Go to the Downloads folder in the "Files" app.
- Select the APK file for Kodi and hit install.
- You should now see Kodi installed in "2D Applications." If it's not in the "2D Applications" folder, it may be in the main screen of Beam UI (EvaLauncher.) This is usually due to the apps being set to "Spatial" mode on XREAL Beam which utilize the head tracking features of XREAL Beam.

Settings on Beam UI (EvaLauncher)...
- Access the XREAL Beam settings (top right.)
- Go to Settings>Application Management>Kodi.
- Interaction Method = Directional Keys
- Display Mode = Both (When you want spatial features with Kodi and when you want regular 2D mode/3D mode. Two versions of Kodi are created. One is on the main Beam UI (EvaLauncher) page which is the spatial mode version...and the other is located at "2D Applications" folder which has no spatial features.)
Note: You won't be able to activate 3D SBS mode when launching Kodi thru EvaLauncher (in either mode.) The easiest way you'll be able to launch in 3D mode is by installing a third party launcher and following the steps thru there. There is another method by enabling 0DoF thru Beam's secret settings but that gets disabled every time you power cycle XREAL Beam.
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Other Android Devices
- Download Kodi for Android devices thru Google Play Store. If you don't have Google Play Store, you can download the apk file mentioned above this section (under page title) for XREAL Beam.
- If you don't know how to install apk files for Android devices, look at this link (opens new tab).
- Follow the instructions on the right side for setting instructions for Kodi.

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How to load video library to Kodi... (clickable links open new tab)
- How to load Emby library to Kodi
- How to load Plex library to Kodi
 Other network options include...
- Loading NAS/Remote Storage (NFS) files to Kodi (Google your specific case.)
- Loading NAS/Remote Storage (SMB) files to Kodi (Google your specific case.)
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Automations for Kodi...

Third Party Launcher (Example; Projectivy Launcher):

  • 2D Mode

       - Pressing side mode (red) button of XREAL Beam shows battery status when the glasses are set in 2D mode.

  • 3D Mode

       - Pressing side mode (red) button of XREAL Beam shows battery status correctly when the glasses are set in 3D mode.

XREAL Glasses 

  • Activating 3D Mode

       - Launches Kodi automatically.
 

Requirements:

  • Apps:

       - Tasker (the brain of everything)
       - Kodi (for XREAL Glasses automation)
       - Projectivy Launcher (for easily activating 3D mode on glasses.)

  • Plugins:

       - AutoInput (listens for XREAL Beam button key press)
Click here for information on the automations/installation instructions. (opens new tab)

You might need to enable "Expert" settings. You'll either see Basic, Standard or Advanced (if it's not in Expert mode at the bottom of  one of the system settings such as Interface or System.)
Settings for Kodi 3D SBS...
Display settings
- To access display settings, go to Kodi's home screen>Settings icon on far left (between power & search)>System
- Stereoscopic 3D mode / Current (Keep this as disabled. We'll be remapping the Beam keys to activate/deactivate 3D SBS mode. The Beam key will enable/disable this setting every time.)

Video Calibration
Make sure to put the glasses to 3D SBS mode before going to video calibration. 3D SBS mode requires third party launcher for easy/somewhat permanent setup. Also, make sure to see the resolution as 3840p x 1080p (meaning 3D SBS mode is enabled) at the top of Video Calibration screen.
- To access video calibration, it's under same menu for display settings above. Just scroll all the way down until you see Video Calibration.
- Highlight the middle screen. Hit the ok button on XREAL Beam until the middle screen is highlighted blue.
BE CAREFUL NOT TO HIT OK AT THE BOTTOM LEFT CORNER WHICH RESETS VIDEO CALIBRATION.
- Adjust the middle screen to pixel ratio 1.125.
YOU MAY NEED TO EXIT OUT OF KODI THRU KODI'S HOME SCREEN EXIT OPTION AND RE-LAUNCH KODI. SOMETIMES THE SETTINGS DON'T GET PROPERLY APPLIED SO YOU'LL HAVE TO DO THE PROPER EXIT BY KODI'S HOME SCREEN EXIT OPTION.

Player settings
- To access player settings, go to Kodi's home screen>Settings icon on far left (between power & search)>Player
- Go to Videos and scroll to the section for Stereoscopic 3D.
- Set playback mode of stereoscopic 3D videos to preferred mode.
- Disable the option for "Disable stereoscopic 3D mode when playback ended." This is so that when you exit out of the video you're watching, the SBS mode will be saved when you still have Kodi open. It'll disable again if you close Kodi either thru Kodi's home screen exit option or when it automatically gets killed off in the background.

Subtitle setttings
- To access subtitle settings, go to Kodi's home screen>Settings icon on far left (between power & search)>Player
- Go to Subtitles and set size to 36 and vertical margin to 12%.
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Special settings within Kodi's built in player....
- Go to a random video (assuming you are mostly going to use full 3D SBS videos with Kodi.)
- Pause video and look at the player controls.
- At bottom far left is a settings icon. Click on it.
- Click on Video settings from the submenu. Set pixel ratio to 0.58 and go down to "Set as default for all media" so you don't have to constantly adjust when watching a new video.
- Now again, we'll go to back to settings within the player but this time in the submenu go to Subtitles settings.
- Click on enable subtitles and go down and click on "Set as default for all media."
YOU MAY NEED TO EXIT OUT OF KODI THRU KODI'S HOME SCREEN EXIT OPTION AND RE-LAUNCH KODI. SOMETIMES THE SETTINGS DON'T GET PROPERLY APPLIED SO YOU'LL HAVE TO DO THE PROPER EXIT BY KODI'S HOME SCREEN EXIT OPTION.
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How to remap the button presses for Kodi
Note: These remaps only affect the remaps within Kodi. These will not change the behavior of the buttons on XREAL Beam outside of Kodi. Also, pressing and holding the back button for about 2 seconds on XREAL Beam will go back to third party launcher (Projectivy Launcher) so it hasn't really been an issue for me using the back button on XREAL Beam to stop playback when in fullscreen video and enabling/disabling 3D SBS mode when in home screen of Kodi.
- Go to the Home screen of Kodi and click on the settings icon at the top left (between power and search icons).
- Once settings is open, go to Add-ons>Install from repository>Kodi Add-on repository>Keymap Editor and hit install.
- Once installed, go to home screen of Kodi and go to Add-ons>Keymap Editor (To add it to your favorites, press and hold the 'OK' button on XREAL Beam, then select 'Add to favorites.' The "Keymap Editor" will now show up in the Favorites section on the Home menu.
- Click edit to remap the keys to whatever you want....but if you want you can copy what I have setup below under the section "My kodi remap settings..."
- Continue here if you chose to remap your own setup otherwise skip to "My Kodi remap settings..."
- Go back until you find an option to save key remaps. I prefer to relaunch keymap editor and remap and save one key at a time...just in case the keymaps don't save when multiple remaps are made.

My Kodi remap settings...
Home Menu - Button Behavior

  • Pressing back button on XREAL Beam enables or disables 3D SBS mode when in Kodi's home screen.

       - Keymap Editor>Home>Playback>Toggle 3D/Stereoscopic                mode>Edit key and hit the back (black) on XREAL Beam.
       - Go back and hit "Save."

Fullscreen Video - Button Behavior

  • Pressing back button on XREAL Beam stops video and takes you back to Kodi's home screen when playing a fullscreen video.

       - Keymap Editor>Fullscreen Video>Playback>Toggle                          3D/Stereoscopic mode>Edit key and hit the back (black) on              XREAL Beam.
       - Go back and hit "Save."

  • Pressing arrow down button on XREAL Beam enables or disables 3D SBS mode when in fullscreen video.

       - Keymap Editor>Fullscreen Video>Playback>Toggle                          3D/Stereoscopic mode>Edit key and hit the arrow down key              on XREAL Beam.
       - Go back and hit "Save."

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