Girder/SageTV setup questions

[mattchapin]

I've been messing around with Girder and gotten it to do just about everything I want with respect to my ATI Remote Wonder. There are a couple of things I can't figure out though:

1. SageTV only responds to Girder when SageTV is the active window:

When SageTV is the active window, everything works great. However, when another window is on top, Sage does not respond to Girder's commands.

My workaround is to assign the "A" button on my Remote Wonder to a Girder command that activates the SageTV window. If I try to use the remote and Sage doesn't respond, I hit "A" and then try again - it always works.

When configuring my Girder commands, I have tried all kinds of settings in the "Target" dialog box, but it doesn't seem to matter what I put in there; Girder controls Sage only when Sage is the active window.

2. Girder only executes one command in a multigroup for each occurrence of the event:

I tried to solve problem #1 above by putting each Remote Wonder command in a multigroup. Each multigroup consisted of
-- an event string (the Remote Wonder button press),
-- an "Activate SageTV window" command
-- a keyboard command with SageTV as the target

The trouble with this is that I now have to press the Remote Wonder button twice to give Sage a command! It appears that when there are multiple commands in a Multigroup, Girder does not execute all the commands each time the eventstring is detected. Rather, the first command is executed on the first eventstring detection, the second command on the second eventstring detection. The third time I press the button on the Remote Wonder, Girder cycles back to the first command in the multigroup.

I thought that a Multigroup was supposed to be like a macro, allowing me to execute several commands by only pressing a button on my remote once... am I missing something?

Thanks all for your help on these two issues.

Matt

[msm]

1) Are you using the sendmessage plugin to pass commands to sage or mimicking hotkeys?

2) Yes, a multigroup should execute all commands. Make sure the event string is associated with the multigroup, and not one of the commands in the multigroup (you should see all the commands followed by the event string rather than command, event string, command etc.

Yet me know if this helps, if not I will try my best to help more...it is well worth perservering with Girder as it allows so much more to be done than controlling via Sage (or that matter any other program).

Cheers,

Matt

[mattchapin]

Originally posted by msm
[B]1) Are you using the sendmessage plugin to pass commands to sage or mimicking hotkeys?

Wow! That was quick!

Regarding your comment #1: I am mimicking hotkeys. Is this not the best way to do it?

Regarding your comment #2: I do have the eventstring associated with the multigroup, not a command within it.

I am going to do a little more experimentation, given that you confirmed what I thought should happen. My new theory: The hotkey command comes so soon after the "Activate SageTV Window" command that it gets lost, since the window is still in the process of being activated.

I'll let you know what I find.

Thanks for your help!
Matt

[msm]

The best way to send messages to Sage is via the sendmessage plugin (this come with girder just need activating) - Sage has specific messages that have been set up that can be passed - much better than using the hotkeys approach.

A message somewhere on the board has all the message content, but i cant find it atm. I have a copy downloaded.

I'm not sure why your hotkeys approach isn't working, but i never found hot keys that reliable for me. The send message approach works even when Sage isnt the active window for me, as long as it is targeted correctly (may not even need that but not sure)

You are proabably right about the 2nd windows activation thing. Your best bet is to see if that is the case is to put a wait command in. The best way to do this is to download the Win LUa plugin (not sure on spelling- i will let you know when i get home from work) that has a built in wait command.

If you like, if you send me your plugin to m.s.meadows AT illumination.freeserve.co.uk I will take a look at it and let you know what I come up with. I can also send you my .gml file if that will help - it has all the Sage commands set up ready to go using sendmessage. I didn't write it (can't remember who did - sorry to that person ) but it works a treat

Cheers,

Matt

[olyar15]

In Girder, when you click on the "Target" button to select which program you want to interact with, click on the "match invisible task" check box. This will allow Girder to control programs in the background.

[mattchapin]

Thanks guys for all your advice!

Unfortunately, toggling the "Match invisible tasks" in the target window doesn't seem to make a difference for me.

I've attached my Girder setup file so you can see the workaround I've used. Each command is now a multigroup - it basically activates the SageTV window before sending a keyboard command to Sage.

Not an ideal solution, because sometimes someone else is using the computer while I'm watching a Sage recording, so my use of the remote control deactivates the window the other person is using, interrupting her work!

Can anyone post a girder setup file where all the SageTV commands use the SendMessage method?

Thanks!
Matt

[salsbst]

See the Girder GML that is linked on the bottom of the page in my signature.