Look for Help with EventGhost

[m1abrams]

So I have searched both here and EG forums for the answer but have not found one.

Looking to start using either Eventghost or Girder to allow me to control both SageTV and PowerDVD. I am using a USB-UIRT for both controlling SageTV and so SageTV can change the channel on both of my STB. The question I have is how do you get EventGhost to change the channel of a given STB when SageTV needs the channel changed?

EventGhost support the IR blaster on the USB-UIRT, what I do not see is if SageTV supports sending the commands to EventGhost.

[CollinR]

Search multituner.exe here, this was designed for Girder but I'm pretty sureit's workable with EventGhost too.

Basically you willl be giving all USBUIRT control to EventGhost and Sage will generate events there when channel changes are required.

I haven't needed to do this yet myself but I am willing to provide you some assistance as it is high on my to-do list.

[bialio]

You don't need EventGhost! Just get the HD-extender!!!!

Sarcasm aside, I tried EventGhost when I started down the PowerDVD / Sage trail. I never got it - it just didn't make sense to me how it worked.

However, I will put a plug in for "LM Remote Keymap" - it does a fantastic job with Sage, PowerDVD, and TMT. You basically define a profile that says "when this application has focus, translate these remote events into these commands."

Just something else to try. LM Remote Keymap is also updated about 3 times a month, and the author is an active member here on the forums.

btl.

[m1abrams]

Originally Posted by bialio

You don't need EventGhost! Just get the HD-extender!!!!

Sarcasm aside, I tried EventGhost when I started down the PowerDVD / Sage trail. I never got it - it just didn't make sense to me how it worked.

However, I will put a plug in for "LM Remote Keymap" - it does a fantastic job with Sage, PowerDVD, and TMT. You basically define a profile that says "when this application has focus, translate these remote events into these commands."

Just something else to try. LM Remote Keymap is also updated about 3 times a month, and the author is an active member here on the forums.

btl.

First I really hope that HD-Extender comment was just a joke from my other thread, cause if not I am going to find you and smack you very very hard!

I have played with LM remote and could not figure it out. You have a help guide to point me to for it?

[bialio]

http://www.lmgestion.net/@en-us/4/22/60/article.asp

That's all I've got - which any monkey who can do a google search can turn up! But I think the documentation is pretty good.

What kind of remote are you using?

btl.

[m1abrams]

Using the USB-UIRT with a Harmony 680 remote.

[bialio]

What does your Harmony think it is controlling- ie what device is it configured for?

btl.

[m1abrams]

Originally Posted by bialio

What does your Harmony think it is controlling- ie what device is it configured for?

btl.

Oh I think used a Tivo profile, but honestly I can not remember. I picked a profile that had LOTS of buttons . Cause that is all that really matters.

[bialio]

You can probably take this route with EventGhost also - like I said I prefer LM Remote, but they are very similar programs.

here's how I control and switch between PowerDVD and Sage. The main complication I have is that Sage runs in FSE for me, and once it looses FSE (ie minimize to the tray) it doesn't get it back until it is completely restarted.

1) On my Harmony remote, I have two devices defined. One is called "SageTV" and the other is called "PowerDVD". I have the harmony set up to turn off devices that are not in use.
2) Then I have 4 buttons on my remote* that LM Remote Keymap has defined for launching and closing Sage and PowerDVD. That is all these buttons are used for - so you have to burn 4 buttons that you normally wouldn't use.
3) Back on Harmony, I define on / off for each "device" to be one of those 4 buttons.

* I have the MCE Remote which is what Harmony is emulating. So I use the 4 color buttons for this purpose. They don't actually map to any of the hard keys on my Harmony remote, but it knows how to send those codes.

At this point you can define two new activities in Harmony - one for SageTV, the other for PowerDVD. Then when you use the remote like you normally do. Switching from Sage to PowerDVD then closes Sage and Launches PowerDVD, and vice versa.

--

I've been quite happy with this system - it works pretty well for me.

The main thing you will have to change is how your remote interacts with Sage. In the remote setup wizard you should use "External Setup" and just let EventGhost or LMKeyMap feed events into sage - so Sage doesn't actually control the USBIRT directly. There are lots of ways to get events into sage - I use

SageTVClient.exe -event <id>

for just about everything that is Sage specific. Generic arrow, enter, and media commands I just use keyboard keystrokes.

btl.

[StephaneM]

Originally Posted by m1abrams

I have played with LM remote and could not figure it out. You have a help guide to point me to for it?

First review my web site (see signature), then come back to me and let me know what you cannot figure out.

With a USB-UIRT used as both a receiver and transmitter, you'll need:

* First let know LM RKM what IR codes are sent by your remote (the Harmony), this is the USB-UIRT virtual remote (just imagine that the virtual remote is layout like your Harmony)

* Then customize the default remote profile (mainly for launching SageTV) and create remote profiles for your application

* Then create a IR device that will have all the IR codes of your set top box (so you'll have to learn them)

* Finally configure the LM RKM tuning plugin for SageTV and use it in the SageTV video source configuration

Regards,
Stéphane.

[m1abrams]

Thanks I like your setup using 2 different actions on the remote and will probably do the same.

Is it true that SageTV does not regain FSE after it looses it? That seems like a bug with SageTV.

Also I have SageTV setup in FSE so that it does not minimise to the systray when I alt-tab between SageTV and PowerDVD. Wonder if that would help. You can do this with sagetv by setting.
disable_fse_on_focus_lost=false

This thread mentions that if you switch to windowed mode then to fullscreen SageTV regains FSE, maybe that can help prevent having to restart sagetv. Hopefully that is true cause starting sagetv is a bit slow. http://forums.sagetv.com/forums/show...t=fse+minimize

FYI- The MCE remote emulates the harmony BEST DAMN remotes out there, want to get the newer harmony

[bialio]

Originally Posted by m1abrams

Is it true that SageTV does not regain FSE after it looses it? That seems like a bug with SageTV.

It could be. When you start Sage in a window and then maximize it kicks into FSE - but I've never been able to minimize then restore with FSE intact.

Also I have SageTV setup in FSE so that it does not minimise to the systray when I alt-tab between SageTV and PowerDVD. Wonder if that would help. You can do this with sagetv by setting.
disable_fse_on_focus_lost=false

I had trouble with leaving Sage open when PowerDVD launches - PowerDVD complained about the video driver - almost as if it was locked out since another app had FSE.

This thread mentions that if you switch to windowed mode then to fullscreen SageTV regains FSE, maybe that can help prevent having to restart sagetv. Hopefully that is true cause starting sagetv is a bit slow. http://forums.sagetv.com/forums/show...t=fse+minimize

For me it doesn't take long - but I'm using a separate client. Maybe 10 seconds total from splash screen to SageMC. In your server / client on the same rig setup it might be different.....

btl.

[m1abrams]

Well if I get a 3rd party remote app running then I will be able to run Sage service so the client will be seperate which would be faster. Using Sage to handle the USB-UIRT when using sage service and client is problematic so I have had to do the all in one approact until now.

Not to set on LM apps toes, however I think with EventGhost you might be able to script it to make SageTV go into window mode then go back to Fullscreen.

Hopefully I can play with the IR apps this weekend see which one I like best for my application.

[CollinR]

Just ask specific questions about what you need EventGhost to do and I can probably just get you the stuff you need so you can copy paste.


If this were my setup...

I would use Dynamic Menus to start PowerDVD, but really it will send a command to EventGhost. When EventGhost gets this event it will:
Launch PowerDVD
Enable PowerDVD exclusive mode
Minimize SageTV
Watch for system event powerdvd.close
Maximize SageTV
Enable sagetv exclusive mode


That should deal with your FSE issues and takes no buttons on your remote, or you can set it to any button you like (DVD).

Also you can use the 5 way directional controls on most remotes as a mouse if that helps you. I do it from time to time but it's nowhere near as easy as a real mouse. It can make things nice though.

EDIT:
[QUOTE=m1abrams;282092]I think with EventGhost you might be able to script it to make SageTV go into window mode then go back to Fullscreen.QUOTE]

Yes it can, it can do just about anything you want and if you have python skills it can do anything you may want.

Your dynamic menus should look like this

eventghost.exe -e LaunchPowerDVD

The incoming event will be "Main.LaunchPowerDVD"

If you want it to function from placeshifter and MVPs enable the network sender/reciever plugins for eventghost (included in the install). This is the network syntax, eventghost need not be running for this to function. 1024 is the default port and 1234 is the password, you will configure for this when adding the network sender and reciever plugins. Obviously they must match.

eventghost.exe -n 127.0.0.1:1024 1234 LaunchPowerDVD

The incoming event will be "TCP.LaunchPowerDVD"

Optionally you can provide the IP of any EventGhost box on your LAN and the event will be carried out there instead. If you start doing things like this or thing you might you should start now by identifing the client sending the request in your commands.

IE
eventghost.exe -n 192.168.1.2:1024 1234 MasterBedroom.LaunchPowerDVD

The incoming event will be "TCP.MasterBedroom.LaunchPowerDVD"

This wouldn't work so well since it's power DVD but in my case I use it for all sorts of stuff.

[m1abrams]

CollinR can you point me in the direction of setting up multituner.exe with eventghost. I tried searching the forums here and google for multituner.exe and never could actually find the download. My only real confusion with eventghost I think is making SageTV tell eventghost to change an STB tuner channel, looks like from my searching the multituner.exe handles that but can not find the download.

[CollinR]

My bad it's actually called exemultitunerplugin.zip

I found this one however I don't know if it's most current.
http://forums.sagetv.com/forums/atta...7&d=1062775421

Located in this thread which is probably worthwhile reading.

http://forums.sagetv.com/forums/show...ltitunerplugin

Looks like

[HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\SOFTWARE\Sage\EXETunerPlugin]
"command"="EventGhost.exe -e STB-%DEVICE%.%CHANNEL%"

Is the ticket.

[bialio]

I would use Dynamic Menus to start PowerDVD, but really it will send a command to EventGhost. When EventGhost gets this event it will:
Launch PowerDVD
Enable PowerDVD exclusive mode
Minimize SageTV
Watch for system event powerdvd.close
Maximize SageTV
Enable sagetv exclusive mode

Collin - what exactly is the exclusive mode you specify here? If I remember from the 2 days I played with EventGhost about a year ago - that puts eventghost in "powerDVD only" mode - ie all events are routed to powerDVD. Is that right?

It doesn't seem like that would have anything to do with FSE?....

[CollinR]

Originally Posted by bialio

Collin - what exactly is the exclusive mode you specify here? If I remember from the 2 days I played with EventGhost about a year ago - that puts eventghost in "powerDVD only" mode - ie all events are routed to powerDVD. Is that right?

Well the name is deceiving as using exclusives doesn't mean you can't send commands elsewhere it's just a way of having multiple profiles for each remote instance (up to 16 Fireflies ). It's really based on the folder structure in your contexts.

Of instance

context
\Video
Video\SageTV
Video\PowerDVD

If you enable an exclusive on context or video it will send commands to both applications. If you enable exclusive to either it will send commands that are above it in the tree (i use system volume as a good one) plus any commands inside the exclusive folder.

Mine looks like

context
\Globals
\Globals\Automation
\Globals\Automation\MVPControls
\Globals\Automation\DVDChangerControls
\Globals\Automation\CCTVDVRControls
\Globals\Automation\SurroundSoundControls
\Globals\Security

\Video
\Video\SageTV
\Video\CCTV

\Mouse

and so on.

By enabling or disabling SageTV exclusive mode you have no effect on anything under globals as it is higher up the tree. Disabling globals would cause everything to stop working.

Originally Posted by bialio

It doesn't seem like that would have anything to do with FSE?....

I was assuming this was accurate info.

Originally Posted by m1abrams

Also I have SageTV setup in FSE so that it does not minimise to the systray when I alt-tab between SageTV and PowerDVD. Wonder if that would help. You can do this with sagetv by setting.
disable_fse_on_focus_lost=false

This thread mentions that if you switch to windowed mode then to fullscreen SageTV regains FSE, maybe that can help prevent having to restart sagetv. Hopefully that is true cause starting sagetv is a bit slow. http://forums.sagetv.com/forums/show...t=fse+minimize

FYI- The MCE remote emulates the harmony BEST DAMN remotes out there, want to get the newer harmony

[StephaneM]

Originally Posted by m1abrams

Not to set on LM apps toes, however I think with EventGhost you might be able to script it to make SageTV go into window mode then go back to Fullscreen.

You can certainly do it with LM RKM too (mostly with the SendMessages action).

However, the best thing to do is (if you are using the SageTV service) is to exit the SageTV UI, and then launch PowerDVD.

With a Harmony remote for doing this you have to create a device for each application. a "PVR" device => this would be SageTV (and must include discrete On / Off buttons), a "DVD" device => this would be PowerDVD (again with discrete On / Off). That way when you switch activities on your Harmony : it will shutdown and launch application as needed.

[StephaneM]

Originally Posted by m1abrams

CollinR can you point me in the direction of setting up multituner.exe with eventghost.

You'll have the same exact issues with multituner plugin than you had trying to make work your USB-UIRT with both the SageTV client and SageTV service (that is having to choose an appopriate account for the service).