New MCE Remote Software

[StephaneM]

Hello All,

I just updated my remote software for the Streamzap / Firefly / Firefly Mini remote to also include support for the Media Center Remote (it works only with the 2005 MCE Remote).

So among other things you will be able to :

* create more than one remote profile for matching applications (window title / window class name / executable name)
* assign each button an action to do (sending keystrokes, messages, app command and so on)
* nice transparent OSD for volume
* menu system with OSD for having keys with more than one function (donators only)
* OSD for multipress keys (tap one it does one thing, tap twice it does another thing).
* Mouse Mode

You can download and read about it on my web site.

License : Donationware

Note : you will need the default MCE Remote driver that comes with XP SP2 or Media Center (not those modified drivers you can found on the GreenButton web site).

You can also have some "double" key press behavior with some keys. So let me know if this doesn't work for you and what exactly are the buttons that doesn't work properly with which applications.

I'll add IR blaster support later

Best Regards,
Stéphane.

[parkimar]

Thanks,

I'll give it whirl.

There are a few mce keys I'd like to remap.

Cheers

Mark

[StephaneM]

Hello Mark,

Originally Posted by parkimar

I'll give it whirl. There are a few mce keys I'd like to remap

Ok and let me know if something doesn't work right. I have only tested it on my dev. machine so I expect that it doesn't work right on every PC : mainly because some other softwares can also listen to the MCE remote (I made sure on mine that nothing else is able to catch the messages send by the remote).

Other than that, as this software is already working well with all the other remotes (I use it with the Streamzap and SageTV) so there should be no surprises with its features

Regards,
Stéphane

[parkimar]

Hi,

I just tried to load it, and got the message that it needs .net 1.xxx (I forget the exact version).

I have .net 2.0 installed (as of this morning), do I need to install previous versions as well. (Apologies if this is a dumb question - my client is not on my home network due to bloody massive thick walls, so I have to move all files around via a usb key at the moment).

Cheers

Mark

[StephaneM]

Originally Posted by parkimar

I just tried to load it, and got the message that it needs .net 1.xxx (I forget the exact version). I have .net 2.0 installed (as of this morning), do I need to install previous versions as well.

Yes, you need to install .Net Framework 1.1 (it will coexist with .Net 2 without problems).

Regards,
Stéphane.

[motobarsteward]

You were up late last night!

Do you have a 'default' profile for sage?

EDIT: I just tried the profile download option. I've entered my username and password (obtained through the 'Forgotten Password' link in the pop-up) but it does not recognise me. I donated for your XMLTVImport utility.

[StephaneM]

Originally Posted by motobarsteward

Do you have a 'default' profile for sage?

Not yet, I'll create profiles for SageTV later today, but the default profile should work for the most used buttons (the application centric buttons needs to be customize : Infos / Recorded TV / Guide / LiveTV / DVD...)

I've entered my username and password (obtained through the 'Forgotten Password' link in the pop-up) but it does not recognise me. I donated for your XMLTVImport utility.

This is expected the donation is tied to one software. If you donate also for Remote KeyMap with the same account you'll have access to the online database.

Regards,
Stéphane.

[StephaneM]

Also just a quick note about the "PC Power" buttons of the MCE Remote. By default this button will put you computer into standby. If you do not want that this happens, you have to go into the control pannel / Performance and Maintenance / Power Options, click on the "Advanced Tab" and choose "Do Nothing" for "When I press the sleep button on my computer".

Then you can choose in LM Remote KeyMap whatever you want for the "PC Power" button (even putting the computer into standby or hibernation).

Regards,
Stéphane.

[Scriber]

Originally Posted by StephaneM

remote to also include support for the Media Center Remote (it works only with the 2005 MCE Remote).

I'm curious as to why the distinction from the prior MCE remote (coming from someone w/a built-in pre-2005 receiver)? Or am I stuck w/Girder forever....

[StephaneM]

Originally Posted by Scriber

I'm curious as to why the distinction from the prior MCE remote (coming from someone w/a built-in pre-2005 receiver)? Or am I stuck w/Girder forever....

First : because I have the MCE 2005 remote, so I know it works . More seriously, it may work with the previous remote but certainly not with the software I released because I'm pretty sure the hardware Ids will not be the same (so it will work for Arrow keys / Number buttons / some of the play / pause controls but not the other).

Also the blaster will definitely not work (currently the function is not enabled in LM Remote KeyMap).

So I would suggest to try the software first and if it does not work, send me an e-mail to lmgestion@hotmail.com with a picture of your remote (so I can create a new template) and I'll send you a HID test software where you'll be able to create for me a report for each buttons of your remote.

Regards,
Stéphane.

[brewston]

Funnily enough, the MCE remote I ordered arrived today :-)

Seems to work OK with Sage but I have a couple of queries

I'm not getting any on screen volume display when remote keymap is running (I checked and I get it when it is not) I tried playing with the transparency setting with no luck

The MCE power button (once I stopped it shutting down my PC!) doesn't do anything, I wanted to map to ctrl+z to put Sage to sleep (Like the Hauppauge 45 button remote green button does) but I can't seem to find how to map a key sequence

[edit] I just RTFM and found 'keystroke' as opposed to 'presskey' and mapped it to ^z

Tim

[StephaneM]

Hello Tim,

Originally Posted by brewston

I'm not getting any on screen volume display when remote keymap is running (I checked and I get it when it is not) I tried playing with the transparency setting with no luck

The OSD Volume is disabled if somehow I cannot access the mixer device of your sound card / chipset. Can you shut down LM Remote KeyMap and look in the C:\Doc&Settings\All Users\App. Data\LM Gestion\LM Remote KeyMap in the trace.log file is there is some errors about acquiring playback mixer.

Another way to verify that all is working properly, is to use mute / volume+ / volume- when no applications are launched : does the buttons are indeed changing your master volume ?

I just RTFM and found 'keystroke' as opposed to 'presskey' and mapped it to ^z

So the "Power" button is now working correctly ?

Regards,
Stéphane.

[brewston]

Originally Posted by StephaneM

Hello Tim,

The OSD Volume is disabled if somehow I cannot access the mixer device of your sound card / chipset. Can you shut down LM Remote KeyMap and look in the C:\Doc&Settings\All Users\App. Data\LM Gestion\LM Remote KeyMap in the trace.log file is there is some errors about acquiring playback mixer.
.

I just checked (remotely) and those logs are empty, I guess I need to shutdown remote keymap before they get written ? I'll try that tonight.

Yes, the power button works for Sage's sleep function perfectly :-)

Tim

[PhillJones]

This is cool but one question.

Can I stop the green button from launching MCE. Presently I use the MCE custom drivers that allow you to redefine all the buttons and use it with HiP.

[StephaneM]

Originally Posted by brewston

I just checked (remotely) and those logs are empty, I guess I need to shutdown remote keymap before they get written ? I'll try that tonight.

Yes the logs are flushed after exiting the application.

[StephaneM]

Originally Posted by PhillJones

Can I stop the green button from launching MCE. Presently I use the MCE custom drivers that allow you to redefine all the buttons and use it with HiP.

On the MCE Remote there are two kinds of buttons :

* Buttons that are like real keyboard keys : Stop / SkipBackward / SkipForward / Back / Up / Down / Left / Right / Ok / VolumeUp / VolumeDown / ChannelUp / ChannelDown / Mute / Number buttons / Star / Sharp / Clear

* Buttons that are HID messages (all other buttons), so the Green button is one of them.

For the "keyboard" type button, LM Remote KeyMap will stop the event propagate so no other applications will see them.

For the HID buttons, I cannot stop other applications to listen to them. So if there is a MCE service that listen to the remote : it will trigger the "Green Button" press and launch MCE.

So the only solution with my software is to stop the MCE service. On my XP Pro PC : the Green button does nothing unless I assign it an action in my software.

The same is true for PVR applications : if there is a MCE Remote native support in the software, you'll have this time to "nullify" those buttons in LM Remote KeyMap (that is assign them a blank "keystroke" action).

Regards,
Stéphane.

[gplasky]

Originally Posted by PhillJones

This is cool but one question.

Can I stop the green button from launching MCE. Presently I use the MCE custom drivers that allow you to redefine all the buttons and use it with HiP.

Stop ehtray.exe from loading. Use msconfig to stop it.


Gerry

[brewston]

Originally Posted by StephaneM

Yes the logs are flushed after exiting the application.

They are still empty :-( I can see the timestamp on the file to match the time I start keymap. In case it wasn't clear in my original post, the volume control works OK I just don't see any OSD to see what is being set to.

I tried adjusting the volume before starting Sage and still don't see anything. My sound device is the Nvidia onboard sound on a Shuttle SN95G5. I use AC3filter within Sage, will that effect anything ? (it only passes through AC3 & DTS, the other sound is always controlable via Sage)

Tim

[StephaneM]

Originally Posted by brewston

They are still empty :-( I can see the timestamp on the file to match the time I start keymap.

If they are empty as they should, then all is fine : no unexpected errors.

In case it wasn't clear in my original post, the volume control works OK I just don't see any OSD to see what is being set to.

The volume control is designed (using the "ChangeVolume" action) to change the master volume of the mixer on the default sound card. If you use any other actions for your volume buttons then the OSD will not show up. The OSD should also show up if the master volume is being changed outside of LM Remote KeyMap and you checked the "show volume osd when volume is changed out of LM Remote KeyMap" check box.

I tried adjusting the volume before starting Sage and still don't see anything.

Can you please check that when you use Volume+/Volume- at the desktop, the volume is indeed changing in the Volume Control applet of the Windows control pannel.

Regards,
Stéphane.

[brewston]

Originally Posted by StephaneM

If they are empty as they should, then all is fine : no unexpected errors.

The volume control is designed (using the "ChangeVolume" action) to change the master volume of the mixer on the default sound card. If you use any other actions for your volume buttons then the OSD will not show up. The OSD should also show up if the master volume is being changed outside of LM Remote KeyMap and you checked the "show volume osd when volume is changed out of LM Remote KeyMap" check box.

Can you please check that when you use Volume+/Volume- at the desktop, the volume is indeed changing in the Volume Control applet of the Windows control pannel.

Regards,
Stéphane.

I've not changed the action of the volume buttons, its set to the MCE default ie change volume.

I tried unchecking and checking that box but it made no difference.

I pulled up the Windows sound control from control panel and the volume slider moves when i change the volume on the remote

Thanks for the assistance

Tim