Remote Control - totally baffled

[finrudd341]

I'm hoping someone can help me with this one, as I can't seem to find what I am looking for searching the fourms.

I am using a Zalman HD160XT Plus, with the supplied Zalman remote. This works with MP (current, stable version) in a basic function as an IR mouse, for want of a better word, but not as a remote. i.e cannot use PLAY, PAUSE etc during video playback, or use the shortcut keys to go straight to My Videos or My Music in MP.

Zalam uses an application called Soundgraph, which is the standard iMon application - they are using their own OEM version of this. This does give the additional features of controlling the volume directly via the sound card, which is handy, but nothing much else.

My question is this - has anyone got full or near full remote functionality from this remote, using MP, or will I be limited to mouse-style functionality? Is there a way I can teach this remote to work with MP?

Am I missing something obvious here, like teaching MP what commands it should expect to perform a function from the remote?

If anyone else has this working with the more advanced features, then I would be interested to hear. If it will only ever work as a mouse, then I wont waste too much time on it.

Many thanks in advance,

[kszabo]

hi,

you can map all of your buttons to any MP control function.

Just download eventghost here: Index of /downloads
(the first one in the row works fine for me), install it. You have to install "message plugin" from the MP website
MEDIAPORTAL - free MediaCenter HTPC Software - Message Plugin

on the left you have a log window (you see what happens), on the right your config pane.
1. First open a new file (new configuration.xml file).
2. insert a plugin to the autostart entry on the right, corresponding to your remote (from the first section of plugins)
3. maybe you have to insert a standard keyboard plugin
4. try to push a button on remote -> you will see in the log pane what happens (comes a keyboard key or HIDButton xy)
5. insert Mediaportal Plugin on the right
6. drag and drop ths reckognised key from left onto the MP Function on the right.
7. save your config.xml file
8. activate "use general HID device" in the Remote section of MediaportalConfiguration

now if eventghost runs in the background it translates the keystrokes for your Mediaportal.

works? It works for my Speedlink SL-6933

have fun and greetings

[finrudd341]

Thanks for this - sounds good. I have downloaded the files, but am not entirely sure what is meant in the instructions below when it says 'Import MessagePlugin.hip into HIP'.

Can you explain this part a little more for me please? I have found a program called HIP at ByRemote Home Page and think it might be this?

Installation
-------------------
Place MessagePlugin.dll in the MediaPortal\Plugins\Process\ folder.
Place MessagePlugin.xml in the MediaPortal\InputDeviceMappings\Defaults\ folder.
Import MessagePlugin.hip into HIP. - this bit baffles me..
Configure MediaPortal.
- Disable any remote plugins.
- Enable and configure MessagePlugin.

[kszabo]

that´s not important. You can use the message plugin with the external program HIP (and Grider etc...). I don´t use it, you don´t need it also, so you can just skip this step. You don´t need any configuration of the message plugin in Mediaportal either. This plugin must be installed otherwise the windows messages given by Eventghost will not be understood from MP. Just install it and activate it and forget it.

just to understand how it works:
- pushing a button of an imput device (keyboard, ir remote etc) generates a signal for windows
- this signal can be keystrokes or hid button hits
- these signals are not generally understood by the different applications like MP
- eventghost monitor your imput device, catches the button actions (shows the signal in the left pane, what it captures) before windows get them, and "translate" them to other keystrokes or commands (eg windows messages), which are understood by your application

eventghost have a preconfigured MP plugin with all the understood commands, you just have to tell which button to which command -> do the mapping procedure

or search a plugin for your remote under MPwebsite/downloads/plugins/imput

good luck

[finrudd341]

Thanks for the explanation - that makes sense. So I run the Eventghost application in the background, and can then uninstall the iMon application that comes with the case - that would be ideal, as it's terrible! The actual I/R receiver and remote work without the iMon software installed, so I assume it is using some sort of native Windows XP driver for the remote (I think it's listed as an HID in DEVICE MANAGER).

On the basis the the remote is sending an I/R signal, and the receiver is detecting it, I should be seeing some sort of activity in Eventghost for every button-press on the remote.

I then use the Eventghost MP plugin to translate this into the keystrokes that MP is expecting in order to activate that command. For example, I press 'STOP' on the remote, and I will see a series of commands in the left-hand window, and these are then mapped to the keystroke in MP.

What configuration do I need to do in MP to tell it to expect these commands from Eventghost? Is there anything I have to specify under the REMOTE section?

Thanks again for your help with this - I think I am able to make some progress tonight when I get back from work.

[kszabo]

As I understand your case use a IR-Sensor and Display from iMon. There are a lot of threads about the Antec Fusion case with iMon hardware/software, and how to get it work with several RCs. like here:

Antec Fusion v2 IR - How to use w/MediaPortal check out post Nr 7.

But this is only an example. Others get it work withot iMon software and with "Grider". I know that Eventghost works with everything, if it is reckognised from Windows.

check out my screenshots here:
Fernbedienung SL-6399 Media Remote Control

in MediaPortal you have to activate "general HID device" in the Remote section.

[meierk]

Hi finrudd241.

I'm interested in how you make out with your problems. I have a Silverstone LC16M with the built in iMON IR and iMON PAD remote. I was able to get the remote mostly working, but the volume, ffwd, rev, play, stop, etc buttons on the remote do not work... neither do the My Music, My DVD, etc buttons at the bottom of the remote. Funny this is that the volume buttons on the case work. In any case, I am using the lastest version 7 of the iMON software at this point and am not sure where to go from here. Do I tweak the iMON software to get what I need or is there some adjustments I need to make in MediaPortal itself. I've been reading posts for a week now, but like you, still can't make sense of it all.

Kevin

[DJBlu]

Thanks to the guy for the Messages Plugin,

I finally now have a fully functional Phillips SRM5100 in XP with MediaPortal.

[finrudd341]

Kevin,

Yes, I have the same experience in terms of the remote sort of working, but not quite - this appears to be down to the default Windows XP HID driver, which allows the remote to work like a sort of IR mouse. on my case screen, I can move the cursor, left & right click, and that's about it.

I think I am making some progress, but have come to a griding halt with Eventghost for the moment, as iMon is not one of their supported receivers or blasters. I could not get it to 'see' any output from the iMon Pad OEM remote.

So I am now back at looking at IR Server Suite, and the plugins for that, which is an MP community application from what I can see. Tee best threads I can see on this are:

Can't get iMON remote working with IR Server Suite and this one:

MCE Replacement Plugin - MediaPortal Forum which is the home of all the related threads I think. I am going to work my way through this lot, and will post my findings here.

Cybrmage is the developer of this for MP, and is certainlt the guru, but I have not built up the nerve to ask him/her yet until I have read all the posts!

To recap, I am going down the IR Server Suite path, and am hoping to get the iMon Pad OEM to work with my Zalman HD160XT Plus case.

[meierk]

finrudd341,

I hope you post back your findings as I think we are having the same issues and may be able to help each other. If I figure it out, I will let you know as well. I completely understand what you mean by building up enough courage to ask Cybrmage about this. I have seen posts by him that indicate if you were to just *read* everything available, you would solve your problems. The problem for me is that the more reading I do, the more confused I become. There appears to be a number of ways to get the remote working for different configurations, but everytime I read a "I got it working this way" post, the specifics are never complete enough as the poster assumes a fair bit of knowledge on the topic. Or the other common theme is the "I got it *almost* working" scenario? Not sure about you, but *almost* working is not really working in my opinion.

I know that I will eventually figure it out, but I just wish there was a guide to listed all the possible solutions for the various types of systems with some detail. I would at least like to understand the concepts behind this. For example, using an iMon VFD, do I need to install the iMon software or is there a driver built into Media Portal that will replace it or do I need both? Can I use the IR Server Suite for XP or is this for Vista only? What options are available (ie. IR Server Suite, Girder, EventGhost, IntelleRemote, etc) and why/when would I want to use each of these? If I use the iMon software, can I use the latest version or do I need version 6. If I use the latest version, what are the gotchas and if I use version 6, do I need to patch it and if yes, where do I download the patch from?

I have already gone down the path of using the External Display plugin in MediaPortal, but that did not work, and yes, I did set the FrontView display to *never* in the iMon software and configure the external display plugin to iMon/USB, but nothing ever displays other that the Welcome message left behind by the iMon software.

To comment on the IR Server Suite.... I too went down this road and there was a step where you had to copy a file to a folder that appears to only exist on a Windows Vista machine. I did not get IR Server Suite working and could only come to the conclusion that because I am running Windows XP, I missed a steps that was critical to its success.

Also, I am fairly sure that I read somewhere the the MCE Replacement Plugin is obsolete and not recommended. If this is the case, I am not sure why it is still available for download. I'm at work right now and am writing from memory so I can't say if there was issues using the replacement drive or just better alternatives.

Anyway, enough ranting for now. I completely understand that this is not a commercial product and that the issues I experience are more related to my lack of patience and unsystematic approach to trying different things without fully understanding the issues (i.e. reading and documenting). My wife compares it to guys refusing to ask for directions when lost.

Kevin