New Plugin: Pocket PC Remote for MP - Page 5

CodeShack · 2007-08-16, 01:03

Hi all,

Well not much has been happening with this plugin for two reasons:

1) It works

2) Before jumping into any graphics for the UI we need to solidify the button layouts for each page of controls. What you see in the remote is what suits me only - I don't know if it covers everything that others users need because no-ones answering the question

We've now had a couple of offers for graphics which is great, thanks. So can everyone who's still interested in steering the direction this plugin goes in please get back with their thoughts on the button layouts? Is there any buttons that are missing? Should there be more pages, with less buttons on each page? Have I totally messed up the button layouts and crated something clunky and unintuitive? Let your thoughts be known

mpfrank · 2007-08-16, 15:10

Quote:

Originally Posted by CodeShack

Hi all,

I don't know if it covers everything that others users need because no-ones answering the question

We've now had a couple of offers for graphics which is great, thanks. So can everyone who's still interested in steering the direction this plugin goes in please get back with their thoughts on the button layouts? Is there any buttons that are missing? Should there be more pages, with less buttons on each page? Have I totally messed up the button layouts and crated something clunky and unintuitive? Let your thoughts be known

Hi CodeShak,

you are absolutely right!! No-one answered your question.

So I'll do now

I uploaded some screenshots of my Pronto screens I made specially to control my MP.

Some buttons are redundant on the three screens. This is to avoid from switching too much between the different screens.
I think at least starting MP with your remote won't be possible because at this point your plugin is not loaded yet.
This is only a suggestion, I'm convinced that there are better solutions. May be we can merge our ideas and needs to come to a nearly perfect layout.

All comments are welcome!!

Cheers
mpFrank

mpfrank · 2007-08-16, 15:12

Quote:

Originally Posted by cheetah05

Quote:

Originally Posted by mpfrank

BTW: Any progress for this plugin? Any help needed e.g. for skinning support?

Sorry off topic -> but do you know how to get transparency in the compact framework?

Sorry cheetah05, I have no idea about compact framework yet.

cheers
mpFrank

c-_-k · 2007-08-26, 13:40

Hi,
i am also very interessted at graphic output on pda. I think the button layout is not so important at the moment. I think its more important to see how the graphic output works on pda. With vnc for pda the graphis output is too slow to control the mediacenter or to watch tv. At the moment there is no opinion to use the pda as remote with display support over wlan. I think, if these feature really works there will be many users for the plugin.

By
c-_-k

cheetah05 · 2007-08-26, 17:44

Quote:

Originally Posted by c-_-k

Hi,
i am also very interessted at graphic output on pda. I think the button layout is not so important at the moment. I think its more important to see how the graphic output works on pda. With vnc for pda the graphis output is too slow to control the mediacenter or to watch tv. At the moment there is no opinion to use the pda as remote with display support over wlan. I think, if these feature really works there will be many users for the plugin.

By
c-_-k

TBH - I don't think you will ever be able to get the media portal screen onto a PDA - because the pda just isn't fast enough.

You have to create your own interface, like in this plugin.

The problem is, that in the Compact Framework, there is no transparency options so creating a good looking interface is going to be pretty hard - unless someone here has experience in it?

MrSensitive · 2007-08-27, 13:15

compact framework sucks at graphics..

I've was working on MPBLue which includes a custom xml drive graphics engine, and I triend to implement transparency, the only option would be to use stuff from opennetCF, but I still could not get it to work..

I decided to stop development and even attempted a plugin for netremote once, but I then found out that even NR is slow when nifty graphics are used.. I then decided to wait for Silverlight, but that can take ages...

BTW; this is the first time on these forums in a year or so.. i switched to Vista MCE and a Logitech harmony remote, all i needed, I now have..

mzemina · 2007-08-27, 16:10

MrSensitive - Silverlight for WindowsMobile, where did they annouce that? WindowsMobile really needs a facelift to compete with the iPhone!

ZetaVu · 2007-08-27, 17:19

Well, sad to see you've stopped development. I've been working with the new BTV remote and hope to get it to work like yours. I can get the controls working but nothing for the two way communication with music library yet. As I get better at working with code I might be able to get something going with yours. Thanks for the contribution.

c-_-k · 2007-08-27, 17:26

With VNC for pda i get every 2 or 3 sec. an screen update in 800x600. It is not possible to reduce the screensize to 320x240 and get an picture every 0,5sec. I think this could be enough to navigate in MP with the pda. A nother opinion is the CaseDisplay. Is it possible to get these information (and more) to the pda ?

By
c-_-k

CodeShack · 2007-08-28, 06:17

On Transparency: I think you'd just have to fake it - i.e. make the images for the various button states include the right background gfx as well.

On VNC: I just don't think it's possible to make it perform well at all. I could be wrong, so if someone wants to have a try by all means go for it

There's at least one open-source VNC viewer for PPC in C#, so if you can tweak it to work well, there's nothing stopping us from merging it into this plugin.

On other visual feedback: I have no idea of what interfaces in MP I'd need to use in order to get info on what's being currently displayed. In fact there may not even be any interfaces for this. No-one else is chipping in, and unless someone with a deeper knowledge of MP comes on board to work on the plugin, or just to give me some guidance, I seriously doubt any visual feedback will ever happen. I don't have the spare time to spend days poring over the MP source code to figure it out

2007-08-27, 13:15	#46 (permalink)
MrSensitive Portal Member Join Date: May 2004 Location: Belgium Posts: 239 Thanks: 0 Thanked 0 Times in 0 Posts	compact framework sucks at graphics.. I've was working on MPBLue which includes a custom xml drive graphics engine, and I triend to implement transparency, the only option would be to use stuff from opennetCF, but I still could not get it to work.. I decided to stop development and even attempted a plugin for netremote once, but I then found out that even NR is slow when nifty graphics are used.. I then decided to wait for Silverlight, but that can take ages... BTW; this is the first time on these forums in a year or so.. i switched to Vista MCE and a Logitech harmony remote, all i needed, I now have.. __________________ MPBlue: control Mediaportal using PocketPC or smartphone

2007-08-27, 16:10	#47 (permalink)
mzemina Retired Team Member Join Date: Feb 2005 Location: Ft Smith, AR Posts: 2,045 Thanks: 36 Thanked 12 Times in 12 Posts Country:	MrSensitive - Silverlight for WindowsMobile, where did they annouce that? WindowsMobile really needs a facelift to compete with the iPhone! __________________

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2007-08-16, 01:03	#41 (permalink)
CodeShack Portal Member Join Date: May 2007 Posts: 24 Thanks: 0 Thanked 9 Times in 1 Post Country:	Hi all, Well not much has been happening with this plugin for two reasons: 1) It works 2) Before jumping into any graphics for the UI we need to solidify the button layouts for each page of controls. What you see in the remote is what suits me only - I don't know if it covers everything that others users need because no-ones answering the question We've now had a couple of offers for graphics which is great, thanks. So can everyone who's still interested in steering the direction this plugin goes in please get back with their thoughts on the button layouts? Is there any buttons that are missing? Should there be more pages, with less buttons on each page? Have I totally messed up the button layouts and crated something clunky and unintuitive? Let your thoughts be known

2007-08-26, 13:40	#44 (permalink)
c-_-k Portal Member Join Date: Mar 2007 Posts: 41 Thanks: 0 Thanked 0 Times in 0 Posts Country:	Hi, i am also very interessted at graphic output on pda. I think the button layout is not so important at the moment. I think its more important to see how the graphic output works on pda. With vnc for pda the graphis output is too slow to control the mediacenter or to watch tv. At the moment there is no opinion to use the pda as remote with display support over wlan. I think, if these feature really works there will be many users for the plugin. By c-_-k

2007-08-27, 17:19	#48 (permalink)
ZetaVu Portal Member Join Date: Dec 2005 Posts: 161 Thanks: 0 Thanked 0 Times in 0 Posts	Well, sad to see you've stopped development. I've been working with the new BTV remote and hope to get it to work like yours. I can get the controls working but nothing for the two way communication with music library yet. As I get better at working with code I might be able to get something going with yours. Thanks for the contribution.

2007-08-27, 17:26	#49 (permalink)
c-_-k Portal Member Join Date: Mar 2007 Posts: 41 Thanks: 0 Thanked 0 Times in 0 Posts Country:	With VNC for pda i get every 2 or 3 sec. an screen update in 800x600. It is not possible to reduce the screensize to 320x240 and get an picture every 0,5sec. I think this could be enough to navigate in MP with the pda. A nother opinion is the CaseDisplay. Is it possible to get these information (and more) to the pda ? By c-_-k

2007-08-28, 06:17	#50 (permalink)
CodeShack Portal Member Join Date: May 2007 Posts: 24 Thanks: 0 Thanked 9 Times in 1 Post Country:	On Transparency: I think you'd just have to fake it - i.e. make the images for the various button states include the right background gfx as well. On VNC: I just don't think it's possible to make it perform well at all. I could be wrong, so if someone wants to have a try by all means go for it There's at least one open-source VNC viewer for PPC in C#, so if you can tweak it to work well, there's nothing stopping us from merging it into this plugin. On other visual feedback: I have no idea of what interfaces in MP I'd need to use in order to get info on what's being currently displayed. In fact there may not even be any interfaces for this. No-one else is chipping in, and unless someone with a deeper knowledge of MP comes on board to work on the plugin, or just to give me some guidance, I seriously doubt any visual feedback will ever happen. I don't have the spare time to spend days poring over the MP source code to figure it out