CybrDisplay External Status Plugin

[cybrmage]

parkuhr: just to confirm.... YES... I WAS ignoring you.... for a few reasons....

1) I am working on an issue that affects ALL users of the iMon devices...
2) The way you worded you "question" was ambiguous, and I did not understand what you were trying to say
3) After our last exchange, I knew that no matter how I answered you, I was in for grief...

And I hardly think that taking five minutes of your time to post an "issue report" is a huge imposition on you!

There are many people here that not only take the five minutes of their time to post an "issue report", but take HOURS of their time to do what you have proved to be unwilling to do.... they run tests, they install software to aquire data, the post logs, they run more tests...

You need a reality check!!!



FOR THE RECORD

several months ago (November 2007), parkuhr requested a feature - display a clock on the VFD on shutdown of the plugin. I tod him that it was not possible, the VFD hardware does not support it.

Well, he showed that the hardware he has does support it.

I told him that the hardware I have does not support it. He then argued that the hardware does support it, and that he doesn't have any "super-mega-special" hardware.

After explaining that there are many different versions of the hardware, I told him (again) that the hardware I have does not support it, and that after trying to figure it out and failing, he would need to help determine what command activated the clock on his display, as I don't have his specific hardware.

His response....

Originally Posted by parkuhr

this is a technical aspect of the software and your part of the job! i have proven that is possible with software to show time and date in standby/hibernation mode. so i have done my part of the job!
i am no dev and no programmer. i am a enduser only...
the rest is on you.

So... his level of assistance in getting an issue resolved ends at a (very vague) report of the issue....

Also note... The feature he requested (well, demanded is a better description) WAS added to the driver (as of 04_11_2008) after I was able to (temporarily) obtain hardware that supported it...

Also... IT HAS BEEN LESS THAN 13 HOURS SINCE HE ASKED THE QUESTION!!!! (12 hours 43 minutes to be exact!)


Programming this driver is NOT my job!
Adding a specific feature is NOT my job!
Fixing hardware verdor's software is NOT my job!
Adding support for YOUR hardware is NOT my job!

I originally started to work on the iMONLCDg driver in the ExternalDisplay plugin as an intelectual excercise, and to gather information on the API for the LCD in my Antec case.
I decided to continue development of the driver after the LCD I have was working because it was well received and people were asking for help, and I could help.
I decided to create this plugin after JoeDalton left because I saw a need that I could fill.
I continue to develop and enhance it because I enjoy programming as a HOBBY!

If I can add support for a device or feature, and the person asking for that support is willing to help, I probably will...

IF:
1) a feature or driver is not well received, I will no longer develop it (IE: LCDSmartie plugin, GBPVR plugin)
2) the users of a plugin, as a whole, believe that the plugin is not right, and that I owe it to them to make changes NOW!, I will no longer develop it. (IE: Touchscreen plugin)
3) developing the plugin stops being enjoyable, then I will no longer develop it! (IE: Touchscreen plugin)


"official" answer to his issue:
The iMONLCDg driver does not, in any way, shape, or form, make changes to the clock format used by the iMon Manager!

The options that it does change are:

RCPlugin - To make sure that iMon Manager can control the remote
RunFront - To make sure that the driver can control the display, and to give control back to iMon Manager
MouseMode - to try and make sure that iMon Manager starts with the iMon Pad remote in "keyboard" mode

If you select the "Restart Antec/iMon Manager FrontView on exit" option, the driver changes the "RunFront" registry value to "always", changes to the iMon Manager directory and executes the manager program... nothing more.

If the iMon Manager decides that it is going to reset the clock options if these options are changed, then that it a decision that SoundGraph has made regarding the operation of their software.

You should contact SoundGraph to ask them to fix this anomoly in their software.





I appologize to all who do appreciate the work, and help with the development of this plugin, for this rant!!!

[cybrmage]

Originally Posted by Tide

Line 6 on each of these 2 files is different.

bus_hound_5.txt = Initial mouse mode set to keyboard and mouse stick operating in keyboard mode when I closed iMon Manager

bus_hound_6.txt = Initial mouse mode set to mouse and mouse stick operating in mouse mode when I closed iMon Manager.

Line 6 / Bus Hound 5 = 38.0 OUT 12 00 00 00 70 5b 27 03 ....p['. 3.2.0

Line 6 / Bus Hound 6 = 38.0 OUT 12 00 00 00 00 6c 27 03 .....l'. 3.2.0

Much appreciated....

The 03 command (The data is displayed in reverse byte order... line 6 is a 03 command to the LCD).. is also used by the LCD to set contrast level....

If you could... please run iMon Manager, set the contrast at full, close iMon Manager... then run the logging again....

Also, a new test version is attached... I have added code that (I hope) will send the commands to the device without the need for a helper application... but I need to see if it can actually talk to the device before I can make any more progress.... It will likely crash, but I need to see what it does with the device...

Thanks!

[Tide]

Here is test 20 along with the Bus Hound report with contrast set to 100%.

[globaldonkey]

Originally Posted by cybrmage

I apologize to all who do appreciate the work, and help with the development of this plugin, for this rant!!!

No need for apologies. Totally justified. I think 99.9% of the people here understand this is something folks like you do in their own spare time for little or no reward other than the appreciation received here in the forums. If you're expecting to be able to demand support, go buy MCE and shout at Microsoft. See how far that gets you.

This is an amazing development community that has resulted in a fantastic product.... and it's all free. In fact, I think it so good, I have donated to the project, and will continue to do so. and I am more than happy to donate time to help with testing.

And I'm not saying all this just because an issue I have (and a lot of other iMON users have) happens to be actively worked right now. I've lived with a work around for a few months now since I installed my new HTPC, because I understand that development is constantly going on, and if I keep an eye out here and ask politely and wait patiently, things do eventually get fixed one way or another.

[cybrmage]

Ok... here is test 21.... It appears that the LCD HID and VFD HID devices use different commands for setting the remote's mousepad mode.... This should (hopefully) take care of it...


Please test this version as follows...

1) run iMon Manager, set the remote to mouse mode
2) shut down iMon Manager and test the remote to make sure that the mousepad is in mouse mode
3) run the test 21 application, and configure it for Keyboard or SwitchWithButton mode.
4) test the remote... report on the status of the mousepad (is it now in mouse or keyboard mode)

Thanks

[Tide]

Test 21 results.

- Started in mouse mode with iMon Manger closed.
- Ran Test (Pressed all the buttons) Mouse stayed in mouse mode
- closed HID test - mouse stayed in mouse mode

[cybrmage]

Originally Posted by globaldonkey

there is a very subtle difference.

Thank you for pointing out the obvious... (and NO, I am not being sarcastic!!)... I totally misses it...

Originally Posted by globaldonkey

the mouse movement is very jerky, compared to iMON and tends to drift a bit).

Yes... I'm having trouble getting the "calibration" worked out. I doesn't help that the iMon PAD I have doesn't work very well with the iMon Manager....

I'm going to leave that issue for the moment, and try to make some progress on the other issues... (too much mouse report data... can't wrap me head around it... need to get some distance)

[globaldonkey]

here are my results....

I ran test 21 in keyboard mode, but the mouse pointer was still moving after setting it that way with iMON.

[cybrmage]

Ok... here is test 22..... please try the previous test again.

Thanks.

[Tide]

Test 22 results.