Updated iMON (Soundgraph) LCD Driver

[cybrmage]

Originally Posted by iSP

Well, for example if I play a movie, only the movie icon should be displayed, instead it displays the music icon too?
In my opinion that's wrong.

Yes... it is... but that's the information that g_player provided.

Originally Posted by iSP

Another function still missing is the backlight control, it's way to bright now, and you can't dimm it, that's the only thing really missing.
It obviously should work if you see the picture at the soundgraph site, no backlight leaking there! here backlight leaking is all over the place, I just want light blue on black not on darker blue.

The device pictured on the SoundGraph site is NOT the same device shipped by Antec and Silverstone! Yes... it should work that way, but it doesn't... the display does not have a brightness control... only ON or OFF and contrast levels... Turn your contrast down almost all the way... that is the best your going to get with this hardware.

Originally Posted by iSP

What I mentioned about the spinning cd, it spins alright, but I want it to only spin when there's a cd or dvd inside, not on every media file! for example I watch a recorded movie, why is the disc still spinning? It's not playing it from a cd or dvd...

The disk is spinning because it is playing media, and that's the way I like it (and since I'm doing the programming, I get to decide the way the icon works). The icons used for CD, DVD and other media are different and at a glance, you can tell which is which. If you don't like this functionality (obviously), the source is provided, and you can disable it.

changing line 87 from: 
private bool _useDiskForAllMedia = true;

to

private bool _useDiskForAllMedia = false;

and recompile it. It will then only use the disk icon for CD/DVD media. Or, maybe I'll get around to making an advanced configuration screen.

Originally Posted by iSP

I also think as soon as you put in a disc the disc icon should get displayed so you know a disc is insid, and should be displayed as long as there's a disc inside, you understand what I mean?

When there is no media playing, it displays the status of the CD/DVD drive (again, which different icons for CD and DVD)

Originally Posted by iSP

Another small thing, when media portal is idle it displays time, but shouldn't the time icon on the left get displayed too?

Probably... but the externaldisplay driver does not expose it's status to us... so it is not just a matter of turning the icon on.

Originally Posted by iSP

And btw I got a possible bug involving dvd's, bu I'm not yet sure if it's the 2.3 install or this driver.

Maybe you should tell us what the bug is so that it can be investigated.

Originally Posted by darkaz

Firstly, can I say a big thanks for all your work on this - everytime I start looking at the source to try and improve on it you release an updated version and there's nothing left for me to do!

Your welcome! Should I stop updating so you can make some changes??? 8-} (see below!)

Originally Posted by darkaz

For my Antec Fusion Black I got the following result:

I have the same case, and a Fusion V1 with the VFD.... But Thank You for taking the time to get the information... much appreciated (verification is ALWAYS good)!!

Originally Posted by darkaz

then of course the only thing left to do (which I'm assuming is part of the same) is the volume knob on the front of the case...

The volume knob is part of the remote control hardware! It works properly if you are running the Antec VFD Manager to use a remote...

Originally Posted by Kossan

Yes i have.

And this works!

Sorry for the obvious question... just trying to resolve real-life functionality to code-base functionality... 8-} I'm glad it's fixed...

Originally Posted by Johan

Oh so the problem is with these plugins?

But I want them available?? Have you solved this in some way or is the only way to get it working to disable them?

Changes to the display driver will have no effect at fixing bugs in other plugins... but at least the new RC fixes them.

Originally Posted by Kossan

I installed the new 0.2.3.0 RC2 and now the Audioscrobler plugin works with the display.
Try it Johan.

Thanks for investigating this... I haven't had time...



And now.... on to the good stuff.... A new update to the driver.... ( Sorry darkaz 8-} )


Fixed: parsing of information from g_player that caused the MOVIE icon and the MUSIC icon to display for videos
Fixed: exception thrown on some systems when trying to detect a CD/DVD drive.
Added: Automatic control of the iMON/VFD Manager (the manager) to prevent display crashes if MediaPortal was run while the manager was controlling the display. If the manager is running, the driver will reconfigure the manager so that it does not control the display and restart it (so that the remote control functions).
Added: global flag _useDiskForAllMedia to allow use of the disk icon as a disk monitor instead of a general purpose status icon. (you need to recompile the source... may eventually be placed onto an advanced configuration screen)

Regards,
cybrmage

[iSP]

Well the bug I encountered was as soon as you inserted a dvd with the plugin enabled, you didn't get taken to the dvd section and dvd menu, instead it "hangs" in the start menu, and as soon as you try to go to my dvd, mp crashes.

Unfortunatly I upgraded to rc2, and no additional plugins were supported so used the last one, the 6/9 one, and the same errors as before once again...
To late to see if I can get it fixed and if it's fixed by the latest build and rc2 but will check it tomorrow.
Might even compile my own version, looks simple enough to me.


K, the problem is not related to this plugin, even when the plugin is disabled I get this error.
Now I got to find out what caused this to happen.
Prior last one works with rc2, last one keeps getting me errors, so probably a few reinstalls are needed.

[cybrmage]

Another new version....

Added: volume bar
Added: progress bar
Added: Advanced configuration page

To use the new feature, you MUST run the configuration utility and specifically select the options you desire.

Note: The "Test Display" button is not yet functional!

[iSP]

That version crashes too here, but will do a reinstall of mp in a couple of hours.
Somehow with rc2 I can't generate logs, that new tool keeps crashing , so unfortunatly no help there.
As it's more speedier I won't revert back to rc1 where logs did work.


[edit]
I got to use the 5/9, can't get the 6/9 and 7/9 to work.
Mediaportal will start, but when exiting you'll get an error, plus the lcd won't work.
In the configurations menu you will get an error as soon as you try to get into the settings of the lcd.
What did work in the past, namely deinstalling 2.3 rc1/2, installing 2.2 stable, deinstalling 2.2 stable, reinstalling 2.3 rc1/2 won't work for me anymore with these 2 versions.
How would you suggest I replace the latest dll from the 5/9 one? just overwrite it, disabling the plugin, deleting the dll, starting mediaportal, closing it, and extract the latest dll from it's rar?
Whatever I try of the above I can't get it to work, and the 5/6 one works as a charm right away without crashing anything.
[/edit]

[cybrmage]

Originally Posted by iSP

That version crashes too here, but will do a reinstall of mp in a couple of hours.
Somehow with rc2 I can't generate logs, that new tool keeps crashing , so unfortunatly no help there.
As it's more speedier I won't revert back to rc1 where logs did work.


[edit]
I got to use the 5/9, can't get the 6/9 and 7/9 to work.
Mediaportal will start, but when exiting you'll get an error, plus the lcd won't work.
In the configurations menu you will get an error as soon as you try to get into the settings of the lcd.
What did work in the past, namely deinstalling 2.3 rc1/2, installing 2.2 stable, deinstalling 2.2 stable, reinstalling 2.3 rc1/2 won't work for me anymore with these 2 versions.
How would you suggest I replace the latest dll from the 5/9 one? just overwrite it, disabling the plugin, deleting the dll, starting mediaportal, closing it, and extract the latest dll from it's rar?
Whatever I try of the above I can't get it to work, and the 5/6 one works as a charm right away without crashing anything.
[/edit]

I just did a clean install of RC2... installed the last plugin... and it didn't work... a quite check showed that the "SG Remote Control Device" had stopped working (the physical device that is the LCD/Remote Control receiver).. I don't know if it was a coincidence or the MediaPortal Installer that killed it, but a quick reboot of the machine and everything worked...

So... Check Device Manager and see if your device is still working... and reboot your machine. That may be the problem.

[iSP]

Well a reboot didn't help, SG Remote Control Device works just fine, with the 5/9 driver I have full remote control functionality, so the problem lies in the 6/9 and 7/9 driver.
For now I guess I'll stick to the 5/9 driver till it's solved.

[Kossan]

iMONLCDg_09_07_2007 works fine.. except if i check Volume on top-bar it crashes when i start a movie or music.

[cybrmage]

Originally Posted by iSP

Well a reboot didn't help, SG Remote Control Device works just fine, with the 5/9 driver I have full remote control functionality, so the problem lies in the 6/9 and 7/9 driver.
For now I guess I'll stick to the 5/9 driver till it's solved.

Originally Posted by Kossan

iMONLCDg_09_07_2007 works fine.. except if i check Volume on top-bar it crashes when i start a movie or music.

Please post logs.... even if you don't think there is anything in the log that is helpfull...

Without logs I can't do any debugging...

[iSP]

Originally Posted by cybrmage

Please post logs.... even if you don't think there is anything in the log that is helpfull...

Without logs I can't do any debugging...

As stated I couldn't get the logs to work, but good news now, I got them to work, but only ONCE, can't repeat it.
More good news, the errors are there
It just doesn't see the display it seems, weird, the 5/9 one is working perfectly with it.
Whatever you want me to test keep in mind it could be I can't generate anymore logs, it's just not working as it should.

[cybrmage]

I'm surprised that your installation of mediaportal even runs!!

Originally Posted by iSP

2007-09-07 14:18:25.482619 [Info.][MPMain]: Main: Assembly creation time: 12/21/2006 4:08:00 PM (UTC)

The main assembly is from an old version of 0.2.2... the creation time for 0.2.3RC2 is 9/5/2007 1:18:04 PM (UTC).

Originally Posted by iSP

2007-09-07 14:18:36.441619 [Debug][MPMain]: ExternalDisplay: Searching type iMONLCD...

You did not run configure after installing MediaPortal... iMONLCD is the OLD driver... iMONLCDg is the new driver.


First of all.. got to control panel / add remove programs / and remove MediaPortal. second, rename your mediaportal directory to something else (so that you have a backup of the configuration files). Then reinstall mediaportal. Then run configure... then run MediaPortal. Once it is running, then install the LCD driver and run configure. Then, if all is well, you can copy the configuration files to you new MediaPortal directory (but I expect that with a mix of different versions, they may be corrupted).