"Extra" buttons on HP MCE remote (1 Viewer)

[tony72]

I have an HP MCE remote like the one below. There are two buttons, "Eject" and "Visualisations" that don't appear in the MCE remote mapping dialog, so I can't make those buttons do anything. If I can somehow find out the key codes for those buttons, can I somehow get MediaPortal to recognize them? I'd like to map Visualisations to ACTION_SHOW_GUI (replacing the red teletext button on my old MCE remote), and evect to, well, eject.

 

[tony72]

Well, I figured it out. Should anyone else want to do this, you need to edit the file "C:\ProgramData\Team MediaPortal\MediaPortal\InputDeviceMappings\Microsoft MCE.xml". I added entries for my two buttons between the existing entries for "Skip" and "Back" as shown below.

The "code" attributes for the buttons (52 for eject, 50 for visualizations") I took from the XBMC wiki here, scroll down to "8 Table of remote button codes", but note the table is in hex, you need to convert to decimal to use in this XML file.

The "cmdproperty" attribute of the button action comes from the Mediaportal Wiki, in my case I used ACTION_EJECTCD (= 100) for my Eject button and ACTION_SHOW_GUI (= 18) for my Visualizations button.

    <button name="Skip" code="26">
       <action layer="0" condition="PLAYER" conproperty="DVD" command="ACTION" cmdproperty="91" sound="cursor.wav" />
       <action layer="0" condition="WINDOW" conproperty="600" command="ACTION" cmdproperty="5" sound="cursor.wav" />
       <action layer="0" condition="WINDOW" conproperty="2007" command="ACTION" cmdproperty="28" sound="click.wav" />
       <action layer="0" condition="WINDOW" conproperty="2005" command="ACTION" cmdproperty="91" sound="click.wav" />
       <action layer="0" condition="WINDOW" conproperty="602" command="ACTION" cmdproperty="91" sound="click.wav" />
       <action layer="0" condition="*" conproperty="-1" command="ACTION" cmdproperty="14" sound="cursor.wav" />
     </button>
   
     <!-- This is the entry for my Eject button -->
     <button name="Eject" code="52">
       <action layer="0" condition="*" conproperty="-1" command="ACTION" cmdproperty="100" sound="click.wav" />
     </button>
     <!-- This is the entry for my Visualization button -->
     <button name="Visualization" code="50">
       <action layer="0" condition="*" conproperty="-1" command="ACTION" cmdproperty="18" sound="click.wav" />
     </button>

     <button name="Back" code="35">
       <action layer="0" condition="*" conproperty="-1" command="ACTION" cmdproperty="10" sound="back.wav" />
     </button>

 

[mediacowboy]

@tony72

How is the IR receiver connected to the commuter an with which settings?

 

[tony72]

It's a USB receiver (about the size of a deck of cards) with a fairly long wire, and it is automatically detected in Windows 7 as a Microsoft eHome remote. It also came with an Adaptec IR blaster (I think that's what it is). Note that I did see some of these remotes being sold without a receiver, so check. Picture showing the receiver below.

In MediaPortal you just select MCE Remote. Other than the aforementioned Eject and Visualization button, and mapping the Print button to the Next Subtitle action, it's otherwise using the default settings for MCE remote.

 

[smittyline]

Thank you very much for posting the solution tony. I have the exact same remote and it does work 99% out of the box. The only thing I want to do is map the slideshow button for subtitles.

    <button name="Skip" code="26">
       <action layer="0" condition="PLAYER" conproperty="DVD" command="ACTION" cmdproperty="91" sound="cursor.wav" />
       <action layer="0" condition="WINDOW" conproperty="600" command="ACTION" cmdproperty="5" sound="cursor.wav" />
       <action layer="0" condition="WINDOW" conproperty="2007" command="ACTION" cmdproperty="28" sound="click.wav" />
       <action layer="0" condition="WINDOW" conproperty="2005" command="ACTION" cmdproperty="91" sound="click.wav" />
       <action layer="0" condition="WINDOW" conproperty="602" command="ACTION" cmdproperty="91" sound="click.wav" />
       <action layer="0" condition="*" conproperty="-1" command="ACTION" cmdproperty="14" sound="cursor.wav" />
     </button>

     <!-- CUSTOM ENTRY - SLIDESHOW BUTTON FOR SUBTITLES -->
     <button name="Slideshow" code="51">
       <action layer="0" condition="*" conproperty="-1" command="ACTION" cmdproperty="119" sound="click.wav" />
     </button>

     <button name="Back" code="35">
       <action layer="0" condition="*" conproperty="-1" command="ACTION" cmdproperty="10" sound="back.wav" />
     </button>

If I press the "L" key on my keyboard, the subtitles do actually change. However, pressing the Slideshow button on the remote does nothing. According to the remote codes at XMBC, Slideshow is "33" Hex, which translates to "51" decimal. Also from the Media Portal Wiki:

ACTION_NEXT_SUBTITLE = 119

I also tried this:

ACTION_NEXT_SUBTITLE = 25

Am I missing anything? I did try mapping the button using MediaPortal's Configuration:

Pressing the Slideshow button still does nothing. This is the 3rd remote I bought because the previous ones did not work well out of the box, and I don't have time for much custom mapping. I'm a deaf guy, which is why I really need subtitles. This is driving me crazy!

 

[tony72]

I can't see anything wrong with what you're doing. I use the Print button for subtitles, which is mapped to ACTION_NEXT_SUBTITLE (119) and it works fine. The entry in the MCE remote configuration file looks to match what you've got except for the different button obviously. I'm late for work right now, but I'll take another look when I get back and see if there's something I missed.

    <button name="Print" code="78">
       <action layer="0" condition="*" conproperty="-1" command="ACTION" cmdproperty="119" sound="click.wav" />
     </button>

 

[tony72]

Okay, I just copy/pasted your xml for the slideshow button directly into my configuration file, and it works perfectly on my system, the slideshow button is happily selecting subtitles. So I really can't imagine why it wouldn't be working on yours, I'm afraid. Faulty physical button? If you map a different button e.g. Print to that function, does it work?

 

[Dr Forinor]

Well, I figured it out. Should anyone else want to do this, you need to edit the file "C:\ProgramData\Team MediaPortal\MediaPortal\InputDeviceMappings\Microsoft MCE.xml". I added entries for my two buttons between the existing entries for "Skip" and "Back" as shown below.

Can someone help me with this please? I have the exact same remote but that path does not exist for me, what do I do to make use of the Eject button as it should be?

 

[CyberSimian]

C:\ProgramData\Team MediaPortal\MediaPortal\InputDeviceMappings\Microsoft MCE.xml"

I have the exact same remote but that path does not exist for me

The folder "C:\ProgramData\" has the hidden attribute, so "Windows Explorer" does not show it by default. You need to change the relevant Windows setting so that it shows hidden folders and files. I use a file-manager program that always shows everything, so I am afraid that I do not know how to get "Windows Explorer" to show hidden files.

-- from CyberSimian in the UK

 

[Dr Forinor]

C:\ProgramData\Team MediaPortal\MediaPortal\InputDeviceMappings\Microsoft MCE.xml"

I have the exact same remote but that path does not exist for me

The folder "C:\ProgramData\" has the hidden attribute, so "Windows Explorer" does not show it by default. You need to change the relevant Windows setting so that it shows hidden folders and files. I use a file-manager program that always shows everything, so I am afraid that I do not know how to get "Windows Explorer" to show hidden files.

-- from CyberSimian in the UK

Hi,

I have enabled the ability to see hidden folders/files, this is as far as I get

C:\ProgramData\Team MediaPortal\MediaPortal\

Then after that I have don't have "InputDeviceMappings" ?