LCD Smartie Usage With MP 2.0.0 (1 Viewer)

[jellybeard999]

Can anyone suggest an easy way to use my LCD display with MP

its 4x20 and all id like is it to read ID3 tags

IE

Track
Artist
Album
Total Time (Time Remaining)

with videos,

Title
Total Time (Time Remaining)
Time of day
Date

with nothing playing

Hello
Welcome To Media Portal scrolling accross
Time of day
Date

any suggestions / help me configure something

was using http://www.maisenbachers.de/dokuw/plugins:lcdsmartie but hard to configure (for me anyway ) .... if someone could help me do that, id appreciate it

PS - got it working fine outside media portal...

 

[kippie]

To use LCD smartie was a bit hard to get it working with the config supplied with the plug-in. What I did is the following:

Configure smartie without the plug-in installed. Make a backup of your config.ini.
Install the plug-in and open the config.ini file. Now copy the section [General Settings] from the back up file to the new file. This should keep smartie from crashing at least. I did not get get any info from mediapotal to my lcd (4x20 usb crystalfontz) except for:

Exception has been thrown by the target of an invocation.: object reference not set to an instance of an object.

I don't know what it means, but I am patiently waiting for an mediaportal solution. Maybe you will have more luck.

 

[JoeDalton]

Are your displays not supported by the ExternalDisplay plugin that is built-in?

Joe

 

[kippie]

not supported afaik

I have tried all the options of the build in displays, but none of them work. If you have any pointer on how to set it up, I'm more than happy to test.

 

[JoeDalton]

First of all, what kind of display do you have?
And if you don't know, what case/PC brand and type is it in?

Joe

 

[APG]

Sorry for chipping in here Joe but since your asking... any planned support for the MatrixOrbital type of LCD/VFDs?

 

[JoeDalton]

MatrixOrbital displays are supported by FrontView (that is a tool to support a number of displays on Windows XP MCE).

You can then try to use my MCEDisplay plugin to send MP status information to FrontView. That plugin is still in alpha phase, but I would like to get some feedback whether it works with FrontView.

Joe

 

[APG]

Thanks for the reply! I know of Frontview, will give it a try with your plugin and give feedback.

 

[kippie]

First of all, what kind of display do you have?
And if you don't know, what case/PC brand and type is it in?

Joe

I have a Crystalfontz usb lcd. With the Crystalfontz driver it can be used a an serial display.

This is the product page:
http://www.crystalfontz.com/products/634usb/index.html

It looks like it has an USB module on the back of this one:
http://www.crystalfontz.com/products/634/index.html

Hope this information helps you.

 

[JoeDalton]

This helps very much! If I can steer it as a serial display than I think I can get it to work in my ExternalDisplay plugin.

If you want I can invest some of my time in it, but then I also expect some efforts from you.

The procedure is as follows:
- I create a separate test program that checks all functionality that my plugin uses.
- You test it and report back what works and what needs some more attention. (If possible using IRC, MSN or ICQ) This parts takes the most time investment from both me and you. If you are not willing to spend some hours on it during weekday evenings, I won't invest my time neither.
- When the test program works OK, I build the driver in my plugin.
- Then you need to test again, but this time it using Mediaportal 8) .

I'm waiting for your answer...

Joe