Reprogramming red/blue/green/yellow remote buttons? (1 Viewer)

[2BitSculptor]

I know, it's been asked before... but I'm rather dense when it comes to some of the convoluted explainations.

I'd like to be able to go to MovingPictures, TV-Series and Last.FM without having to through layers of menues. I don't use the FullScreen/Window toggle on my HTPC, I've already got another key set up for Aspect (Zoom) and Teletype isn't needed in the US. If I were to keep one key, it might be for switching language, but I don't need it most of the time and using the Info function gets me there without much fuss.

My Harmony 300i allows me to reconfigure my actions to cor MP screens and functions, but not to any of the community plug-ins. I've tried changing the actions directly in MCE.xml, but it breaks things for normal operation of MP config. It's just not a good solution. Adding an interpreter between MP and the Remote slows down response time but may be my best option.

I'm surprised, as often as people ask about reprogramming keys, that a built-in solution hasn't arrived. A simple added field to accept user action codes, or an auto-detect of your plug-ins and add them to the action drop-down list, would simplify things so much for self-proclaimed idiots as myself.

That being said, until such time as a more integrated method is presented, can someone again walk me through how to reprogram the four colored buttons using the currently available solutions (use pictures if possible)?

Thank you so much for your assistance.

Chuck






MediaPortal Version: mediaportal-1.0.2
MediaPortal Skin: Blue 3 (mod) and aMPed 3.1
Windows Version: XP MCE roll-up 2 + updates (sp3)
CPU Type: AMD Athlon 64X2 6000+ 3.01 GHz
HDD: WD eIDE 120GB / (2) WDC WD1600JS 160GB/ (4) WDC WD10EACS 1TB/ WDC WD5000AAKS 500GB via USB Drive
Memory: MWave 4GB DDR2 667=(2GB X 2)
Motherboard: Gigabyte GA-MA78GM-S2H
Video Card: on board
Video Card Driver: current update
Sound Card: on board Realtek HD & AC'97
Sound Card AC3: 1 Optical
Sound Card Driver: current update
1. TV Card: HD HomeRun
1. TV Card Type: ATSC (dual) ethernet
1. TV Card Driver: hdhomerun_windows_20090215
2. TV Card: WINTV-PVR-150 MCE
2. TV Card Type: analog FM/S-Vid
2. TV Card Driver: from install disk
3. TV Card:
3. TV Card Type:
3. TV Card Driver:
4. TV Card:
4. TV Card Type:
4. TV Card Driver:
MPEG2 Video Codec: MPC (current SVN)
MPEG2 Audio Codec: MPC (current SVN)
h.264 Video Codec: ffdshow
Satelite/CableTV Provider: OTA ATSC
HTPC Case: Silverstone LC17B
Cooling: CPU fan, 2 x 80 mm case fans
Power Supply: Thermaltake TR2-420W
Remote: Harmony 300i as MCE (US)
TV: Hitachi 32" analog crt TV
TV - HTPC Connection: VGA to S-video 4:3 (Grandtec PC to Video EZ)

 

[rekenaar]

Hi Chuck

Reading your post you probably tried something similar to my suggestion. Here it is anyway.

I have absolutely no experince with harmony, but maybe it works similar to my setup. See here for a previous explanation.
https://forum.team-mediaportal.com/...tton-moving-pictures-plugin-79347/#post592835

I agree that it should be easier, but I do not foresee this changing in the near future if at all on MP 1.

 

[Paranoid Delusion]

Use the shortcutter plugin

 

[2BitSculptor]

Thanks for the feedback

Ray, I looked at the the shortcutter plugin but could not figure out how to associate the 4 buttons to a new function, as they do not seem to have keyboard equivalents. I do not want to to change the keyboard key definitions ... although creating a "control/shift" modified key would work, but how would you map the remote buttons to use them? And if I have to remap the remote buttons anyway, why not just map them to jump to the plugin?

rekanaar, I was confused by all the extra control entries for the red, green, yellow, blue remote buttons and didn't know what effect creating a single control to replace the 3 or 4 controls would do to the stability of the xml. There was a note to only make changes to a "custom" xml, but could not find one, nor could I find reference to the creation and function of a "custom" xml anywhere else. I did remap the "extended" controls in the xml to jump to the plugin's using the associated function with the 5 'favorite channels' buttons on the remote, but still need to re-associate the "Green Button" button on the remote (maybe to the "green" button on the remote, as my wife is confused by my current solution.

I suppose I am asking for a working example that I can just use without fear.

best regards,

Chuck

 

[kiwijunglist]

recommend you edit the mce xml file in the program data directory, it's the best way. i have helped other users in the past with this, so search the forums and you shall find examples. i agree that shortcuter is not appropriate for your situation as you would need to use both shortcuter and a 2nd program to map the coloured buttons to keyboard keystrokes.

EDIT: Actually you already asked the question previously - https://forum.team-mediaportal.com/remotes-116/myvideos-button-movingpictures-74885/ ... Just edit the part of the xml file that refers to the coloured buttons.

 

[2BitSculptor]

kiwijunglist, Thank you, I did ask before concerning changing MyVideos to Moving Pictures, and your suggestion then helped (I just didn't like the idea of config crashing.) Well, I did get over that and made the changes to the xml for the controls for MyRadio, MyPictures and MyVideos and then programmed the 5 "favorite channel" remote buttons using the Harmony setup. Those were the easy ones, as there was only one control entry to change in the xml. I am confused by the multiple controls that the colored buttons have, and not understanding what each of the controls effects, I am hesitant to make any changes. I don't know, with any confidence, which control to change and wonder what effect it would have on the others, or as I asked, if I can replace the multiple controls with a singe control.

regards,

Chuck

 

[kiwijunglist]

if pressing the red button on the harmony remote is setup to send the signal of the red button on the mce remote then you just need to change the shortcut for the red button in the mce xml file.

 

[2BitSculptor]

I'm sorry for not being clearer. I do appreciate your input. To avoid repeating myself too many times, please look at how many controls are defined for each of the colored buttons in the xml, that is what I'm having difficulty with. Buttons with only one set of controls are no issue.

best regards,

Chuck

 

[kiwijunglist]

This should hopefully work, assuming that 96742 is moving pictures...

<button name="Red" code="91">
<action layer="0" condition="WINDOW" conproperty="7701" command="ACTION" cmdproperty="9975" sound="click.wav" />
<action layer="0" condition="WINDOW" conproperty="7700" command="ACTION" cmdproperty="9975" sound="click.wav" />
<action layer="0" condition="*" conproperty="-1" command="ACTION" cmdproperty="18" sound="click.wav" />
</button>

Change to:

<button name="Red" code="91">
<action layer="0" condition="*" conproperty="-1" command="WINDOW" cmdproperty="96742" sound="click.wav" />
</button>

 

[2BitSculptor]

I will try this later today... I have to leave soon for a wonderfully (sarcasm) uncomfortable procedure at the urologist ...

:sorry: is that TMI!!???

Chuck

I'd much rather just stay home.