Skype plugin (2 Viewers)

[Peter2]

No, I'm just a concerned citizen trying to give something back to the community...

I'm not sure what you mean by a "change of direction" - my intention is to allow Skype to function as well as possible with MP, and will continue to update it as time permits.
Andrew

Very nice of you doing so and you are doing a good job!
I also was trying to contribute by pointing out that the information regarding skype & MP is outdated.
What I ment by "change of direction" is that maybe there is a development going on which would change the way skype functions in MP.

 

[TesterBoy]

archimede -

(Thanks for taking the effort with this, btw)

[Edit]To get rid of the "No translation found" errors, put the attached strings_user.xml into the <MediaPortal>\language folder. If there is an existing one, you will need to merge the two of them together - the format should be obvious. I'll look into doing this automatically in the future...

The Replicant Vista (?) skin files won't have kept up with the plugin changes (e.g. Conference is gone). All call/contact-specific operations (e.g. Stop Call ) are now performed via context menus, which require new/heavily modified skin files over the original ones. You'll need to update the existing files and/or modify the B2/W ones for the new functionality

"Start Video" is an option on the context menu for a call, if you have a webcam - it will start your video going to the other end. If the other party starts their video, the Skype client will open so you can see it (you might need to make sure MP isn't Always on Top), and will go away when the call is dropped or the incoming video is stopped. I can't do any better than this at present - Skype doesn't yet provide an API to redirect the video stream. Next year, possibly...

I also was trying to contribute by pointing out that the information regarding skype & MP is outdated.

Quite correctly, too. I did get my old SkypeChat plugin removed, and the ActiveS installation link since it's not used any more. I need to make a proper MPI install for this thing soon, which will probably solve most of the other confusion...

What I ment by "change of direction" is that maybe there is a development going on which would change the way skype functions in MP.

I hope not - if there is, I don't know about it, so I hope someone tells me before I spend much more time on this!

MPII might make things harder - I'll cross that bridge when we get to it...

HTH
Andrew

 

[archimede]

Hi Andrew,
many thanks for the tips

Now it is much better... the calling is working and so does the chat.
I had to re-adjust the Replicant-Vista skin, but the result is very nice (see pictures below).

Unfortunately I still couldn't test the video, as my contacts with webcam are currently away!

I have still one issue left: the contacts list seems to be limited to 15 entries.
Regardless of what I do in Skype, in MP only the first 15 names are reported. Is this a know "feature"?

One remark: once you press the button to start the call, MP looses the focus (I assume because of Skype).
This is a problem if you just use a remote control. You need a mouse to set the focus back to MP.

Vic

 

[TesterBoy]

Once you've let MP access Skype, you should be able to set the "MP Always on Top" option again - this should solve the focus problem.

The 15 limit is not a problem I have - although I trun out to have exactly 15 non-SkypeOut contacts(!) when I did a small hack in the code to include SkypeOut in the list, I got to see all 22 contacts without any worries, so I hate to say it, but it looks like another Replicant-related issue

I assume you can navigate to the PageUp/Down arrows? If they are disabled, they may be the ones for the Call list, rather than the Contact list - make sure that both of the pairs of arrows aren't in the same place?

If you wanted to you could upload your skin files here (if you don't mind making them available?) and I can test it here?

and I have to agree, actually - I rather like the look of the skin - I can only support the BlueTwo's though - it takes me way too long to get them looking/working even as well(?) as they do...

 

[archimede]

For the focus, I will try your solution, though I still would like not to force any application on top.

Concerning the 15 contacts limit, I have set up a second user and now I can see 22 names... unfortunately there are 25 contacts in Skype!
I still need to make some more investigations, but I can already say that the current status is very satisfying
Btw, what happen if there are 2 identical names (with different addresses)?

I don't think there are problems with the scroll up/down within this skin. It seems to be OK.

No problem at all to share the modified files, we are discussing about an open source project, don't we?
I have modified 2 pages for the moment, as those are the ones I am currently using (main and chat).
The default Contact and History are already OK.

I like the Replicant Vista skin because it is very clean and some how very elegant, even if simple. Unfortunately it is not updated as fast as the others from the same family. I do it myself... when I have time!
I hope that sometime someone will re-activate the weather overlay, because with this skin it is very effective... you have it in all pages.

 

[TesterBoy]

Btw, what happen if there are 2 identical names (with different addresses)?

Bother, said Pooh... What happens is an exception in the log - the code doesn't allow for it, so the list loading ends when it tries to add the second contact with the same name. This explains everything... Well, maybe not why St*rB*cks is so successful, but it explains your missing contacts New version required

I never really understood why the weather overlay is so important - you can just look out the window, after all?

I've downloaded and installed RV on my test machine - I'll have to give it a WAF-check before I install it on the HTPC...

 

[TesterBoy]

V0.1.1.2 is released

Note: Superceded by 0.1.1.3 - see https://forum.team-mediaportal.com/showpost.php?p=214167&postcount=189

Requires MediaPortal 0.2.3.0 (final), and later versions of Skype (3.2+ should be fine), with the Extras Manager installed.

V0.1.1.2:

1. Fixes the problem with handling of >1 contact with the same display name.

2. Includes an MPI version of the install - this will also update strings_en.xml and stop the "No translation for id" messages.

As always, report bugs etc here please. It always helps to include logs - if you filter the MediaPortal log file on the string "SP->" it will only include the messages related to the plugin.

Notes:

1. You need to install the Extras Manager when installing Skype - this will install the Skype4COM wrapper required. Alternatively, you can download Skype4COM from the Skype website at https://developer.skype.com/Docs/Skype4COM

2. Vista: On Vista, MediaPortal and Skype have to run at the same Integrity Level. Since MP runs as Administrator, this means that the best way to start Skype is to let MP do it (either automatically at start up, or on demand from the plugin).

3. Vista: If you have a Skype phone (e.g. Philips VOIP321), you have to make sure that its drivers are also running as administrator (since MP has to anyway). Otherwise, the phone will not be able to connect to Skype.

 

[archimede]

The new version (0.1.1.2) works like a charm
No problems anymore with the list of contacts. Thank you.

Btw, the MPI didn't work for me. A DLL is locked and the MPI is not able to finish the installation.

May I eventually ask you a small feature?
Would it be possible to have a kind of audio signal when a message is received via chat?
Yesterday I was listening to some music and I was not watching the video. A friend sent me a message but I haven't seen it immediately. After a while I have seen the small MP pop-up window with the advice.
I couldn't close this window (Yes/No); I do not know why, the buttons where not active anymore.
An audio signal in these cases might help.
Thank you.

 

[TesterBoy]

I tried the MPUI with MP running, and got the error about the Interop dll being locked. If you shut down MP, it should work fine.

I'd guess that MP lost the focus because Skype popped up its notification as well as the plugin doing its one - I'll look into taking the focus back automatically, but I need to try to make sure I don't do it too often - if you haven't set "Always on Top" I shoudln't make MP bahave as though you had, if you see what I mean...

The audio thing shouldn't be too hard, hopefully - I'll add that to the list as well

 

[archimede]

For what concerns the focus, I fully understand.
I still have to try, but if you have MP always on top and someone with a webcam is calling you, how can you see his video? That window will never be shown on top, right?

Regarding the audio, I have another question: when you receive a call and it is ringing, is the other audio (e.g. music, radio, tv) supposed to be muted/paused?
It doesn't seem so. If this is the case, do you think that this can be implemented? Eventually as an option.
Just like in the FRITZ!Box CallMonitor plugin. Maybe you can partially reuse the code.

Sorry if I look so insistent, but I think that this is a very good plugin and you are on the way to perfection...