Support pack for Ortek VRC-1100 and Hama 00052451 (1 Viewer)

CyberSimian

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    Centarea HID Support Pack Version 2024-01-30
    See the end of this post for a description of the changes in version 2024-01-30.

    This post contains a support pack for use with the Ortek VRC-1100 and Hama 00052451 remote controls. The support pack allows these remote controls to work with MP1, and cures some of the quirks that these remote controls have. This support pack does not work with MP2. The major components are:

    Centarea HID.xml
    This is the configuration file that specifies the action performed by each button on the remote control. This file can be modified by clicking "Mapping" on the "Sceneo" tab in the "Remotes and Input Devices" section of the "MediaPortal Configuration" tool. Two versions of the configuration file are provided:

    Centarea HID.xml_a -- this is the advanced configuration file. It provides improved usability, but requires the user to install the AutoHotKey tool.​
    Centarea HID.xml_b -- this is the basic configuration file. This allows the Ortek and Hama remote controls to work with MP1, but does not provide any usability improvements. This version does not require use of the AutoHotKey tool.​

    The advanced and basic versions of the configuration file are not compatible with each other, so you should decide which version you want to use before customising the button assignments to suit your own preferences.

    Centarea HID.ahk
    This is the AutoHotKey script that performs the processing needed to improve the usability of the Ortek and Hama remote controls. For example, this script allows MediaPortal to be started from the Windows desktop by pressing the START button on the remote control. This script requires no modification by the user.

    Centarea HID.ini
    This is a standard Windows-format INI file that contains several settings which control the processing performed by the AutoHotKey script. This can be modified by the user.

    Centarea HID.txt
    This is a plain-text file that explains how to use the support pack.

    install.bat
    This is a batch script that installs the support pack files in the correct folders. Existing files in those folders are not overwritten -- they are moved to a backup folder that is located in the "InputDeviceMappings" folder. There is a corresponding uninstall.bat if you wish to discontinue use of the support pack.


    Brief installation instructions
    (1) Create a dedicated folder to contain the support pack. This folder can reside anywhere in your system, but avoid placing the dedicated folder in the "Team MediaPortal" folder tree. The folder can have any name that you choose, but the name Centarea HID (2024-01-30) is suggested.

    (2) Download the zip file attached to this post, and place it in the dedicated folder. Unzip the zip file.

    (3) Read the file "Centarea HID.txt" and decide whether you want to use the advanced configuration or the basic configuration.

    (4) To start using the support pack, run "install.bat". The bat file will ask you whether you want to use the advanced configuration or the basic configuation. The installation will preserve existing files in a backup folder, and then copy the relevant files to their appropriate locations.

    (5) If you want to use the advanced configuration, download and install the AutoHotKey tool. Reboot your system to start the Centarea HID AutoHotKey script.


    Changes in version 2024-01-30
    (1) The support pack works with all combinations of MP1 bitness and Windows bitness. In particular, it works with:
    32-bit MP1 running on 32-bit Windows​
    32-bit MP1 running on 64-bit Windows​
    64-bit MP1 running on 64-bit Windows​

    (2) Only the AHK, BAT, and TXT files have changed; the INI and XML files have not changed. This means that you can continue to use your customised version of the XML file. Note: all files have their file date/time set to the values for the current release, even those where the content has not changed.

    (3) Progress text is now displayed on the console during the installation.

    (4) The "/b" option has been added to all of the "exit" statements in the install BAT file to stop the command window closing on exit from the BAT file. This allows you to review the progress text if desired.

    (5) During the install you will be asked whether you wish to retain your existing INI and XML files.

    (6) It is not valid to have both 32-bit MP1 and 64-bit MP1 installed on the same system. If both are found by the AHK script, the script invokes the 64-bit version of MP1.

    (7) If the script detects a version of "MediaPortal.exe" running without any windows, it means that MP1 did not terminate completely when previously closed. This prevents MP1 restarting. To workaround this problem, the script terminates that instance of MP1 before starting a new instance. This was done by the previous release of this support pack. In the new release, the script additionally writes an entry to the file "Centarea HID.log" located in the MP1 logs folder. This will allow you to see how often this problem occurs on your system (but remember to avoid deleting this file if you "clear out" the log folder prior to running a test where you want to upload the logs for examination by one of the developers).

    (8) The AHK script is written using AutoHotKey version 1 syntax, which cannot be processed by AutoHotKey version 2 (which uses different syntax). If you have version 2 installed, you should manually invoke "Centarea HID.ahk" while your system is connected to the internet. AutoHotKey version 2 will detect that the script is version 1, and offer to download and install the most-recent release of version 1. This will allow the Centarea HID script to run. Note that both versions of AutoHotKey can exist on the same system.

    There is an AutoHotKey version-2 script for converting version-1 scripts to version 2 ("v2converter.ahk"), but sadly this script does not create a valid version-2 script; manual editing is required to correct the errors in the converted script.

    -- from CyberSimian in the UK
     

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    mrceolla

    Portal Pro
    December 11, 2010
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    12
    Thanks CyberSimian! I've been using your older AHK script on two different MP1 installs and 2 VRC-1100 remotes. In Win7, I used to use an EventGhost solution but that doesn't work in Win10. I've noticed a few minor issues with the script I'm currently using and looking forward to trying this out to see if they've been fixed. For example, I can't use my mouse and keyboard like I want with AHK running. Also, some of the media buttons don't work correctly if not on the home screen. Looking forward to trying this out.

    Cheers!
     

    CyberSimian

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    For example, I can't use my mouse and keyboard like I want with AHK running. Also, some of the media buttons don't work correctly if not on the home screen.
    It may not be possible to fix or circumvent all problems, but please report behaviour that does not seem right, and I will see if a fix or circumvention is possible.

    -- from CyberSimian in the UK
     

    mrceolla

    Portal Pro
    December 11, 2010
    136
    12
    One of the problems I have is that Shift-1 (or exclaimation point) doesn't work to bring up the video diagnostics display when I have this all running.

    Another thing I just noticed is that in Win10, I need to click on the desktop before the green Start button will work to open up MediaPortal.

    Can anything be done about those 2 things?

    Much thanks!
     

    CyberSimian

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    One of the problems I have is that Shift-1 (or exclamation point) doesn't work to bring up the video diagnostics display
    You can achieve this by modifying the definition of the "!" key in the keyboard section of the configuration file. The left screen shot below shows the definition that you need for the "!" keyboard key. The right screen shot shows a definition for the "#" button on the remote control that performs the same function (MP uses the first "No condition" definition):

    exclamation_key.jpg number_sign_button.jpg

    I will add the definition for the "!" key to the XML files included in the support pack for the next release.

    Another thing I just noticed is that in Win10, I need to click on the desktop before the green Start button will work to open up MediaPortal.
    I have noticed this too, with Windows 7. The root cause is (I think) that AutoHotKey is not digitally signed by Microsoft. This means that Windows won't allow it to run with administrator privileges.

    On my Windows 7, I often have several command windows open, some with user privileges, and some with adminstrator privileges. If it is one of the adminstrator windows that has the focus when I press the START button, the AutoHotKey script cannot run and MP does not start. In contrast, if it is one of the user windows that has the focus, or the desktop has the focus, MP starts as expected.

    I think that there are ways that you can personally digitally-sign the AutoHotKey exe file, but of course you have to do this on your own system (the AutoHotKey that you download won't be digitally signed). Look for "signcode.exe" and others (I did only a quick search, so I may have misunderstood what is possible).

    -- from CyberSimian in the UK
     

    CyberSimian

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  • June 10, 2013
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    EPG Scroll Fix
    MP 1.25 includes two new actions that can be assigned to buttons on the remote control:
    • TVGuide Next Timeblock
    • TVGuide Prev Timeblock
    These actions scroll the EPG horizontally by an amount equal to the width of the EPG time window, namely 1, 2, 3, or 4 hours. Without these actions the EPG always scrolls by 3 hours, regardless of the size of the time window.

    If you use the Centarea HID AutoHotKey script and you want to use the new actions, you should ensure that the setting epg_scroll_fix in the file Centarea HID.ini is set to 0 (disabled). This is because:
    • The setting in the INI file is not required if the two new actions are used.
    • If the setting remains enabled, the two new actions are ignored. :eek:
    If you change the setting in the INI file, you must exit the AutoHotKey script and restart it (or reboot your system to restart the AutoHotKey script).

    -- from CyberSimian in the UK
     

    CyberSimian

    Test Group
  • Team MediaPortal
  • June 10, 2013
    2,849
    1,771
    Southampton
    Home Country
    United Kingdom United Kingdom
    Centarea HID Support Pack Version 2024-01-30
    I have just released version 2024-01-30 of the Centarea HID Support Pack, which can be downloaded from the first post in this thread. See that post for details.

    If you encounter any problems using the new release, please report them here.

    I would like to express my thanks to @joecrow for testing this release, and discovering several errors in its operation (now all fixed :) ).

    -- from CyberSimian in the UK
     

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