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[WINDOWS] HOW-TO use a Logitech Harmony Remote with XBMC - Printable Version

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+---- Thread: [WINDOWS] HOW-TO use a Logitech Harmony Remote with XBMC (/showthread.php?tid=77519)



RE: [WINDOWS] HOW-TO use a Logitech Harmony Remote with XBMC - dave77 - 2013-01-04

Hi,

I'm going through this process again as I've rebuilt my server, is this correct

Copy \Program Files\XBMC\system\keymaps\keyboard.xml to \Program Files\XBMC\userdata\keymaps\keyboard.xml
Add my new key commands

I've done the above but it doesn't pick up my new keys, have I missed something?


RE: [WINDOWS] HOW-TO use a Logitech Harmony Remote with XBMC - bodhi - 2013-01-04

(2013-01-04, 01:49)dave77 Wrote: Hi,

I'm going through this process again as I've rebuilt my server, is this correct

Copy \Program Files\XBMC\system\keymaps\keyboard.xml to \Program Files\XBMC\userdata\keymaps\keyboard.xml
Add my new key commands

I've done the above but it doesn't pick up my new keys, have I missed something?

It's not the right place. See this post.


RE: [WINDOWS] HOW-TO use a Logitech Harmony Remote with XBMC - Lagrik - 2013-01-04

Guys, looking for a bit of help here. I have my WMC and XBMC activities set up perfectly except for one thing. In the WMC activity and I'm switching to the XBMC activity,I have it issue an Alt + F4 then the XBMC activity will launch F8 to start XBMC. Conversely, if I'm in the XBMC activity and I'm switching to the WMC activity, I have it issue an Alt + F4 then the WMC activity will launch F9 to start WMC.

Problem is, if I happen to not be in WMC activity but start browsing around other apps then switch to XBMC activity, it will close whatever app is active (to be expected with Alt + F4), leave WMC open, and launch XBMC. If I happen to be on the desktop, it Alt + F4 will launch the shutdown window.

My question is, is there a better way to handle this? Maybe instead of issuing Alt + F4, does anybody know if anybody has created some kind of method that has additional logic that the harmony remote can call that will close WMC (by not issuing Alt + F4) and then launch XBMC and vice versa?

I thought I saw something like this before on these forums but there's several harmony threads and tons of pages/posts. Any help here would be much appreciated.


RE: [WINDOWS] HOW-TO use a Logitech Harmony Remote with XBMC - dnicks - 2013-01-05

maybe this...

(2013-01-03, 02:32)dnicks Wrote: First thank you so much for this.

i didnt read through the entire thread so this may have been posted somewhere before.

for anyone who uses netflix and wants an easy way to access it without using advanced launcher or the troublesome xbmcflicks plugin, you can do that using the same process written here to access xbmc.
first, pin windows media center to the taskbar in the 2nd position. then, right-click the icon, highlight 'windows media center' and right-click again, select properties.
under the shortcut tab, in the box for target put
Code:
%windir%\ehome\ehshell.exe /nostartupanimation /mediamode -launchcoded:{e6f46126-f8a9-4a97-9159-b70b07890112}\{982ea9d3-915c-4713-a3c8-99a4688b7c59}
the start in box should have
Code:
%windir%\ehome

*/mediamode in the target tab will get rid of the minimize and close buttons in the top right corner of the screen. if you don't want this just delete it out.

now on your harmony remote, map a key to win+2 and when you press that button netflix will open up.

you can also go here and download the rar, open it up, take out the esctoclose.exe and place it in the startup folder so it starts when your computer does. you'll need to run it once manually to get it going.
now map a button on your harmony to the esc button press (i use the exit button). when you are done using netflix press that button and wmc will close and you'll return to xbmc.
you will need to press your xbmc button (win+1) to regain focus.




RE: [WINDOWS] HOW-TO use a Logitech Harmony Remote with XBMC - Lagrik - 2013-01-05

That's more focused on opening something. My problem in short really is how to close a specific executable rather than using alt + f4 due to the symptoms I mention in my post. Thanks though.


RE: [WINDOWS] HOW-TO use a Logitech Harmony Remote with XBMC - bodhi - 2013-01-05

(2013-01-04, 23:44)Lagrik Wrote: Guys, looking for a bit of help here. I have my WMC and XBMC activities set up perfectly except for one thing. In the WMC activity and I'm switching to the XBMC activity,I have it issue an Alt + F4 then the XBMC activity will launch F8 to start XBMC. Conversely, if I'm in the XBMC activity and I'm switching to the WMC activity, I have it issue an Alt + F4 then the WMC activity will launch F9 to start WMC.

Problem is, if I happen to not be in WMC activity but start browsing around other apps then switch to XBMC activity, it will close whatever app is active (to be expected with Alt + F4), leave WMC open, and launch XBMC. If I happen to be on the desktop, it Alt + F4 will launch the shutdown window.

My question is, is there a better way to handle this? Maybe instead of issuing Alt + F4, does anybody know if anybody has created some kind of method that has additional logic that the harmony remote can call that will close WMC (by not issuing Alt + F4) and then launch XBMC and vice versa?

I thought I saw something like this before on these forums but there's several harmony threads and tons of pages/posts. Any help here would be much appreciated.

This is not really a suggestion for solution, just an idea. But have you tried to switch between WMC and XBMC, but not shutting down one if already started? if your HTPC is powerful enough with lots of memory, it might work. In Win 7, to leave one minimized and the other running full screen, for example you can use Win+1 and Win+2 to pin down both WMC and XBMC on the task bar (i.e. Win+n, where n is the position), and pressing one will cause the other to be minimized.



RE: [WINDOWS] HOW-TO use a Logitech Harmony Remote with XBMC - Lagrik - 2013-01-05

Thanks for the tip on the Win+1 and Win+2. I'll give that a try. In fact, I'd rather do this so it's faster to launch and I can keep XBMC open at all times for UPNP sharing. System is a i3 3220 with 8GB DDR3. I'll give this a shot in a week when I get my new PSU and can finish my new HTPC build. Have only been testing on my main machine which isn't an HTPC but wanted to get the remote stuff configured in advance.


RE: [WINDOWS] HOW-TO use a Logitech Harmony Remote with XBMC - dnicks - 2013-01-06

so funny, this is exactly what i suggested above.


RE: [WINDOWS] HOW-TO use a Logitech Harmony Remote with XBMC - bodhi - 2013-01-06

(2013-01-06, 02:18)dnicks Wrote: so funny, this is exactly what i suggested above.

Sorry dnicks! I didn't not realize that was the suggestion! yeah, in a nutshell, it's the same approach Smile the main point here is the Win+n keys set up.


RE: [WINDOWS] HOW-TO use a Logitech Harmony Remote with XBMC - Lagrik - 2013-01-06

Lol, I didn't realize it either! Thanks for both your suggestions!



RE: [WINDOWS] HOW-TO use a Logitech Harmony Remote with XBMC - dnicks - 2013-01-06

no big deal, i just thought it was funny...then i read back through my post and realized i didn't really mention too much about the win+1, win+2 ideaBlush


RE: [WINDOWS] HOW-TO use a Logitech Harmony Remote with XBMC - hars73 - 2013-01-16

I hope someone can give me some good advice on my problem. I'm trying to use my Harmony 555 on my Win7 x64 XBMC. I bought a HP IR receiver on eBay for this. It's a S/N 5187-4593 and for what I've been reading now this should not be the best reveiver.

What happens:
- The led inside the reveiver flickers and sometimes stays on, while not pressing any key on my Harmony
- I use a Panasonic Plasma, I read this could cause this led flickering?
- Placed the IR receiver in a place where the led flickers less or not, but this also does not seem to help.
- When pressing keys on my Harmony sometimes XBMC does not respond, although I can see the led inside the receiver lightens up once. Sometimes it seems to work okay for a few moment and then again it starts not to respond.
- I've been trying to set different values for the speedsettings within the Harmony software, but this does not fix it.
- It seems the original HP remote works better than the Harmony
- I've been testing in notepad with keypresses and it seems the Harmony is missing some of the presses, while the original HP remote catches every keypress.
- I also see when pressing keys on the Harmony and te keypress is not getting into notepad, the IR led lightens up, but the orange icolored indicator on my Harmony 555 does NOT lighten up! Could this be a delay setting somewhere?


Can anyone give me some advice what to do? Or point me in the right direction?


RE: [WINDOWS] HOW-TO use a Logitech Harmony Remote with XBMC - bodhi - 2013-01-16

(2013-01-16, 01:05)hars73 Wrote: I hope someone can give me some good advice on my problem. I'm trying to use my Harmony 555 on my Win7 x64 XBMC. I bought a HP IR receiver on eBay for this. It's a S/N 5187-4593 and for what I've been reading now this should not be the best reveiver.

What happens:
- The led inside the reveiver flickers and sometimes stays on, while not pressing any key on my Harmony
- I use a Panasonic Plasma, I read this could cause this led flickering?
- Placed the IR receiver in a place where the led flickers less or not, but this also does not seem to help.
- When pressing keys on my Harmony sometimes XBMC does not respond, although I can see the led inside the receiver lightens up once. Sometimes it seems to work okay for a few moment and then again it starts not to respond.
- I've been trying to set different values for the speedsettings within the Harmony software, but this does not fix it.
- It seems the original HP remote works better than the Harmony
- I've been testing in notepad with keypresses and it seems the Harmony is missing some of the presses, while the original HP remote catches every keypress.
- I also see when pressing keys on the Harmony and te keypress is not getting into notepad, the IR led lightens up, but the orange icolored indicator on my Harmony 555 does NOT lighten up! Could this be a delay setting somewhere?


Can anyone give me some advice what to do? Or point me in the right direction?

- Which Harmony devices are you using for keyboard and/or remote devices? are they same as ones described in this thread?
- Does the receiver show up in Device Manager as eHome device?
- Which XBMC keys are working and which keys are not?
- Also, it would be helpful to determine if the key press is received by XBMC if you turn on Debug.



RE: [WINDOWS] HOW-TO use a Logitech Harmony Remote with XBMC - hars73 - 2013-01-16

This is the logging of five clicks 'right' in the closing menu, but the cursor was only moving 2 times. But the signal is picked up by the IR receiver becauses the led lighted up when clicked.. all five times.:

20:50:02 T:3988 DEBUG: Keyboard: scancode: 4d, sym: 0113, unicode: 0000, modifier: 0
20:50:02 T:3988 DEBUG: CApplication::OnKey: right (f083) pressed, action is Right
20:50:02 T:3988 DEBUG: Keyboard: scancode: 4d, sym: 0113, unicode: 0000, modifier: 0
20:50:02 T:3988 DEBUG: CApplication::OnKey: right (f083) pressed, action is Right

I'm using a Logitech 555. And I think it's not happening with specific keys, but with all keys. I think it's strange because with the HP remote that comes with the HP reveiver, it doesn't happen.

I also saw not only clicks are missing, but sometimes one click on the 555 remote causes 2 clicks in XBMC





RE: [WINDOWS] HOW-TO use a Logitech Harmony Remote with XBMC - bodhi - 2013-01-19

(2013-01-16, 21:55)hars73 Wrote: I'm using a Logitech 555. And I think it's not happening with specific keys, but with all keys. I think it's strange because with the HP remote that comes with the HP reveiver, it doesn't happen.

Which Harmony devices are you using? e.g. MCE Remote, MCE Keyboard, and/or MCE SE keyboard,...?
Does Win 7 Device Manager show it as eHome receiver?