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

[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)

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- >>X<< - 2011-11-19 19:09

jhsrennie Wrote:Well yes, but this will make no difference to the Dharma key mapping.

JR

Got to admit I didn't know one way or the other if it would or not Eek

- sjw1 - 2011-11-19 23:44

>>X<< Wrote:If your running windows its easy to change from US keyboard to another Language just go to "Regional and Languages"

My 'normal' keyboard is a UK one - and set to that in Windows. Smile

jhsrennie Wrote:Upgrade to a nightly build or wait for the v11.0 beta to start. I've completely rewritten the keyboard handling in v11.0 and it now handles regional keyboards properly.
JR

I currently use 10.1 that, some time back, I patched to give me (essential) functionality to have 'easy' output audio output via HDMI and/or Optical.
I am happy with xbmc and it does an awesome job just how I llke it.. Smile

Without 'shouting' at me, and if it's possible even, I've heard of 'Eden' and you have mentioned v11. What, to an average user is changing? I heard that there were 'big' changes planned (for audio? especially?) but they're not (all?) happening now?
JR, I live not far from you. And work at a rather large (the biggest?) employer not too far away. Smile

Cheers for all your help.

- jhsrennie - 2011-11-20 11:40

There's a new audio engine being written. I don't know where that's got to, but it isn't stable enough to go into v11.0. The dual audio patch will almost certainly be applied to v11.0 once it's released. The development team aren't keen on the patch for reasons that escape me because I don't know anything about the audio code.

Speaking as a developer there's lots of cool code in v11.0 but aside from the obvious change to the default skin I'm not sure users will see that much difference, as much of the change is under the hood. I think v11.0 will provide the platform for the snazzier stuff in the version after that.

JR

Harmony setup question(s) - SteveMA - 2011-11-21 23:34

vanOert Wrote:(6) Now let’s create an activity
Go to activities tab, then select ‘Add Activity’

Go through the steps selecting:

Now, you need to add your devices. This depends on your configuration.
You’ll have to select both MCE Remote and MCE Keyboard.

In my case, additionally, we’re going to select the TV and the A/V-Receiver.
Continue through the input selection and try to be honest about everything. It should work.
When done, select done. ;-)

(7) Now, go back to the activities tab and select ‘Customize Buttons’ on your generic activity.

I am in the process of setting up my Harmony One to control my HTPC (including XBMC, to which I am relatively new). I got all my music setup as I want and am making progress on my movies but questions there later.

So far with the Harmony I've got my Activities and Devices (including MCE remote and MCE SE) set up such that I can get the PC turned on to WMC. In setting up the Harmony I am a little unclear as to the correct selection when asked "what input or channel does you Microsoft Media Center PC need to be on?". I chose Desktop but despite that WMC was launched. Should I have selected Windows Media Center and then change the key map instructions to open XBMC?

I have more questions but I'll be happy to get answers one at a time.

Gratefully yours,
SteveMA

- darksheep - 2011-11-22 08:54

SteveMA Wrote:I am in the process of setting up my Harmony One to control my HTPC (including XBMC, to which I am relatively new). I got all my music setup as I want and am making progress on my movies but questions there later.

So far with the Harmony I've got my Activities and Devices (including MCE remote and MCE SE) set up such that I can get the PC turned on to WMC. In setting up the Harmony I am a little unclear as to the correct selection when asked "what input or channel does you Microsoft Media Center PC need to be on?". I chose Desktop but despite that WMC was launched. Should I have selected Windows Media Center and then change the key map instructions to open XBMC?

I have more questions but I'll be happy to get answers one at a time.

Gratefully yours,
SteveMA

Hi I have a set up like this what i did was when i set up my activity up I did not chose to add my windows media pc to the activity just added my tv and told it that I use hdmi 1 .So the activity just turned on my pc and switched to hdmi 1 . I then edited the activity and just added th windows media pc and selected that the input was not listed. I then edited the keys in the activity making the PLAY button use my windows media pc and set it to play and so on. Hope this helps.

- bodhi - 2011-11-22 09:27

SteveMA Wrote:I am in the process of setting up my Harmony One to control my HTPC (including XBMC, to which I am relatively new). I got all my music setup as I want and am making progress on my movies but questions there later.

So far with the Harmony I've got my Activities and Devices (including MCE remote and MCE SE) set up such that I can get the PC turned on to WMC. In setting up the Harmony I am a little unclear as to the correct selection when asked "what input or channel does you Microsoft Media Center PC need to be on?". I chose Desktop but despite that WMC was launched. Should I have selected Windows Media Center and then change the key map instructions to open XBMC?

I have more questions but I'll be happy to get answers one at a time.

Gratefully yours,
SteveMA

Since you want to set up the XBMC activity, it should be set to "I don't need to set the input on my Microsoft Med Center PC".

Use a Windows shortcut to start XBMC, and assign a key to that shortcut. Add that key to the end of the XBMC activity start sequence.

We've discussed the shortcut in this thread. In short: on Win 7 use the Win+n key, on Win XP use one of the Fn keys. Which Windows version are you using?

- SteveMA - 2011-11-22 18:25

bodhi Wrote:Since you want to set up the XBMC activity, it should be set to "I don't need to set the input on my Microsoft Med Center PC".

Use a Windows shortcut to start XBMC, and assign a key to that shortcut. Add that key to the end of the XBMC activity start sequence.

We've discussed the shortcut in this thread. In short: on Win 7 use the Win+n key, on Win XP use one of the Fn keys. Which Windows version are you using?

I'm using Windows 7 (it was an HTPC I built using recommendations from a guide I found on the AVS site).

I'll go back and read the info on the shortcut, but do I understand you to mean Win+n tells the PC to launch XBMC?

I saw in post 23 (sufreak) a customized key sequence which I think I understand. I don't know how to add the Start XBMC and the Context Menu items (nor how to assign them to F7 and C). Can you (or anyone who knows) show me how this is done?

Another question popped up while I was customizing the key settings for this activity (Listening to Digital Music). And that is, if I am using this activity to launch XBMC I don't need any other activities (eg, Watching Videos) since I can navigate to the Music or Video, etc header within XBMC. Is this correct (sorry but as I said, I am a newbie in this arena)?

Thanks again,
Steve

Thanks,
SteveMA

- bodhi - 2011-11-22 20:52

SteveMA Wrote:I'm using Windows 7 (it was an HTPC I built using recommendations from a guide I found on the AVS site).

I'll go back and read the info on the shortcut, but do I understand you to mean Win+n tells the PC to launch XBMC?

Thanks,
SteveMA

Right! Create a shortcut to launch XBMC. And on Win 7, pin (drag) the shortcut to the task bar, and the position of the short cut determines the number (e.g. Win+3 indicates the XBMC shortcut was the 3rd task pinned to the bar). OTOH, Fn key has to be explicitly assigned inside the shortcut.

The Win+n key is nice in that it will launch/minimize/maximize XBMC when you press it, depending whether XBMC is already running.

- bodhi - 2011-11-22 21:45

SteveMA Wrote:I'm using Windows 7 (it was an HTPC I built using recommendations from a guide I found on the AVS site).

I'll go back and read the info on the shortcut, but do I understand you to mean Win+n tells the PC to launch XBMC?

I saw in post 23 (sufreak) a customized key sequence which I think I understand. I don't know how to add the Start XBMC and the Context Menu items (nor how to assign them to F7 and C). Can you (or anyone who knows) show me how this is done?

Another question popped up while I was customizing the key settings for this activity (Listening to Digital Music). And that is, if I am using this activity to launch XBMC I don't need any other activities (eg, Watching Videos) since I can navigate to the Music or Video, etc header within XBMC. Is this correct (sorry but as I said, I am a newbie in this arena)?

Thanks again,
Steve

Thanks,
SteveMA

Don't worry about F7. Since you're using Windows 7, just use the Win+n key to start XBMC.

And the Context Menu for XBMC is built in to be invoked whenever you press letter C. So during the Harmony set up to Customize Buttons, define the Menu key using MCE Keyboard C key. And you're all set. While you're there, also define the Info key using MCE Keyboard I key (the I key is to invoke Info inside XBMC). These are among the most frequently used keys in XBMC.

What I would do is defining both "Watch Movies" and "Listening to Music" using the same XBMC activity. You don't need other activities if watching videos and music are all done inside XBMC. That's how I set up my Harmony hard buttons.

More to understand - SteveMA - 2011-11-23 00:12

bodhi Wrote:Right! Create a shortcut to launch XBMC. And on Win 7, pin (drag) the shortcut to the task bar, and the position of the short cut determines the number (e.g. Win+3 indicates the XBMC shortcut was the 3rd task pinned to the bar). OTOH, Fn key has to be explicitly assigned inside the shortcut.

The Win+n key is nice in that it will launch/minimize/maximize XBMC when you press it, depending whether XBMC is already running.

I created a shortcut (actually already had one from initial XBMC installation) and assigned it to F7. I also reprogrammed the Harmony One to include the MCE Keyboard assignments listed in post 23 just as a starting point.

The Harmony has an activity program "Listen to Digital Music" which when selected does turn the TV, AVR and PC (if sleeping, if off I have to turn on manually and would like not to have to do this). The PC comes to the Desktop and when I push the Music window I get WMC launched.

I still don't understand how to get XBMC launched directly (I did create in the customize button section a StartXBMC and ContextMenu "mapping" to F7 and to C respectively as per post 23). But it is not clear to me how the Harmony communicates this info to the PC (obviously with the settings I have now this is not happening).

What do I need to do in order to get the F7 "seen" by the PC during startup to get to XBMC directly? Or can I not get there from here?

Thanks again for the help.
SteveMA