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

Evergreen4 · 2010-09-30 11:46

Hi all,

First of all, congrats for this specefic topic for Harmony remotes & XBMC users... very helpful.
I am currently using XBMC installed in my ASRock ION330HT HTPC under Windows 7 in combination with a Harmony 1000 remote... everything is runnig OK, but I would love to improve the funcionality of the remote by adding some "keyboard actions" to some soft buttons on the remote.
If you have a look to this, in the section "Actions" you can find many commands that does not have any assigned a key. Eg: there is an action called "AudioNextLanguage" that will "change to the next audio track in a video with multiple audio tracks" pretty useful when playing mkv videos, but given that there is no key for that action, the only way to change audios is going to the OSD Player Controls and navigate to the audio options... something a bit annoying considering that regarding the subtitles ("action" name: NextSubtitle) there is key ("L") to change them...

So the question is: is there any way to assign a key on the keyboard to the "actions" listed here

Thanks all and pls apoligize my poor English.

NiffStipples · 2010-10-01 01:11

i just can't figure out why it's repeating only the last key-press if i press the harmony-button quick...when i'm pushing it just a little bit longer (just a few milliseconds) this issue doesn't appear.

proctor · 2010-10-05 06:15

NiffStipples Wrote:i just can't figure out why it's repeating only the last key-press if i press the harmony-button quick...when i'm pushing it just a little bit longer (just a few milliseconds) this issue doesn't appear.

I also started noticing this problem. A short keypress seems cause xbmc to process the signal forever. I don't think it has anything to do with the remote delays.

alex84 · 2010-10-11 12:37

Evergreen4 Wrote:Hi all,

First of all, congrats for this specefic topic for Harmony remotes & XBMC users... very helpful.
I am currently using XBMC installed in my ASRock ION330HT HTPC under Windows 7 in combination with a Harmony 1000 remote... everything is runnig OK, but I would love to improve the funcionality of the remote by adding some "keyboard actions" to some soft buttons on the remote.
If you have a look to this, in the section "Actions" you can find many commands that does not have any assigned a key. Eg: there is an action called "AudioNextLanguage" that will "change to the next audio track in a video with multiple audio tracks" pretty useful when playing mkv videos, but given that there is no key for that action, the only way to change audios is going to the OSD Player Controls and navigate to the audio options... something a bit annoying considering that regarding the subtitles ("action" name: NextSubtitle) there is key ("L") to change them...

So the question is: is there any way to assign a key on the keyboard to the "actions" listed here

Thanks all and pls apoligize my poor English.

I am also looking for a way to do this. Anyone that know how to create an button on the touch display and link that to an event like load subtiles, or go direct to my tv series ?

Cheers

lotune · 2010-10-11 23:45

I too am experiencing lag. I have a Harmony One and use the receiver that came with a PC Remote Controller II.

I believe this may be the source of my problem though, since I had to learn its commands manually and by selecting the RAW option. The PC Remote Controller II is snappy as hell though!

Anyway, I have a question. Could there by any chance be any differences between receivers as long as they're RC6-compatible? E.g. could the HP receiver perform better than the Microsoft one, or should they be the same?

Edit: I've also played around with timing and retries. Timings and retries are as low as they go, but the remote still sends commands really slow. But yes, this should hopefully be due to using RAW commands.

alex84 · 2010-10-12 09:35

Evergreen4 Wrote:Hi all,

First of all, congrats for this specefic topic for Harmony remotes & XBMC users... very helpful.
I am currently using XBMC installed in my ASRock ION330HT HTPC under Windows 7 in combination with a Harmony 1000 remote... everything is runnig OK, but I would love to improve the funcionality of the remote by adding some "keyboard actions" to some soft buttons on the remote.
If you have a look to this, in the section "Actions" you can find many commands that does not have any assigned a key. Eg: there is an action called "AudioNextLanguage" that will "change to the next audio track in a video with multiple audio tracks" pretty useful when playing mkv videos, but given that there is no key for that action, the only way to change audios is going to the OSD Player Controls and navigate to the audio options... something a bit annoying considering that regarding the subtitles ("action" name: NextSubtitle) there is key ("L") to change them...

So the question is: is there any way to assign a key on the keyboard to the "actions" listed here

Thanks all and pls apoligize my poor English.

I did some more reading today and found out two very userful wiki's about it.
The first one is http://wiki.xbmc.org/index.php?title=Mod...yboard.xml and second one is http://wiki.xbmc.org/index.php?title=Keymap.xml

When i read about this example i think that it would be easy to apply and change to what i need, or atleast i hope hehe...

Code:

<keymap>

  <global>

    <keyboard>

      <g mod="ctrl">Info</g>

    </keyboard>

  </global>

  <FullScreenVideo>

    <keyboard>

      <g mod="ctrl">OSD</g>

    </keyboard>

  </FullScreenVideo>

</keymap>

If i understand correctly i could modify the above example to something like this

Code:

<keymap>

 <keyboard>

  <FullScreenVideo>

      <F5>NextSubtitle</F5>

    </keyboard>

  </FullScreenVideo>

</keymap>

or with keynames insted from http://wiki.xbmc.org/index.php?title=Lis...C_keynames

Code:

<keymap>

 <keyboard>

  <FullScreenVideo>

      <F5>VK_F5</F5>

    </keyboard>

  </FullScreenVideo>

</keymap>

This should map F5 key to NextSubtitle action when the user is in FullScreenVideo
Next step would be to add something like an MCE Keyboard, or what ever works for you, to your all mighty logitech remote Rolleyes

and make a custom button send the "F5" key eighter in your activity or device.

I have note verified this but will do when i come home. I just read the wiki pages and got an big light bulb over my head Big Grin

and thought IT MUST BE LIKE THIS lol...

Please correct me if im wrong ...
Cheers

alex84 · 2010-10-12 19:27

Well after a test of my previous post i realized that it's not that easy lol... The effect's is somehow unstable lol.... I Managed to map an key ex X to info. That worked and i could change to MCE Keybord and initiate that command. But when trying other keys ex ToggleWatched would be nice to have on key X for the mce keyboard, when klicking xbmc start toggles and go to the next movie and do the same, and down to next and do the same. Damn loop... My goal is to when i have my harmoney sett for asrock remote i would like to add an extra button on the screen, that button can be mapped to a function or something ex NextSubtitle or AudioNextLanguage.

Dont really know if im way off here.

Cheers

alex84 · 2010-10-13 10:00

Im keep finding solutions to my own questions lol...
I found this tread http://forum.xbmc.org/showthread.php?tid=54466 that seems like the source for this thread or something. Here is what i learnd

This is a quote from user wurz post http://forum.xbmc.org/showpost.php?p=461542&postcount=73

Quote:I set up a new device on my Logitech remote. As advised here "MCE Keybaord". Basic functionality worked straight away in xbmc, but a lot of buttons didn't work.

Here's the button mapping I used in my Logitech activity:

Channel Down PageDown
Channel Up PageUp
Prev Backspace
Up DirectionUp
Down DirectionDown
Left DirectionLeft
Right DirectionRight
OK Enter
Menu F6 (Home screen, defined in keymap.xml)
Exit S
Guide O
Info I
Stop X
Play P
Record F7 (shortcut to start xbmc)
Rewind R
Fast Forward F
Pause Space

And here is another great quote from steelman1991 http://forum.xbmc.org/showpost.php?p=415...stcount=37

Quote:Anubis - I finally managed to add an MCE Keyboard to my devices in the Harmony Software. Go to add device, then from the first drop down menu - choose Media Centre PC - Manufacturer (Microsoft) - Model (Microsoft MCE Keyboard), enter (make sure you type the model as I have it here) and the device should add.

Add the device to your preferred activity, then under 'customise buttons' (in 'activities' - not devices) you can remap the button activity to your choice - at this moment I have the 'menu button' set-up to start XBMC and the 'exit' button to back out screens etc.

Also i found info from Danielocean "Use only the F-button beginning at F7, cause F1-F6 & F11 is already occupied"

All this from reading the whoooole tread. Seems i was not so long off, just didn't do it correctly. Knowledge is power =)

alex84 · 2010-10-14 21:34

This is my conclusion after ALOT of error searching

You will not be able to program custome buttons on the screen on your harmony one. At some point it will crash xbmc! I have open another thread about this read on here http://forum.xbmc.org/showthread.php?p=6...post624449

bodhi · 2010-10-20 07:24

Guys,

Here is another device that you can use to supplement this MCE keyboard.

http://forums.logitech.com/t5/Harmony-Re...844#M37810

I've added another device using this, and mix the commands to the XBMC activity. It works really well with the RC6 receiver. You'll gain a whole bunch of Ctrl, Alt, and Win keys combination.

NiffStipples Junior Member Posts: 8 Joined: Sep 2010 Reputation: 0	2010-10-01 01:11 Post: #102 i just can't figure out why it's repeating only the last key-press if i press the harmony-button quick...when i'm pushing it just a little bit longer (just a few milliseconds) this issue doesn't appear.
	find quote

bodhi Fan Posts: 426 Joined: Sep 2010 Reputation: 1	2010-10-20 07:24 Post: #110 Guys, Here is another device that you can use to supplement this MCE keyboard. http://forums.logitech.com/t5/Harmony-Re...844#M37810 I've added another device using this, and mix the commands to the XBMC activity. It works really well with the RC6 receiver. You'll gain a whole bunch of Ctrl, Alt, and Win keys combination.
	find quote