"Customization" of XBMC... Was I naive?
#31
ronbaby - I only recently (2 days ago) started digging the source knowing nothing about C++ and tried to implement some features I'd like to have. By that I stumbled upon the input handling section of XBMC which you probably could have a look to see how mouse support is currently implemented and to which internal actions the mouse "key bindings" are mapped to.

Mouse input handling: https://github.com/xbmc/xbmc/blob/master...seStat.cpp
Keymapping: https://github.com/xbmc/xbmc/blob/master...slator.cpp

If you think mouse support is unsufficient and could be improved (maybe sync some mouse gestures with touch gestures like scrollLeft=>swipeLeft), feel free to dig into it and propose improvements, or even better file a PullRequest (given your C++ knowledge). XBMCdevs most likely won't spend time on this unless one really want's improved mouse support - but as almost everybody is using a remote this might not happen soon if ever. But I agree that it wouldn't harm to detect more mouse actions to please users like you.
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#32
Am i the only one who thinks that ronbaby is just ranting in a cloaked arrogant way?

Most of us don't know how this SDL input stuff even works (cause whoever has coded this might even not be in the team anymore).

We'll see if you get a handle to those mouse buttons at all (not sure if SDL is not just hiding it from us).
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#33
(2012-11-05, 16:28)Memphiz Wrote: Am i the only one who thinks that ronbaby is just ranting in a cloaked arrogant way?

+1
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#34
Quote:You'll find the mouse-actions there as well. However - that is the pure file of available actions, not indicating what they actually do.

:-)

Sorry. I can't help but snicker a little at this comment. I mean it isn't as if the material in the wiki... in particular this page which is supposed to document actions... make any serious effort to describe the actual semantics for any of the built-in actions of XBMC.

Quote:I think that it simply doesn't make a whole lot of sense to even think out the actual mouse-options one might have with the different mouse-devices you get on the market since the mouse can be considered way to sensitive to work with a media-center. It also doesn't make a whole lot of sense (to me at least...) to try to control a media-center with a mouse-device.

Well, as my father used to say "If you are going to do something, do it right." That's my feeling.

Clealy, XBMC already has some level of mouse support. And as I've said, I think that is a damn good thing because that is how I personally find it most easy to control the thing... even from 10 feet away on the couch... perhaps even especially from 10 feet away on the couch. So the question isn't whether XBMC should or should not support mice as an input/control device. That Rubicon has already been crossed. Now the only question is: Shall mouse support in XBMC be done in a rational, sensible, and complete manner, or shall it just be left sort-of half baked? My own opinion is that the former is better than the latter.

Let me ask you this... I don't know my way around either XBMC or Confluence very well at all yet, but I have had to ``add media sources''. When I have done this, a little keyboard-like thing has popped up on the screen, allowing me to enter the pathname of the new source and also the identifier that I wish that new source to be known by, i.e. when it is displayed in a list of possible media sources. Have you seen that? I assume so. So tell me please (because I really am interested) how does one enter those strings when all one has in hand is a TV-type remote control (with no alpha-numeric keyboard)?

With a mouse in hand, entering this data is easy using the on-screen keyboard. With just a remote in hand however I'm not sure it can even be done at all.

This all having been said, let me assure you that I do understand your point about not wanting to waste limited resources of Team XBMC, but I wasn't really proposing any big investment on their part. I was thinking that I'd try to do the coding & initial testing myself, and then they would just have to review, approve, and integrate. I certainly was not expecting anybody from Team XBMC to drop everything and rush over to start improving mouse support just because this one newcomer said how much he liked mice.

Finally, regarding your point that some (many?) skin don't currently support mice... either well or, perhaps at all... I have a simple response... So what? Looking at the "standard" Confluence skin, it appears to me... and please correct me if I'm wrong... that it only supports 720p output devices. If true, where does that leave people who want to use Confluence on their iPhones?

XBMC is skinnable. Some skins work better with some kinds of hardware than they do with other kinds of hardware. It seems to me that there is nothing wrong with this. It is what it is.
Quote:Am i the only one who thinks that ronbaby is just ranting in a cloaked arrogant way?

To the charge of "ranting" I plead guilty.

I'm not sure how anything I've said could be considered "cloaked" in any sense. I mean it's all been posted right out here in public and I've meant what I said and said what I meant.

As regards to the arrogant part, I have no way to judge that. Arrogant in what way?

P.S. What (or who) is SDL?
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#35
(2012-11-05, 23:55)ronbaby Wrote: With a mouse in hand, entering this data is easy using the on-screen keyboard. With just a remote in hand however I'm not sure it can even be done at all.

Absolutely it can
I have thrown away the mouse since it complete senseless to use IMO
I feel like a complete moron using a mouse on XBMC because it doesn't feel right (apart from the fact that it works or not)


Quote:Well, as my father used to say "If you are going to do something, do it right." That's my feeling.
Why do it if you don't need it

Quote:and please correct me if I'm wrong... that it only supports 720p output devices.
Wrong. It has been skinned as 720p but can absolutely be used in 1080p or whatever.
Little experimentation from your side could have showed you that.

Quote:Confluence on their iPhones?
You'd be stupid to use it on your iPhone (despite using an iPhone itself). We have some dedicated touchscreen friendly skins for that. Again a bit of research.....
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#36
Quote:You'd be stupid to use {Confluence} on your iPhone (despite using an iPhone itself). We have some dedicated touchscreen friendly skins for that.

Right. That was my point exactly. The fact that some skins do not support hardware thingy `X' is not, in and of itself, a persuasive argument that XBMC should do nothing to support X (because X may be useful to other and different skins).
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#37
and that in itself isn't a very persuasive argument
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#38
Arrogant because you write your rants like you would have done a much better job in supporting input devices (and that its obvious how stupid the current approach is) and of course you would have done a better job in keeping the wiki up to date and only full of usefull info (btw we consider the wiki a community project where every user can contribute).

Well that alone doesn't make it arrogant - the fact that i don't see any code/results/solutions might. (click and move == drag? You might rethink this - imo click and a move counts up to - a click and a move...).

So instead of writing ebooks here - get your hands dirty - we got your point and we can live with the current "half baked" crap. (btw my remote has a cursor and a keyboard on the back - and if i'm lazy i take out one of the dozens remote control apps for <insert your idevice/androiddevice here>).

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#39
The existing developers have no inclination (as you may have guessed) at improving mouse support, as what is there is designed to do the job and that's all, because we feel that the mouse is not the best method to control XBMC. A touchpad is a much better way to control XBMC, and that gets away with just 2, maybe 3 "buttons".

So if you want more than 3 buttons, you're going to have to implement that yourself. We're not opposed to patches, but we do very much take into account the support burden that accompanies such patches.
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#40
jmarshall, Memphiz, Martijn, or any other XBMC ninja,

Short version: I want to learn how to customize an XBMC box for my dad, and I'm willing to pay someone to help me. Where can I find this person?

Looong version:
Like ronbaby, I'm trying to learn how to customize XBMC but I have a time deadline. I'm trying to build a super simple XBMC box and load it up with old westerns for my dad who is in a rest home. He lives in a different state and I've got a trip scheduled to visit him in 3 weeks.

I've look everywhere I can think of including Freelancer.com and oDesk, but there doesn't seem to be a marketplace for XBMC contracting. This is not a big project. I'm just saying I'm willing to compensate someone for saving me weeks of ramp up with a few hours of their time. I also realize these forums is another option and I might get the help I need for free Smile. But that might also take me too long. Thanks for any direction y'all can provide.
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#41
What kind of customizations do you have in mind? Western themed skin, or just stripping out some of the less senior-friendly features?
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