Using URC MX-3000 to control XBMC on Apple TV
#1
Greetings,

XBMC is great, but the Apple TV remote leaves a lot to be desired. Thankfully, with universal mode, we can get a little more functionality. My own universal remote is a URC MX-3000, which you can see here: http://www.universalremote.com/product_d...p?model=34. On the outside chance that someone else happens to be using the specific combination of ATV and MX-3000, I am sharing my solution for this. I have done nearly all of the work for integrating this universal mode into the MX-3000. If you don't know much about the MX-3000, I would stop reading now and move on to other pursuits unless you have a serious streak of morbid curiousity.

Included in the zip file available at http://www.mx-3000.com/files/mx-3000_atv_xbmc.rar are a generic Activity page for using XBMC as well as a device for ATV. Additionally, there is a keymap xml file which maps the universal mode sequences to XBMC actions. The ATV device has a page called Universal. Each combination in universal mode is assigned a number. There is a button for each number which references the Straight and Hold button combinations. There is also a separate "delay" button for tuning the length of the delay between button presses. Finally there are two pages of buttons defining activities within XBMC. These are then mapped to a universal mode id by adding the ID alias from the Universal page. Each activity is also mapped to the same corresponding ID in the keymap.xml file.

Here is how you use this:

1) Of course, import the "Apple TV" and "Activity: Watch Videos" into your main MX file.
2) Capture all of the button presses for "Straight" by learning directly from your Apple remote. Straight implies a single button press with no holding. DO NOT HOLD the button down as this transmits different IR code.
3) Capture all of the button presses for "Hold" by learning directly from the Apple remote. This time, hold the button down while aiming at the capture eye on the MX-3000 until you get the "Capture Good" message.
*note* - It is important that you capture the IR because the database does not have the "hold" codes for Apple TV.
4) Upload the keymap.xml file using sftp to your apple tv in the following directory: /mnt/Scratch/Users/frontrow/Library/Application Support/XBMC/userdata. Make sure you are not running XBMC while trying to upload or you will not be able to write to the folder (if you get "Permission Denied" you are running XBMC, exit the application and try again).
5) Test things out. It may be that you need to adjust the "delay" setting on the Universal page of the Apple TV device.

You can further customize which activities you'd like to have in your remote by following these simple steps:
1) Choose an activity to perform in XBMC. There is a list here: http://wiki.xbmc.org/?title=Keymap.xml
2) Add the activity to an empty spot in the keymap.xml file.
3) Find an empty button on the XBMC Mapping or XBMC Mapping 2 page and label it with the activity. Then add an alias for the corresponding universal mode id on your newly labeled button. You can now reference this activity button from any other page.

Well, as I said, I don't actually expect anyone to ever use this, but if you do happen to give it a whirl, I'd ask that you please just drop me a line and let me know how it works. Just reply to this thread if need be. I am working on a version for MX-900 as well, and if I ever finish I will publish those files as well.

Regards,
-aedile-
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#2
Updated keymap.xml to add full xml instead of just apple remote. Someone reported an issue in a forum I cross-posted on.
-aedile-
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#3
Note: I have not been able to get this to work 100%. Two button combinations are working, three button are not. I have also updated the file to have a ramp-and-repeat on the non-hold buttons. This has made the directional buttons much more responsive.

-aedile-
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#4
Hi AEdile:

The URC MX3000 is definitely a great remote...though I've had to spring for a battery here and there. You and some of the others on the forum might be interested in a good spott for them: http://www.batterytex.com

They have good prices, shipping, &tc. Pretty fast too.

-DevisCool
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#5
Note: this has since been updated on my end to account for new buttons allowed in the latest launcher. If you are interested, I can re-upload the new keymap.xml and mx file. I am not developing any further on this as I am moving to a different control solution.

-aedile-
Quidquid latine dictum sit, altum sonatur.
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