iPad app for Remote Desktop?

[acg]

Hi All,

So I have finally tried to get a remote control operating for XXHE.  I have installed Microsoft Remote Desktop 8.0.5.24403 onto my iPad and managed to get it connected to my network via wifi to my modem-router.  My XXHE PC is LAN connected via cable and currently draws its music files from a NAS at the other end of the house.

So, no too much trouble getting the iPad to talk to the XXHE PC and run the Microsoft Remote Desktop software and I can get music to play and tracks to change but not in the manner that I expected because I have to use the "mouse" in RDP and not "touch" (I hope you get what I mean by this). 

There are a few things that are bugging me about this method of remote control (wallpaper not showing, the OSK - On Screen Keyboard - not working, the "touch" feature being unreliable) but I am hoping that they are all able to be fixed by changing my iPad app for RDP.

So, what do you guys use?  Is anyone successful with something other than Microsoft Remote Desktop for the iPad?

Cheers,

Anthony

[PeterSt]

Hi Anthony,

The only one I tried ever back was just Teamviewer and I don't recall any issues apart from the more awkward connecting.

Are you sure there are no settings for Mouse vs. Touch and "track mouse" or something like that ? Because I think such settings are needed for general usage.

Hopefully others have the real answers.

Regards,
Peter

[acg]

Thanks Peter,

I will give Teamviewer a go.  The app I am using now does have a "touch setting" and although it works well before the first playback it does not seem to work well after playback starts.  I don't know if this is because the XXOSK.exe is not functioning as expected or if it is a problem with the app itself.

Regards,

Anthony

[PeterSt]

XXOSK.exe is not functioning as expected

Anthony, I already had the idea you were referring to this but wasn't sure. Can you describe the problems you encounter with exactly this ?

Peter

[pedal]

MICROSOFT REMOTE DESKTOP
MRD is free and it works very well on my iPad Air, controlling my dedicated music-PC. LINK: https://itunes.apple.com/us/app/microsoft-remote-desktop/id714464092?mt=8

The only "problem" is the awkward GUI of XX, making it difficult to reach all the various buttons and settings.
As a compromise I have re-shaped the XX GUI so I can reach most buttons form both my iPad and laptop.

TEAMVIEWER
This is a great program. I used it for several years connecting various PCs at work/home.

But I am not sure it is the best for XX  users, because Teamviewer only works with an internet connection as a function of its log on/ID/user control. It is also running in the background when not in use (checking for updates and who knows what else?).
For the (sound quality) purists, who wants to shut down as many processes as possible during playback, I am not sure if it's the best.

[PeterSt]

As a compromise I have re-shaped the XX GUI so I can reach most buttons form both my iPad and laptop.

But ... but ...
I don't think this should be a "compromise" because

a. I think you can very well shape all for the normal functions used (no real compromises here);
b. You can save the settings under a User Setting in the left (those 5 + 1 small buttons).

The only compromise I can see is forming the screen so that it will be convenient to use on the tablet, but once done it's done. However, do save both the tablet settings and the "laptop" settings in a User Setting, so you can swap with the press/click of one button.

If you are doing this already then I guess something is compromised (too much). 

Peter

[pedal]

Yes, you are right. I never learned to use those "5+1 small buttons". 

Gonna look into it this weekend!

[acg]

XXOSK.exe is not functioning as expected

Anthony, I already had the idea you were referring to this but wasn't sure. Can you describe the problems you encounter with exactly this ?

Peter

Hi Peter,

I have just tried Teamviewer and am having similar issues with it as with WRD.  I do much prefer the WRD approach so I will try to get it working properly, which it is now but only with the "mouse" and not with the "touch" input method.

So, what seems to be the issue with XXOSK.exe?  To be honest I am not exactly sure how it should be started or when it should be started or whether XX.ahk should be disabled or kept running.  The way that I am using it now is that I have a shortcut to it on my desktop and I click on that to get it going and then I start XXHE.  When I do that though the OSK sits over the top of the XXHE library front end which I would have imagined that it would not be required to do until playback starts.

Secondly, I have setup the coverart to show as the background in unattended (I don't normally bother with coverart at all so this is new to me) but I only manage to get the album and track names and even the little track timer in the bottom right of the screen but the coverart never shows.  I suspect that this is another problem not related to remote desktop so I will read through the coverart tips in your help and tutorial section first.

Thirdly, as soon as playback starts the OSK is non responsive to "touch" but if input is set to "mouse" then it works just fine, but is a pain to scroll through things.  When the OSK is non-responsive after playback starts I can bring up the WRD keyboard and alt-x will work just fine to bring back the XXHE frontend.  The OSK is still shown over the top of XXHE but does not respond at all and in fact "touch" does not work anywhere on the iPad screen.  I must then change back to "mouse" and OSK becomes responsive as does XXHE.  I suspect that there is a service that is being shutdown when playback starts that is necessary for "touch" to remain functioning, but of course I have no idea if that is true or what that service may be.

All in all though Peter, I like the look and functionality of the remote desktop control from the iPad but just need to iron out a few kinks right now.

Regards,

Anthony

[PeterSt]

Anthony, I assume you read this : Using the On Screen Keyboard ?

And yes, that requires AutohotKey to be running, but that usually will automatically (start XXHighEnd once for the boot session).

If you read that link I gave then I don't know what the problem can be. Uhm, Windows 8 ?

If Windows 8, most probably you can forget the Wallpaper anyway. But maybe more ...
Otherwise I recall that certain RDC settings are required to show the Wallpaper (this is just a general thing).
But let's forget about the Wallpaper for now - it is not the most important and one thing at the time.

Peter

PS: It can very well be that nobody used any remote tablet any more since W8 (and when on W8) because "officially" it required the Bluetooth Dongle, and that in itself wouldn't run under W8 well.

[PeterSt]

And here you have some idea of how things can be organized / look like : Tablet XXHighEnd Settings ...

[pedal]

a. I think you can very well shape all for the normal functions used (no real compromises here);
b. You can save the settings under a User Setting in the left (those 5 + 1 small buttons).

-Just programed button 1 for my iPad and button 2 for my Laptop. Took less than a minute and works great!

------------

Now, how do I get around my Windows Defender in order to get Unattended playback? (ref the other thread).

[acg]

a. I think you can very well shape all for the normal functions used (no real compromises here);
b. You can save the settings under a User Setting in the left (those 5 + 1 small buttons).

-Just programed button 1 for my iPad and button 2 for my Laptop. Took less than a minute and works great!

------------

Now, how do I get around my Windows Defender in order to get Unattended playback? (ref the other thread).

Go to Control Panel > Administrative Tools > Services > Windows Defender and stop it and disable it so it does not  start again when you reboot.

[acg]

Anthony, I assume you read this : Using the On Screen Keyboard ?

I had read that link thanks Peter.

PS: It can very well be that nobody used any remote tablet any more since W8 (and when on W8) because "officially" it required the Bluetooth Dongle, and that in itself wouldn't run under W8 well.

Yes Peter, that's right, I am not using the bluetooth dongle, just a my home network.

This morning I went into w7 and setup WRD and it has no better functionality than with w8, although the problems are a little different.  After any Alt-? button is pressed on the OSK the music stops and the XXHE frontend is brought up although unlike with w8 the "touch" functionality is still working.  If I exit the OSK and use  the WRD keyboard to do any on the Alt-? functions it works perfectly.

So, back in w8, when I play a playlist and then Alt-X from the WRD keyboard back into XXHE the "touch" does not work at all.  However, if I break the WRD connection and then start the connection afresh the "touch" functionality is back, which tells me that the problem is with WRD on the iPad or RD in w8 or both, and not any fault with XXHE.  It is interesting that connecting into different o/s from the iPad gives different behaviours though.

So with that interesting behaviour in mind I started music playing in w8, broke the WRD connection and restarted it to see if the OSK and touch functions would work at all.  Well, the OSK has reverted to the w7 behaviour during playback whereby you press Alt-? on it and it stops the music playback and the XXHE frontend loads again and when the frontend comes back the "touch" functionality works.  So it seems as thought the w7 and w8 problems are not that dissimilar afterall.

Regards,

Anthony

[PeterSt]

Hey Anthony, of course you were sure I could follow all that.
haha

So nothing to do on my side ?

[acg]

The OSK does not work for me in either w7 or w8, it just causes windows to hang on the XXHE PC, but to be honest I am not sure I would use it if it did work, I would most likely just use the WRD keyboard because I do not like the OSK hanging over the front of XXHE when I am setting a playlist or fiddling with settings.

So, nothing for you to do, unless you can make OSK sit behind XXHE (in which case I would use it) and then not cause a heart attack when it is used when music is playing.

I tell you what though, I have had the day off today and have enjoyed being able to let the music drift through the house and not have to return to the computer to change what is playing.  That is really nice.

Anthony