AutoHotkey Install

[Ava12]

So I thought that it should just work with a InfraRed stick, but since almost all InfraRed sticks communicate with the IrDa standard, and that all remotes are usually using other protocols to work with, I couldn't get my IrDa stick to communicate with any remote control I had.
Then I decided to take a look back to bluetooth, since there was already a special menu for all SonyEricsson cells which one could use for remote controlling a PC.

But the functions on my K850i and my old K750i are very limited, like presentation mode or normal pretty easy MediaPlayer mode.
So I thought I just need a java applet to immitate a PC keyboard but I couldn't find something like this. But I found this pretty complex and easy to manipulate/program applet called Phone Remote Control 5.0.
I couldn't use the 5.0 version with my k850 but the 3.0 version which is in the same archive worked, still with flaws, but it worked.
So I was near.
So you can edit or create new marcros with this program pretty easy on the PC, which is realy neat since you can throw just all XX command in there and then just use all your buttons on your cell to control XX.
I will have a try again to maybe perfect it a little bit more, and if some will try I could help them. I can even export all my macros and provide them to the community.
BUT it's still a demo version I'm using, so if there's a better way to do this, I will jump over, because this should be for free, I think.

[Ava12]

Ok just found out, that these macros are NOT global!
So every time you wantto use them is to be attended AND the XXHE window must be highlighted.
So I think this is NOT the way we want to control XX, exept there were some workaround tricks

[PeterSt]

Just note I changed the name of my wife's cell phone into K850i in the earlier post. So we have the same.

Although IR is very common of course, I have the feeling that WiFi brings more decent results. Then everybody has WiFi, and it just takes the software behind it. No stupid thing with drivers, WinLirc or whatever, but that software.
And then of course a remote that supports WiFi. But they exist, and the better stuff just has it because it's better stuff. I will focus on WiFi for now, just to not do the same as you are doing.

On the latter, if BlueTooth is the better option (and it looks like better compared to IR on the PC's side), then BlueTooth. But if by means of a cell phone, everybody will strugle with getting the proper HIDs in (HIDs ? yeah, I act as if I know what I'm talking about. ).

Thank you Ava !

[Ava12]

Well I thought it was a good idea, but I totally agree with you, the better stuff comes with better connections (WiFi).
And since this is a real pain getting this connection with 3 simultanious programs that convert the commands from one to another, I draw a line.

[PeterSt]

Just on another kind of negative note :

AutoHotkey overrules the Alt- keys assigned to programs (like those from XX). This too is something which actually should not be.
To the end user this may seem not obviously be wrong, but to me it is. So note that the Alt-P is not dealt with by XX as it would when AutoHotkey is not installed. So now within the XX.ahk this has to be dealt with explicitly (which you will recognize in the file).
This is "redundant" and requires unnecessary attention.

Just to make clear that AutoHotkey is not Walhalla as well, but I couldn't do better to start with ...

[Ava12]

Well setup my Logitech G15 keyboard to remote control my XXHE with macros.
I know noob stuff, but really handy!

[PeterSt]

[PeterSt]

You have probably seen it, but if not : WiFi Remote.

[Calibrator]

Although I haven't spent much words on the WiFi remore business in the 0.9x-4 release notes, I can imagine a 100 questions.
On the other hand, maybe nobody owns a WiFi remote.

hehe .. I can imagine at least that many!

For the last few weeks I have been dabbling with the remote functionality using an early ( pre-commercial ) version of Girder interfacing via a little IrMan serially connected ( COM1 ) infrared receiver. By using the CD assigned buttons on my Integra processor remote, I have been able to control XXHE quite effectively when in "attended' mode. Because Girder needs to see a "window" to which it will assign its keystroke equivalents, the remote functionality doesn't work when in unattended mode, as the GUI window has now disappeared.

Girder and the Irman receiver is how I have been controlling, for many years now, TheaterTek via my IR Philips Pronto remote device ( the very first model they produced!)

When I have some spare time ( ie. not dedicated listening to music .. hehe ) I will try and see if I can marry Girders output to this new WiFi way of doing things.

Peter, I think a wider acceptance of remote functionality would have a bigger participation if users could use one of the many IR remotes we seem to accumulate, and interface that somehow via a receiver similar to the IrMan.

I must admit knowing very little about the remote you are using. Perhaps some further words and pictures may be helpful in demonstrating exactly how it all fits together. It all seems like black magic and voodoo at the moment .. LOL.

Cheers,

Russ

[PeterSt]

Hi Russ,

Your response above was in the WiFi Remote thread, but since I thought to explain some more about the IR part, I moved your post to here.

If you have a good IR system working, there is no reason to hop over to the WiFi stuff. Well, I think. What you must do though in order to let IR working at all times (meaing : Unattended just the same) is start the AutoHotKey program, and configure that to receive the IR commands and pass those through as keyboard commands again. Without AutoHotKey (or something else for that matter) it can't work Unattendedly.

The downside of AutoHotKey is that it will also overrule the normal Windows hotkeys, and it is for that reason that you'll see the Alt-U etc. being captured explitcitly as well. This is hard to explain ... But concider these situations (all for volume up) ... you would want :

A. Alt-U when behind the keyboard. Attended.
B. Alt-U when behind the keyboard. Unattended.
C. Press Volume Up at the remote. Attended.
D. Press Volume Up at the remote. Unattended.

When nothing is arranged for, A works. B dos not, because indeed no GUI is there, and A works via the GUI.

B works via AutoHotKey. However, in order to let that work (as per AHK's design) Alt-U is globally captured, and it takes away the capturing from Windows itself. This is not what I like, but a nasty habit of AHK. It means, when AHK is running, A does not work anymore !

Because A does not work anymore, a special entry needs to be there in the .ahk config file and it works upon the GUI. It clicks the volume NotchUp button. When the GUI is not there, it starts XXHighEnd with the "U" parameter, XXHighEnd internally pressing that button.

Now C comes into play;
No matter how you arranged for letting that work, for the same reasons I just explained it probably (!) won't anymore once B is implemented. Also note that you need not to implement B for that reason (you never use keyboards) but you still need D to work, and it works with the same implementation (see later). Unless ... unless you can program the remote with the same things as is done in the .ahk file ... start XXHighEnd with the "U" parameter. When the remote can do that (needed for D) while IT AT THE SAME TIME can do C ... and I mean with the same button ... then AHK is not needed. But can it ? I doubt it. It needs the If/Else like similar to the .ahk config file.
So how is C to be solved ? an ADDITIONAL entry in the .ahk file that captures whatever it is the remote sends. So, there's the Alt-U for the keyboard (A + B) and there's the e.g. "Volume-Up" entry for your remote.

Before we can finish C we really must look at D. Why ? well, because the same If/Else is needed as with the Alt-U keyboard command : the treatment must be different for Attended vs. Unattended. In fact, in order to let C and D work, it needs a copy of the entries as are there for A + B, but the captured command is different.

Still with me ? Well, a major point is that for me this is all theory because I can't find a decently working IR receiver including the necessary reprogramming at the PC side. Or without reprogramming but passing through the commands to something that can capture it, which AHK in theory (!!) should do.
I have 4 IR sets now, and my latest aquisition has been a complete (Terratec) SAT h.264 receiver card just because of the programmable remote it contains. Am I stupid ? yes. But again it works too flakey, meaning yes/no/sometimes. It has to be for Vista too, and that may matter.

Peter

[Leo]

Hello Peter,

The Hotkey is not yet working as it should and from your recent other post I now learn that it is noweven related toSQ !

What I don't getright  is the 'send to... of the AH file. When I right click on the file or on desktop i never get this 'send to.."not even in Dutch :

what to do ?

Leo

[PeterSt]

Hi Leo,

Do you mean that you don't see something like the below ?
(this is XP, the right pane of Explorer)

[Leo]

In Dutch it is translated as : Copieren naar''.
Confusing translation if you think to understand the English language at least a bit.


But after doing this (creating a shortcut for the AH file) I don't get the right reply when I double click om AutoHotkey. It tells me that an older version is allready running and whether I want to replace that older version.

[PeterSt]

But did you / do you see such a green icon in the taskbar tray ?

Anyway, this is a kind of unexpected for me. Now I don't know, that is, assuming that you may not know just everything about PC's.
Do you have a backup of the OS (disk) ? if so, go for it. If not ...

Do you recognize that you use something like hotkeys on the PC ? If not, go for it. It probably came with some other software you installed sometime.

Don't blame me ...

[Eric]

Hello Peter,
I am experiencing the same behaviour.
I do get the green H shortcut icon created on the desktop. When I double click on it, the following message appears:

AutoHotkey.ahk 
An older instance of this script is already running. Replace it with this
instance ?
Note: To avoid this message, see #SingleInstance in the help file.
                                                        Ja           Nee

Whatever I click, Ja or Nee, it does not matter: in either case, ALT-X does not bring up XXHE.

(so, until this has been solved, the goodies from 0.9x-5 cannot be used by me).   

Cheers, Eric.