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

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+---- Thread: [WINDOWS] HOW-TO use a Logitech Harmony Remote with XBMC (/showthread.php?tid=77519)

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- markcleveland - 2010-10-31

Thanks for all the advice in this thread, it's been very helpful, I've just come to one minor issue I'm hoping to get some help with.

I have the 1 key setup as "Comma" (Skip Previous), however when I press the 1 key it actions is as the "<" (aka the "less-than sign").

I'm using Windows 7 32-bit, the current beta 3, and a Harmony for Xbox 360.

I've attached a photo of my button layout as well.

Aside from this minor issue, everything else has worked well. I wish I could convert the activity in to a device once I have finalized it, which I sort of tried by using 2 harmony remotes (having one learn from the other), but that did not work out well at all as it introduced the dreaded "harmony lag".

Image

- Hudson_Hawk04 - 2010-11-02

I have been messing with this off and on, looked through the thread and didn't really see any info on getting this to work with the Linux variety of XBMC are there extra steps I have to do to get this bad boy to work? or am i SOL?

- spon - 2010-11-08

I've been able to get my Harmony working well with XBMC for basic operations, but can't figure out how to set it up for more advanced operations. For example, I would like to program the context buttons to jump to "last added movies", "last added tv shows", "kids movies", ect.

I've done a good amount of searching, but I haven't been able to find anything definitive. Does anyone have their Harmony working that way?

- snogard20 - 2010-11-14

Two Part Question First one may make second irrelevant.
1. How can you tell if the receiver is RC6?

2. I see you set up two activities to map controls to there perspective place.
But after you map the keys under customize buttons how does this help? Unless there is a way to load an activity within an activity? Otherwise you have created an activity that you would have to run in order for the key presses you mapped to work.

Hope that makes sense I am just at my wits end with trying to set this thing up.

- vanOert - 2010-11-14

snogard20 Wrote:Two Part Question First one may make second irrelevant.
1. How can you tell if the receiver is RC6?
They are usually sold as Microsoft Media Center compatible IR receiver. When in doubt, purchase one at ebay, they're not expensive
snogard20 Wrote:2. I see you set up two activities to map controls to there perspective place.
But after you map the keys under customize buttons how does this help? Unless there is a way to load an activity within an activity? Otherwise you have created an activity that you would have to run in order for the key presses you mapped to work.

Hope that makes sense I am just at my wits end with trying to set this thing up.
I think you got devices and activities confused there.

- eriksmith200 - 2010-11-14

bodhi Wrote:Guys,

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

http://forums.logitech.com/t5/Harmony-Remotes-Programming/Expanded-control-for-Windows-Media-Center-now-available-in-our/m-p/374844#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.

Thanks for the tip, now I have more keys to map actions to than I have actions to map Smile

- snogard20 - 2010-11-15

vanOert,

Not sure if I got them mixed up or what.
What I was saying was in step 6 of your steps you added an activity.
This activity included the MCE Keyboard and MCE Remote. Then step 7
under the generic activity you created in step 6 you click customize buttons.
Then map the buttons how you want.

Well after this is done say I create activity "Watch TV" how do I add the generic activity created in step 6 and mapped in step 7 to the "Watch TV" activity so that the mapped keys do as intended?

Or am I still missing something?

Thanks again for your time and help I appreciate it.

- snogard20 - 2010-11-15

Never mind I was over analyzing it.
The "Generic Activity" should be "Watch TV" with both devices "MCE Remote" and "MCE Keyboard" included..... *FACEPALM* *Going to crawl back under my rock until I need another question answered that really didn't need answering*

- bodhi - 2010-11-20

vanOert Wrote:Does anyone know if there is an action I can use for exiting xbmc? If I have that I can just bind it to F10 or whatever and that to the remote.

Here is how I setup the XBMC shutdown using Harmony Sequence.

- In MCE Keyboard "Advance setup", choose the option to execute several commands to power ON/OFF. And then assign the keys: S, Enter, Power Toggle to that power ON/OFF sequence.

This way it does not matter if I'm inside XBMC, or out in Windows 7 dekstop. If inside XBMC, this sequence will shutdown XBMC and then power OFF the PC. If on Windows desktop, the sequence S and Enter will do nothing, the power OFF will shutdown the PC. This sequence will work when you power on the PC with XBMC activity (since the PC is off, S and OK will do nothing, the Power Toggle will turn the PC on).

Note that you can do the same thing at the end of XBMC activity. However, doing that will shutdown the PC every time you switch to other activity from XBMC activity. This is not desirable, since you'd want to be able to switch to other activity and then later come back to it without having to turn the PC off and On again!

- bodhi - 2010-11-22

bodhi Wrote:Guys,

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

http://forums.logitech.com/t5/Harmony-Remotes-Programming/Expanded-control-for-Windows-Media-Center-now-available-in-our/m-p/374844#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.

One specific set of keys combination that I've found very useful in this device is the set of combos Win+1, Win+2... These are automatically assigned by Win 7 when you have application shortcuts pinned down to the task bar. For example, I have Firefox, Window Explorer, XBMC, and Hulu pinned down to task bar, and they can be run with Win+1 through Win+4.

These Win+n combos don't loose focus like the Fn keys. A lot of time that whenever I exited XBMC to desktop, I've found the XBMC shortcut that was assigned to a function key such as F9 does not work any more. I think this is a problem that a lot of users have using Function key that binds to XBMC shortcut. Since I've started using Win+3 to run XBMC, I have been consistently in and out of XBMC to desktop without failing.

Once I'm in the desktop, I use a soft key "Start XBMC" that was set in Harmony LCD to Win+3 to go back to XBMC (if it's already running, then it will go back in, if not it will start XBMC).

- Jyujinkai - 2010-11-22

Anyone know what the MCE Remote button name is for the big green button with the windows logo on it? So I can map that to a button on the harmony?

- bodhi - 2010-11-22

Jyujinkai Wrote:Anyone know what the MCE Remote button name is for the big green button with the windows logo on it? So I can map that to a button on the harmony?

That's the Win key. It's called Start or Start Menu. It will bring up the Start Menu if you press and release. It's the Control-Esc in the Harmony Media Center SE device.

- vanOert - 2010-11-22

bodhi Wrote:One specific set of keys combination that I've found very useful in this device is the set of combos Win+1, Win+2... These are automatically assigned by Win 7 when you have application shortcuts pinned down to the task bar. For example, I have Firefox, Window Explorer, XBMC, and Hulu pinned down to task bar, and they can be run with Win+1 through Win+4.

These Win+n combos don't loose focus like the Fn keys. A lot of time that whenever I exited XBMC to desktop, I've found the XBMC shortcut that was assigned to a function key such as F9 does not work any more. I think this is a problem that a lot of users have using Function key that binds to XBMC shortcut. Since I've started using Win+3 to run XBMC, I have been consistently in and out of XBMC to desktop without failing.

That is a very elegant way to do it, so far I have used lifehacker's texter as a workaround for that. Which, to be honest, kind of sucks since all the texter confirm keys are mapped to stuff in xbmcs default keymap. I have a binding for [alt]+[enter], too. any ideas on that?

Now my only problem is putting aside some time to set my harmony. I just don't seem to get around to do that Rolleyes

- bodhi - 2010-11-22

vanOert Wrote:That is a very elegant way to do it, so far I have used lifehacker's texter as a workaround for that. Which, to be honest, kind of sucks since all the texter confirm keys are mapped to stuff in xbmcs default keymap. I have a binding for [alt]+[enter], too. any ideas on that?

Now my only problem is putting aside some time to set my harmony. I just don't seem to get around to do that Rolleyes

The Harmony MC SE device has Alt+Enter in there, too Smile

I tried to avoid using keymap.xml as much as I can. As long as the Harmony remote device has a key for things we need, I think it's a much more elegant way to set up, too. Also, if we want to add new keys, we could go to the Harmony board and flood them with requests, they might see that it's worthwhile to provide new keys Big Grin

Here are the hot-keys in this device currently:

Code:
Win + - (plus or minus key) Zoom in or out.

Win-

Win+

Win+Up: Maximize

Win+Down: Restore / Minimize

Win+Left: Snap to left

Win+Right: Snap to right

Win+Home: Minimize / Restore all other windows

Win+T: Focus the first taskbar entry

Win+F: Open Windows search

Win+E: Open Windows Explorer

Win+Space: Peek at the desktop

Win+G: Bring gadgets to the top of the Z-order

Win+P: External display options (mirror, extend desktop, etc)

Win+M:  Minimize all open windows

Win+1 / Win+2 / Win+3 etc (Hotkeys for programs added to the Quicklaunch)

Win+M: Minimize all open windows

Win+Tab: Flip 3D

Win+Shift+M: Undo all window minimization

Win+Home: Minimize all but the current window

Win + L: Lock the computer

Win + R: Open ‘Run’ command



Alt+1 / Alt+2  Alt+3 etc (Hotkeys for Video card display settings)

Alt+Esc: Cycle through all open windows

Alt+Tab: Switch to previous active window

Alt+Enter: Display properties for the selected item

Alt+Space: Pop up window menu

Alt+F4: Shutdown current window


Ctrl+A: Select all items in a document or window

Ctrl+C:  Copy the selected item

Ctrl+X: Cut the selected item

Ctrl+V: Paste the selected item

Ctrl+Z: Undo an action

Ctrl+W Closes the tabs for most web browsers

Ctrl+Shift+Tab: Left Navigation through the web browser tabs

Ctrl+Tab: Right Navigation though the web browser tabs

Ctrl+ESC: Opens the Start menu

Shift+Del: Permently deletes an item and bypasses the recycle bin

Shift+F10: Opens Shortcut Menu


- Jyujinkai - 2010-11-24

I followed this guide to get things moving and most of it worked 100%

the thing is that the Harmony One is emulating the REMOTE functions perfectly... but the Keyboard functions are not working at all. For example I have spacebar set to a button so I can quickly view the current playlist... but nothing happens when I try to click it. Even if i use teh device selector on the harmonry one and click teh "space" button on the digital screen...


Is there any additional actions I need to do to get MCEKeyboard Support working in XBMCLive?