[quickbluehorse]

Reading this whole thread, I see quite a few people have difficulties understanding how the components work together. Maybe it would be good to add some general explanations in big letters to the first how-to guide, as to how XBMC and IMON work together. Let me try something, and feel free to use it and add it to the how-to.

I know that info is also in the how-to, but obviously people don´t always find their way to the correct spot immediately.


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HOW KEYS CONTROL XBMC FROM AN IMON PAD (REMOTE)
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XBMC gets the information which keypress of a keyboard does what out of a system file. It is named keyboard.xml

That file is shipped with the normal installation of XBMC and can be located in a subfolder of the installation directory of XBMC. It is interesting and recommended to open this file in a text editor and look it over. It becomes clear WHY xbmc reacts to key presses in a certain way. It s all written up in that file.

It is not recommended or necessary to alter anything in that file. If one wants to change the way XBMC reacts to certain keys, or add new functions ... there should be placed a second keyboard.xml in a subdirectory that is only for the user of the computer, or all users. This second, personal keyboard.xml can be created from scratch. It is explained in the WIKI. Or one takes one of the files offered in that thread, and edits it. The second file OVERRIDES any definition in the SYSTEM file mentioned above.

If pressing "m" mutes the sound in the system file, and I define it now as "go to the photo folder" then the second definition becomes valid and operative.

Now one can configure XBMC to be controlled by keypresses in any way one wants.

Our keyboard in fact is a remote from IMON. This remote emulates keyboard keypresses and sents them to the computer. The definitions of which key or combinations of keys is sent is done in the IMON manager. There is a special section for each program that IMON controls. Go to the section for XBMC or load XBMC it it was not alread there. Any command listed can be edited. New commands can be added. So now I can teach IMON to send a simple "m" when I press the "RECORD" button - WHATEVER. Just try to reprogram the RECORD button of the Remote as a test, to send this "m".

What "m" does depends on the definition in the keyboard.xml file. That´s all, folks.

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