[sjw1]

OK, on my Harmony One I've created two devices (called xbmc(sw) - based on Windows Media Center SE and MCE Keyboard - based on MCE Keyboard). I have an HP receiver and when I plugged it in it installed various drivers onto W7 Premium (64bit).
I created an activity with the TV, amp and the two devices above.
Reviewing the settings looks like this:

Code:

Device                Status / Actions
Samsung TV            Samsung TV is on
Acoustic Energy AV Receiver    Acoustic Energy AV Receiver is on
Microsoft MCE Keyboard           Microsoft MCE Keyboard is on
Microsoft XBMC (sw)            Microsoft XBMC (sw) is on
Other    All other devices are off
Samsung TV            Samsung TV  is set to "HDMI 2/DVI"
Acoustic Energy AV Receiver    Acoustic Energy AV Receiver  is set to "Optical"

I have also told it the 'power on' for the xbmc(sw) is Win+7. This is where it is pinned in the taskbar and opens fine using the proper keyboard.
When I open the activity, the TV and amp come on fine and to the correct inputs - but nothing else happens - xbmc doesn't open. If I open it using the mouse/keyboard the Harmony's buttons still have no effect - even though most of them are assigned to the MCE Keyboard device. If I switch to 'Devices' on the Harmony and select Videos from the touchscreen then MCE opens fine.
Any idea how to get it working in XBMC?

[sjw1]

bump..
Anybody?

[bodhi]

OK, on my Harmony One I've created two devices (called xbmc(sw) - based on Windows Media Center SE and MCE Keyboard - based on MCE Keyboard). I have an HP receiver and when I plugged it in it installed various drivers onto W7 Premium (64bit).
I created an activity with the TV, amp and the two devices above.
Reviewing the settings looks like this:

Code:

Device                Status / Actions
Samsung TV            Samsung TV is on
Acoustic Energy AV Receiver    Acoustic Energy AV Receiver is on
Microsoft MCE Keyboard           Microsoft MCE Keyboard is on
Microsoft XBMC (sw)            Microsoft XBMC (sw) is on
Other    All other devices are off
Samsung TV            Samsung TV  is set to "HDMI 2/DVI"
Acoustic Energy AV Receiver    Acoustic Energy AV Receiver  is set to "Optical"

I have also told it the 'power on' for the xbmc(sw) is Win+7. This is where it is pinned in the taskbar and opens fine using the proper keyboard.
When I open the activity, the TV and amp come on fine and to the correct inputs - but nothing else happens - xbmc doesn't open. If I open it using the mouse/keyboard the Harmony's buttons still have no effect - even though most of them are assigned to the MCE Keyboard device. If I switch to 'Devices' on the Harmony and select Videos from the touchscreen then MCE opens fine.
Any idea how to get it working in XBMC?

Did you make sure to enter "MCE Keyboard" manually? (This device does not show up automatically in Harmony setup).

Computer – Media Center PC – Microsoft – “MCE Keyboard”

P.S. You can also try to use the Windows Media Center SE device mode to see if you got any response. Your Media Center works in device mode, so I think the MS driver must have been OK.

[sjw1]

Well I never.
Truly bizarre. Fixed and 'solution' here. Any ideas?

One problem I do have is I use the backslash key on the keyboard to make xbmc into a window for when I want to drop into windows temporarily. I have set a key on the Harmony One to be 'backslash' but when I press it, it is actually the number 3. Any idea why - or a workaround?

What's the best way to make the Harmony switch the PC on as a part of an activity (or otherwise) and off (to sleep I assume?)?

[bodhi]

Well I never.
Truly bizarre. Fixed and 'solution' here. Any ideas?

One problem I do have is I use the backslash key on the keyboard to make xbmc into a window for when I want to drop into windows temporarily. I have set a key on the Harmony One to be 'backslash' but when I press it, it is actually the number 3. Any idea why - or a workaround?

What's the best way to make the Harmony switch the PC on as a part of an activity (or otherwise) and off (to sleep I assume?)?

- Bizarre :-) But my wild guess is the problem has something to do with the transmitter on the Harmony One was installed incorrectly.

- Here is what I did to set up the HTPC sleep/wake action in the activity:

1. I had a XBMC shortcut, and assigned Win+3 key to that (on Win 7, when you pin a shortcut to the task bar, its position determines the Win+n key, my XBMC shortcut is pinned to 3rd position).

2. My HTPC Power is set to go to Sleep when the HTPC power button is pressed. And wakes up when pressed again.

3. Add Win+3 to the end of the XBMC activity start, and to the beginning of XBMC activity stop. This way when the power All Off button is pressed, XBMC is minimized, and the HTPC go to sleep. When the XBMC activity button is pressed to start the whole system, Win+3 maximizes XBMC again.

- My "fulls creen" command is a soft button on the LCD. It was defined as
FullScreen - MCE Keyboard - Backslash. Check your Customized Buttons to see if you're seeing the same definition.

[clubwerks]

My fullscreen, subtitles, next audio, and "S" key for settings are all soft keys in the LCD. Works like a charm.

[sjw1]

I have followed the instructions here to create the activity - and in particular step 6 for starting stopping xbmc.
I do have xbmc assigned to Win+ key and if the PC is on xbmc starts. I assume this is due to the step 6 in linked thread:

(6)Setting up Power Buttons to start/end XBMC
Many people prefer to have XBMC start up and end when they're done watching and turn off the TV.
Click on the Devices Tab, and select Settings, under XBMC (sw).

"Adjust Power Settings"
"I want to turn off this device when it's not in use"
"A button on the remote for On, and a different button for Off"
"I don't have the original remote, but I know the command that is used:"
Select the WIN+# that you enabled above when pinning the shortcut to the start menu
"I don't have the original remote, but I know the command that is used:"
Select ALT+F4. (A single option, not 2 different buttons)

I'm still not sure how to get the actual PC to power on from sleep as a part of the activity - and off again when I switch the activity off (top left of Harmony One). Power off may be OK - I think I'll try creating a shortcut to the sleep command and assign it to a key and then run that key at the end of the activity. I would like to assign it something slightly obscure (eg Alt+F12) but the Media Center SE 'device' only has Alt+F4 as an option for using the Alt with an F key. I'm not sure how your PC powers up and down on what you wrote above.

I have just opened Notepad and then switched to Devices on the Harmony and selected MCE Keyboard. Selecting the backslash touch button actually sends a # symbol (which explains why it's not working properly in xbmc). I suppose I could change xbmc to use # instead but would like to know why it's doing what it is - as there's quite a few other buttons wrong. eg pressing the comma soft button gives a < onscreen...

[bodhi]

I
I'm still not sure how to get the actual PC to power on from sleep as a part of the activity - and off again when I switch the activity off (top left of Harmony One)

- Set power policy for your HTPC to go to sleep when the power button is pressed. This is done in Windows, outside Harmony setup.

- After this, it is automatically put to sleep when you press the All Off button on the Harmony.

- To ensure that it is put to sleep when you switch activity, just use the default setting in setting up other activities to turn off other devices when the activity ends in the Harmony Activity page. For example, in "Watch TV" activity, you can specify whether other unused devices will be turned off when "Watch TV" starts, or to leave them on.

[bodhi]

I have just opened Notepad and then switched to Devices on the Harmony and selected MCE Keyboard. Selecting the backslash touch button actually sends a # symbol (which explains why it's not working properly in xbmc). I suppose I could change xbmc to use # instead but would like to know why it's doing what it is - as there's quite a few other buttons wrong. eg pressing the comma soft button gives a < onscreen...

I have to ask again:

Did you make sure to type "MCE Keyboard" manually? This device does not show up automatically in Harmony setup. If you have selected this device on Harmony set up page then it is not a correct device.

Computer – Media Center PC – Microsoft – “MCE Keyboard”

[sjw1]

OK, it looks like me setting the 'on/'off' buttons override what it would normally use (based on the instructions I used above). I should remove those settings from that part of Harmony and leave it to use its own settings - but instead add them as part of the on/off sequence.?
Yes, it is added as an MCE Keyboard. When I hover over the device in 'Devices' tab, a yellow popup appears saying Microsoft MCE Keyboard'....

[bodhi]

OK, it looks like me setting the 'on/'off' buttons override what it would normally use (based on the instructions I used above). I should remove those settings from that part of Harmony and leave it to use its own settings - but instead add them as part of the on/off sequence.?
Yes, it is added as an MCE Keyboard. When I hover over the device in 'Devices' tab, a yellow popup appears saying Microsoft MCE Keyboard'....

Don't use that instruction! it's wrong. You should select "Power Toggle" as On/Off button as followed:

1. "Adjust Power Settings"
2. "I want to turn off this device when it's not in use"
3. "One button on the remote for On and Off"
4. "I don't have the original remote, but I know the command that is used:"
Power Toggle


About the "back slash" button, I don't have any idea why it would not work if you've selected the device by manually typing "MCE Keyboard":confused2: It works for me on 2 different Harmony remotes: 360 and 700.

Regarding the starting/exiting of XBMC, you can add Win+ key to the end part of the start sequence of activity. And then add the Win+ key or the Alt-F4 key to the beginning of the stop sequence of the activity (if the Win+ key then XBMC will be minimized only, if the Alt-F4 key then XBMC will be terminated).

[darksheep]

Can some one please reupload the pics for this post cause i am not sure what to do to set my remote up.
Thank you for you help and time.

[bodhi]

Can some one please reupload the pics for this post cause i am not sure what to do to set my remote up.
Thank you for you help and time.

You could try to PM the OP (VanOert). VanOert has not been around since May, so I'm not sure we can get the pics. If anybody has a backup of the pics, please put them up on some upload sites such as mediafire, and I will repost them here with instructions.

[zooankski]

Can we get the pictures back up on display?

[sjw1]

Getting there..
Can the Harmony send CTRL+ALT+X commands? I have a couple of shortcuts on the Desktop that I don't really want to add to the Taskbar. As far as I know, tho assign them a shortcut, they need to be in the CTRL+ALT+.. format..?