New Version Announcement Thread (Currently 0.982)

[Ben S]

Howdy folks.

0.98 Available

PPC2002 (http://www.netremote.org/dl/NetRemote-PPC2002-0.98.zip)
Win32 (http://www.netremote.org/dl/NetRemote-Win32-0.98.zip)
MIPS (http://www.netremote.org/dl/NetRemote-MIPS-0.98.zip)
SH3 (http://www.netremote.org/dl/NetRemote-SH3-0.98.zip)
ARM (http://www.netremote.org/dl/NetRemote-ARM-0.98.zip)

All Versions
* Added NRBasic driver, allowing for functions similar to header, including toggle fullscreen, exit, go home, go device, go macro, etc. Documentation forthcoming.
* Fixed bug relating to image feedback
* Enhanced stability
* Added plumbing for button down, button up actions.

[brockgr]

Looking good through VNC :D :D :D
Image feedback also seems stable. I'll do a LDJ release tonight to celebrate.
Gavin

[Ben S]

Looking good through VNC :D :D :D
Image feedback also seems stable. I'll do a LDJ release tonight to celebrate.
Gavin

Doh! Thanks for reminding me.

Windows
* Made 255 alpha turn off alpha support altogether, so NetRemote shows up via VNC, and sees a decent performance boost. Setting it to below 255 reenables alpha (for an OSD type look).

[ErnRenner]

This is not related to album covers... is it? Because if so, I still have a problem.

[Ben S]

Nope. The album covers are still an outstanding issue. One I hope to invest more time in shortly.

[maxtrash]

* Made 255 alpha turn off alpha support altogether, so NetRemote shows up via VNC, and sees a decent performance boost. Setting it to below 255 reenables alpha (for an OSD type look).

the alpha disabling makes a huge difference on my celeron 600 (win32)! The full screen used to be unusable, now it's fine. Thanks

[Ben S]

the alpha disabling makes a huge difference on my celeron 600 (win32)! The full screen used to be unusable, now it's fine. Thanks

You're welcome. Happy that it worked out.

[Ben S]

I just uploaded 0.981 for all versions.

This release is different in that there are now 3 setups.

NetRemote-Win32-0.981.exe (http://www.netremote.org/dl/NetRemote-Win32-0.981.exe) (Windows)
NetRemote-PPC2000-0.981.exe (http://www.netremote.org/dl/NetRemote-PPC2000-0.981.exe) (SH3/MIPS/ARM PPC2000 devices)
NetRemote-PPC2002-0.981.exe (http://www.netremote.org/dl/NetRemote-PPC2002-0.981.exe) (ARM/XScale PPC2002 devices)

It's a little hokey in that for the PPC versions, I can't have it ask you if you want sample ccf and skins, so they are installed automatically. Registry entries are only written if you don't have a skin or ccf already in the registry. It's also a little hokey in that if you want to -remove- NetRemote from a Pocket PC, you must delete pronto.ttf from your \Windows\Fonts directory. If you fail to do this it won't let you remove NetRemote.

This version supports Stewart's Tonto 1.423/1.43 (includes 4 hard keys as well as nav pad, etc.), multi-image feedback, logging mechanism in place for all drivers, Gavin's fixed "register" girder bug, overall better stability, and a list of inconsistencies fixed that Dave (brohebus) sent me.

Whole setup thing needs to be checked (especially for PPC2000 devices), and Girder feedback system internals changed a little so it might have a hiccup or two that need to be resolved.

Let me know how it all works for you. If it works for all of you, I'll set it up as the version to download on the homepage.

Thanks!

[brockgr]

Ben,

Looking good on Win32!! The port thing works for me.

One question about multi-image feedback - can I batch the messages as usual?

As for Tonto - where do I get the "PPC" stype button definitions? When I do a "New With Type", "Custom" I just get the standard Pronto buttons. This is with 1.423

Cheers,

Gavin

[brockgr]

Oh, and is there a standard "blank" skin arround? Should that go in the installer? Maybe it would be good to have a Pronto, a Marantz and a blank skin installed by default.

Cheers,

Gavin

[Ben S]

Looking good on Win32!! The port thing works for me.

One question about multi-image feedback - can I batch the messages as usual?

As for Tonto - where do I get the "PPC" stype button definitions? When I do a "New With Type", "Custom" I just get the standard Pronto buttons. This is with 1.423


Great. How do you like the installer? Did it make you think NetRemote was actually somewhat professional? :)

You -should- be able to batch the messages as usual, although I admit I didn't test this. It uses the same SET command and handler within NetRemote, so unless something is really whacked, it should work fine.

The buttons should read
On Select (unused), Far Left, Left, Right, Far Right, Vol-, Vol+, Chan -, Chan +, Mute, and new buttons UpArrow, LeftArrow, RightArrow,DownArrow, and Click (Nav select). If they aren't there, somethings weird.

[Ben S]

Oh, and is there a standard "blank" skin arround? Should that go in the installer? Maybe it would be good to have a Pronto, a Marantz and a blank skin installed by default.


Related to this, I was thinking of changing up the way skins are handled. Whether we stay with an ini file, xml, or a ccf (for the interface skin), what do you folks think about having a directory of files (and related images), and having a picklist of skins with little thumbnails instead of a file browser for an ini file? I'm not entirely happy with the way PPC only allows you to browse to the my docs directory. I don't think skins should have to be in my docs.

But perhaps all three skins do make sense, for now. Especially with Tonto Custom defaulting to 240x320.

[QuickCarl]

Ben - I did the install of the Win32 v.981.... cool and professional! That dufus that is putting together NetRemote seems to be getting better :wink:

I checked for it to install default skin and CCF, but don't see where those got installed.

As I said earlier, I will get back to you ASAP on the performance once my testing environment is back in shape. -Carl

[Ben S]

Ben - I did the install of the Win32 v.981.... cool and professional! That dufus that is putting together NetRemote seems to be getting better :wink:


Took him long enough, huh? That guy sure is lazy! :)


I checked for it to install default skin and CCF, but don't see where those got installed.

It puts them in [My Documents]\NetRemote\Skins and [My Documents]\NetRemote\CCFs (if you choose to install them). Note that even if you install them, it won't -override- your registry settings if you already have a skin and ccf selected.


As I said earlier, I will get back to you ASAP on the performance once my testing environment is back in shape. -Carl

Great!

In other news, I'm away on business until Wednesday, so good luck with the new version, and let me know how it goes.

-Ben

[mihooper]

Ben,

I seem to have lost MSVCR790.dll somewhere in my install/re-install. I get an error message when trying to start Netremote Win32. Any suggestions on how to fix this? :?

:wink: Nevermind..I copied one from another directory. Works!!

BTW..the new installer(s) are nice! :) Good Job!

[Ben S]

Oops! I'll put that in the windows installer. Thanks for the heads up.

[Ben S]

Have people found 0.981 to be at least as stable as 0.98?

[z.mash]

I've been swamped for the last couple of weeks, but I a few days off next week that I'll get to setup my system! I have all the latest updates, and I will try to update the documentation next week as well.

A lot has changed in the last couple of weeks!

-Zak

[sdellutri]

How can I try the 0.981? On the home page of the netremote.org site there is only the option to get the 0.98 from Feb 23.

[z.mash]

The links are on page 1 of this post:
http://www.netremote.org/phpBB2/viewtopic.php?p=487#487

-Zak

[z.mash]

I'm not entirely happy with the way PPC only allows you to browse to the my docs directory. I don't think skins should have to be in my docs.


Have you looked at tGetFile?
http://www.pocketgear.com/software_detail.asp?id=1388&associateid=9

-Zak

[Ben S]

I have not looked at tGetFile. I'll take a closer look and see if that will help out. We're moving mostly to only needing to find .ccfs, so maybe it does make sense to leaving them in the my documents directory? At least ccfs are single files. You can make a "ccf" directory under my docs, and leave them there (As I do).

[Ben S]

0.982 available!

PPC2000 (http://www.netremote.org/dl/NetRemote-PPC2000-0.982.exe)
PPC2002 (http://www.netremote.org/dl/NetRemote-PPC2002-0.982.exe) (installer)
PPC2002 (http://www.netremote.org/dl/NetRemote-PPC2002-0.982-cab.zip) (zipped cab, for the linux users among us :) )
Win32 (http://www.netremote.org/dl/NetRemote-Win32-0.982.exe)
NewSkinning.ccf (http://www.netremote.org/dl/NewSkinning.ccf) Test ccf for "macropanel skinning"

Important Changes
* All drivers now support host name, in addition to IP address.
* Win32 version now is bundled with msvcr70.dll
* NRBasic driver now supports all functions -except- for the device drop down. ID's can be referenced here (http://www.netremote.org/phpBB2/viewtopic.php?t=75#725).
* To disable a skin, you can remove the InterfaceSkin registry setting, or choose "Load Interface Skin". Now click cancel. NetRemote will ask if you meant to -remove- the current skin, or cancel skin selection. Any skin change will force NetRemote to exit so that you may restart it.
* NetRemote will now handle skins and window size per the following:
1) If a skin exists, the skin will dictate window size, and the skin dictates where in the window the ccf data will sit.
2) If a skin doesn't exist, the ccf size is used as the window size.
3) If a skin doesn't exist, the ccf is checked for the existence of a "macro definition panel". This panel can be modified in Tonto, and is -supposed- to be for a default macro panel on the Pronto. NetRemote will draw this -before- the current panel, and will handle events if no current panel button or frame overlaps it. This panel is setup in such a way that NRBasic buttons for current device, panel, and hard key's work correctly.

Stewart is adding/has added support in Tonto for the renderer to show a watermark (I'm guessing) of the macro panel when you are designing a panel.

* Entire NetRemote code structure cleaned up and most global variables put into class definitions. I know you can't see this one, but it was the biggest change, impacting everything. NetRemote should be more stable now, and continue to become more stable going forward.

[Ben S]

1.0 Prepwork
Three remaining things are on my list for a 1.0 release. One is a finalized feedback mechanism with Girder and lua. This includes making the system easy to use. The second is better 32 bit image performance (per Zak's thread here (http://www.netremote.org/phpBB2/viewtopic.php?t=81). The third is to either support multiple instances of drivers, or pull the config part out for now (it is confusing right now).

Note that I see NetRemote and NRIRServ as two "products" within the NetRemote family. Thus I hope for UIRT2 and UIRT-USB support to be added to NRIRServ as soon as humanly possible, but NetRemote can become 1.0 without support being added to NRIRServ.

Is there anything else that absolutely has to go in for a 1.0 release, as people see it?

[QuickCarl]

Ben - would the "32bit image performance" that you reference include multiple image feedback from girder?

Would it include correction of the image problems using MC9 the driver for netremote?

Also, is there a font size property for the 'playlist' control in full screen mode it is TINY?

Is there any time estimate for a usable USB-UIRT driver?

-Carl

PS-if I haven't told you lately, this thing is AWESOME. Great work!

[Ben S]

Ben - would the "32bit image performance" that you reference include multiple image feedback from girder?


You bet. Multiple image feedback is currently supported in NetRemote and Gavin's lua code. -1,0,3 is an image feedback, and the button name is what should be referenced in Gavin's code.


Would it include correction of the image problems using MC9 the driver for netremote?

Also, is there a font size property for the 'playlist' control in full screen mode it is TINY?


By image problems you mean poor performance, right? Or are people still having MC bomb when images enabled? I thought I had fixed that. Unfortunately I don't see a way to scale the images from MJB, so I'm unsure whether image performance from MJB will improve for 1.0.

As to the font size, I'm not able to control this, as it's using the default font size from Windows, but Dave T. has some other requests for this tree, so I may have to go back to doing our own rendering of the tree again.

Probably not for 1.0 though, as this will be part of the rendering rewrite stuff that I plan to start once 1.0 final is out the door.


Is there any time estimate for a usable USB-UIRT driver?


If there is, it's 30+ days. I'll see if Jon can send me a test unit, or I'll purchase one for testing.


PS-if I haven't told you lately, this thing is AWESOME. Great work!


Thanks. I'm trying! Having a full time consulting gig, as well as putting 15+ hours a week in a startup is not affording me as much time on NetRemote as I'd like. Thanks for being patient, everyone.

[Ben S]

For you folks that have read the "announcement" already (before I edited it), I added

* To disable a skin, you can remove the InterfaceSkin registry setting, or choose "Load Interface Skin". Now click cancel. NetRemote will ask if you meant to -remove- the current skin, or cancel skin selection. Any skin change will force NetRemote to exit so that you may restart it.

-Ben

[QuickCarl]

Ben - If multiple image feedback works now, I will need to get with Gavin to see how to do it....

As for images using media center, it totally bombs my system. Testing using Netremote .981 Win32 version & MC9. I can give more accurate info this eveing, or upgrade to .982 and test with that and give detailed feedback.

WRT the USB-UIRT, I have one and would be happy to ship it to whomever would be best suited to expedititng the development (as long as I get it back :D )

Seems like there should be the ability to edit a registry setting on the tree control so that it chooses a differetn font than windows default...hmmmmm.

I'll post under Q & A to get some tips from Gavin on multi-image.

Thanks again -Carl

[Ben S]

Okay. I'll revisit MJ's album covers. Hold off on sending the USB for now. I still have Aaron's UIRT2, and the guilt of not having code working is overwhelming.

I wonder if Dave T. and I can schedule time to meet and take an afternoon and get both working? He's only an hour or so away, so maybe that makes sense.

In other news, check out this ccf (http://www.netremote.org/dl/prontoskin.zip) I just put together. 14k for the ccf (smaller than one of the standard bmps). Once Stewart supports a "skin panel" for home, device, and macro, and I support the device window correctly, this is -definately- the way to go. Neato!

[brockgr]

From what I have seen of the specs, the USB-UIRT is very UIRT2-like when you have got to the virtual USB serial device (which is done for you by the (FTD drivers). I'm sure that coding the UIRT2 would be usefull preparation for the USB-UIRT.

Gavin

[z.mash]

In other news, check out this ccf (http://www.netremote.org/dl/prontoskin.zip) I just put together. 14k for the ccf (smaller than one of the standard bmps). Once Stewart supports a "skin panel" for home, device, and macro, and I support the device window correctly, this is -definately- the way to go. Neato!

I don't get it. Is it supposed to overlay the macro over every page? Do I need something later than .982 to get it to work?

Zak

[Ben S]

Nope. 0.982 is all you need (although I need to release 0.983 to get support for the changes Stewart just made out).

Make sure you -don't- have a skin active, though. Click "load interface skin", click cancel. Let it exit. Restart, and voila! There it should be. If it's not, then something is unhappy.

[z.mash]

Is it possible to have multiple skins? That is, a skin for a certain device? I'll read through this thread again and look for more information (somehow I completely missed the boat on this one!).

(WickedEwok: Somehow I edited Zak's post as a reply instead of replying. I must be braindead. Carry on.)

[Ben S]

Multiple skins, yes. But not per device. One skin for home, one skin for devices, one skin for macros. I've already made the change to support it in NetRemote, so you'll see it shortly. Just wanted to show how cool the skin within ccf support is.

[maxtrash]

Multiple skins, yes. But not per device. One skin for home, one skin for devices, one skin for macros. I've already made the change to support it in NetRemote, so you'll see it shortly. Just wanted to show how cool the skin within ccf support is.

yep, I agree. At first I didn't find it very spectacular... than I suddenly realised that I didn't have a skin loaded and it looked completely the same! Excellent work, far more convenient! I think that when netremote becomes even more popular (and the board would support an upload area) we could be seeing very good skin-ccfs in all resolutions dreamable off.

[z.mash]

(WickedEwok: Somehow I edited Zak's post as a reply instead of replying. I must be braindead. Carry on.)

And the censorship begins! ;)

[Ben S]

And the censorship begins! ;)

Watch what you say! I'm on a witch hunt! :)

[mrallen]

I just got around to upgrading to 0.982. During testing I deleted the NRSkin and NRCCF folders and now NetRemote locks up the iPaq when it starts. I was hoping to test skinless ccfs. Also, the arrow buttons still have a mapping problem. up and/or right is still using the same numbers as down/left.

[mrallen]

update. I replaced the skin folder and NetRemote still crashes the iPaq. I deleted the NetRemote folder and re-installed but still no dice. I'm dead in the water at the moment.

[Ben S]

Does it do anything when it starts? Prompt for a new ccf, etc.?

Can you grab a utility to run in vmware that allows you to view the PPC registry? You should clean out the registry settings and start again. Something is clearly messed.

Regarding the arrow buttons, you're using "Extreme mode", right? If you aren't, that's your problem.

[mrallen]

No. It just locks up.

How do I view the PPC registry via activesync?

[Ben S]

How do I view the PPC registry via activesync?

I use the remote registry editor that is part of the PPC SDK, but I found one here (http://www.phm.lu/products/PocketPC/RegEdit/) that looks nice.

[mrallen]

thanks. I deleted the registry entries and started over. I was able to program the arrows using extreme mode, but this time Volume- wouldn't map. Skinless is working well, but button response seems to be a bit slower.

Cool stuff.