Newb Here - Quick Question before buying X30

[ShiftyPowers]

I'm down to the last few details on my home theater setup and control of all my devices and HTPC is a very high priority for me. It started with looking at girder and how to use that (i've learned the gist of it and i'm sure to learn more over time).

I have a spare laptop that I could use to test out Netremote through a wireless connection. My general question is a follows, does this work:

1) Laptop is sitting on coffee table running netremote (and girder?). Connected to my router and other computers, including HTPC, through .11b wifi.

2) I have a ccf on screen that has some buttons or macros etc that are linked to girder commands over at the HTPC

3) Laptop receives my command and then over wireless fires it over to HTPC.

4) HTPC then uses my USB UIRT to send the appropriate command to the appropriate device?

Does that make sense? If this does indeed work and there is a generally easy way of starting then I'll try it out first with the laptop before buying a Dell X30.

Please help out a newb to figure out how to use this fantastic program, by the looks of it.

[Ben S]

Yes, you've got it almost exactly.

The only thing slightly off is that you do not need Girder on the laptop.

NetRemote on your laptop will talk to Girder on the HTPC and use the USB-UIRT.

[ShiftyPowers]

that is fantastic news! then what is the best link to a newb guide? I can't get to the ones posted in the sticky, all it does is send me to the Promixis index

[Promixis]

On the NetRemote product page, bottom right hand are the LE guides.

Eric has created an excellent guide to covers features beyond LE.

http://www.tinsys.com/downloads/NetRemoteGuide.pdf

[ShiftyPowers]

gracias guys. How hard is it to create my own ccfs? I want to be able to create a panel that has a macro like "Turn on Projector w/ HTPC" or "Turn on Projector w/ STB"

[Jlee]

Quite easy once you get the hang of it. The best thing to do is to look at other peoples NR CCF's and Girder gml'. Have a look at mine here (http://www.promixis.com/php/download.php?ID=51). Most of those commands (except in the MC panels) are just sending commands to girder to send out an IR signal from my USB-UIRT. If you have the usb-uirt driver enabled in Girder you'll be able to see what's going on in my .gml

Eric's guide and the other newbie guides should give you an idea of what's going on. You'll need tonto to open, create and edit ccf's.

If you get stuck we'll try and help you but you need to have a look at the guides and some other ccf/gml's first.

[ShiftyPowers]

will the LE version allow me to do all that I am trying to do?

[Promixis]

Looks like you want the pro version.

Pro is not quite done but we arranging preorders for people that are willing to accept bugs and a lack of documentation.

[Ben S]

...for people that are willing to accept bugs and a lack of documentation.

Hey! I represent that!

In all seriousness, it's almost entirely IR issues we're working the kinks out on. Girder communication is (and has been for quite some time) 100% stable.

[Promixis]

...for people that are willing to accept bugs and a lack of documentation.

Hey! I represent that!

In all seriousness, it's almost entirely IR issues we're working the kinks out on. Girder communication is (and has been for quite some time) 100% stable.

I *think* you mean resent :D:D

Ok, I'll conceed our main remaining issue is largely IR based.

BTW, where is that update netremote.lua file!

[ShiftyPowers]

ok, I got .996 working all good and I have girder memorized commands in girder. I opened up Tonto and I'm trying to modify the OpusNR ccf to play one command in girder (which sits on my HTPC over the .11b).

I'm in the Properties menu of one of the buttons, now how do I define a certain girder command?

[ShiftyPowers]

SWEET, got it to work, this is awesome!!!!

Now I just need to find a good template CCF that I can use on my 1024x768 laptop for now. Any suggestions?

[Promixis]

Well, you could modify the opus version to 1024x768 - then send it to me for my laptop ;)

[ShiftyPowers]

Mike, that's exactly what I was trying to do but it's not exactly a science. I can't enlarge all these bloody buttons. I would love to make opus 1024x768. Maybe Jlee can lend a hand? :lol:

Seriously though, I even tried to modify Moe's simple CCF that he uses in his home theater. That one is originally 800x600 but I can't get the black part to be larger than 800x600? Anyone know how to enlarge the background?

[Jlee]

lol.

Is it the time that you are short of or the know-how? I doubt that I could lend a hand with either of these!

I only have the small buttons myself and don't know how easy it would be to enlarge whilst keeping the same effect and not losing quality.

[ShiftyPowers]

I agree with you Jlee, just kidding around. Your skin is awesome and I'm sure to use it once I get a decent PPC going here. But for the Laptop and other screens it would be cool to have a skin that enlarged on it's own or tha tyou could have several different resolutions of. 'm not sure that's even possible with CCFs but it would be cool.

I tried to find a repository of icons and buttons and such but cant' find a good one. Remote Central is the only one I think.

[Jlee]

I agree with you Jlee, just kidding around. Your skin is awesome and I'm sure to use it once I get a decent PPC going here. But for the Laptop and other screens it would be cool to have a skin that enlarged on it's own or tha tyou could have several different resolutions of. 'm not sure that's even possible with CCFs but it would be cool.

I tried to find a repository of icons and buttons and such but cant' find a good one. Remote Central is the only one I think.
Just to clarify that the graphics work is down to Dragyn not me. Dragyn is not a NR user yet so I just altered bits around with Photoshop where necessary and adapted them to fit into my existing CCF. Dragyn deserves most of the credit for OpusNR.

You could have a go at enlarging them in Photoshop. If it were me I'd work out what size in pixels I wanted each item to be. Then, instead of enlarging the image (which would result in quality loss) I would copy and insert extra rows and columns into the image until it reached the right size. This should be easy with square and rectangular stuff but will be more tricky with round buttons. However, the round buttons should not need much resizing so I doubt there will be much quality loss.

[talm]

I also like the graphics that Dragyn did. I am trying to duplicate the buttons for an 800x600 resolution for my fujitsu 3400. When I am done with them, I will try to post the Photoshop file for everyone to use. I have started the buttons from scratch and I found that the Webdings font has most of the transports icons.

JLee,

I love your work with NR and I hope to have more time to look at your CCF and figure it out since the documentation for NR is very weak at best.

[Cocophone]

maybe they could go over to the JRMC forum for Media Center skins. Dragyn made an Opus skin for JRMC. You might be able to take it apart and use those graphics. Its already at least 800 x 600.

[Jlee]

JLee,

I love your work with NR and I hope to have more time to look at your CCF and figure it out since the documentation for NR is very weak at best.

Thanks talm. My work is really just down to lots of help from the 'clever people' here. But I am proud of my CCF and like it mostly for it's simplicity. I think that's the most important thing when it comes to making your CCF. Make sure it's easy to navigate and if possible hide the complicated stuff away from potential party goers (and wives!).

Good luck with yours and make sure you share it so we can all play.

[talm]

JLee,

I just was able to get my wife to work the Pronto and now I am chaning it to the Fujitsu 3400/Net Remote. I already hear "I just got used to the first one, why you have to change it again?"
I just hope to have more time on my hands to look at the CCF's that are out there and try to make it work for myself. If my wife will approve the NR setup then everyone can use it. ( If I ever get re-married, I will have to give my new wife a computer test to make sure I can setup all the gadgets that I like with out her compaining. But I guess that I better watch out or my exsiting wife will replace me).

Tal