ExternalDisplay New Release - (MediaPortal MiniDisplay Port)

[iwan]

Hi, Iwan,

what did you do to prevent crashes on exit?

I didn't do nothing, AFAIK Ralphy made use of gbpvr telling its plugins when it's closing.
(Actually, these haven't been real crashes but error messages - still these had to be circumvented when trying to shut down the htpc via the remote control)

From the changelog:

Code:

- added new events to let plugins know when startup is complete, and when the app is about to shutdown. This is useful for plugins that own external limited resources, like LCD displays etc

So credit is due to Ralphy

[ralphy]

iwan/nick.

still not any wiser as to what might be going on with your problems, so I've attached a patched dll with a little better logging and it will now catch the error nick's getting in the shutdown process.

Just extract the attached and replace the current ExternalDisplay.dll file.


Iwan, did your display use to go completely blank with the old version?


(The patch also has a couple of minor bug fixes: Setup Cancel button cancels, and the stray Music Icon when watching a Movie with iMON has been fixed)

[iwan]

still not any wiser as to what might be going on with your problems, so I've attached a patched dll with a little better logging and it will now catch the error nick's getting in the shutdown process.

Just extract the attached and replace the current ExternalDisplay.dll file.

OK, logs attached.

Iwan, did your display use to go completely blank with the old version?

Good question.
I'm almost 100% sure it didn't go completely blank, but just kept showing what it did the moment I shut down gbpvr.

[ralphy]

good question.
i'm almost 100% sure it didn't go completely blank, but just kept showing what it did the moment i shut down gbpvr.

Sorry Iwan not sure why you display doens't go blank. The LCDHype wrapper is set up to turn the display off as you might notice in one of the last LCDHypeWrapper.LCD_SetIOPropertys call at the end of the log file.

I also noted that the LCDHype wrapper code allows user shutdown messages to be set (up to two lines), provided the _BlankDisplayOnExit option is set to false.

I noticed a couple of lines like <property value = "#currentmodule" \> in externaldisplay's .xml-file. Does this mean what i think it does, i.e. Will externaldisplay be able to show the currently selected module ?

Well, I just noted that v1.3.11 includes a new EventType, PluginActivated. When an item on the main menu is selected, this EventType is set off, with the EventText being "Recordings", "Music Library" etc. I am testing the code with this EventText being set to #currentmodule, so that it will flash for five seconds when the item is selected.

Ideally, PVRX2 would also signal when a menu item has been selected, and pass the name of that item, or file. It could also notify when the user has returned to the main menu. I might get around to adding this to the wishlist.

But thank you sub for adding this to v1.3.11.

[kindt nick]

Hi Ralphy,

I finally got around to test the march-release.

I copied the new dll to the folder, and hey!,
the restart frontview on exit works now!

I've tried the shutdown display on exit function. It doens does not work for me.
The display is cleared at exit, but the backlight does not get shut down.

For me it really doesn't matter, but I wanted to test it,
sinds Iwan is experiencing problem with this function.

Also, the use disk icon, progress and volume bar do not work on my display.
I don't know why. But hey! I'm getting GBPVR info on my display AND because now iMON does get restarted at exit, my display is shutdown when the HTPC is powered off.

Great work Ralphy!
Thanks!

Ps: I’m still getting errormessages at shutdown in the error logs. But I don’t know if those are from you plugin or niet. You can see then at the bottom of the PVRX2 Native error log files

[ralphy]

Thanks for the testing and report nick.

I've tried the shutdown display on exit function. It doens does not work for me.
The display is cleared at exit, but the backlight does not get shut down.

This is because of the exception being caught during the shutdown process bypassing the "turning off" code. I am still not sure what is causing the exception in the first place. Yet more logging in the attached dll might give some clues.

For me it really doesn't matter, but I wanted to test it,
sinds Iwan is experiencing problem with this function.

Iwan's problem, I think is different. He uses a different driver.

Also, the use disk icon, progress and volume bar do not work on my display.

Does the 'Test Display' and 'Spin Disk' buttons in the advanced configuration show the disk icon and progress bars?

Great work Ralphy!
Thanks!

You're welcome, although cybrmage at MediaPortal has done most of the hard work.

Ps: I’m still getting errormessages at shutdown in the error logs. But I don’t know if those are from you plugin or niet. You can see then at the bottom of the PVRX2 Native error log files

Code:

2009-03-20 20:56:49.701    VERBOSE    m_pD3DDev->Present() failed
Error code : 80004005
E_FAIL
An undetermined error occurred

I don't believe these are related to ExternalDisplay - maybe a question for sub.

Thanks for the testing and report.


The attached dll also includes setting the #currentmodule property.

[kindt nick]

Hi,

tested the march 27 release.
When I press the Spin disk button, nothing happens.
And when I press the test display button, the display gets blank.
Next, the clock appears. Frontview get's disabled. Display is shut down.
Even when the use disk, progress and volume bar is activated or not.

I'm not getting any extra error messages, but still, logs are attached.
Maybe you'll get any wiser out of them.

Nick

[ralphy]

Aha - found the problem. I didn't port very well and left out some critical code for the LCD2 display type (which your's is) :o. Sorry about that. The last logs and the failure of the disk test provided the clue.

Here's the patch..

If all goes well, I'll upload a new installer package to the first post.

Thanks again for your time and patience, kindt_nick.

[kindt nick]

Aha - found the problem. I didn't port very well and left out some critical code for the LCD2 display type (which your's is) :o. Sorry about that. The last logs and the failure of the disk test provided the clue.

Here's the patch..

If all goes well, I'll upload a new installer package to the first post.

Thanks again for your time and patience, kindt_nick.

Hi!

Tried the latest release, when I press test lcd, i'm getting an error message.
Also, when starting pvrx2, nothing gets displayed.

Rufly translated the error message and packed it with the logs.
We're getting closer... :-D

Thanks, Ralphy

[ralphy]

One step forward and two steps backwards it seems. It's really tough debugging when I don't have the same hardware.

Maybe this extra logging in this dll will help narrow the problem area down.