ExternalDisplay New Release - (MediaPortal MiniDisplay Port)

[kindt nick]

Hi, Ralphy,

I know the feeling, it's shitty to debug a device if you do not have it by your side.

But still, we're improving! I proudly can announce, that

- Restart frontview on exit: still works!
- Use disk icon: Works!
--> display media transport status: Works!
--> Disblay CD/DVD status: Works!
- Use Bottom Bar as progress display: Works!
- Use Custom Font: Not tested
- Use large icons: Not tested

- Turn of display on exit: Works!
- Brightness: Works!
- Contrast: Works!

Now for the less fun part:
- Use Top Bar as volume display: Doesn't work
- Test display: Just blanks the display (not shut down), shuts down frontview but doesn't restart it afterwords and turns of the display eventually
- Spin disk: Doesn't do anything.

Now for the shitty part:
- My remote control doesn't work anymore when pvrx2 is started.
- Sinds the march 22 release, PVRX2 hangs for about 40 second during start up 90% of the times when you start up PVRX2. I don't know if that is a problem that is caused by the huge debugging code. De-activating the "extensive logging"-feature does not help.

If you take a look at the logs that I attached, you'll see in PVRX2.exe-native that there was no action from 19:31:17.046 untill 19:31:53.218.
In PVRX2.exe.log you will see that the plugin was running code during that time. Also 2x the same word are printed, I don't no if that has something to do with hanging during startup. Just noticed it.

Thanks,

[ralphy]

Hmmm ... not sure whether this is an improvement or not!

Two wild shots here...

• You could try to force selection of LCD rather than auto-detect the display type, which detects type LCD2.
  
• If that doesn't work, I note the logs suggest you are using the version 6 SG_VFD.dll, but I believe you originally had the v7 dll. Maybe that will help.
  

Both are guesses, and I doubt whether they will solve the problem, but the first item is easy to try.

An issue with the configuration logs, is that I haven't been able to get the GBPVR helpers to flush the buffered log data, so often, much of the configuration logging is missing, so there nothing useful to see type the test display isn't working. Presumably, you are still getting the text display, as well as the disk and other icons now.


I noted that there is an error sending one of the setup codes to your display. (the display is not accepting the data it would seem), but I don't know why - since this section of code is not mine. Might need to do some digging around on the MediaPortal forum to see if there is an answer there.

I don't think that the slower start up is due to the logging, but I have no idea what it could be.

Time to put the thinking cap on :confused:

[kindt nick]

Tried forcing it to LCD2 Yesterday, didn't work.
Reinstalled Imon, but V7.2 this time. The hanging on startup seems to been gone.
Everything works on the LCD except for my remote control and the volume bar display.

I don't know if it's usefull but If you would like to take over my HTPC via a VNC-program, you can do that.

I use VNC programs allot for when I'm outside my country, it's really smood.

Maybe you can debug it more easy then.
I know that our timedifference is 8 hour,
but maybe we can do it on a saturday.
Just a suggestion, no pressure.

Nick

PS: Logs are attached

[ralphy]

Tried forcing it to LCD2 Yesterday, didn't work.

PS: Logs are attached

Nick, the logs suggest you forced 'LCD2' as you stated in your post - did you try 'LCD'.

Regarding the volume bar - What volume control is set in misc2 of pbvrx2 setup? Master, Local or none? I use master, and it looks like 'local' might have an issue I need to investigate.

Re the remote control, is iMON still running after PVRX2 finishes starting up? ExternalDisplay is supposed to ensure the iMON is running for the remote control. Could you try restarting iMON once PVRX2 is running to see if the remote control works? (ie kill the iMON process if necessary)

[kindt nick]

Nick, the logs suggest you forced 'LCD2' as you stated in your post - did you try 'LCD'.

Regarding the volume bar - What volume control is set in misc2 of pbvrx2 setup? Master, Local or none? I use master, and it looks like 'local' might have an issue I need to investigate.

Re the remote control, is iMON still running after PVRX2 finishes starting up? ExternalDisplay is supposed to ensure the iMON is running for the remote control. Could you try restarting iMON once PVRX2 is running to see if the remote control works? (ie kill the iMON process if necessary)

Lol, the volume control was set to "none". Is working now.

Tried forcing it to LCD. The display is freezed then but the RC still works.

I 'm using the MCE RC. If I try the original one, nothing works except the mouse function.

If I kill the process an start iMON manually. Still, no working RC.
Even when I go to notepad and press some button, nothing comes on the screen (normally if I press 1, the &-symbol comes into notepad)
If I activate frontview, then the display freezes and the remote control works again.

So everything works, exept for the RC.
I'm guessing that some of the Externaldisplay code for LCD2 is blokking the communication that is intended for iMON. I don't know, it's a long shot.

Still, we're almost there... :-D

[ralphy]

I 'm using the MCE RC. If I try the original one, nothing works except the mouse function.

Ah - MCE Remote.. Presumably you have set the remote controller in iMON Manager settings to MCE Remote as well. Needless to say, I don't have an MCE Remote! Since the mouse functions work with the original iMON remote control, that part of the code is clearly working.

To get the rest of the iMON RC (and possibly the MCE remote) buttons working with iMON, they need to be mapped for PVRX2. I use the attached mappings (file sits in documents and settings, application data, soundgraph, iMON, setup, iMON PAD.

[kindt nick]

Ah - MCE Remote.. Presumably you have set the remote controller in iMON Manager settings to MCE Remote as well. Needless to say, I don't have an MCE Remote! Since the mouse functions work with the original iMON remote control, that part of the code is clearly working.

To get the rest of the iMON RC (and possibly the MCE remote) buttons working with iMON, they need to be mapped for PVRX2. I use the attached mappings (file sits in documents and settings, application data, soundgraph, iMON, setup, iMON PAD.

Ralphy,

You're to fast:
I've already tried the original one. Nothing works except the mouse function.

I really think some code is blokking the communication between iMON and the LCD. Tried the original receiver. Works perfectly...

Nick

[iwan]

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.

I did install the March23 Version, the #currentmodule - stuff works very well.

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.

Yeah,this would be perfect. Thinking about picking a couple of ,p3s whithout having to switch on the TV screen, cause all the relevant information would display on the VFD.

[ralphy]

Ralphy,

You're to fast:
I've already tried the original one. Nothing works except the mouse function.

I really think some code is blokking the communication between iMON and the LCD. Tried the original receiver. Works perfectly...

Nick

Perhaps the attached patch will resolve the MCE RC issue without having to use the original receiver. In advanced configuration, you may need to play around with the "force restart/force reload/ensure running" options in the Antec section. However, I think these should all remain unchecked.

I did install the March23 Version, the #currentmodule - stuff works very well.

.... Thinking about picking a couple of mp3s whithout having to switch on the TV screen, cause all the relevant information would display on the VFD.

I'm glad something works . I agree, being able to see what's going on without the TV screen would be great, but I am sure this could be a lot of work for sub to pass such detailed information to plugins.

[kindt nick]

In advanced configuration, you may need to play around with the "force restart/force reload/ensure running" options in the Antec section. However, I think these should all remain unchecked.

Tried every combination. No luck;
But the original RC seems to work perfectly when the original RC is installed in iMON.

Tried using "Program Specific config" And "Overal config".
None of the buttons seems to work with the MCE Remote.

PS: The problem with my original remote is that the reception is really bad.