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Author Topic: must MC be in focus to receive Girder or HIP commands?  (Read 2154 times)

Jinster

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must MC be in focus to receive Girder or HIP commands?
« on: November 29, 2006, 06:50:13 am »

Hello friendly folks.  :) I am a MC and Girder newbie, but computer veteran.

My setup is as follows:
1. IR Trans built-in into a Origaene x15e case, with the supplied MCE remote
2. MC 11 and Girder and HIP.
3. UltraMon on a dual monitor setup

This is what I have figured out so far:

1. Using the IR Trans receiver, my MCE remote functions just like a 3rd party remote, except Windows XP seems to accept remote button presses as keystrokes by default (with only IR Trans loaded, and HIP and Girder disabled).

2. I can remap the buttons on my MCE remote to a sequence of keystrokes using HIP and send them to MC - but this can only be done if MC is in focus. Once MC is out of focus, my MCE remote seems to send Windows default keystrokes again and not MC specific keystrokes. I think this happens because HIP is only able to send application specific commands when the application is in focus.

3. I am trying to use UltraMon to throw MC windows around between my TV and the LCD screen (depending on how I want to use it). This can only be done if the window I want to throw around is in focus. And MC somehow loses focus every now and then.

My question is this:
1. Is there a way, using either HIP or Girder, to send commands to MC regardless of whether it's in focus or not (either via the emulation of a sequence of keystrokes or via direct Windows Message Commands)?
2. Is there a neat way to bring MC back into focus, using a series of Girder or HIP keystrokes or Windows Message Commands?

Much appreciated.
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glynor

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Re: must MC be in focus to receive Girder or HIP commands?
« Reply #1 on: November 29, 2006, 08:39:46 am »

My question is this:
1. Is there a way, using either HIP or Girder, to send commands to MC regardless of whether it's in focus or not (either via the emulation of a sequence of keystrokes or via direct Windows Message Commands)?
2. Is there a neat way to bring MC back into focus, using a series of Girder or HIP keystrokes or Windows Message Commands?

I don't know which version of Girder you're using, but...

#1.  Yes.  I know you can do this with Girder4, and I suspect you can do it with Girder3.x as well.  In Girder4 when you define a windows message command, you can select a target window.  By default this is the foreground application (whatever that happens to be) but you can set the target to whatever you want.  Check the Girder manual (sorry, got to give you the RTFM on that one).

#2.  Yes.  Again, with Girder4 this is simple.  In the Actions Palate there is a Focus action (under Windows actions).  You can define a flow like this:

Button Press -->
IF MC Window Exists --> Focus on MC
IF MC Window NOT Exists --> Start MC and bring to Front

If you want to check them for reference, I've made a copy of my Girder4 GML files for MC available here: http://yabb.jriver.com/interact/index.php?topic=33295.0

Oh, and welcome!!   ;D
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Jinster

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Re: must MC be in focus to receive Girder or HIP commands?
« Reply #2 on: November 30, 2006, 12:04:38 am »

Thanks Glynor. What program do you use to edit the GML files? Notepad works but everything is in one very long line.
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glynor

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Re: must MC be in focus to receive Girder or HIP commands?
« Reply #3 on: November 30, 2006, 08:47:08 am »

I do it from right within Girder.

Sometimes, if needed, I use Crimson Editor (which is a Notepad+ type of app that I happen to use).  I really, really wish they made BBEdit for Windows.   :P
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Jinster

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Re: must MC be in focus to receive Girder or HIP commands?
« Reply #4 on: December 01, 2006, 09:28:48 pm »

Thanks for the pointers, Glynor.
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