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[kennethav]

I've seen several references to people using SuperNudelist to create Pronto files from their MJ playlists. I'm attempting to do something similar, and was hoping for some guidance....

I'm exporting a playlist from MJ in XML and was planning to transform this into a SNL library file (also XML). Is this the right approach?

Once I'm using SNL, it seems to want me to enter a 'device'. Presumably this is so it can map each album/track to a unique set of IR codes to send to my device. But since I'm controlling MJ (via Irman/Girder), I don't want it to create a set of IR codes (nor do I want it to try to access a device). I want it to creat a single, unique IR code for each track/album. I'll then transform my MJ playlist into a girder file that will recognize each code and play the track.

Am I on the right track here? Can anyone provide help/insight for the various steps?
Thanks,
Ken

[bspachman]

I've seen several references to people using SuperNudelist to create Pronto files from their MJ playlists. I'm attempting to do something similar, and was hoping for some guidance....

I'm exporting a playlist from MJ in XML and was planning to transform this into a SNL library file (also XML). Is this the right approach?

You'll be better off doing a straight text export of the MJ library instead of using XML. The XML DTDs are not the same. You can manipulate the straight text export of the library using Excel or other text editor to create a CSV file to import into SNL.

Once I'm using SNL, it seems to want me to enter a 'device'. Presumably this is so it can map each album/track to a unique set of IR codes to send to my device. But since I'm controlling MJ (via Irman/Girder), I don't want it to create a set of IR codes (nor do I want it to try to access a device). I want it to creat a single, unique IR code for each track/album. I'll then transform my MJ playlist into a girder file that will recognize each code and play the track.

SNL is not set up to send hundreds of individual codes. It can easily be set up to understand 10 digits, which (when learned by Girder) can be used to build numeric codes to launch playlists or access albums within the MJ tree. Check out the "numbuilder" plugin for Girder.

Am I on the right track here? Can anyone provide help/insight for the various steps?
Thanks,
Ken

I've had this working in both MJ8 & MC9. It works great! I keep my stuff internal to MC & use a Marantz 5200 to see the albums on my remote. Other folks around here have used external playlists, which work too.

Post back when you need more help!
Brad

[kennethav]

Thanks Brad. This sounds very promising

You'll be better off doing a straight text export of the MJ library instead of using XML. The XML DTDs are not the same. You can manipulate the straight text export of the library using Excel or other text editor to create a CSV file to import into SNL.

I had been planning to write an XSL transformation to go from the MJ schema to the SNL schema, but this sounds easier. Is there a sample CSV somewhere?

SNL is not set up to send hundreds of individual codes. It can easily be set up to understand 10 digits, which (when learned by Girder) can be used to build numeric codes to launch playlists or access albums within the MJ tree. Check out the "numbuilder" plugin for Girder.

Ah, I had never seen that functionality in Girder - looks like it will do the trick!

I'm still a bit stuck using SuperNudelist, though. I've been using the sample XML library file that is available just to get started. It imports fine, but SNL wants me to define a device before I can create a ccf. How do I go about doing that? When I get to the dialog to define the various keys on my remote (0, 1, 2, etc.), it seems to be waiting for some sort of input. Is it waiting for IR input via my Irman?

Thanks,
Ken

[kennethav]

Or maybe my devices are supposed to be set up already in my input ccf?

[bspachman]

I had been planning to write an XSL transformation to go from the MJ schema to the SNL schema, but this sounds easier. Is there a sample CSV somewhere?

Whew, you lost me! I don't have programming skills (and very limited scripting skills), so a CSV is all I could deal with. The default "Export entire library" option in MC gives a lot of information, so I imported the resulting CSV into Excel to get rid of the extraneous stuff. You also need to add columns for which SNL "List" and which SNL "Player" the entries are associated with. You can then import the edited CSV into SNL.

Ah, I had never seen that functionality in Girder - looks like it will do the trick!

Yep, it's handy. There is an example GML included with the Girder distribution. I just modified that example to execute the "mjextman.exe" commands that I needed to activate my numeric album listing.

I'm still a bit stuck using SuperNudelist, though. I've been using the sample XML library file that is available just to get started. It imports fine, but SNL wants me to define a device before I can create a ccf.

Yes, you've got it. SNL expects the IR codes to exist in your input CCF before you run SNL to build the list. In general, the steps I follow are:

1. Create a CCF that contains my IR commands for MC. This becomes the basis for the SNL "Device".
2. Export my MC library & manipulate the data into a CSV. The CSV needs columns for the SNL "Device" and the SNL "List Name".
3. Open SNL and create the SNL "Device". Assign the IR commands as appropriate from your CCF in #1. Make sure it has the same name you used in step #2.
4. Create the SNL "List". Make sure it has the same name as step #2. Import the CSV you generated in step #2. Setup all the options for the list.
5. Finally, generate the final CCF with SNL.

Hope this helps a bit. SNL is fairly obtuse to start with, but it's very handy! Check out http://www.remotecentral.com for more info on it.

Best,
Brad

[kennethav]

Thanks for the help Brad. I also saw your post on creating a custom view schema in MJ so that you can interpret those disc #'s coming in from Girder w/o creating a playlist for every album. I figure putting a LUA script in my Girder file might accomplish the same thing. If someone were really ambitious, perhaps they could even write a script to generate the LUA from the MJ output.

But at this point, I'm feeling like there are too many points of failure here. I'm leaning instead toward putting a wireless LAN card in my ipaq and then using NetRemote. My concern is that every time I turn on the iPaq, it's going to take 10 seconds or so to establish a network connection. Not exactly ideal behavior for a remote control. But a lot of others seem to be doing this, so maybe it won't be that bad.