Additional keyboard buttons such as Play and Pause

[grendizer]

Hi all, I'm new to this board although I use Bsplayer since a long time :)
I have a Logitech keybard that has additional buttons : "play/pause", "stop", "skip to previous song/video" and "skip to next song/video".
I'd like to know if I can make them compatible with BsPlayer? I tried the keyboard settings but Bsplayer does not react when I press those keys.
Those additional keys work in other players like WMP10, PowerDVD, etc.
Thanks

[adicoto]

In options->preferences->key assignement and winlrc you can assign the keys from your keyboard.

[grendizer]

Do I have to buy some hardware for winlrc to work?
Thanks

[adicoto]

AFAIK an infrared adapter and the remote control.

[grendizer]

Do you know a good site where I can learn how to setup this?

[Tizio]

http://forum.bsplayer.org/viewtopic....hlight=winlirc
http://users.skynet.be/RafkeP/tutorials/remote

[RafkeP]

Nice link Tizio :D

@ grendizer > the winlirc hardware is of no use for your problem.
Winlirc is only for remote controls (and you want to use your keyboard).

The tab just happens to call key "assignement and winlrc".
If your keys are not recognised over there, making or buying WinLirc hardware will not solve it, unless you want to change to a remote.
In the last case I recommend Girder.

Rafke P.

[grendizer]

Thanks RafkeP; I don't think my Logitech keyboard is Infrared, it's more a radio communication or something.
So, is there a way I can make those additional keyboard buttons recognized by Bsplayer?

[Tizio]

Originally Posted by RafkeP

Nice link Tizio Very Happy

@grendizer
I don't know if it works, but by making a rapid search on Google this is one of the results for your keyboard to be fully supported by other programs: IRMan from http://www.evation.com/irman/index.html

Another way is to use your keyboard with girder, but since I don't have keyboard with special buttons, I don't know if it works...

Hope this could help you :)

[adicoto]

Grendizer, have you tryied to assign keys from key definitions and winlirc ? Go there, navigate to the function you want, move the mouse over the input field on upper right and press the key on the keyboard. It should work.

[RafkeP]

@ Grendizer

Did you try what Adicoto said in his first post?
I have a Logitech keyboard myself (but I had to wait until I got home from work to test it) and it works like a charm.
I have to add that my keyboard has a cord so I probably have a different type.

So in case you didn't try it yet : here's the elaborate description.

Goto "options->preferences->key assignement and winLIRC"
Select for example "pause"
Now on the top right it should say "C" in the first box and "space" in the second one.
Move your mouse pointer over the box you want to change and press the special button on your keyboard.
The content of the box should now display something else.
In my case when I press my "play/pause" button it changes to "#179".
Take notice that you have to assign both "windowed mode" and "full screen mode".

Rafke

[grendizer]

Thanks all for your help but my keyboard does not work with infrared , so WinLIRC will not work i'm afraid.
RafkeP: yes, I tried this. Nothing happens when I press the keys over the text boxes.
Thanks again

[RafkeP]

Are you able to assign programs to these special keys?

[adicoto]

Your keyboar is A keyboard, it doesn't matter if it's wiered or wireless (IR or RF). WinLirc is used for remote control, not keyboard or mouse. It reads the IR port from your computer, nothing else. An IR or RF keyboard use the USB or PS2 port, not the IR port.

[grendizer]

Yes, those keys work with Windows Media Player, CinePlayer, WindDVD, PowerDVD, Windows Media Player Classic and many more

[RafkeP]

Let me rephrase my question : is it possible for you to tell windows that it has to start another program (for example notepad) when you press one of those buttons?

[adicoto]

You should do this: Go to Key definitions and winlirc. Move the mouse over the field in upper right. Don't press the mouse button. When hoovering over one of the fields it should turn from grey to white. In this moment you must press the key you want to assign (remember, no mouse button pressing). In the white field it should appear something like #175.

[RafkeP]

Grendizer : in case your answer to my previous question is negative I might have a solution for you, but I have to warn you : it's not a pretty one :D

I want to trap your keypresses by another application called Girder.
(Girder is a very powerful tool, mainly used by people with remote controls, but it's far more powerful than that).

In this first part I would like you to test if Girder is able to understand your special keys. If it does, I will explain you how to control BSplayer with them.

First download a trail version of Girder from the official website :
http://www.promixis.com/downloads.php?mode=trials
Install it and run it.
(I'm still using an old version so I hope the menus are the same)
Goto "file/settings/plugins" and check the box next to "keyboard".
Exit Girder (make sure it didn't minimize to the system tray)

Restart Girder.
Goto "File/Enable input devices"
The blue circle at the bottom right should now have turned green.

Now press one of your special keys.
Does the green circle turn yellow for a short time?
Is there a hex number on the left of the circle ?
Is that number always the same when you press the same button?
Is it different when you press another one?

If your answer to all of these questions is "yes", you are able to control BSplayer with Girder and I will explain that in part 2 :D

Good luck,
Rafke P.

[grendizer]

Cheers RafkeP, I finally found what went wrong thanks to your help. 8)

I installed Girder and followed your instructions. The green circle was flashing to yellow when pressing the usual keys, but not the additional keys (play, pause, etc).
Then I searched the Girder forums for topics speaking about Logitech keyboard. Someone there says that the Logitech keyboard driver is preventing the keyboard to work with Girder.
The logitech Keyboard driver is called "Itouch". So I closed the Itouch program from the systray, then tested the Girder green circle with the additional keys. BINGO! It flashed yellow.
Then, I wanted to check if it was the same situation in Bsplayer. I went to Bsplayer's settings, pressed the "pause" key of my keyboard over the text box, and BINGO again, the text box showed "#179". Then I tried to pause the playing movie with this "pause" key, and it worked like a charm.
Unfortunately, I tried to restart the Itouch program, then pressed pause in Bsplayer, and it didn't work anymore :(

So I don't know how to make Itouch and Bsplayer co-exist. perhaps I could make a script that would shut down Itouch, then launch Bsplayer, and another script that could shut down bsplayer then lauch Itouch, but it wouldn't be the best thing to do. The other way would be to buy an infrared port and a remote

Or if anyone has ideas, let me know, thanks.

[RafkeP]

Well I'm glad you got it sorted :D

I don't have the time right now to do some research, but if you could tell me how to shutdown Itouch, I could write a plugin to shut it down when BSplayers starts and restart it again when BSplayer closes.
(otherwise remind me in month :? )

Another thing: do you still need Itouch? It looks as if windows understands these keypresses even when Itouch is closed.