User

07.04.2012 23:02:20

Setup: Mac Mini - Lion, Plex 0.9.5, Logitech Harmony 700 (using Logictech DB mappings for Plex)

First off, I'm using RB to get around the much loved "feature" in Lion where the wake using remote has been disabled. Without RB running all my keys on my harmony work as I expect them to:

- "Menu" pulls up the context menu 
- "Exit" executes the Plex prev command to go back a screen 
- "Info" executes the Plex info command 
- fast forward and rewind do just that.. fast forward and rewind

When RB is running and the Plex behavior is activated those behaviors change:

- "Menu" goes back a screen 
- "Info" goes direction up 
- "Exit" goes direction down 
- fast forward and rewind try to do volume down

I've read a lot of the posts on this forum and also read http://www.iospirit.com/blog/article/131/Remote-Buddy-and-Boxee-Plex-and-XBMC/ (Q: I'd like to use the Harmony remote mode of Plex.) and tried to make sense of it but to no avail.

In the mapping section of RB I can map the usual suspects to Plex activities and of course the Plex behavior already does a good job of this. However, how do I get the other keys of the Logitech Harmony 700 remote mapped or passed through as they normally are without RB running?

Essentially I'm looking for RB to wake up my mac when I press a key on the remote but I don't need any of the mappings -- that already works without RB running.

Any help is appreciated!

 

User

08.04.2012 07:02:55

Well, it's kinda a pain but I've found this thread to be helpful in mapping the keys through. I hope there is an easier way...

http://www.geekzone.co.nz/lotech/7433

User

08.04.2012 11:37:02

Thanks for asking.

The Harmony Remote is not currently supported by Remote Buddy.

What the Plex profile is doing is send the Apple Remote IR codes of several different Apple Remotes and distribute them over the buttons of the Harmony Remote. However, that profile is really only usable with Plex and is not suitable for general purpose use: it contains too many errors in IR code programming (leading to long presses not working - or a long press sending the codes for lots of short button presses), the use of IR codes often isn't consistent with their meaning (you already mentioned an Apple Remote "down" code being sent for "Exit") and the profile even lacks codes for some buttons of Harmony Remote.

This topic has come up and answered by me many times before in this forum, so if you're interested in technical details, please take a look at past topics.

 
Follow the instructions at

http://www.iospirit.com/blog/article/131/Remote-Buddy-and-Boxee-Plex-and-XBMC/

to simple pass through all Apple Remote button presses to Plex - which can then react to the button presses directly. There's no necessity at all to perform any complex and time-consming setup as described in the piece you linked to in your follow-up post.

I recommend to use the Plex profile only for Plex (in combination with the simple pass-through configuration described in the IOSPIRIT Blog) - and the regular "Apple Remote" profile (which sends correct IR codes for short and long button presses) for everything else.

Best regards, 
Felix Schwarz 

User

18.04.2012 17:02:47

Dear Felix,

will the limitations you mention prevent Remote Buddy from ever supporting a Harmony remote? Or do you expect to include a Harmony profile that avoids long presses at some point?

I guess I could get around using the Harmony if a) the Mac was not inside a cabinet (and thus requires the RF receiver of the Harmony) and b) if there was another iOs device based way of telling my TV to switch itself on to VGA at a certain volume. But I am sort of stuck with it for those reasons...

Thanks for letting me know what to expect. I did find loads of tutorials on how to make Remote Buddy work with the Harmony, but frankly this seems to be too difficult and time consuming to implement.

Any other views from users would also be greatly appreciated.

Best wishes, Henrik 

User

19.04.2012 07:30:33

HenrikS,

I can attest to the instructions that Felix provided (using Plex). Literally setting each button to the virtual equivalent allows the harmony to work as I expect with plea without any further modification.

In this way I'm able to use my harmony with Plex PLUS work around the lovely new Lion feature for waking up from sleep.

jon 

User

24.04.2012 15:56:49

When I first tried Remote Buddy, I followed the instructions in the link you are mentioning to get my Harmony 1100 to work normally again, and it all went back to full operation - there is a post of mine in the forum a while back that Felix replied to. You may need to disable and then re-enable 'Always On' in the Input Devices section of System Peferences in Plex. I have however now moved on to mapping the ten logical remotes that the Harmony Plex profile creates to Plex functions directly in Remote Buddy, as I am now using more than just Plex (mainly EyeTV, but starting to enjoy RB abilities to control or automate other things, too, like executing applescript or keystroke actions on button press). If you are interested, there a a few links on the web, just google 'Remote Buddy Harmony Plex'. It feels very overwhelming at first (I almost rejected it straight away) but becomes quite straightforward once you understand the basics.

Henrik