Harmony Remotes - Programming

[Pikeharmony]

I am excited to announce that we have created a new “Special Edition” Windows Media Center device in our database.

The new device can be added as follows:

Device type: Computer -> Media Center PC

Manufacturer: Microsoft

Model: Windows Media Center SE

I want to thank “Bevhoward” for sending us his Windows Media Center keyboard.  !!KUDOS!!

I would also like to thank my colleague Cristian for creating the IR language and for adding the new device to our database.

The Media Center keyboard allowed us to capture the IR codes used to send hotkeys such as “Alt+F4” to close an application directly and “Win+D” to “minimize all” to the desktop.  We also captured the mouse commands and an FAQ will follow with button mapping suggestions for the mouse control.

Below is a list of the newly added commands/hotkeys:

(Please note that these commands may not work on all Media Center IR receivers; the commands have been tested and confirmed working with the original Microsoft IR Receiver)

This forum thread is not for MCE users using Imon, Linux or other third party applications and/or IR receivers that do not use the Microsoft IR protocol.

Win + - (plus or minus key) Zoom in or out.

Win-

Win+

Win+Up: Maximize

Win+Down: Restore / Minimize

Win+Left: Snap to left

Win+Right: Snap to right

Win+Home: Minimize / Restore all other windows

Win+T: Focus the first taskbar entry

Win+F: Open Windows search

Win+E: Open Windows Explorer

Win+Space: Peek at the desktop

Win+G: Bring gadgets to the top of the Z-order

Win+P: External display options (mirror, extend desktop, etc)

Win+M:  Minimize all open windows

Win+1 / Win+2 / Win+3 etc (Hotkeys for programs added to the Quicklaunch)

Win+M: Minimize all open windows

Win+Tab: Flip 3D

Win+Shift+M: Undo all window minimization

Win+Home: Minimize all but the current window

Win + L: Lock the computer

Win + R: Open ‘Run’ command

Alt+1 / Alt+2  Alt+3 etc (Hotkeys for Video card display settings)

Alt+Esc: Cycle through all open windows

Alt+Tab: Switch to previous active window

Alt+Enter: Display properties for the selected item

Alt+Space: Pop up window menu

Alt+F4: Shutdown current window

Ctrl+A: Select all items in a document or window

Ctrl+C:  Copy the selected item

Ctrl+X: Cut the selected item

Ctrl+V: Paste the selected item

Ctrl+Z: Undo an action

Ctrl+W Closes the tabs for most web browsers

Ctrl+Shift+Tab: Left Navigation through the web browser tabs

Ctrl+Tab: Right Navigation though the web browser tabs

Ctrl+ESC: Opens the Start menu

Shift+Del: Permently deletes an item and bypasses the recycle bin

Shift+F10: Opens Shortcut Menu

(Some hotkeys are specifically designed for Windows 7 and may not work on other operating systems)

Your Feedback is appreciated!

Pike

Harmony Technical Support

Message Edited by Pikeharmony on 09-11-2009 05:18 PM

[Pikeharmony]

Below you will find the instructions to create a mouse control activity.

1:

Create a Generic activity only using the Windows Media Center device.

Answer Title: Adding an Activity that does not fit into any category in the Logitech Harmony Remote Software

Answer Link:

http://logitech-en-amr.custhelp.com/cgi-bin/logitech_en_amr.cfg/php/enduser/std_adp.php?p_faqid=1215...

For the input select the following option

I don't need to set the input on my Microsoft Media Center PC

2:

Program the activity to leave on the unused device.

Answer Title: Setting a Harmony remote to not power off devices when switching between Activities

Answer Link:

http://logitech-en-amr.custhelp.com/cgi-bin/logitech_en_amr.cfg/php/enduser/std_adp.php?p_faqid=1237...

3:

Rename the activity to Mouse Control

Answer Title: Renaming Devices and Activities on a Harmony remote

Answer Link:

http://logitech-en-amr.custhelp.com/cgi-bin/logitech_en_amr.cfg/php/enduser/std_adp.php?p_faqid=3780...

4:

Change the button mapping

Use the Map the Mouse Up,Down,Left<Right to the direction buttons.

Map the Mouse Left Up and Mouse Left Down to the Volume Up and down buttons.

Map the Mouse Right Up and Mouse Right Down to the Channel Up and down buttons.

Below you wil find an image with an example.

Message Edited by Pikeharmony on 09-22-2009 07:50 PM

[Pikeharmony]

[bevhoward]

Congrats... was wondering the state of mce.

Beverly Howard

[bevhoward]

Here are some additional mce thoughts;

This would be an ideal use for the "Sound" and "Picture" buttons...

Pike, please consider giving the "Windows Media Center SE" a database designation as a both a "Picture" and "Sound" device so that if the remote has "Sound and Picture" buttons, the mouse functions can be called to the cursor pad by pressing "Pic" or "Snd" within an activity.

When setting up keys I have found that using the Windows custom of "marking" the softkeys is a great way to reference which hard keys have been mapped... 

...for example, if you set the "Previous" key as <BkSpace> add a soft key for the same and label it "BkSp (pre)"

<Alt> is valuable... it activates any program's menu bar, then any menu command can be executed using the cursor arrows.

Name shortcuts starting with digits 1-0 then put them on the start menu.

If you need more than ten shortcuts, add start menu folders named 1-0 and then put related shortcuts named 1-0 in each digit folder.

Anything following the digit can be descriptive... i.e. name the shortcut for shutdown "0-Shutdown" or the folder for utilities "9-Util"  ...as long as the digit is not duplicated on the start menu, pressing the only digit will open the folder or exectute the command.

Beverly Howard

[bevhoward]

Pike,

May I suggest that the information you posted be added as a harmony faq with the tags

wmc, media center, media center edition, mce

I am going to link this thread in the Media area of my faq (below) but still think it's important to assure that the list of commands and explanations, especially the mouse functions, are preserved.

Thanks again,
Beverly Howard

[bevhoward]

May have missed a couple of these going through the pulldown....

the following were in your preliminary keyboard definition and are (imho) critical commands;

<START> (the "Windows Start" as opposed to the green "Media Start" button)
<ESCAPE> (critical for things such as youtube and hulu)

<TAB>
<Alt> (alone)
<PageUp> & <PageDn>
<Home> & <End>

The good news is that they are in the original keyboard, so,

can be made available by including both devices.

Beverly Howard

Message Edited by bevhoward on 08-30-2009 05:22 PM

[padrinoX]

Hi,

on the subject "Special MCE" I'd like to tell you about my concern.

I am using a "Auvisio Vista MCE Remote Control". It is recognized by the LT database, but the DB does not really supply a language for it.
The remote comes with a IR-sensor, which is not compatible to Microsoft products. The IR-sensor together with the remote is working with YP via USB as HID. So the remote does also trigger key-presses, which sounds similliar to what you write here.
The remote/sensor are the same as the following products:
- Ortek VRC-1100
- Hama MCE Remote Control
- Adesso ARC-1100

Though I know I could learn all commands to the harmony, it would be better to have them "really" in the database.
So I wonder, would it be of any help if I sent my remote and sensor to LT to have the proper language be implented? Even if the way from Germany to Canada is quite a distance...

CU,
Mario

[bevhoward]

>> I am using a "Auvisio Vista MCE Remote Control" <<

For this specific need, based on a lot of experience, I would strongly recommend simply getting an EHome compatible IR dongle and using that.

The commands are microsoft os specific and at least part of the mce os itself... there are a lot of other ir remote options out there, but, as an example, using an EHome dongle, I was able to start out with an MS remote, then the harmony mce remote definition, then the original mce keyboard definition, and now the mce keyboard SE definition with the same $15 dongle.

Beverly Howard

[padrinoX]

Hi,

why should I buy new stuff, when I just bought this one?
And this remote, or the IR-sensor, just do work fine. And they send regular key-pressed that are builtin into XP, so no hack, no trick, no driver or 3rd-party app magic. Even the mouse can be greately controlled.
The only drawback it's another remote. And when you have a harmony you like to reduce remotes. The harmony is kind of like the borg.
Anyway, there are "some" users of this remote, and it (the HAMA labled one) is well reviewed on amazon.de.
So why not bring it nativley into LT's database and have others benefit from this?

CU,
Mario