JP1 Remotes

[WagonMaster]

I've started a new thread to discuss issues related to an upcoming update to the RDF/Map/Image files.

I anticipate a Nov 2009 release, barring any major problems. Notice I intentionally don't say when in November.

I'll start this 1st post with a description of the first couple of problems I've encountered since taking over the maintenance of these files a couple days ago.

Problem #1:

Inspired by a user-friendly application/tool that Vicky wrote to detect problems in the RDF/map/image files, I've written a tool of my own (using a simple Unix shell script). It's cruder, less-friendly, and less-featured than Vicky's tool, but it's much lighter, runs under my favorite OS (GNU/Linux), and is already pointing out several shortcomings in the current set of RDF/map/image files that her tool is not catching, presumably because of its Windows heritage/centrism, not due to any fault on her part.

There are many, many cases where the text case (uppercase, lowercase) within filenames and file references is causing problems. This is seemingly not apparent when running under Windows but it's very noticeable in non-Windows environments. In fact, as a relative newcomer to the whole JP1 scene, when running RemoteMaster (RM), I was under the mistaken impression that many remotes just didn't have image files because they came up blank when I selected them from the drop-down list in RM. I had a "forehead-slapping moment" just today when I ran my tool because I immediately realized that, like all other users of RM under non-Windows environments, I'm not seeing many of those images because they're not being located due to errors in the text case of some of the file names! I ran RM under Windows and Linux and some remotes that appear fine under Windows fail to appear under Linux, presumably because Windows does not distinguish text case in filenames, while Unix-based OSes most certainly do. Note that this is a problem for many of the map files too, not just the image files. Non-Windows users of RM might pick a remote from the drop-down list only to have RM report that it cannot find the associated map file.

Anyway, I'll obviously be fixing all of those cases before the Nov 2009 release, but I wanted to mention this now in case any other non-Windows RM users have encountered this and, like me, just blithely assumed that the image and/or map file wasn't available.

Problem #2:

There's another odd issue I've encountered by running my RDF-checker tool.

I see that there are 18 RDF files (all variants of the 'Kameleon' remote) in the set I'm working on which have an entry something like this:

[alanrichey]

Hi Bill

For the last few months I've been doing a lot of work on the Slingbox forums, using RM to provide users with Custom Remotes for unsupported devices.

As part of this I have fixed a number of bugs in the 2 main RDF file (PL & RV chips) and also produced a new IMG file that looks like the latest generic remote.

If you want to check these and possibly use them, they are at http://www.hifi-remote.com/forums/dload.php?action=file&file_id=7201

Cheers

Al

[mr_d_p_gumby]

[WagonMaster]

[WagonMaster]

Hi, Al!

Thanks for the update files -- much appreciated! I'll definitely include them in the Nov 2009 release.

Aside: There are probably more of these sorts of files which, for various thoroughly logical reasons (e.g. aggregation with other non-RDF files), are not in the "RDF Files" section of the "Files --> Tools" section of the forum. But since that's the only section in which I know to look for updated RDF files, I ask that anyone who knows of other such files lurking in the "crevices" of the forum (whether they be RDFs, map files, or image files), please let me know about them so that I can get them in the next update cycle. Thanks!

Al, I know nothing about the Slingbox other than what I gleaned from your useful 'Readme.txt' file. But your changed files raise several questions and I want to make sure I get this right....

Should I replace the existing 'BINPL' and 'BINRV' RDFs with your versions? Given your reference to "fixed a number of bugs", I'm assuming that I should.

I'd like to know more about the changes you made to the "[ButtonMaps]" section in both files. Were those outright bugs or were they just the required changes to accommodate the new-style remote?

If I'm supposed to replace the RDFs with your new ones, then I assume that I should add your map file for the new remote as a 2nd map file in the RDF (please see '(URC-6820_8820_10820).rdf' for an example in the unlikely event that you don't understand me), allowing the RemoteMaster user to select between the 2 remote images whenever that RDF is loaded. Is my assumption correct? Or does the new remote go (all by itself) with the 2 RDFs you updated, leaving the old remote only for the other Slingbox RDFs?

Regardless of the answers to the above questions, we need a different name (e.g. 'Slingbox-v2') for your map/image files since they directly conflict with the current names. Any preferences here? Maybe something more indicative or distinctive than my example?

Thanks for any guidance you can provide....

Bill

[WagonMaster]

I've been working on the RDF files and encountered a small discrepancy that I need some advice on.

I have multiple versions of each of the 3 RDFs for the similar Radio Shack 15-13x models (-133, -134, -135). The newest version that I got from Nils Ekberg is missing the following line, which is in another version of these files that appears to have been an update:

[mdavej]

I'm no expert, but I'm the main author of those RDF's (with lots of help from the real experts). I added that entry fairly recently to support a new feature in IR8 that shows the pause value in seconds. It works and needs to stay.

That parameter should probably be added to many RDF's. I don't recall the rules exactly, but the values will vary by processor.

I also have some notes in the included readme that would be useful to keep somewhere in the new distribution.

[WagonMaster]

[alanrichey]

Hi Bill

[mdavej]

[WagonMaster]

Thanks for all the Slingbox info, Al -- very helpful!

[WagonMaster]

[alanrichey]

[mr_d_p_gumby]

[WagonMaster]