Help for an ignorant noob configuring a Firefly

[rocks911]

Please excuse my utter and nearly complete ignorance but I have always been intimidated by this stuff but love the tech toys none the less, hence a lot of frustration. I am attempting to configure a Firefly remote to control XBMC on a W7 64 bit machine.

At XBMC forum this tutorial is posted:
http://forum.xbmc.org/showthread.php?t=68747
I followed it but dont quite understand what I am supposed to do with the provided files. In "part 2" the poster says "For those of you that would prefer to skip the following section you can download my EventGhost file at the bottom of this post." and there are 2 files provided.

After unzipping I there is a remote_config.xml file for configuring Eventghost and a home.xml file for configuring XBMC.

And then on this site I've found
viewtopic.php?f=10&t=1562
Which offers 2 files also, a init_.py file and a xbmcclient.py file but I havent the foggiest notion what to do with them.

Although I got the Firefly up and running the buttons dont control much so clearly i need to configure Eventghost to better control the remote but I dont know how to do that. I'll take anybodys configuration, it's gotta be better than what I'm working with now.

HELP! Please

[zian]

Have you loaded the XBMC plugin in eventghost?
Have you "set up" any Firefly buttons to control the XBMC plugins in EG?
(drag button press/actions from left side of EG over to the configuration tree (right side) of EG?

I have Firefly and XBMC on mine and I can tell you with all the choices/actions in XBMC it sure is a pain to set up and get just right. I would suggest you set some stuff up, like it, save it, start/create a new EG XML file from the old one, repeat, repeat, repeat.

In the mean time I'll pair down my EG XML to only firefly and XBMC and try to up load it for you.
Maybe it can help you get started... Might make things worses too

[zian]

Just my firefly & xbmc plugin and my xbmc folder.

[rocks911]

I have loaded the XBMC.
I also downloaded the the file you provided.

What exactly do i do with that file? I do not work with XML files and this is my first time working with them so please excuse my complete ignorance. Hopefully I can provide a screen shot of where I'm at in this process:

[zian]

Baby steps...

Press play button on firefly. See it on the left side of EG window?

If you see your button press...
Drag and drop same onto right side... Into xbmc folder... Play.

Next try the up/down/left/right buttons. See them on the left when you press them on the FF remote?
Drag them to the right.
Repeat.

Just fyi...
Your x10 plugin is set to generic.
Mine is set to Firefly

[rocks911]

Thanks the baby steps are working.
Unfortunately I've gotta be at work early so thats about all I can do for today.

I was getting the hang of it, tried a couple of button assignments then uninstalled it and started from scratch to be sure I got then process from the beginning to be sure. That wasnt a big deal, only took a few minutes. Then I went on to assign more buttons but I noticed that in the left pane that records the action, each action had 2 entries. X10.Back was listed twice, X10. Pause was listed twice and so on. I dont remember that before the reinstall. Dont know if thats a big deal.

What were the files that you uploaded and how is it used?

Thanks for holding my hand I really appreciate it.

[zian]

Get used to saving, starting new, backing up in EG. Nothing sucks as bad as tweaking a good EG XML file and making it bad. It's nice to have an old/good one to fall back on.

You'll need separate folders on the right side to stop the double presses.
I have (main) folders like this...
Apps folder (xbmc, WMC, foobar, iTunes etc)
Start/close Apps folder...
Task Switching folder...
And folder after folder after folder after that.
Baby steps.

When xbmc is active/open/in front on the PC...
Macros in the Task Switching folder makes xbmc (in the apps folder) EXCLUSIVE (won't send presses to any
Other apps running)
A macro will also make the "close xbmc" work/usable.

If I close xbmc properly a macro in the start/close apps folder will ENABLE the open/start xbmc macro AND disable the close xbmc macro (one button... Two actions... Open AND close xbmc)
Big step... Save for later.

Load the XML I uploaded....
Download it... Stick it in EG program files folder.
Start EG and open that XML I upped.
It might work... Might not. Will need some tweaking for sure.

Move xbmc folder (right side of EG) nto an "Apps" (or programs) folder you create.

Xbmc plugin is tricky to get right/perfect. I havnt yet.
So many darn options.

Those double presses come from other actions/macros/folders that are enabled... I think.
You want only xbmc able. Exclusive.
My XML might help to get started.

Make that program/apps folder and stick xbmc in it.

Start/stop program folder
Task Switching folder
Next lesson.

[zian]

This is a partial view of my EG Config tree.
Just to show you my app folder.

(ignore this for now)
See the red X over the Apps Folder?
That will make none of the stuff in that folder work.
I have mine set that way for whenever EG.exe window is open, on top and viewable.... It disables Apps.
When any application in that folder takes over/is open/active on my PC that folder will be enabled.
(done with Task Switching-folder "Enable" Macros)
Lesson 5?
(ignore this for now)

[rocks911]

Thanks again,

The double post might be because I installed the whole program and not just the Firefly drivers. I DL'd and installed the newest software titled "upgrade to Firefly 1.2.1" which also installed Beyond Media Basic.

I couldnt fiugure out how to install just the Firefly drivers and not the whole package. Anyway, I think that interferes with things.

Thanks for all your help

[zian]

I don't even use Firefly drivers or any other Snapstream programs.
Just the X-10 drivers from the EG downloads page.
But whatever works for you.

And yup... Having bad drivers/install has given me double presses in the past.