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IntroductionThis page is for the remote control files that I've written. The goal of
these files is to make it as easy as possible to control applications running on
your HTPC via remote control. I don't know about you, but for me usability is
one of the biggest issues that needed addressed in order to fully integrate a
HTPC into my home theater. It's just not the same if you have to pull out an
Airboard and fumble around with mouse controls when trying to watch a DVD or
HDTV. And then of course there's the Spouse Acceptance Factor (SAF); before
starting this project, simple tasks such as watching a DVD were more trouble
than my wife thought it was worth, but now she can comfortable watch movies,
HDTV, or listen to music, all by using a simple remote control interface. Girder Export GroupsThe first part of the equation is automation/control of your HTPC applications. This is done with Girder. For those who may not be familiar with it, Girder is an extremely powerful automation program. It allows you to manipulate windows, send keystrokes and mouse clicks, run programs, etc. Girder supports hardware plug-ins such as the Evation IRMan, which allows Girder to respond to events such as an IR signal from a remote control. I highly recommend the IRMan as an input device, it works quite well and only costs $30. Setting up and configuring Girder is beyond the scope of this page; you
should check out the discussion forums on the Girder website if you want to
learn more. Fortunately, you don't really have to learn more, because you can
use the export groups below without fully understanding them. Just import the
GML file into your main Girder file, learn the IR signals for each command, and
you're ready to go. If you have a Pronto/Marantz remote, it's even easier than
that. CCF FilesFor those with Pronto/Marantz remotes, I've also developed CCF files that contain an user interface that can be used as-is or customized to suit your needs/tastes. Each CCF file is divided into two parts. In the Macro section there is a group containing the IR Panels. These panels contain a plain button for each command in the Girder export group. These buttons are already assigned the corresponding RC5 codes that are learned in the girder group. There is also a device in each CCF, which contains the actual user-interface that is intended to be used. These buttons are all just aliased to the corresponding commands in the IR Panels. You can either use the panels are they currently are, or you can modify them to suit your needs. Alternately, you can start from scratch and just have your new buttons alias to the IR Panels. The UI's I create are mostly based on the tabbed dialogs and black 3D buttons create by Daniel Tonks of RemoteCentral fame. I try to make the look and feel consistent between different devices so that once you've learned one picking up the others is easy. Here are a couple of screenshots from the AccessDTV CCF to give you an idea of what the CCF's look like:
Anyway, here are the files currently available for download. Each ZIP will contain a GML file for use with Girder 3.2 or later, a CCF file that should work on any Pronto from the TS1000 up as well as Marantz remotes, and a Readme.htm that gives a brief overview of how to set up the files as well as any other setup requirements. Some of the ZIP files also contains a second CCF file with an "_RC5200" suffix. These CCF's have been designed to take advantage of the additional screen real-estate and hard buttons of the Marantz RC5200, which I now use. I've tried to make sure that the GML and CCF files are completely generic, without anything specific to my setup/hardware in them. If you find out otherwise, please let me know. The one exception to that rule is the 5200 CCF's, these are taken directly from my complete CCF and are system specific. But I decided to include them anyway since they might give 5200 owners a jump start instead of having to start from scratch.
This page was last updated on
10/26/02.
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