Changing channels on cable box using pc keyboard

[Guest]

Hello,

Today I recieved the USB-UIRT and downloaded girder and the plugin. I would like to program girder to control my Scientific Atlanta 3200 cable box. Could anyone help me get started and tell me the steps to prgram girder so I can use my keybord to tune channels up and down or to power the box on/off?

Thank you very much!

Mike

[Treetop]

Girder is a beast that takes a while to tame (learn), but i a great program... patience is required.

Here's a quick little write-up to get you started...

1)Load the USB-UIRT and Keyboard plug-ins : ~File ~Settings ~Plug-ins
2)Make a Top-Level Group (Under ~Edit).
3)Now make a Command inside this top-level group; one for each button on your remote. (ie. power, 0-9, menu, etc.)

Now to learn the remote codes into Girder:
4) Select a command (ie. power button). Over to the bottom right hand portion go to ~Plugins. Highlight the USB-UIRT plug-in. Hit the button marked ~Settings. This will bring up the driver gui.

5) Select the ~learn button. Point your remote at the IR receiver (might have to be about 3 inches +/- away form it. Hold down the "power" button until it learns the code (a few seconds at the most). Should send you back to the driver gui. Hit ~Apply.

Now to trigger this IR code from the keyboard:

6) Since we have already enabled the keyboard plug-in (comes with girder) all you have to do is go up to the upper-right portion. Select "ALL" from the drop-down menu. Hit the ~Learn Event button. Now select (hit) the key on the keyboard that you want to use to execute the command.

You all set! Next thing you will want to do is possible use multi-groups so one keystoke can take you to a specific channel (say cahnnel 74). Just create a Multi-group and copy/paste the numbers (in this case 7, 4) into it. Rename it to the channel ID (ie NBC). Learn the keystroke for the multigroup like above. Now when you hit one key, it will automatically change the channel to 74, NBC (or whatever your channels are).

Good Luck,
Treetop

[Treetop]

Please ignore all those typos

If you want...
I have my gml files up on my website. They are xml files... just use the "save as" and rename the extension to ".gml". Then Load into girder. The one on the site, is not my latest gml, but I haven't updated the site in a long time.

[mmatz]

Thank you very much, Jon and Treetop. I have completed programing it an everything works beautifully! Just like I want it! I'm just wondering, is there a way to change the channel up and down functions on my Aver tv app to change channels on the cable box instead of changing the tuner's channel (which always needs to be on 3)?

Thank you very much!

Mike

[Guest]

is there a way to change the channel up and down functions on my Aver tv app to change channels on the cable box instead of changing the tuner's channel [quote][/quote]

Absolutely! In fact there may be a pre-made .gml file for you. There is one listed on girder's site... Girder's Exported Groups page. Don't know if this will work for your app or not (I don't know the Aver products), but give it a whirl, I bet it does!

And another quick write up (This is really simple...)

1) Download the Aver GML file and Import it into your existing file.
2) Highlight one of the commands..
3) From the drop-down menu on the upper right-hand side, select ALL, click Learn Event
4) Point your remote at the USB-UIRT... push button you want to assign to that command (ie. push 1 for the "1" command)

Look through the other exported groups for other applications you have and would like to control. Import these and follow the same steps to learn the remote codes for the speciic commands. From here you will want to look into enabling and disabling these application groups when a particular app is open and being used. Search for enable/disable over at girder to see what others are doing...

You can view my girder files if you like. They are on my site. They are gml files, so open the link and use the save-as feature... it will automatically save it as a .gml file for you.

[Treetop]

Ummm... forgot to login. Needed to add....

2.5) You may need to set the target for the commands to the application. If you get an error saying it can't find the app (ie nothing happens), first, launch the app. With the command selected, go the bottom right hand side... click on target. A new window will appear. In the upper right-hand corner is a black cross-hair symbol. Click on the this and hold down... drag it to the application and drop the cross on it.
New info should have appeared in the bottom. Click on the find button to see if it can find the app.... if it does.. you are all set. If not, uncheck some of the boxes in the lower right-hand side until it does.

About the files on my site... one of them is an example of how to use the Enable/Disable feature. A definite must when you begin controlling several applications. Also, if you have a mic, you can control your apps and hardware via Voice control, but thats for later

[mmatz]

Thank you Treetop. There's no way I can change the button on the Aver App to control the cable box, can I? For example, when I click "channel up", i would like it to tune the cable box instead of tuning the Aver tv. Is this possible with girder?

Also, In the windows volume controls, there is a check box for enableing "digital output" and I would like to set a key or a remote button to toggle this command. I tried to capture this command but must have done something wrong because it works until I close the window that the check box is located in. Once I close it, the key that I assign does not work. What can I do so that I can toggle this command without its window having to be opened?

Thanks.

Mike

[Treetop]

There's no way I can change the button on the Aver App to control the cable box, can I? For example, when I click "channel up", i would like it to tune the cable box instead of tuning the Aver tv. Is this possible with girder?

Should be possible. As I said, I don't no anything about this product. I use BeyondTV which has built-in support for the USB-UIRT. Meaning... in the installation wizard you choose what device you want to control your set-top box (STB), USB-UIRT or serial cable. From here, BTV will automatically send the IR codes to the STB when you change channels in the program. If the AverTV app doesn't have built in support we can try a work around that I think may work for you.

Okay, you should have a group (folder) with all your cable remote codes and comands in it. You should also have a group with all the AverTV commands in it. So lets try to combine 'em.

I attempted to download the AverTV.GML file, but kept getting an error... I will try again later. So Im going off imagination here...

You should have some numbers, 0-9, in both folders. Lets put these in the own folder first (keep the gml file looking clean). Highlight the AverTV group go up to edit and make a new group (NOT top-level). Rename this "numbers". In this new folder, make ten multi-groups (one for each number). Rename them (0-9). In "1", drag the "1" command into the multigroup. Now drag a copy of the "1" from the cable box group into the same multigroup...

Code: Select all

**Numbers --> Folder
  ##1 --> multigroup
  |   -- "1" --> controls AverTV app
  |   -- "1" --> controls cable box
  |
  |-- learned remote event

This way when you hit the "1" button on your remote, the AverTV app will change to channel number 1 AND so will the cable box. This will allow them both to stay in sync with eachother.

Regarding the Volume problem.
I'm a little lost as to where you have this option. In girder?

I tried to capture this command but must have done something wrong because it works until I close the window that the check box is located in. Once I close it, the key that I assign does not work.

Is there an "Apply" button on the page?

In girder, click on the OS tab. In the drop-down menu is a volume change. Select this and over to thr right, select "volume". Here you can control many (if not all) of the volume properties.