MediaPlayer Plugin/STV Import: Winamp Media Player Plugin

[geogecko]

Originally Posted by geogecko

Originally Posted by flachbar
I got the same error a few hours ago (well it said "reduced from 1024x1024 to 512x512, I am running 1360x768) ... I rebooted the computer, and the error went away. I'll keep an eye on it if it happens again

Dirk
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I'm getting this error message again. Not sure what is causing it, although a restart will probably fix it, it will probably crop up again.

Anyone else seeing it?

I'm getting this again. Seems to happen every time I launch the visualization now...

No one else is having the problem?

[Keith]

Originally Posted by deria

If you use the default STV, give these new instructions a shot and see how they work for you. They worked well for me during testing (its actually a little easier to do the changes now than it used to be).

Well, I tried the new instructions and it almost works.

Sage 6.0.14.112, default STV

Downloaded latest WinAmp to see if that would help.

That is I get visualizations but they're *behind* the SageTV window. This happens both windowed or full screen.

In fullscreen mode I get "Playing Visuaization..." on a black screen.

I have to alt-tab to get to the visualization.

It's not a FSE thing - I have FSE disabled.

Suggestions?

[deria]

Originally Posted by Keith

Well, I tried the new instructions and it almost works.

Sage 6.0.14.112, default STV

Downloaded latest WinAmp to see if that would help.

That is I get visualizations but they're *behind* the SageTV window. This happens both windowed or full screen.

In fullscreen mode I get "Playing Visuaization..." on a black screen.

I have to alt-tab to get to the visualization.

It's not a FSE thing - I have FSE disabled.

Suggestions?

Something changed in the latest Winamp, I think. The Milkdrop visualization no longer seems to have a fake fullscreen mode.

In your specific case, it sounds like Winamp may simply not be taking focus when the visualization starts. Check the troubleshooting section in the first post for details on how Winamp should be configured.

I didn't have any trouble with the visualizations starting or stopping on my system, so I'm hoping its just a configuration issue.

EDIT: Also, isn't there an "always on top" option in SageTV? Maybe that's casuing a problem.

[JDizzy]

Originally Posted by Keith

That is I get visualizations but they're *behind* the SageTV window. This happens both windowed or full screen.

It's not a FSE thing - I have FSE disabled.

Suggestions?

I am running Sage v6 and MC v6.3 and have been using Winamp and Milkdrop for some time now. As of a couple days ago it loads Milkdrop behind the Sage screen. I know it is working as if I run Sage in a minimized window you can see Milkdrop behind it doing its thing...

I cannot remember if I did anything to make this happen.... but I cannot seem to make it pop up in front anymore ..
I have retraced my steps, reverted back several STVi loads, checked config settings, reinstalled the original Winamp STVi files and still no go.
-JD

[jkohn]

I was able to get around this by _disabling_ fake full-screen in the Milkdrop configuration dialog; once I did that Milkdrop came up in the foreground instead of behind SageTV. But I'm using Girder to start/stop the visualization, not the STV modifications described above. Also, there was an issue with the SageTV window not getting focus after the visualization stopped (windows taskbar was showing over the bottom of the sage window). I was able to get around that with Girder by setting focus back to the SageTV window.

[jkohn]

I have seen this, yes. Its some sort of timing issue -- basically what happens is that the plugin tells Winamp to load the song, then tells it to play the song (its two different actions in the Winamp API). If the command to play occurs before the load finishes, Winamp ignores it -- and it takes a second for the plugin to realizse this (because it has to poll Winamp to see what state the song is in).

Not being familiar with how the Sage plugin works, is it queing/playing one song at a time even if I tell sage to play an entire album?

Is there anything I can do on my system from a configuration/setup standpoint to minimize/eliminate this problem? It's a newly built system, pretty capable so I wouldn't think it's a matter of underperforming hardware.

I took a look at the SDK headers, it looks like out-of-proc control is pretty limited; I wonder if a better solution be to write a Winamp plugin that used the more full-featured in-proc interface (and could also use SendMessage to make calls synchronous when necessary), and then have the plugin expose something more robust to the Sage plugin (using LRPC or something else). I may explore this but probably won't have time for a while.

[Keith]

Originally Posted by deria

Something changed in the latest Winamp, I think. The Milkdrop visualization no longer seems to have a fake fullscreen mode.

In your specific case, it sounds like Winamp may simply not be taking focus when the visualization starts. Check the troubleshooting section in the first post for details on how Winamp should be configured.

I didn't have any trouble with the visualizations starting or stopping on my system, so I'm hoping its just a configuration issue.

EDIT: Also, isn't there an "always on top" option in SageTV? Maybe that's casuing a problem.

There is no "always on top" option in Sage unless it's buried in some obscure file. The default STV has no option for this.

I tried using an older WinAmp with the same result (5.1.12).

Milkdrop does have a fake fullscreen option in the latest build. That's not the problem as I've tried it both ways.

I checked and double checked the WinAmp settings.

Visualizations worked perfectly till I installed the v 6.0 beta.

Since it works for you please tell us which version of Sage, Winamp and the plugin you're using. Also What version of JRE and do you have *all* the latest XP hotfixes so we can rule those out.

[JDizzy]

Originally Posted by Keith

Also What version of JRE and do you have *all* the latest XP hotfixes so we can rule those out.

Funny you should mention the XP hotfixes... I seem to remember as recently as last weekend getting reminded (hassled) to install Internet Exporer v7 and some security (?) patches...
Soon thereafter I've got a problem....could be related I dunno... I should really start paying more attention...
Hmmm
JD

[Keith]

Good point. I un-installed IE7 but it made no difference.

Back to square one.

I haven't updated the JRE on that machine in a long time. It's running 5.0 update 4 - if that makes a difference.

[deria]

Originally Posted by jkohn

Not being familiar with how the Sage plugin works, is it queing/playing one song at a time even if I tell sage to play an entire album?

Yes, basically it works like this:

a) You tell SageTV to play a single song. It tells the mediaplayer-plugin to play a single song. The mediaplayer-plugin tells Winamp to load the song, waits for the song to load, then tells it to play it.

b) You tell SageTV to play a group of songs. It tells the mediaplayer-plugin to play a single song (the first one). The mediaplayer-plugin tells Winamp to load the song, waits for the song to load, then tells it to play it. At the end of the song, the mediaplayer-plugin tells SageTV that the song is done playing, and then SageTV tells the mediaplayer-plugin to play a single song (the next one). The whole process then repeats. Essentially, SageTV is managing the playlist itself (which is fine; it needs to be that way because a playlist oculd contain music, video files, files that the Winamp mediaplayer-plugin isnt expected to play, etc.)

As for what you can do to minimize the problem, not much. It crops up most often with files that Winamp is slow to load. If your files are on a network share, that will make the problem more evident. If your files have DRM, that will also make the problem more evident. The faster the file loads into Winamp, the less likely you are to see this delay.

Originally Posted by jkohn

I took a look at the SDK headers, it looks like out-of-proc control is pretty limited; I wonder if a better solution be to write a Winamp plugin that used the more full-featured in-proc interface (and could also use SendMessage to make calls synchronous when necessary), and then have the plugin expose something more robust to the Sage plugin (using LRPC or something else). I may explore this but probably won't have time for a while.

That would certainly be a viable option, but its not something I intend to spend time on. I've been thinking about writing a Windows Media Player plugin that opens a port and listens for commands and issues responses. The plugin would easily accessible from regular Java code, and (in my opinion) would be quite robust. I haven't 100% decided to do this, but its something I'm thinking about. In the meantime, I'm satisfied with this plugin as-is. It isn't perfect, but its pretty good.

[deria]

Originally Posted by Keith

Since it works for you please tell us which version of Sage, Winamp and the plugin you're using. Also What version of JRE and do you have *all* the latest XP hotfixes so we can rule those out.

Well, let's see.

SageTV 6.0.14

Winamp 5.31 (Milkdrop 1.4)

JRE = 1.5.0_06 (hmm, I don't recall installing that, but thats what SageTV reports)

I'm using XP MCE, with the latest rollup pack and the latest security fixes.

[geogecko]

Originally Posted by deria

Well, let's see.

SageTV 6.0.14

Winamp 5.31 (Milkdrop 1.4)

JRE = 1.5.0_06 (hmm, I don't recall installing that, but thats what SageTV reports)

I'm using XP MCE, with the latest rollup pack and the latest security fixes.

Mine is working just fine as well, although I have Java RE 1.6.0 with the latest snapshot.

I just installed the newest nVidia drivers for my video card, so I'm hoping that will fix the memory error I was getting before. So far so good, twice with Milkdrop, without the error.

[JDizzy]

Just to get things straight (in my head),

I have read through the instructions 100 times and still am not sure if, when running Sage MC you need to import the WinampHelperMenu.xml and go through all that in Studio.... (or can you just import it as an STVi like other plugins, or as I asked, is it needed with Sage MC)??

It says that Sage MC has built-in support.

Also, in the Sage.properties file, there is a line that says:
mlbdude/use_alternate_music_visualize=false

I have tried this line both true/false and it doesn't seem to make a difference. (is it needed?)

This is a bummer as I can remember when initially setting this up, it took a few days of trial and error and I never did understand why, one day it all of a sudden started working.....

I'll keep digging...
-JD

[dflachbart]

Originally Posted by JDizzy

Just to get things straight (in my head),

I have read through the instructions 100 times and still am not sure if, when running Sage MC you need to import the WinampHelperMenu.xml and go through all that in Studio.... (or can you just import it as an STVi like other plugins, or as I asked, is it needed with Sage MC)??

It says that Sage MC has built-in support.

No, if you are using SageMC there is no need to import anything

Also, in the Sage.properties file, there is a line that says:
mlbdude/use_alternate_music_visualize=false

This setting has actually been replaced in SageMC 6.3.0 by "sagemc/visualization" which can have the values "standard", "alternate", and "winamp". But no neeed to set this manually, it gets set by the corresponding options dialog of the "Visualization" button ...

Dirk

[geogecko]

Originally Posted by geogecko

I'm getting this again. Seems to happen every time I launch the visualization now...

No one else is having the problem?

Okay, well, the newest driver for the video card did not fix the problem. After Sage has been sitting for a few days, I go back and play a song and the visualization gives me that error again.

I did find a way around it, if you look at the error message, it tells you what it is setting the texture size to.

In my case, it was going down from 2048x2048 to 1024x1024, so I just went into the Winamp Options, Preferences, then went down to Plug-in, and selected Milkdrop, and hit Configure.

Go to the "customizations" tab, and in the "Texture Size," put the value that it got changed to, in my case, 1024x1024. Once I did this, I haven't got the error message, at least, so far...

[JDizzy]

I would be happy to get an error message..at least then I would have some clue as to where to start.
I just can't figure out why I can not get Milkdrop to go in front of Sage.... or what might have changed to make it this way (after it was working forever)

I basically see the message that the visualization has started in the upper left hand corner of screen and Sage kind of gats a hazy look to it but Sage never drops to background....

Oh well...
-JD

[Keith]

Originally Posted by JDizzy

I would be happy to get an error message..at least then I would have some clue as to where to start.
I just can't figure out why I can not get Milkdrop to go in front of Sage.... or what might have changed to make it this way (after it was working forever)

I basically see the message that the visualization has started in the upper left hand corner of screen and Sage kind of gats a hazy look to it but Sage never drops to background....

Oh well...
-JD

You're not alone.

I have exactly the same problem.

There is something Deria isn't telling us. Something left out of the instructions. There has to be.

[mickp]

Originally Posted by Keith

There is no "always on top" option in Sage unless it's buried in some obscure file. The default STV has no option for this.

Um. Go into windowed mode <ctrl><shift>f then right click on the title bar.

Mick.

[Keith]

Originally Posted by mickp

Um. Go into windowed mode <ctrl><shift>f then right click on the title bar.

Mick.

Interesting. Thanks.

By default "always on top is off".

Turning it on gave me visualizations.

This must be new in the Sage 6 betas?

[JDizzy]

Originally Posted by mickp

Um. Go into windowed mode <ctrl><shift>f then right click on the title bar.

Mick.

And there we are.... something as simple as that was killing me....

Mick, here's to ya

Consider this * FIXED *

-JD