STV Import: Toolbar for SageMC (v1.0a / June 11, 2007)

[banmj]

This works great for placeshifter. I use it all the time.

[mkanet]

Mike, I'm sure you probably already know this.. but the toolbar configuration menus are all messed up using the latest sageMC...

[MeInMaui]

Originally Posted by mkanet

Mike, I'm sure you probably already know this.. but the toolbar configuration menus are all messed up using the latest sageMC...

I hope to have that resolved in a day or two. Thanks.

Aloha,
Mike

[MeInMaui]

Originally Posted by mkanet

Mike, I'm sure you probably already know this.. but the toolbar configuration menus are all messed up using the latest sageMC...

I just imported the toolbar into SageMC v6.3.6 and everything appears to work fine for me. I didn't see anything wrong with the configuration menus. Just in case, I updated the download to include the latest jar file for GKusnick's studio tools.

Could you generate and post a debug log file? Right now I'm at a loss since I can't reproduce the problem. Thanks.

Aloha,
Mike

[mkanet]

Hey Mike, I'm noticing this problem when I go into Extras/Toolbar options. I am also noticing this same configuration menu corruption in MovieTimes SageMC import as well. Everything else works fine.

I can send you debug information when I get home from work... Thanks so much for looking into this.

[mkanet]

If you're using the latest SageMC and Toolbar, can you go to your SageMC setup menu and selected Extras? Does your Toolbar options menus look correct? Its all messed up on mine no matter what I do.

[mkanet]

Okay... I cant be the only person still using this plugin... anyone? Sorry if I'm impatient.. but this is one of my most valuable addons!

[mkanet]

For the record, it was all my fault. The toolbar works perfectly with perfect programing. I was using an old import file stvi. After I upgraded, it all worked the way it should.

[alon24]

Hi,
I use the stvi with the latest SAgeMC 636b and java 1.603.
I think this is a good plugin but I am experiancing some problems with it.

1. When there are recording conflicts there is the icon, and u made it clickable. Unfortunatlly it leads to a screen which shows no options for recording resolution, it just shows the message and tne close button.

2. This button does not work when in the "My Menu" submenu.
3. When in the Epg mode, (guide) could you add the ff and rw buttons to work and actually move the guide view?

Thanks
Alon24

[mkanet]

Maybe thats what I was doing wrong too.... I was using this addon to get to it...

Originally Posted by alon24

Hi,
I use the stvi with the latest SAgeMC 636b and java 1.603.
I think this is a good plugin but I am experiancing some problems with it.

1. When there are recording conflicts there is the icon, and u made it clickable. Unfortunatlly it leads to a screen which shows no options for recording resolution, it just shows the message and tne close button.

2. This button does not work when in the "My Menu" submenu.
3. When in the Epg mode, (guide) could you add the ff and rw buttons to work and actually move the guide view?

Thanks
Alon24

[MeInMaui]

Originally Posted by alon24

Hi,
I use the stvi with the latest SAgeMC 636b and java 1.603.
I think this is a good plugin but I am experiancing some problems with it.

1. When there are recording conflicts there is the icon, and u made it clickable. Unfortunatlly it leads to a screen which shows no options for recording resolution, it just shows the message and tne close button.

2. This button does not work when in the "My Menu" submenu.
3. When in the Epg mode, (guide) could you add the ff and rw buttons to work and actually move the guide view?

Thanks
Alon24

I'll take a look at these when I get the chance.

I'm in the middle of some serious coding for the next SageMC release.

Aloha,
Mike

[jmv]

Mike,

Thanks for opening up development for us touch screen users. I'll load up MC on my touchscreen and install the toolbar and see what types of issues I uncover. One key thing I would like to see on the toolbar / touchscreen capability is scroll support. Transport is ok, but being able to touch a slider and move to any given portion of the media being played back is a key feature that transport controls just don't give you. Can that be added to the toolbar?

thanks,

mv

[MeInMaui]

I know that support was added a few versions back to allow dragging the slider in the video OSD with a mouse. Can you check to see if this works on a touchscreen? It may just be a matter of providing a reliable way to bring up the OSD.

How does control on a touchscreen work? Does it mimic a mouse? i.e. when you drag your finger across the screen is it the equivalent of a mouse drag and when you tap is it executing a mouse click?

Since I don't have a touchscreen, I'll be relying on your guys to tell me what does/doesn't work and what you need for proper control. Thanks.

Aloha,
Mike

[jmv]

Sorry, I was hopelessly behind the times...it works great!...still have to test on the touch screen but definitely the scroll feature is smooth as silk and perfect...thanks!

[samgreco]

I have used (and still do) the touchscreen to scroll using the progress bar in the osd in both the stock STV and SageMC. Works fine.

Can the toolbar be made to slide in anytime the "mouse" is moved? For those of us with touchscreens, that would mean that anytime we touch the screen, it would pop up. Of course that would have to be selectable so that those with actual mice can turn it off

[MeInMaui]

Originally Posted by samgreco

I have used (and still do) the touchscreen to scroll using the progress bar in the osd in both the stock STV and SageMC. Works fine.

Ok, so it sounds like the touchscreen is acting like a mouse. That's good.

Can the toolbar be made to slide in anytime the "mouse" is moved? For those of us with touchscreens, that would mean that anytime we touch the screen, it would pop up. Of course that would have to be selectable so that those with actual mice can turn it off

My first thought is that this might be difficult as there would likely be focus issues with other objects on screen. I'll play with it a bit, but I think adding a tab or button to bring out the toolbar might be a good alternative. Would this work for you guys? Any other thoughts?

Also, what controls would be most useful to you for touchscreen use?

Aloha,
Mike

[samgreco]

That would be absolutely great. ANYWAY you make it work is good with me.

As for controls, the only thing that I need is transport and nav. In fact just stop. pause, left and right. Everything else works in the interface as is.

[MeInMaui]

Could you describe the nav requirements a bit more?

I may just put together a separate plugin for touch screen control rather than mess around too much with the existing toolbar. Then I can design it specifically for this application. Soooo.... is there a better way than a toolbar to present the controls?

I'll start looking at this as soon as I finish my part of the next SageMC update. In the mean time let me know if you have any other thoughts.

Aloha,
Mike

[samgreco]

In all honesty, all I really need is stop and back. Everything else works just the way it is. And it seems to have an "invisible" back in the upper left hand corner already

But this is just me, what do the other touchscreen users think?

[jmv]

A touchscreen works just like a mouse but only with the left click available. If you drag your finger, it is like moving the mouse, if you tap, it is like left clicking on that spot, if you double tap, it is like double-left clicking on that spot. I believe the drivers mimic a mouse to the OS, and the OS is just responding to mouse actions. The only difference between a single button mouse and a touch screen is that on a touchscreen you can instantaneously jump without dragging just by touching a different place on the screen (you might be able to use this difference to enable a touchscreen control bar...e.g. if the user clicks on spot A then spot B but never drags in between, then popup touchscreen control bar...just an idea I'm not sure it is a good one ).

There are several issues with the current implementation:

1) Bar doesn't always show up: I am having issues with my touchscreen activating the bar. It works sporadically when I move my finger to the top of the screen. It appears more often when I am in the skin than when I am playing back a show. I got the buttons to come in once in playback mode, but mostly, I had to remote log in to the computer and manually stop playback and get back the menu. I think there might be control issues between the code that pops up the progress bar and the code that pops up the hidden controls when using the touchscreen (worked generally with remote login mouse though). Also, the hidden menu wouldn't show up at all when you first start playback and it has the show information at the top of the screen. I had to wait until this went away to call the hidden menu either with a mouse or touchscreen.

During media playback, it would be good if when you tapped the screen both the hidden controls and the progress bar showed up together then you could use either control.

If you can't do this, my personal preference is to add a stop or a home button to the progress bar as tapping the screen having the progress bar pop up, then tapping somewhere else or dragging a finger somewhere else to get the taskbar to show up just to stop playback is pretty cludgy.

Issue #2: Also, a sleep button or having the X button act the same as the X botton on the home screen (popping up the sleep/exit sage.../cancel screen) would be very good. I need sage sleep to shift focus between Sage and my other touchscreen applications.

Issue #3: I don't know what the 3 buttons do with the music/swoosh arrow/TV or something...I would delete these if I could...

Can the bar be customized, or do you have to hard code the functions...if it can be customized, is there documentation some where I should read?

thanks again for the support SageMC is sooo good I am just desperate to make it work on the touchscreen.

thanks,

mv