iMONDisplayPlugin Release

[kindt nick]

Hey,

First a big thx to pBS for all testing, especially involving the LCDSmartie, LiveTV and Recording section.

This it the plug-in for handling LCD and VFD Displays.
It supports LCDSmartie (up to 4 Rows!, via registry) and iMON VFD & LCD displays Natively.
Configuration is done via an easy to read xml file.

Alternatively you could use the new External Display release for nPvr which Raply provided here.

Functions:
- Fully Custom Configurable Output for LCDsmartie depending on your need.
- Configurable date & time format.
- When using LCDsmartie, it is possible to show recording information even when nPvr is shutdown.

- iMON LCD display is used to the max:
- - Autodetection of codec used in music files
- - Progressdetection of currently played file.
- - Multiple configurations possible for spinning DiscIcon.
- - Default plugins are supported as well as WebRadio, RSSReader and Weather for controlling the menu-icons
- - Autodetect of Speakerconfiguration (7.1, 5.1, Quadro, Stereo)
- - Autodetection and display of volumechange

Requirements:
- nPvr (any release should do the trick)
- .NET 3.5 Framework.
- To support the iMON displays natively, iMON 7.91.0929 Beta version or later version
- Win Vista or up to make use of the Speakerconfiguration- and VolumChangedetection

LCDSmartie Config:

Here's a basic smartie setup for a 2x16 display with desktop display driver selected..
Just unzip it somewhere and run LCDSmartie.exe
User must select their own lcd driver type..then should be good to go...

The ini files are setup for a win7/vista machine, users must edit sqlite*.ini files in plugins dir for xp..[example given inside]

To get Next: for suspend msg, just run Lcdoff.exe in smartie dir when suspending, and restart smartie when coming back from suspend...
i use IRSS for remote, and it has events for suspend,etc and it works well for me because it's a service so can make windows wait for execution...

i had to remove the smartie rss .dll's to make it small enough to upload..[libeay32.dll and ssleay32.dll] and sg_vfd.dll tho users should have that one already..
let me know if any problems..

Extra info:
- Soundgraph API forum
- C#/C++ wrapper based on montellese wrapper
- Volumechangedetection code based on McBainUK's nPvr VolumeOSDPlugin
- Written in C# .NET 3.5 framework, VS2010.
- Since this is my first project in C#, .NET & Visual Studio, a big thx to them & Sub for providing source code and or info.
- Sourcecode is attached to this thread, so I'm open to suggestions...

History:
- v0.1 : Release for iMON LCD Displays
- v0.2 : iMON VFD supported
- v0.3 : Memory leak fixed
- v0.4 : Added support for LCDSmartie via Registry.
-------- Wrong channel name bug resolved.
-------- Tryout of progress display on iMON VFD
- v0.5 : Fully custom-made output
-------- Recorded video info available
- v0.6 : ID3V1, V2, WMA tag support

ToDo:
- Detection of codecs used in movies. (LCD)
- Implementation of the RemoteAPI when release by Soundgraph.

Grtz,
Nick

[ShiningDragon]

Great! I just waited for something like this. Installed as adviced i have a small problem: After starting up NPVR i get only the exception, that the dll iMONDisplay.dll couldn't be found. I am using Windows 7 64-bit (german), if this is of interest. My iMON installation isn't using the default path.
Mhm, here's no dll called iMONDisplay.dll. Even the installationfolder of iMON contains in the x64 driver folder only: iMON_x64.sys, SGiMONx64.sys (remotecontrol) and TGiMONx64.sys. The folder above contains iMON_PAD.sys and TG_iMON.sys.

Requirements:
- iMON 7.91.0929 Beta version or the later version

Btw., you're linking to version 7.90.0702.

[kindt nick]

Hey, ShiningDragon,

Please re download the files, there was I minor bug that I fixed concerning the progress bars.

Concerning iMONDisplay.dll, it's true, I forget to include the dll.
It's a c++dll, I'm calling it via a dllimport, that's why it should be located in the system32 folder (for now)

I'm running a 32bit system. So please let me know if it works, I think it should.

I altered the link as well, thx.

Grtz,
Nick

[ShiningDragon]

Ok, so i have replaced the first installation. The good side: No exception any more. The iMON VFD blanks out after starting NPVR. But your plugin does not appear in the NPVR settings screen. I can't configure anything. Any idea? ^.^

[kindt nick]

Yes,

Plugin does not appear in the menu, that's normal.

The reason why it is not working for you, yet, is because if have not implemented the VFD section yet.
On the bright side, if it blanks, that means that the display gets initialised.
Could you provide me you NPVR.log? Just to see if it generates error while trying to control an LCD instead of a VFD.

Also, as I understand for an iMON VFD display, is just contains 2 rows where we can put text on it? correct? NO icons, etc...

I'll try to implement it this week.

grtz,
Nick

[ShiningDragon]

The reason why it is not working for you, yet, is because if have not implemented the VFD section yet.

*buck* ...yeah, that's my mistake. Sorry for this one!

On the bright side, if it blanks, that means that the display gets initialised.

Yep, and really nice without error, if i see it right.

Could you provide me you NPVR.log? Just to see if it generates error while trying to control an LCD instead of a VFD.

You're welcome.

Also, as I understand for an iMON VFD display, is just contains 2 rows where we can put text on it? correct? NO icons, etc...

Yes, that is right. Two rows containing each up to 16 letters.

I'll try to implement it this week.

That would be really nice. Thank you for this!

[kindt nick]

ShiningDragon,

VFD implemented, could you give it a go?

Progress of current track is not implement as I don't know if there's space on the VFD.
Also, I don't know the alignment of the VFD. is it left, right or center? I'm guessing left.
Any suggestions are welcome, the basics are there, so now it's just about fine-tuning I guess.

Implement of volumechangedetection is for later this week.

Grtz,
Nick

[ShiningDragon]

Unbelievable! Upgrade and... *plop* working like charme.
While starting live tv from tv guide (npvr clientmode) i'll get at display: NUtility.Channel (i think it shall display the current show, right?)
Your plugin even displays on the VFD the current entered plugin in npvr. Entering TV Guide, your plugin displays this. It's a really nice feature!

Really, i am just playing around with your very nice plugin. And as far as i can see the current condition is fairly good.

1. The running text while watching a video file within the video library is a LOT better then the running (stuttering) text within the music library.
2. The plugin should try to read the mp3 tags (of course only if it's possible!) instead the filenames. The running text is stuttering.

The above things are very small issues, i think. Another thing is more complicated:
4. After using the plugin, the reactiontime of npvr on this machine is VERY low. I'll have to wait between 5 and 10 seconds till the selected action will be performed. Can this be?

Many many thanks to you! The plugin is one of these littly htpc plugin, which i needed!

[pBS]

man, i wish i could use this with my vl-systems vfd..i have 2, 1 is 20x2 other is 16x2
right now in pvrx2 i am using smartielcd with it and old imon plugin that would write data to registry....so smartie could read it from there and display..
smartie supports a lot of lcd/vfd's and can read info from registry so would provide your plugin for many more users if info were exported to registry..
smartie would have to handle scrolling so registry entries would have scrolling turned off..just output like vfd with text only..
only mod you'd have to do is have xml setting for users without imon display to write to registry instead of imon hardware, and bypass hardware checking..
just a thought as i'd hate to have to re-invent the wheel again..

[ryanmc]

very nice plugin. any chance you can add option to output to text file instead of vfd. this goes along with what pbs was saying about using it with lcd smartie. i still use pvrx2 and the old imon plugin. but when i get to switch to npvr itwuld be nice to still use my vfd.