HTPC Specific Screens/Functions - Help :)

hello folks,

ProCooling (me) is doing a HTPC implementation using a CFA-631. One thing thats killing me is the pain and suffering to make screens like I want them for the 631 vs how easy it was using CC1 and my 633 on my previous HTPC.

Ive read around and didnt see any real info about getting the LCD integrated using CC2 into MCE functions. Like displaying "currently recording" kinda things, time available to record on the disk space still, etc...

I also want to get just basic screens like Disk % free (pending I cant get the MCE recording time available to show) for the 2 disks in the machine.

the CFA-631 is going in a Silverstone LC17 HTPC case (alread in actually, and already running w/ SCAB board wired remote controlling 4 fans.

This work is going to be written up as a multi part review/article on the site, any help on getting some nice MCE compatible screens setup would get big props in the article! I am just too stupid it seems to be able to figure out how to even write a plugin for this thing.

Also a feature I want, is to make it so that the left 2 buttons function as up and down arrow commands in MCE, and the top right button does a "back" command, and the bottom right does a "play" command making the buttons actually useful.

1st, I don't have MCE, so I can't really help ya there, sorry!

But for basic screens, I suggest you peruse the Thumbnail Index here. .

I would hope that you can find just about any type of non-MCE screen you could want.

If not, pick one and tell me what you want different on it, I or someone else should be able to get you what you want.

Jim

The thing that sucks is there are drivers to integrate MCE with a LCD... but it would require me to give up all the SCAB board functions.

I've done some custom screens for the HTPC already. And found some bad lines of config text in one of the INI files (perfmon).

really the one thing I want that I havent been able to get to work is a big numbers version of the % Physical mem free. Like the big numbers CPU load, just for memory.

Also can you explain why now and then all the bargraphs and histograms all go funky? then come back and look ok again?

Clegg said:

The thing that sucks is there are drivers to integrate MCE with a LCD... but it would require me to give up all the SCAB board functions.

I've done some custom screens for the HTPC already. And found some bad lines of config text in one of the INI files (perfmon).

really the one thing I want that I havent been able to get to work is a big numbers version of the % Physical mem free. Like the big numbers CPU load, just for memory.

Also can you explain why now and then all the bargraphs and histograms all go funky? then come back and look ok again?

Click to expand...

I will work on the big num's. Have a BB tournament tomorrow morning and taxes to do for my 2 girls in the afternoon.

Perhaps later tomorrow or Sunday.

As far as the funky bargraphs and histograms, this is an ongoing thing with CC2. CC admin has a "temporary" fix, refer to this thread. I think that this is becoming a "must" fix thing, but I can not speak for CC admin.

Jim

Clegg said:

Also can you explain why now and then all the bargraphs and histograms all go funky? then come back and look ok again?

Click to expand...

Does this happen when the LCD changes screens, or just randomly while the screen is displayed?

On a screen change. its random. It will happen once, and then again, and then be all better. The rotation takes about 30 seconds to get through the screens.

Clegg said:

really the one thing I want that I havent been able to get to work is a big numbers version of the % Physical mem free. Like the big numbers CPU load, just for memory.

Click to expand...

Attached is:
- Phys Mem Used MBytes
- Phys Mem Used %
- Page Mem Used MBytes
- Page Mem Used %

All for the 631.

thanks man thats pretty much what I wanted! ,

One thing I have sort of come up with is that if someone wants to get all the goodness of the CFA 331/333/335 and HTPC features... you gotta get 2 LCD's... Which sorta blows. I tried Frontview and some other MCE integrated LCD drivers, and they rock, but without fan control and temp management I am only using half the device.

The review I am writing will reflect more on this dimmension of using Crystalfontz devices (and any device that uses its own software for fan/management of a machine) in HTPC implementations.

The thing thats killing me, is that the CC1 app had a GREAT stupid proof way of letting users make screens... to ditch that I think handicaps CC2 greatly and in turn may turn people away from these devices. The fan control/temp control features in CC2 absolutely ROCK though. The corruption of the displays is also getting on my nerves a bit, doesnt seem like it should be happening, I just dont get why it works for a few minutes then flakes out for a few minutes. A friend was over and I was showing him the 631 implementation on the HTPC and he thought it was cool, but seeing High ASCII symbols where a bar graph should be lessened the coolness he said

Clegg said:

On a screen change. its random. It will happen once, and then again, and then be all better. The rotation takes about 30 seconds to get through the screens.

Click to expand...

Its a known problem
The code that handles sending the packets to the LCDs needs to be re-written.