VLC HowTo

2007-02-10T04:25:53Z

Prometheusg: /* Other Stuff */ added Creative Remote Howto

__NOTOC__
Below are some handy guides for using VLC

===Playing Video and Audio===
;How to...
* [[What can vlc do#How to enable/use subtitles|Use Subtitles]]
*: Playing movies with subtitles
* [[How to Use a Capture Card|Use a Capture Card]]
*: This explains how to watch TV or get video from your capture card.
* [[What can vlc do#Play DVD/SVCD/VCD iso's / Images|Play DVDs and Disks from the image file]]
*: This explains how to use movies encoded onto an ISO file.

===Adjusting Settings===
;How to...
* [[What can vlc do#How to adjust picture brightness/colors/contrast..|Adjust Picture Brightness and Contrast]]
* [[What can vlc do#How to control the aspect ratio of the video|Edit the Aspect Ratio of a video]]
* [[How_to_disable_acceleration_in_Win32|Disable video acceleration in Win32]]
* [[How_to_save_bookmarks | Save bookmarks]]
* [[How_to_play_multiple_instances_of_VLC | How to play multiple instances]]

===Transcoding and Streaming===
;How to...
* [[IPod|Play videos on your iPod]]
*: This explains how to convert your videos so they play on your iPod.
* [[Play-Yan Micro|Play videos on your Play-Yan Micro]]
*: This explains how to convert your videos so they play on your Play-Yan Micro.
* [[Fixing .flv to .avi with Ffmpeg]]
*: This explains how to use ffmpeg to a convert broken .flv files to a perfectly good .avi file
* [[Streaming_to_ActiveX_for_Windows_Media_Player | Streaming from a webcam to an ActiveX embedded object page]]
* [[How_to_add_logo | Add a logo on your videos]]
* [[Mosaic| Create a Mosaic]]
*: This explains how to set up a mosaic from a few streams like a portal TV.

===Using VLC in other Applications===
;How to...
* [[ActiveX]]
*: Specification for ActiveX control
* [[ExternalAPI|Use VLC's External API]]
*: Information for using libvlc
* [[Use in Media Center]]

===Other Stuff===
;How to...
* [[How to Create a DVD|Create a DVD]]
*: This explains how to make a DVD from your home videos
* [[ActiveX/Delphi|Use the ActiveX control with Borland's Delphi]]
*: Using the VLC ActiveX plug-in in your programs
* [[ActiveX/HTML|Use the ActiveX control within a webpage.]]
* [[Control VLC via a browser]]
*: This explains how to use the HTTP [[interface]]
* [[Change the brightness or contrast of a video|Change a video]]
*: This explains how to edit a video and save the changes
* [[How to create thumbnails]]
* [[How to Use Lirc]]
* [[How to Use Creative Remote]]
*: Explains how to control {{VLC}} with Creative brand remote controls
* [[How to shut down computer]] when {{VLC}} playback is over...

== See also ==
* '''See also [[:Category:How To]]'''
[[Category:How To]]

VLC HowTo/Use with a Creative remote

2007-02-10T04:21:51Z

Prometheusg:

{{howto|To use {{VLC}} with a Creative brand remote control on Windows XP}}
This guide describes the steps required to configure Creative brand remotes that come with Creative sound cards to work with VLC.

This should be compatible with any Creative brand sound card and remote. Creative Remote Center is the application that recieves and passes remote commands to other applications, and it is therefore necessary to install and run. It translates key presses on the remote into application commands through the use of key files. Exact keymap settings are not given because they vary by remote model and how the VLC hotkeys are mapped.

== Open (your remote).RCI file ==
From the installation directory of Creative Remote Center, navigate to <code>/Rc/RCRx</code>.

There will probably be several files with the '''.rci''' file extension. Open the one that matches the model number of your remote with any text editor such as Notepad.

Each set of four lines represent one button recognized by the remote. There are two values you will need for each button: <code>MMCDEvent</code> number, and <code>KeyName</code>.

<pre>
[RCKeyCode########] A button on the remote control.
MMCDEvent=#### The code sent by the remote when that button is pressed.
KeyName=''String'' Identifies the button pressed.
OneShot=# Send multiple signals while button is held down (volume, for instance)
or just a single button press signal.
</pre>

== Create <code>wxWindowClassNR.key</code> file ==
Creative Remote Center sends application commands from the remote through key files. If there is a key file with the same name as the window that currently has focus, Remote Center will be able to send commands to it.

VLC uses <code>wxWindowClassNR</code> as the main application window. Create a key file with that name in order to control it with Remote Center.

From the Creative Remote Center install directory, navigate to <code>/Rc/KeyMap</code> and create a file called <code>wxWindowClassNR.key</code>. This file will contain the keymap to control VLC. It will look like a windows registry file, but just open it with a text editor.

== Make the file header ==
The first seven lines of every key file is nearly identical. Only the second line is important. It identifies which window this key file is going to control. It should be identical to the name of the file.

Copy and paste this into the beginning of the <code>wxWindowClassNR.key file</code>:

<pre>
[RC Key Map Information]
Name=wxWindowClassNR
Version=1.30
By=Creative Technology Ltd.
Company=Creative Technology Ltd.
Copyright=Copyright (C) 2001 Creative Technology Ltd. All Rights Reserved.
Comments=
</pre>

== Keymap entries ==
The next section of the key file will be keymap entries.

Keymap format:
<pre>
[KeyEvent####] #### corresponds to an MMCDEvent number in the .RCI file.
KeyName=''String'' ''String'' is displayed via the Remote Center On Screen Display when you press the button.
Notification=# # can be one of several values, but for our purposes should be -1 or possibly 2. Details later.
KeyEventRemap=## ## is a value that corresponds to the keyboard key you want the button mapped to.
</pre>

<pre>
Notification values:
-1 - Sends the KeyEventRemap value to the window that has focus. ASCII decimal format.
2 - Sends the KeyEventRemap value to the highlighted window. non-ASCII format.
{3,4,5} - Used in the Default.key key file. Don't use these!
</pre>

Use <code>Notification=-1</code> for simple keyboard keys that have an ASCII representation.<br>
Use <code>Notification=2</code> for key combinations involving '''Ctrl''', '''Alt''', and '''Shift'''. Not all of the non-ASCII codes are known because Creative has not released the information, however some people have worked on discovering the values. [http://forums.creative.com/creativelabs/board/message?board.id=soundblaster&message.id=87188#M87188 A partial list of notification=2 codes].

A full keymap entry will look like this:
<pre>
[KeyEvent6906]
KeyName=Kill All Humans
Notification=-1
KeyEventRemap=32
</pre>

This entry maps the ''6'' button on a remote (MMCDEvent 6906) to the keyboard key ''Space Bar'' (ASCII 32) and displays '''Kill All Humans''' (key name) when using VLC.

Whether that does anything in VLC depends on if the space bar is configured to do anything in VLC. If fullscreen mode is mapped to the ''space bar'', then pressing the ''6'' on the remote would toggle fullscreen mode and display '''Kill All Humans'''.

== Map entries to the key file ==
From VLC, open the preferences and look at the Hotkey settings. For the commands you want to map to the remote, look up the Hotkey's ASCII representation or (for complex commands) <code>notification=2</code> representation.

For each button you want to map, follow the keymap format. Not hard, but probably the most tedious step.

== <code>VLC DirectX.key</code> file ==
Create an identical keymap file to <code>wxWindowClassNR.key</code> and name it <code>VLC DirectX.key</code>. Change the second line in the file to <code>Name=VLC DirectX</code>.

This file ensures control of VLC when in fullscreen mode. This second file enables control of the fullscreen window. The fullscreen window has focus instead of the main application window while in fullscreen mode. This prevents control of the main application window with the remote.

== Final Note ==
The method outlined here is useful for control of any application with a Creative brand remote. The only requirement is that you know the internal window name. I used Spy++ to get the window class names for VLC (<code>wxWindowClassNR</code> and <code>VLC DirectX</code>) and it's easy enough to get the names for any others.

== See also ==
[http://forum.videolan.org/viewtopic.php?t=31022 Original post on VideoLAN Forum]<br>
[http://forums.creative.com/creativelabs/board/message?board.id=soundblaster&message.id=41756 Creative Labs Soundblaster Forum thread]

VideoLAN Wiki - User contributions [en]

VLC HowTo

VLC HowTo/Use with a Creative remote