Archive for June, 2009

New xLobby V3 Build 3.0.9170.62

xLobby V3 – 3.0.9170.62
=======================
0000524: [plugin] add more to XpluginSDK regarding music (stevenhanna6) – resolved.
0000579: [content playback] pause button stops working after using it twice (stevenhanna6) – resolved.
0000581: [generic] if event is tied to a slider button command is executed twice (stevenhanna6) – resolved.
0000583: [generic] new commands “speech” “speech enable” “speech disable” “speech toggle” (stevenhanna6) – resolved.
0000585: [generic] if music was playing, it does not resume when leaving a movie (stevenhanna6) – resolved.
0000525: [animation] Animation background Request; Repeat, Random commands, ability to load images from the picture library (stevenhanna6) – resolved.
0000580: [skin editor] scheduling trigger, setting value to zero causes crash (stevenhanna6) – resolved.
0000582: [generic] new command “category->sort” added, for temporary setting of sort order (stevenhanna6) – resolved.
0000584: [services] insteon lighting service time out bug, very rare but possible (stevenhanna6) – resolved.

1. Music Trigger called xLobby Music Started under triggers in the skin editor, so any event can be triggered based the play command of music.

2. Music Trigger called xLobby Music Stopped under triggers in the skin editor, so any event can be triggered from the stop command of music.

3. Music Trigger called xLobby Music Paused under triggers in the skin editor, so any event can be triggered from the pause command of music.

 4. Addded command group(Trigger)trigger commands, group disable, group enable, group toggle enable disable.

 
 
 
 
 
 

We are close to finishing the Calrad-xLobby training and product demo room. I will be posting some new pictures and further details soon. A cool feature in the room are several insteon 6 and 8 button keypads, the keypads can be programmed to have toggle or momentary button states to trigger any function of xLobby or any device xLobby controls. These keypads allow you to replace existing light switches in any room or add on to them using an additional electrical junction boxes and tap into the existing electrical circuit. This simply means you dont have to run any wiring to add automation features to a room. These keypads can become virtual keypads to do anything like (Russound control), (Security), (IR or RS232 control for video switchers, stereo receivers). So in our demo room I created several keypads one of them is shown below. Each keypad button can also be programmed to toggle thru different functions if needed, so individual buttons coupled with some good quality speech feed back can offer some interesting possibilities.

1. The Speak Now Playing button when pressed will lower the music playback volume so that xLobby can speak the Artist and track now playing information, when finished xLobby will gradually increase the volume to the desired setting. Any button can also be setup in xLobby to work during certain hours or to have a different function at different times of the day or week.

2. The Wes’s Weekend Playlist button when pressed will lower the music playback volume, next xLobby will speak Wes’s Playlist, when finished xLobby will gradually increase the volume to the desired setting then load a preset playlist or if pressed within 10 seconds will repeatedly rotate thru all of Wes’s playlists.

3. The Show Playlist button will make xLobby speak Show Playlist and then goto xLobbys playlist menu.

4. The Play All Tracks button will make xLobby speak play all tracks then shuffle all the music tracks from the current database, load all music tracks into a playlist then play the first track and all tracks until the list is complete.

5. The Stop button will make xLobby speak stop and then stop the music from playing back.

6. The Play button will make xLobby speak play and then play the current track that is shown. 

7. The Next Track button will make xLobby speak next track and then advance the currently loaded playlist to the next track.

8. The Previous Track button will make xLobby speak previous track and the advance the currently loaded playlist to the previous track.

Insteon Part # 2486DWH8,  Designer Style 8 Button Illuminated Keypad

xlobby-insteon-keypad-2

 

This news post is subject to change.

 

Wes Black

New xLobby V3 Build 3.0.9166.25

New xLobby Release

xLobby will now support Blu-Ray storage and playback

xLobby V3 – Build 3.0.9166.25

=======================
0000548: [generic] New Event: Create thumbs for specific category (stevenhanna6) – resolved.
0000560: [setup] can’t add new lines to meta masks and ignore masks (stevenhanna6) – resolved.
0000472: [generic] Text Flow (stevenhanna6) – resolved.
0000561: [generic] “test event” in the drop down menu (stevenhanna6) – resolved.
0000574: [generic] always present audio mediaplayer added for playing files called “background” (stevenhanna6) – resolved.
0000335: [generic] XL looses focus when web browser loads (stevenhanna6) – resolved.
0000576: [skin editor] opening skineditor on screen with multiple overlays doesn’t work correctly (stevenhanna6) – resolved.
0000564: [generic] triggers enable/disable/toggle group command did not save settings on exit (stevenhanna6) – resolved.
0000566: [plugin] support for new dvd fab 6 (stevenhanna6) – resolved.
0000569: [generic] import index.bdmv files like dvd ifo files, for external player launch like arcsoft (stevenhanna6) – resolved.
0000571: [generic] 30 minute timeout feature that closes setup and skin editor if left open (stevenhanna6) – resolved.
0000573: [skin editor] sliders for audio zones (stevenhanna6) – resolved.
0000575: [generic] if command is disabled and within a logic expression it is still runs (stevenhanna6) – resolved.
0000578: [generic] sorting by “genre” was slow sometimes (stevenhanna6) – resolved.
0000559: [generic] category>xxx>field>-1,+1 ect does not work (stevenhanna6) – resolved.
0000565: [generic] when in mimic mode don’t show exit overlay (stevenhanna6) – resolved.
0000567: [generic] crashing on music area if no content imported (stevenhanna6) – resolved.
0000570: [generic] webbrowser causes kernel crash if webpage thinks it can close the window with javascript (stevenhanna6) – resolved.
0000572: [skin editor] saving changes popup could become hidden on certain screen with mediaplayer or web browser (stevenhanna6) – resolved.

1.  Background Images Random feature.

2. Improvements to the lighting service.

3. Volume Sliders events for multizone audio.

This new release includes the ability to store and playback Blu-Ray DVDs to your hard drive. For Blu-Ray playback xLobby uses the Arcsoft software platform, you can download the trial version for evaluation before you purchase the software. The new build includes the ability to seemlessly use the xLobby remote to control the arcsoft player. If you wish to use your own remote control then modify the existing remote control triggers in the skin editor under triggers to your specific remote and keys. The xlobby spider system will automatically download standard movie artwork and modify it to overlay the Blu-Ray DVD design. The import process for Blu-Ray movies is the same as for Mpeg2 DVDs, except for some of the Menus indicate the disc is Blu-Ray.

blu-ray

Screenshot of Blu-Ray and standard DVDs in the same database

blu-ray-large-image

Screenshot of Blu-Ray Artwork overlay

blu-ray-with-genre

Screenshot of Search movies by Genre or Blu-Ray only overlay

See if your system supports BluRay playback:
http://www.arcsoft.com/public/content_page.asp?pageID=1431

Arcsoft link:
http://www.arcsoft.com/public/software_title.asp?ProductID=362&dyContent=LANG_DOWNLOAD

Use this version of DVDFab HD Decrypter:
http://www.brothersoft.com/download-dvdfab-hd-decrypter-61937.html

The xLobby remote control now works with Hulu, users can modify the remote control triggers for Hulu to suit there specific remote control.

This news post is subject to change.

Wes Black

New xLobby Release

xLobby V3 – 3.0.9153.64
=======================
0000558: [generic] hulu desktop download and launch button added (stevenhanna6) – resolved.
0000546: [content playback] track restarts when adding album to playlist (stevenhanna6) – resolved.
0000549: [skin editor] add a video player to a menu, unable to name it until restart (stevenhanna6) – resolved.
0000551: [animation] animate button coordinate y location (stevenhanna6) – resolved.
0000553: [animation] animate button scale y (stevenhanna6) – resolved.
0000555: [animation] animate button reset, and reset all (stevenhanna6) – resolved.
0000557: [skin editor] “show overlay” has new drop down list to show all screen names (stevenhanna6) – resolved.
0000547: [skin editor] when a new field is added to a command, previously existing commands cannot edit the new field (stevenhanna6) – resolved.
0000550: [animation] animate button coordinate x location (stevenhanna6) – resolved.
0000552: [animation] animate button scale x (stevenhanna6) – resolved.
0000554: [animation] animate button rotate angle (stevenhanna6) – resolved.
0000556: [skin editor] stop animated backgrounds/animations when saving skin (stevenhanna6) – resolved.

Updated lighting services

 xLobby Animations

The videos below show opening a  overlay menu with a slide out panel and some button effects and a demonstration of multiple video effects. If no activity is detected within 5 seconds the menu will close automatically. You can manually exit the menu by pressing the keyboard esc key or creating a exit button. A few other interesting items can also be added 1. A visible countdown timer could also be shown to indicate when the menu will close or 2. Speech notification that the menu is closing or about to close.

Video Example, 885Kb: xlobby-panel-example-1

Video Example 2, 5.5Mb: xlobby-slide-panel-example2

xlobby-animations-menu

Animations Menu Screenshot

xlobby-animations-event

Animation Event Setting in the Skin Editor Screenshot

This menu is located in the skin editor, screen name animation.  This menu already has some examples of some really cool animations and video effects of images, text and a button. The new commands are located in the event editor, command group, animation. The commands and loop effects can be mixed to create different animation results. Use these new features to make menus and graphics slide in or out, make xLobby come alive with these new tools.

Commands:

cordinate x

cordinate y

reset

reset all

rotate angle

scale x

scale y

Loop Effects:

autoreverse

repeatforever

 

HULU just release a new desktop application that will easily work with xLobby and is integrated into the current build, current xLobby users will have to use a keyboard or mouse once Hulu is launched, we will have seemless Calrad-xLobby handheld IR remote control soon.  A menu selection has been added as well as a direct Hulu button under more. We will continue to exploit this new application to add a smoother integration to xLobby with some interesting features in the future.

hulu-desktop

hulu1

 h10-image-3

 

xlobby-hulu-2

Main Menu with Hulu selection Screenshot

 xlobby-hulu1

Hulu download feature Screenshot

Hulu Minimum requirements:

Intel Pentium Core Duo 1.8GHz At least 2.0 GB of RAM Windows XP or later 2 Mbps Internet connection Flash 9.0.124

Video: http://www.hulu.com/watch/74775/hulu-how-tos-hulu-desktop-overview
Website HULU Desktop:  http://www.hulu.com/labs/hulu-desktop

 

Rock Television

rock-television

Rock Television Screenshot

A new Screen Menu called Rock Television has been added for additional streaming music content, accessable from the More menu. If the content does not play, it maybe necessary to goto the webbrowser and goto: www.rocktelevision.com and install  a one time activex control.

new-menu-2

New More, Menu2.xml layout

The new More Menu, menu2.xml now seperates media Content from Control selections.

 

This news post is subject to change.

 

 
Wes Black