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Default controller in Flirc


Dave77

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Hi all, i've just put together a pi2 with openelec (Kodi) and i'm using a Flirc to control Kodi using my Harmony Remote Control. I've not setup the Flirc using the software, just plugged it straight in to the Pi and it works out of the box

I setup the harmony using the Flirc/Kodi profile which seems to cover 80% of the keys needed. I read some documentation on Flirc and understand that Flirc has several 'controllers', I assume that the Kodi controller is enabled by default as it works!

Is this correct? Are the other controllers enabled by default too? What I want to do is add the MCE Keyboard profile to my harmony activity so I can use it alongside the Harmony Kodi profile to get some extra keys.

Edited by Dave77
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Hi,

I would not bother with MCE profiles. MCE remotes are using not very user friendly protocol - it can work but requires extra work. If you want extra keys then add them from some standard device profile like some new LG or Samsung TV (depending on which you don't have so they won't collide with each other). Then just connect Flirc to PC (or Mac), install Flirc software and use Flirc GUI to map remote buttons to the extra keys you need (for example using a keyboard controller in the GUI).

Regarding controllers, there's no such thing in the Flirc itself. A controller is just a pre-configured page in the Flirc GUI containing key combinations under familiar looking keys (like play, stop etc buttons). Under the hood it's still just a key combination (for example a Stop key in Kodi controller in GUI is just mapped as X key). If you know the key combinations yourself then you can just use full keyboard controller and record all the keys you want there.

Flirc has built-in profiles for Harmony. It means that there are a few Harmony profiles for Flirc/<some software> pairs (like Flirc/Kodi for example). For the built-in profiles to work you actually need to select Flirc/* profiles in Harmony. Personally I'm not a fan of built-in profiles so I have them disabled (there's such option in the Flirc GUI to disable them).

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I have the same case and has remapped some of the Flirc keys in Harmony to the more important and missing key codes. For example flirc key "AudioDelay-" is mapped to the Harmony key "Record". Then I have also manually added the WMC key "Ctrl+R" in the flirc config software. I have done the same thing for keys like Menu, Exit, Guide etc. However, it's a nightmare to troubleshoot something later when you forgot how you did the mapping (I keep it in Excel).

Yawor, I think you miss the point how great the combination built-in native flirc profiles and Harmony are. Only problem is that the current profiles miss important keys and has some errors. Fix this and life would easier for many of us users.

 
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VIdeonisse I don't have Harmony so I'm not missing anything :). Also I like to have more control over remote to keyboard mappings and also I'm using modified keyboard.xml file in the OSMC/Kodi where I've mapped some functions that are not there by default (for example there's no keyboard shortcut for subtitle search window in Kodi).

What I think about built-in profiles is that they are nice for a quick start. You just plug it in and basic functionality just works. But after a while you want more. IMO when that happens it's best to just disable built-in profiles at all and map remote yourself to what you want and need. You don't need to resign from Flirc/Kodi profile in Harmony. Just record it in Flirc yourself.

Also the issue with built-in profiles is that they won't work properly with keyboard layouts that are not compatible with US QWERTY because some symbols are in different places on the keyboard (I've described it on the forum and in more details in my private message to you). I don't think Jason can do anything about that but there probably could be a warning on the website and/or forum that such issue exists.

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Cheers for the replies.

I think what confuses me about Flirc is the built-in controller presets. Obviously the XBMC/Kodi preset is programmed to the Harmony profile I'm using.

Do each of the other presets need programming individually if they are to be used? For example, if I wanted to use Full Keyboard, do I need to program the IR code for each key using some remote or should an existing MCE IR remote work out of the box?

Edited by Dave77
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Yes I can clearly see that you are confused :).

Flirc basically maps IR codes to keyboard key presses. It has some predefined mappings hardcoded in its firmware but it also allows the user to record new mappings. The name for the hardcoded mappings is built-in profiles.

The only thing user can change regarding to built-in profiles in the Flirc is to disable or enable them as a whole. There's no option to selectively enable or disable a single built-in profile. I don't know exactly how many built-in profiles Flirc now has because I don't follow this topic closely. These profiles use IR codes that are not used by any other device (they are created for Flirc specifically). To use any of the built-in profiles you just need to configure your Harmony remote to use one of the Flirc profiles in Harmony software.

You can't just use MCE keyboard profile in Harmony. It won't work out of the box. Flirc is NOT an MCE receiver. If you really want to use this profile you need to map remote button to actual keyboard keys using Flirc software. This is also true to any other Harmony profile or remote control in general that hasn't been created for Flirc built-in profiles.

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  • 1 year later...
  • 2 months later...

I can answer the above question of "Why would you want to disable them?"

I am using my new 2nd gen Flirc to control my FireTV, but it is messing with my MCE/HTPC computer in the same room.

If I can't disable the built in MCE in Flirc 2nd gen, I will be returning it to Amazon. I see the first gen Flirc is still available there for sale. Does it have the same limitation?

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