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Can't bind keyboard keys "+ -"


GurraFinnlir

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Hi!

It seems impossible to bind the "+" and "-" (plus and minus) keys. The easiest way to explain what happens, would be asking you, try it yourself. Don't think its remote related. But in any case, I have a Harmony 350 and these are the steps.

Press "+" on Flirc / Press "Ch+" on Remote = nothing!

Press "-" on Flirc / Press "Ch-" on Remote = binds too "+" ???

Also, the Flirc/Kodi Harmony profile has incorrect binds for (Zoom-) and (Zoom+) Should be "-" (Zoom-) and "+" (Zoom+) So please have a look at this as well, thnx.

Flirc_key_issues.png

Edited by GurraFinnlir
added info
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You are using a keyboard layout which is not compatible with US QWERTY. Please look at these threads:


Also, unless you change the keyboard layout to US QWERTY or compatible you won't be able to properly use built-in profiles as the default mappings are for US QWERTY. If you don't want to change the layout then you should disable to built-in profiles in the Flirc GUI Advanced settings and just record all the keys yourself using tips from the threads I've linked.

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Sorry, I'm not affiliated with Flirc itself in any way other than being a someone that wants to help people on the forum in his free time.

Flirc itself (as the device) doesn't know anything about the keyboard layouts. It works as a USB HID keyboard which defines its own codes that are layout independent. This means that no matter what keyboard you have a key in a specific location on the keyboard will always have the same code. This code is then translated by the operating system to a proper key code using a keyboard layout map.

I agree that having different layouts in the GUI would fully solve this issue but I don't think this is something that's going to be implemented any time soon as it would require to do the ground up rewrite of the Flirc GUI.

To sum up the threads I've linked above I'll write this again. Don't look at the symbols on the virtual keyboard in the GUI as they are obviously in a layout different than one you're using. Look at your keyboard. Locate a key/function you want to record and what you need to press (for example if it requires pressing modifier keys like Shift, Alt etc) and then press the same modifiers (if any) in the GUI and select a key that's in the same position on the virtual keyboard that the key you want on physical one (the same row and key number).

As for the built-in profiles unfortunately there's nothing that can be done other than disabling them and recording the keys yourself (you can still use the Flirc Harmony profile but you need to re-record the keys in the GUI), because as I've said in the beginning of this post, Flirc (the device) doesn't know anything about the layouts.

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I thought that was the case. But surly the devs must check the forum as well, otherwise whats the point? I bet you talk to them so forward this issue please. Having to go throught all this trouble to bind two keys its not gonna happen.

I'm aware that Flirc has its firmware/software that handles keyboard layout etc. But one comes with the other. We all paid for the hardware so we want software that works with it. Not complicated workarounds to bind two keys. Not saying I don't appreciate your support. I'm saying that the devs have to fix this problem...

Edited by GurraFinnlir
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It's actually only a single person behind both hardware and software part of Flirc and he's doing it in addition to his main job and family responsibilities and portion of the profits from selling Flirc are donated to a cancer research facility.

I understand that as a paying customer you would want a fully working solution but on the other hand I think you exaggerate a little the amount of work around you must do to just record two keys. You should be able to do this in less than 5 minutes.

I myself think of Flirc not as a full solution but as a means to achieve it. For simple things Flirc itself is OK, but you will need to do some work if you ever want to extend the functionality beyond what it's capable of.

BTW I've already had a conversation with Jason (the person behind Flirc) about the keyboard layout issue quite some time ago. Please believe me if I say that I'm 100% supporter of having keyboard layout selection support implemented in the software. This would probably solve a good portion of the issues people have on the forum. But as a programmer myself I also understand the amount of work required to implement support for layouts (you need to get them from somewhere in the first place) and this is not only needed to display different symbols on the virtual keyboard but also to modify other views (like Kodi view in the GUI) to use different HID codes internally depending on the layout selected.

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Very well put. I would have to agree on all points.

Except one...

I still have no clue how to make use of that post. I cannot bind any keys using a normal keyboard to Flirc, so on Flirc "-" and "+" are useless for me. Like I said from the start this is what I've tried. I use Windows btw!

Press "+" on Flirc to record / Press "Ch+" on my Remote to bind = nothing!

Press "-" on Flirc to record / Press "Ch-" on my Remote to bind = binds too "+" ???

"+" does not bind to any remove key and "-" binds to "+"

 

Edited by GurraFinnlir
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Can you tell me what keyboard layout are you using exactly? It would be best if you could find and post an image representing your physical keyboard. It would be also helpful if you can write what you need to press on your physical keyboard to get + and - symbols (for example if you need to hold shift or other modifier).

---edit---

Depending on what you've written earlier I think this is your layout:

leHzl.png

If I'm right the "-" symbol is on the key right next to the right shift. In US QWERTY layout a key in that position has "/?" symbols. That means to get "-" from Flirc on your layout you need to record a button for "/?" key in the GUI. It is in the same position on the keyboard as the "-" on your physical layout. Are you getting now where's this going? Also the "+" symbol on your physical keyboard is in the same position where the "-" symbol is in the GUI. So to use "+" you actually need to record button for "-" key in the GUI.

I hope this is now more understandable.

Edited by yawor
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I actually figure it out just before I saw this. So I gonna show you and we'll see if we end up with the same solution. It will also help others. BRB.

Red is "-"  and Green is "+"

Yeah, exactly the same solution right? thanks a lot for your time. Your really went the extra mile, but so does all Polish right? ;) To bad I wasn't a little bit faster. I could have saved you the trouble.

BTW, as it turns out it was this easy. It would be just as easy creating a new layout. All that's needed is a new image, more or less :p

 

Flirc_Keyboard.png

Edited by GurraFinnlir
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BTW, as it turns out it was this easy. It would be just as easy creating a new layout. All that's needed is a new image, more or less :p

Yeah, I agree, more or less :P. But remember that there are so many keyboard layouts out there. Many countries have multiple different layouts. Even in USA some people prefer Dvorak instead of QWERTY. I use Polish Programmers layout which is basically US QWERTY but adds polish characters which are available by using Alt Gr (right alt key) and normal letter combinations. But there's also an older standard based on QWERTZ (I think it was based on German keyboards) which has polish characters available directly. There's also a Polish Dvorak keyboard (which is not the same as Dvorak).

As you can see having all the layouts as images built into the program is not really possible because it would take a lot of space on the disk and would take much longer to download the installer. Also having just a different image is not really enough because other controllers (like the Kodi controller for example) are just preconfigured with specific HID codes right now, which is bad for different layouts. To add to the issue there are also different PC keyboard standards. The GUI right now is using the PC101 keyboard layout. You probably have the PC102 physical keyboard which adds extra key between left shift and Z key (like in the images above). There's also a PC104 keyboard for example.

I think to do this properly the app would need to be rewritten to use some definition files and render the keyboard on the fly instead of using a static image. Linux is a very good source for such definitions and I've already checked them out. The good thing is it has support for most (if not all) keyboard layouts out there and also there are geometry definition files that define the exact look of the keyboard for different keyboard types (PC101, PC102, PC104, Mac, etc). And the files are just text files. The bad thing is this would require to create a parser for all the files and to create whole new logic to use them which is certainly not an easy task.

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I also use Swedish keymap and I has also been through this...

I understand it's difficult to provide all local keymaps in the GUI, however, at least there could be a warning in the GUI and some text describing the workaround in the help file. The product is sold word wide and it shouldn't be a big thing to include in the next release.

For others reading this thread, you don't need to inactive the native Kodi profile in the flirc client, just re-program the keys that doesn't work and they will overwrite the specific keymap in firmware, rest will work as before.

Edited by Videonisse
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  • 11 months later...

Hi guys,

I have exactely the same problem on my HTPC with Win10 - I just bought Flirc and it is great but I have configured VOL + and VOL - for Kodi layout to my remote control from Amiko Alien 2 SAT receiver and when I press the buttons it does not work right - VOL + does not work and VOL - is VOL + :D but rest of keys works great! :) what should I do? I tried to configure it many times but result is always the same. Thank you!

Martin

Edited by H8me
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