A lot of beginner questions...

[V_J]

Hello,

I just got a Flirc with the aim of integrating my HTPC as I got fed up trying to look for software that could translate TCP/UDP or even rs232 into keypresses to control apps. Other IR devices in my setup are a UDP-controlled IR blaster which thanks to Flirc will allow the pc to be controlled from home automation, a TV (via a hdmi-extender with IR forwarding), and an amplifier. As the IR receivers should be visible to the blasters but also to my remote, my aim is to also add an Arduino to act as a IR Extender so I can hide everything but one IR receiver.

I have a couple of questions after reading up a bit... Some are perhaps trivial, others a bit less so:

1. Do I understand correctly that the device behaves as a keyboard, with no context knowledge of what is happening on the computer?
   1. If you define multiple controllers, do they exist at the same time for the same device? In order words, If you define the controller for MCE remote, and the keyboard, do both work on a PC? Or is the idea that those controllers are enabling the creation of actions for devices in which the Flirc will be plugged in?
2. What are the "profiles" as referred to in the command line interface? Does this match with the "controllers" in the GUI? What do they add? As I understand it, the controllers in the GUI refer to the events Flirc generate (what it sends on the USB, the profiles in the command line refer to pre-programmed controllers, so if you have one of those controllers, you don't need to learn it. (someone correct me if this is wrong)
3. What is the "normal user mode" (in the commandline), and what is the alternative?
4. To learn numpad keys, I believe I should use the IEEE HID data in the command-line ( modifier key mapping (without the modified key) - Ideas and Suggestions - Flirc Forums ), but I've found in another thread ( Numpad Keys Not working - Firmware Bugs - Flirc Forums ) that profiles should be disabled to do that.
   1. What do I lose by disabling profiles?
   2. Side question: has anyone tried defining the numpad keys for use with MouseKeys (the accessibility tool in Windows that allows control of the mouse using the keypad?) People have tried and it works but you have to use the commandline and record_api, although so far I manage to get it to move one pixel on each button press on the remote.

The less trivial questions are a bit more out of curiosity...

1. Is there an easy way to import/edit IR code assignments (e.g. importing/editing some file)? 
2. Can you define short and long press on the same key on the remote?
3. There is mention of an API, is there more documentation on that?
4. Most likely this will be a no, but trying anyway... The language layout of the keyboard changes with the system settings... Is there a way of preventing this and fixing the Flirc as e.g. a US keyboard independent of the system? The reason I ask is that my default keyboard is a Belgian Azerty, which requires shift for the numbers. Learning e.g. the numbers on the MCE remote results in the unshifted keys to be sent. If this is not possible, I would have some workarounds, so it is not such a big deal: one option could be to define a key on the remote that switches the language layout and use it when necessary. Another option would be the tool HID macros ( https://www.hidmacros.eu/ ) which allows to distinguish individual keyboards and allows macro assignments per key (by id of the key, not character) of each connected keyboard, making it is possible to force a language layout on a specific physical keyboard, but it is a bit cumbersome to define the keys. :-)

I know these are a lot of questions... I was wondering if it would not be better to put them in separate questions, but was worried that it would come across as spamming... :-)

Thanks for any help!

Jörg

 

Edited July 14 by V_J
Removed three questions as I found the answers ( https://flirc.gitbooks.io/flirc-instructions/content/graphical-user-interface-guide.html , https://flirc.tv/products/flirc-usb-receiver?variant=43513067569384 ) ... :-)