Harmony remote - how to use it to start XBMC

[gers1978]

My Harmony remote is set up with Windows Media Centre as a Device, and it all works fine.

Today I installed XBMC on my Vista laptop, and my remote works fine in Media Centre device mode with it, but only if I open XBMC first. I'd like to know how to get my Harmony remote to be able to start XBMC from the desktop.

I did Google a bit, but most threads presume you have separate IR hardware/software - my laptop has the IR receiver built in

Any ideas?

[dolgan]

I would recommend setting up EventGhost on your Vista laptop. It has a XBMC plugin but also allows you to automate additional tasks - very useful!

You can read more about setting up EventGhost here:
http://xbmc.org/forum/showthread.php?t=45414
http://xbmc.org/forum/showthread.php?t=38160
http://xbmc.org/forum/showthread.php?t=38579

I have the Harmony One setup as MCE remote and I'm using it with Eventghost to control XBMC on my htpc.. Works incredibly well...

To start XBMC with your remote you can just define an event in the Autostart section of EventGhost. That will launch XBMC automatically on start. You can also define a button on your Harmony to start XBMC on demand:

Once you figure out how to setup EG - just map a button on your harmony that you're not using to an EG Start action that launches XBMC (I'm assuming you know how to manage your custom buttons using the Logitech remote app). In my case, I've mapped the MCE "Music" button to this action. In my Harmony, I've linked the same "Music" event to a custom button labeled "Start XBMC". When you press it - it triggers the EG action and starts the app:

http://img17.imageshack.us/img17/7643/eg1y.jpg

http://img21.imageshack.us/img21/1048/eg2.jpg

http://img10.imageshack.us/img10/442/logitech.jpg

[dave1233345]

i got a question. how do the extrabuttons get assigned? how do you know what buttons are the extra buttons?

[dolgan]

You have to remember that the Harmony emulates other remotes that it knows about in its DB. So, when you tell it you want to emulate an MCE remote - it makes all the MCE buttons (and proper IR codes) available for you to map using the Logitech app...

The extra buttons are buttons that are not physically available on your Harmony (like Play, Stop etc) but can be programatically added to the touchscreen.

For example, if you look in the screenshot - I have a "Command" drop-down in the Logitech app - it shows me all the MCE commands it knows about. So I can create a custom button on the Harmony and link it to a command I'm not using (ex. "Green" is a button from the old MCE remote that does not physically exist on the Harmony but I reuse it for other functions). From there I when I press that new button - it register in EG and I can link it to an XBMC action (you need the plugin), emulate a keystroke, whatever..