Thread: FrontRow Remote

ok i have a question and based on the answer i have a quick extension idea.

This program is written in objective c. is there anyway to embedd an applescript?

The reason i'm asking is:
i quit front row and the remote while listening to an alabama song (i'm a hick nerd) and i "command-tab"ed over to itunes real quick just in time to see the album art of the song i was listening to still in the "Album Art" view pane. So i'm thinking with a basic apple script for itunes you can call for the song rating and re-rate the song in frontrow.

Ie:
Holding the Play/Pause button for two seconds brings up a five start system using:

tell application "iTunes"
get rating of current track
end tell

and:

tell application "iTunes"
set rating of current track to 60
end tell

Like i said i'm not sure this will work but it in theory it should.

Any thoughts?

Okay, good news - I've found the beginning of a trail that may lead to a reason for the crashes. I suspect that the crashes and general weirdness are happening when - for one reason or another - the system is already handling a pressed key. That can be a key on the keyboard, a custom-mouse-driver-input thing (like the back and forward buttons on some Logitech mice), or whatever a Powermate sends. There are several ways this might be fixed - if anyone has a good way either to detect already-held-down keys systemwide or to trap the weird error this is throwing and account for that, let me know.

Edit: Updated again. Anyone who's been having crash-issues, please try this version.

Originally Posted by hotch

my 2 requests would be to make much bigger buttons (lets sacrifice prettyness for usability? i want to be able to use it blind, you know?), and somewhat significantly longer (maybe 10 seconds) on screen before it goes away.

what do you think?

This is why Apple only puts the clickwheel on devices that have a display. Even the iPod shuffle doesn't have it. A drive-time touchscreen interface needs to be very different to be usable without looking.

Originally Posted by CArringt

ok i have a question and based on the answer i have a quick extension idea.

This program is written in objective c. is there anyway to embedd an applescript?

Look into NSAppleScript and NSAppleEventDescriptor, something like:

Code:

NSAppleScript *myAppleScript = [[NSAppleScript alloc] initWithSource:@"tell application \"iTunes\"\nget rating of current track\nend tell"];
NSAppleEventDescriptor *result =  [myAppleScript executeAndReturnError:nil];
if([result length]>0)
//Handle the string with [result stringValue] or whatever type it is;

This program is written in objective c. is there anyway to embedd an applescript?

That's what I'm doing.
Your rating idea would work, and might not take long to implement, but I'd like to make sure I've got the core functionality - e.g. not-crashingness - working before I start tacking on more features.

Originally Posted by MINI4cathy

This is why Apple only puts the clickwheel on devices that have a display. Even the iPod shuffle doesn't have it. A drive-time touchscreen interface needs to be very different to be usable without looking.

the layout of buttons or controls aren't what makes something usable without looking. being familiar with the product is what makes it usable without looking. no matter what kind of button layout you have, you're still going to have to look at it. i've had a car pc over the last two years and i still have to look and see what i'm trying to touch.

The only way you could setup a control interface that would not require visual aid would be to ( in this situation):

Break the screen into six quadrants:
1. Top inch or 20% of the screen functions as the up button
2. Bottom inch or twenty ""
3. Left ""
4. Right ""
5. Center of the the screen functions as the "Pause/Play" button
6. have a inch square out of one of the corners act as the menu button(being customizable to any of the four corners. just in case any of your crazy brits that drive on the wrong side of the road want a little support. ;-) j/k)

honestly i don't think something like this is a bad idea, but this is reason i'm against it? 2 of them:
1. it's against the law for me to be using it in my car, while driving, in LA. So therefore i'm stopped so i might as well look at it.
2. About 10% of the reason i even have it in my car is for "Functionality", the other 90% is for the "Holy *****!!" effect.

I'm going to start a suggested feature Link on the first thread. all of those with idea's that you believe would be easily incorperated please contribute them. please do not post wishful dreaming.
ex: "GPS Software"
But serious suggestions are welcome

The link will be up tomorrow

Originally Posted by Mahalis

Okay, good news - I've found the beginning of a trail that may lead to a reason for the crashes. I suspect that the crashes and general weirdness are happening when - for one reason or another - the system is already handling a pressed key. That can be a key on the keyboard, a custom-mouse-driver-input thing (like the back and forward buttons on some Logitech mice), or whatever a Powermate sends. There are several ways this might be fixed - if anyone has a good way either to detect already-held-down keys systemwide or to trap the weird error this is throwing and account for that, let me know.

New powermate driver Here

CArringt, familiarity doesn't help if you can't differentiate where you're touching. Apple doesn't put a clickwheel UI on the shuffle or the Apple Remote so you won't have to look at them while you're using them.

The edges of a screen can provide the 'landmarks' for using a touchscreen, and since they have two edges the corners are the best locations. You're on the right track...