Thread: What benefits does RR have over CF?

wow i dont think i've ever responded to a list of numbers going up to 8.. but here it goes lol

Originally Posted by ZX1Cruizer

1) Are programs easy to embed into RR? I have a lot of emulators and so far they all embed into CF very well. I'd like the same functionality.

just as easy as CF, you simply need app path and window name.

2) What is the most popular NAV software that you guys use and has options like lowering the volume of the music so I can hear the voice prompts?

RR has built-in support for iguidance with lowering the music and auto switching on guidance. I dont think that any other program does it at this point.

3) Does RR have the ability to tell programs to go to a specific screen? Say for example I want my SEGA emulator to play only on display 2, I would embed the program into CF in the options, then tell it to open on that display. Does RR do this also?

no RR has extremely limited support for multi screen setups. There are some things you can do with a skin and extended desktops to make it appear "multi-screen", but there is a sharp limit to what you can do as a secondary user. A LOT sharper than with CF

4) For PLUGIN Developers! Are there any plans to make a rear screen control system for multi screen users? One thing that has kept me from RR is the lack of rear controls. I was wondering if maybe something was in the works. The way CF currently does it is it makes a similar interface like the main screen with the buttons, but those buttons are dedicated to the rear screen. A down fall of the CF version is that you are limited to only 6 buttons and you cant use buttons that are for embedded programs. You can only use plugins they specify, which is dumb because then I have to make the buttons on my screen and people have to ask me to activate things. Another great feature of the plugin is the ability to send audio between places. So if rear is watching a movie to headphones and everyone wants to listen, you hit a button and the audio changes. Thing is it is kind of buggy. I think a plugin that is similar to this would be great for RR. FLUX doesn't seem interested right now in making rear zone feature 100% usable.

see number 3. I honestly cant see it happening with RR ever. I'm not even sure its possible being that RR is written in vb6

5) Is RR solid on Win 7?

rock solid. Just as CF

6) Me liking CF because it is so easy to set up, will the learning curve for me to jump into RR be a huge deal?

there is a STEEP learning curve going from CF to RR. When you switch to RR you're back to editing text files for skin/plugin settings. A huge advantage that CF has to new users is you can change settings for both core apps and plugins in a uniform settings location. With RR, you use a combination of RRConfig and notepad to do settings. There are some "master" skins which help you get around having to manually edit the text files, but that limits you to what skin you can actually use.

7) Is the phone solution solid or close to solid like on CF? If I am not mistaken RR also uses BlueSoliel? Does it work good? Also will it work with my setup, which has a dedicated sound card, AMP, and speaker for phone, which is used in conjunction with the echo cancel card.

Its nowhere near as polished as CF, but it works. I haven't seen much development on it lately though.

8) Anything else I should know about?

RR is faster than CF3. Hell its faster than CF2. Its easier to skin for than CF, but thats a gift and a curse in most cases. A high percentage of people use Clean in CF, whereas RR users pick and choose from a far greater variety of skins. For a developer, this is a PITA because bug reports turn into a matter of problems relating to a skin and not necessarily a plugin.

They are by far a greater number of developers using CF and creating plugins for CF. RR seems at a standstill in that regard.

My opinion on the stability of the program, CF wins. Updates come quarterly rather than monthly, but based on the fact that its built in a current programming language it means CF has a greater base for expansion (whether they take advantage of it is another thing).

Lastly, security. My heart of hearts tells me RR will be around forever whereas i share the same opinion of you of where flux is right now with CF. But in all honesty after what went on in 2007/2008 with RR i cant really say RR wont turn into another product in the future.

I basically agree with what Sonic has said, but will add an addendum which is more specific to you on 3/4.

As RR is free, you can run as many copies as you like, so having a PC per screen is viable. In fact that is something I have in the works, maybe not as many as you but the install in my older car will eventually have at least 3 PC's to go with the 3 screens I have. (one front dash and two headrests).

A little while ago I looked at writing a plugin that would allow RR's running on different PC's communicate with each other and therefore control each other.

I did a basic proof on concept and it seemed to work. So sometime in the future I will start active development on that.

You can also run more than one version of RR on a single PC, so it is also possible to have one run on the main screen and the second on the second screen.


That's it for now.

Originally Posted by Sonicxtacy02

wow i dont think i've ever responded to a list of numbers going up to 8.. but here it goes lol



just as easy as CF, you simply need app path and window name.



RR has built-in support for iguidance with lowering the music and auto switching on guidance. I dont think that any other program does it at this point.



no RR has extremely limited support for multi screen setups. There are some things you can do with a skin and extended desktops to make it appear "multi-screen", but there is a sharp limit to what you can do as a secondary user. A LOT sharper than with CF




see number 3. I honestly cant see it happening with RR ever. I'm not even sure its possible being that RR is written in vb6



rock solid. Just as CF



there is a STEEP learning curve going from CF to RR. When you switch to RR you're back to editing text files for skin/plugin settings. A huge advantage that CF has to new users is you can change settings for both core apps and plugins in a uniform settings location. With RR, you use a combination of RRConfig and notepad to do settings. There are some "master" skins which help you get around having to manually edit the text files, but that limits you to what skin you can actually use.



Its nowhere near as polished as CF, but it works. I haven't seen much development on it lately though.



RR is faster than CF3. Hell its faster than CF2. Its easier to skin for than CF, but thats a gift and a curse in most cases. A high percentage of people use Clean in CF, whereas RR users pick and choose from a far greater variety of skins. For a developer, this is a PITA because bug reports turn into a matter of problems relating to a skin and not necessarily a plugin.

They are by far a greater number of developers using CF and creating plugins for CF. RR seems at a standstill in that regard.

My opinion on the stability of the program, CF wins. Updates come quarterly rather than monthly, but based on the fact that its built in a current programming language it means CF has a greater base for expansion (whether they take advantage of it is another thing).

Lastly, security. My heart of hearts tells me RR will be around forever whereas i share the same opinion of you of where flux is right now with CF. But in all honesty after what went on in 2007/2008 with RR i cant really say RR wont turn into another product in the future.

All of your answers make sense, thanx for answering all 8 of them. I didn't realize that RR was really that complicated and that plugin development has also slowed.

I guess at this point its a wait and see matter. My only issue is that if I go the CF route, I have to buy 7 copies of it, and that is a lot of money. I don't want to spend it and not get proper help from FLUX and have to wait so long for upgrades. Also another thing that is pi$$ing me off is that it seems they selectively choose who they want to answer. I don't know how many different threads I have complained in about their retarded limits on the rear screen controls.

Originally Posted by Enforcer

I basically agree with what Sonic has said, but will add an addendum which is more specific to you on 3/4.

As RR is free, you can run as many copies as you like, so having a PC per screen is viable. In fact that is something I have in the works, maybe not as many as you but the install in my older car will eventually have at least 3 PC's to go with the 3 screens I have. (one front dash and two headrests).

A little while ago I looked at writing a plugin that would allow RR's running on different PC's communicate with each other and therefore control each other.

I did a basic proof on concept and it seemed to work. So sometime in the future I will start active development on that.

You can also run more than one version of RR on a single PC, so it is also possible to have one run on the main screen and the second on the second screen.


That's it for now.

OH WOW, I thought I was the only weird one doing the multi PC idea, good to know your heading that route also. Now as far as the personal units go, they can run their own copies and do not have to communicate with the main PC. Only thing they will have to share is the Air Card, Media Drive, and DVD Drive. Other then that I do not need them to communicate at all. The switching feature is controlled by KVMP switches. If someone wants to do their own thing, they hit a keyboard command to switch to their unit.

The main issue is the Main PC unit. Not only does it give me control on my screen of car essential stuff, but then from display connection number two, it goes to all the screens in the back. They all watch the same thing. I guess that is where I would run the second instance of RR. My concern is will it slow down my system running two on one PC? Also the instances would be dramatically different.

Instance 1 would only be Nav, OBD2, Phone, Music, XM, basically stuff that is related to driver.

Instance 2 would be all the fun stuff like Sling Player, Games, stuff that is dangerous to the driver.

Now where my concerns lie is can instance 2 be directed to a specific sound card? My install has 3, one of which is for head phones for the rear.

Now I don't know where you are with development, but if you can maybe make a plugin in that can help instance 1 communicate with instance 2 then it would be cool. Basically I am referring to pushing the content between audio sources, the way CF can do. Say for example, me as the driver also wants to hear the movie they are watching. i would hit stop on music, then maybe hit a button that says redirect audio to speakers. Then if I do not want to hear what they are doing I can redirect the audio back to the headphones. As far as all the lock option that CF has, i think they are pointless. The audio aspect of being able to switch sound cards should be the route they go.

See this ability alone to run 2 instances is really drawing me towards RR. Slow down isn't that big of a concern because the system is a quad core setup. If the great all mighty enforcer can come up with audio switching plugin, I am sold. All the other issues like phone, I can work out later. My main concern is multiple screens and audio switching.

Another idea on the audio switching, is maybe using Mitch's Audio Selector. Basically we would connect the sound card that is for the rear headphones to one of the line in ports on the UAS. Then if I want the audio to be on the main speakers, I simply change the UAS to input 3 and the audio should pump out on the speakers!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

OMG, I really think I may have solved this issue. Thank you so much Enforcer! Infact, I may be able to do the same with CF. If I can get a second instance working, then the UAS can do the switching between back and front. This will kill the dumb rear controls 6 button limit. i could just kiss you!!!!!!!!!!!

PS: I promise I wont use my tongue.

Hope you got a week or two to get 7 instances of RR working, skinned, and plugins enabled to your preference lol

The main reason I always go back and forth between CF and RR is RRMedia. It's the best plugin ever written, IMHO. Too bad it seems to be abandoned now, but I am using a subset of my music collection just to be able to use RRMedia with no issues. Very cool plugin. CF is primitive with it's media management.

I also like RR skins best, specially Carwings. And the Milkdrop visualizations are great.

Can't wait to see your setup working.

Originally Posted by Sonicxtacy02

Hope you got a week or two to get 7 instances of RR working, skinned, and plugins enabled to your preference lol

Well I would cheat. You should know i always try to take short cuts with software, lol. What I am going to do is get everything working on one rear PC. I mean everything! Once that is done I will install EWF and HORM, and then make an image. Once that is done, I will simply copy the image onto PC 2-6.

Its the main system that will take me the longest, it has so many devices and features and they all have to work together. I emailed FLUX, if they say I can run 2 instances, then I should be all set. If they say NO, then looks like I will have to take my time and get every aspect working with RR. Hopefully I can get you guys to help me out with issues I may run into. As far as skinning, I like the skin Kimota uses. I think its VOID something, LX VOID? I have hands down always been in love with that skin.

Originally Posted by RipplingHurst

The main reason I always go back and forth between CF and RR is RRMedia. It's the best plugin ever written, IMHO. Too bad it seems to be abandoned now, but I am using a subset of my music collection just to be able to use RRMedia with no issues. Very cool plugin. CF is primitive with it's media management.

I also like RR skins best, specially Carwings. And the Milkdrop visualizations are great.

Can't wait to see your setup working.

The media isnt all that big of a deal. If RR does it better then thats great. I am simply obsessed with multi zone.

This is another reason CF fails, the visuals are so $h!++y. I dont mean alittle, but a lot!!!!!!!!!!! Its been the same 3 stupid visuals since CF1.4, lol. I have begged with not really any answer. When you add any otehr visuals that work, half of them crash CF or cause issues that make it useless.

Now I have to ask..... What happens if rear controls try to access something the front instance is doing? Say for example HD Radio...... If I am listening to it, they cant use it because it is already in use, but say I decided to listen to MP3s instead, can they then use HD Radio? Like will instance 1 release it?

Originally Posted by Sonicxtacy02

Hope you got a week or two to get 7 instances of RR working, skinned, and plugins enabled to your preference lol

Mission Impossible!

Originally Posted by treetop777

Mission Impossible!

No it isnt!!!!!!!!!!! Your supposed to be encourging me to use RR, not putting more doubt into my mind! Its ok though, I like challenges.

no... to your HD Radio question...

one thing to know, media and audio is almost completely unmanaged by RR
it relys on 3rd party.. aka winamp, wmp, foobar...etc

i cant say what you want to do is impossible, but its certinly isnt easy

thinking about it, another instance could run almost completly isolated
but they cant share radio/xm/sirius hardware at the same time, nor hand off to each other

i better stop thinking about it.. its begining to hurt