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Medialon MxMs' Help
Name: Medialon AppLauncher
Version: 6.7.2 (AppRemote version= 6.1.3)
Available for: Manager V7 and Manager V6 (Lite & Pro), Showmaster (Mini, ST, Pro, LE, XS & iPro)
Limitation In: Showmaster Mini
Device Brand: Medialon
Positrack Compatible: No
Resources type: TCP/IP Network

Overview

This mxm provides a way to control a third party software from Manager or Display Controller. The application to be controlled can reside on the local computer or on a remote computer.

If it resides on a remote computer it will run on this computer and vill be remotly controlled from the computer where Manager or Display Controller is running. The command set provides a wide range of commands including windows size, bring to top, etc to fully control software behaviour. Key commands are also provided: they simulate keyboard strokes in the application.

A command line can be added at startup to proceed tasks.

A knowledge of the application that has to be controlled (command line documentation, shortcuts, menus…) is recommended.

For example, this MxM can be used to control presentation software such as Microsoft PowerPoint™, Macromedia Director™ or any other software needed in an application.

MxM Installation

When the application to be controlled is running on a remote computer, the executable ‘AppRemote.exe’ must also be running on this computer. The MXM AppLauncher will communicate the actions to proceed to AppRemote through TCP/ IP.

AppRemote is available on the MXM sub-folder of Medialon Product, after MXM installation. AppRemote can be also downloaded from Medialon WEB Site.

Device Setup

Setup Dialog

A setup dialog box requires informations for the creation of this mxm.

If the ‘Remote connection to Medialon AppRemote’ is not checked, the other parameters are grayed because they are not used by the mxm when it operates locally. IP address (or host name): Address of the remote computer Port: IP Port, must be the same as the one introduced in AppRemote.exe (default value is 4550) Timeout on connection: Time that the MxM will wait for a response of AppRemote.exe before considering that the connection is not established.

Auto Reconnect: When checked the device will try to reconnect to the remote host if the connection is lost (this is the default behaviour).

Sense AppRemote before connection: When checked the device will first sense the presence of AppRemote (from version 2.1.0) before attempting a connection. This is safe when using Windows XP SP2 or above to avoid security restrictions to be enabled when the remote host is not present.

Use Keep Alive: This option allows to automatically check if the session is still alive when there is no communication. It is useful to detected unplug cables or any link problem between the client and the server. However, the Keep Alive mechanism is unfortunately not supported by all the devices, therefore in some cases this mechanism may not work at all or may generate “false” disconnection. It is recommended to either check if both the client machine and the server support this mechanism or to conduct preliminary tests before entering in production.

Delay: specifies the timeout, in milliseconds, with no activity until the first keep-alive packet is sent. Interval: specifies the interval, in milliseconds, between when successive keep-alive packets are sent if no acknowledgement is received. The number of retries when there is no acknowledgement is 10 (this is a fixed value). As a consequence, the total delay in case of problem is Delay + (Interval * 10)

Ping And Check: By enabling this option, AppLauncher will check if it receives data from AppRemote regularly. If it is not the case, AppRemote will close the socket an try to reconnect. This allows to detect an unplugged cable or any link trouble.

AppRemote Configuration

Note: To show AppRemote application, double-click in the AppRemote icon located in the task bar.

Bottom bar buttons’ description:

Device Commands

Start Program

Starts a new application (if a previous application was opened before by this device, it is closed)

Usage: Some programs will work if the path and the command are grouped into the ‘Program path’, separated by a blank, without any other parameter. If the size parameters values are null, default values are considered. The title of the window that will receive all the commands is contained in the variable CurrentTarget .

Stop Program

Closes the current opened application.

Usage: This command is available only for the program that has been opened by “Start Program”, not for the one where the commands have been redirected by “Change target”.

Suspend Program

Pauses the current opened application.

Usage: This command is available only for the program that has been opened by “Start Program”, not for the one where the commands have been redirected by “Change target”.

Resume Program

Restarts the current opened application, if paused

Usage: This command is available only for the program that has been opened by “Start Program”, not for the one where the commands have been redirected by “Change target”.

Set position

Moves the current target window to a new position.

Set Size

Resizes current target window .

Set Visibility

Hides or shows the current target window.

Maximize

Shows the current target window full screen.

Minimize

Reduces current target window to an iconic state.

Restore

Resizes current target window to its initial size.

Bring to Top

Puts the current target window over any other windows.

Set Title

Changes the text of the title bar of current target window.

Keys

This command will simulate the pressing of the specified keys into current target window.

Usage: if non litteral values are required, an hexadecimal value can be sent if preceded by an exclamation point ‘!’. For example, to send a carriage return: !0D (0D is the hexadecimal value of the ‘Enter’ key). By the way, the syntax for one exclamation point is: !!

Non litteral key codes in hexadecimal values

08: BACKSPACE key 
09: TAB key
0C: CLEAR key 
0D: ENTER key
10: SHIFT key
11: CTRL key
12: ALT key
13: PAUSE key 
14: CAPS LOCK key 
1A: Undefined 
1B: ESC key 
21: PAGE UP key 
22: PAGE DOWN key 
23: END key 
24: HOME key 
25: LEFT ARROW key 
26: UP ARROW key 
27: RIGHT ARROW key 
28: DOWN ARROW key 
29: SELECT key 
2A: Original equipment manufacturer (OEM) specific 
2B: EXECUTE key 
2C: PRINT SCREEN key for Windows 3.0 and later 
2D: INS key 
2E: DEL key

Function Key

This command will simulate the pressing of the specified function key into current target window . The key is represented by its number (1 for F1, 2, for F2, …).

Alt+Keys

This command will simulate the pressing of the specified keys into current target window with the ‘ALT’ key pressed. - Serie of keys [String] Key values.

Ctrl+Keys

This command will simulate the pressing of the specified keys into current target window with the ‘CONTROL’ key pressed.

The next two functions have been added for the following reason: some application, when they start, opens several main windows and the mxm was able to send command only to one of these windows. With the command “List windows”, you can now retrieve all the windows opened on the desktop of the local or remote computer. With the command “Change target”, you can redirect the AppLauncher commands to another window or back to the original window. The title of the window that receive commands is contained in the variable CurrentTarget.

List windows

Lists all the titles of the windows opened on the local or remote desktop.

Usage: The list is a string variable ( WindowsList, see below ) that can be displayed in Manager list. These names can be used in the next command

Change target

To redirect all the commands to a new window.

Usage: When Type is “Specified window”, the new window is referred by its title in the second parameter (which can be retrieved by “List windows”). When Type is “Current program”, the commands are redirected to the program launched if any. The title of the window is contained in the variable CurrentTarget (see below) which can be a way to check if the commands are effectively redirected to the desired window.

WARNING: the commands “Stop program”, “Suspend program” and “Resume program” only apply to the program started by “Start program”but they have no effect on a redirected window. Thus, to shutdown one of these windows, you can use alt-f4.

Find executable by ext

To retrieve the executable program associated with files with the specified extension.

Usage: The name of the program can be used to open a document with the specified extension, using the “start program” command.

Reboot/Shutdown:

Reboots or shuts down the local or the remote computer.

Get Mac adresses

Return the list of the Mac adresses of the remote or local computer

Send Wakeonlan

Sends a “WakeOnLan” packet to the remote computer to switch it on

Usage: The ethernet card present on the computer must support WakeOnLan. Not all the cards support it. Check your documentation about the card.

WARNING: if there is a main power loss, the wakeonlan will not work, setup the computer to auto boot to prevent from this inconvenient.

Change Hostname (NOT AVAILABLE ON SHOWMASTER MINI)

Changes the remote computer to connect to:

Usage: This command allows specifying the address of the remote computer while the project is running. This is particularly useful if the remote computer address is determined at runtime or if the same device is used to control several remote computers.

For example: a single device can be used to power down a whole set of remote computers by using the “Change Hostname” and “Reboot/Shutdown” commands.

Device Variables

ApplicationStatus

[Enum] Reflects the status of the current application.

Usage: This variable can be read for checking if the application is still running and if the connection is established on the network.

CommandStatus

[Enum] Reflects the status of the current command.

Usage: This variable can be read for checking if the current command has been completed.

WindowsList

[String] A list of the titles of all the windows present on the desktop. This list is filled by the command “List windows”.

CurrentTarget

[String] The title of the window that currently receives the commands.

Hostname

[String] IP Address or Hostname of the remote host.

Revisions

V 1.0.1

V 1.0.2

V 1.0.3

V 1.1.0

V 1.1.1

V 1.1.2

V 1.1.3

V 1.1.4

V 1.1.5

V 6.0.0

V 6.0.1

V 6.0.2

V 6.0.3

V 6.1.0

V 6.1.1

V 6.1.2

V 6.1.3

V 6.2.0

V 6.2.1

V 6.2.2

V 6.7.0