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User Manual - Special Plugins
This page explains special input and output plugins, such that do not simply control an application like Winamp or ZoomPlayer. Read this article to learn more about output handlers.
Filesystem
Input
This plugin raises an event when files of a certain type and with certain names are created, deleted or modified in a certain folder or in its subfolders. To make the event react on any file in the folder, specify "*" as the file name and "*.*" as the type - without the "-character of course. Click the button "..." to specify the folder to be watched.
An event set up as shown in the screenshot on the right will always be raised when a link file, whose name starts with Microsoft, is created in the start menu.
Output
This plugin deletes/moves/copies all files from (and to) a specific folder, that have a certain name (partially). The button "Test filter" does not change anything in the file system, but only displays a list of all files, that would have been affected.
An action set up as shown in the screenshot on the right, will move all link files starting with "Microsoft" from the start menu to the desktop.
Remote Control
This plugin raises events, when buttons are pressed on a remote control. To record the button, that the event shall react to, simply press it, when the window on the right is opened.
To change the button later, use the button "Change key" in the tab "Current mode" after selecting the function in the list on the left.
Selecting Remotes
X10Receiver.NET v2 can deal with as many remotes as you want. An event can either react to all remotes, only to those you selected or to all except for those you selected. If no remote is selected and you press a button, the remote you pressed the button on will automatically be selected. Of course, you can change these settings by (un)checking the remotes. To edit existing events use the button "Edit event" in the window "Edit definition" or the button "Change key" in the tab "Current mode". To change the remote for all definitions in a definition list, click "Fast configuration" in the tab "Definition list", then click "Change remote of multiple definitions" at the bottom.
Key states
The settings in the box "Action" in the window you see in the screenshot on the right allow you to define, what key states the event shall react to. For "simple" events like "Play" it makes sense to choose "Press" only. Events, that can be repeated like "Volume Up" should have both the key states "Press" and "Hold" enabled. Some output handlers require selecting "Press" and "Release" to work properly.
To change the state later, use the button "Change key" in the tab "Current mode" after selecting the function in the list on the left.
WindowControlling
Change Window State
This plugin provides several actions to activate, minimize, maximize, restore, hide, show and close a window, to make it a top-most window and to change its opacity.
Send Messages and Keystrokes
Furthermore, you can send window messages to a window. You can send window messages using the SendMessage or PostMessage functions as well as sending WM_COPYDATA messages. Using these functions requires programming skills.
You can send single keystrokes as well as key combinations to an application. The actions "Simulate key press and release", "Simulate key press" and "Simulate key release" will work for most windows. The action "Send shortcut directly" on the other hand only works with very few windows. "Send shortcut, activate before" will first activate the window and then normally simulate the keystroke(s), which works with every window.
Click Into a Window
The action "Set cursor into window" places the mouse cursor to a specified location in the window, measured from the upper left corner. If resizing the window also changes the position of buttons, this action might not always hit the right button. To finally click after moving the cursor, use the Mouse plugin.
Choosing the Windows
All actions in this plugin need one or more destination windows. To detect these, there are multiple possibilities. The destination window can be the active window, the window below the mouse cursor, the main window of a certain process (which is the only visible/important window for many processes, like Firefox) or all windows, that meet certain criteria. You will have to activate the checkboxes for the criteriy, that shall be considered when detecting the destination window(s). There are window title, window class, process name, size, visibility and window state (maximized, minimized, normal). By activating the checkbox "Only first match" you can limit the number of destination window to a single one.
Default Window
In order that you do not have to specify all these criteria for every single action, you can set a default window. Just create a definition that is executed when the definition list is loaded and add the action "Set default window filter" or "Detect and save default window". The former saves the criteria and detects the window(s) every time you execute an action - which consumes CPU. The latter detects the window(s) and then saves the results. Therefore, the second one will not work after you closed and re-opened a window.
Loopback
The loopback plugin can for example be useful to interlink multiple output handlers or to execute multiple actions with a single item in a OSMenu. This plugin is an input plugin as well as an output plugin and triggers all events with the specified ID when the corresponding action is executed. Additionally, the plugin allows setting variables, that can be read with the corresponding output handler.
LPT
This plugin turns single pins of your parallel port on or off. This useful to switch on your light or radio by using a relais.
Network
This plugin is both an input and an output plugin and allows you to send and receive messages using TCP or UDP. TCP is connection-based, i.e. one computer has to listen on a certain port and the other computer has to connect to the first one on this port. The computers can then exchange messages.
UDP is a connectionless protocol. Any number of computers (also only a single one) listen on a certain port and every computer can send messages to a single or to all computers in the local network without establishing a connection.
OSMenu
Read this article to learn more about the OSMenu.
RemoteExtensions
Phonepad
This function is explained here.
Speech Synthesis and Recognition
This plugin requires a software, that recognizes or synthesizes speech signals. On Windows XP, the Microsoft SAPI can be installed for free, on Windows Vista Home Premium or higher, it is already pre-installed and also supports speech recognition. The plugin does also work with third-party software, that supports the Microsoft Speech API.
Maus und Tastatur
Read this article for more information.
Windows
This plugin allows you to control different functions of Windows. You can shutdown, logoff, suspend or hibernate the computer, turn off/on the screen, lock your mouse and keyboard (works only on Windows XP!), change the master volume, execute shell commands (equals Start/Run), open files and applications, switch between applications, open disc drives, play sounds, close processes and prevent the computer from switching to standby mode. Furthermore, there are two actions that interrupt the execution of the definition ("Let other processes do their work (DoEvents)" respectively pause it for a specified timespan ("Wait xx milliseconds"). For example, you will have to wait some milliseconds after activating a window before you can send keystrokes to the window.
X10Receiver (Input)
This plugin raises events when X10Receiver.NET is started (this event will only be triggered in the startup definition list), when a definition list is loaded (is triggered when the main window is opened or a definition list is opened or additionally loaded), when a definition list is opened (only when the current mode changes) or when a command is executed ("Started with parameter"). "Started with paramter" is triggered when X10Receiver.NET is started with a command line parameter (-event:command, commands that contain whitespaces need to be enclosed by quotation marks, the event also works when a second instance is started and will be raised in the first instance) or by sending a WM_COPYDATA message ("Execute=Command")to the window with the title "X10SMInput".
X10Receiver (Output)
This plugin controls X10Receiver.NET v2. You can open or additionally load definition lists. There are several possibilities to display a message: "OSD message" and "OSD message with icon" both use the OSD to show the message, "Show message" uses a windows message box, that needs to be confirmed with the mouse/keyboard. "Don't do anything" does what it says (nothing) and serves as a placeholder, e.g. to maintain the correct order of definitions for an output handler or to realize "Cancel"-menu-item in a OSMenu.