Installation instructions are provided for using RfRemote with SdPlayer 2.00
using the VLC media player, and for using RfRemote with Wplayer (either version
1.00 or version 2.00) using Winamp. Be sure you follow the correct instructions
for the player you wish to use. I recommend SdPlayer.
If you have an installation CD with VLC Media Player, locate the vlc-2.1.3-win32.exe file in the VLC folder. Otherwise, visit the VideoLAN website at www.videolan.org to download the latest version of the VLC media player. Double-click the exe file to install the VLC media player. It will be installed in C:\Program Files\VideoLAN if you have a 32 bit version of Windows, or in C:\Program Files (x86)\VideoLAN if you have a 64 bit version of Windows. Just accept the default installation location and you will be fine.
Locate the SetupSdPlayer200.exe installation file on the CD in the SdPlayer200 folder, or download it from my website at www.krubow.com. This installation file must be run as an administrator. If you have administrative rights, simply double-click the file. Otherwise, right--click the file and select Run as administrator. Simply accept all the defaults. The installer will automatically add the path to the VLC media player libraries to you system PATH environment variable. This is why administrative rights are required. You will be prompted to reboot your computer. You can reboot now or reboot later, but you may as well reboot now because SdPlayer will not work until after you reboot.
Simply double click the SetupRfRemote.exe installation file and follow the on screen instructions. Just accept all the defaults.
Make sure your USB receiver is plugged in. Launch RfRemote. Select File->Settings..., and select the Com Port that your USB receiver is assigned to (you may need to check the port number in your Device Manager, or do it the easy way and unplug the receiver, look at the list of ports in File-Settings..., then plug the receiver in and look at the list of ports in File->Settings..., and the new port that shows up is the correct one). Make sure Baud is set to 2400. The other settings can be left at their defaults for now. Click OK.
RfRemote comes with four sets of macros already set up. These are WplayerSimple.dat, SdPlayerSimple.dat, WplayerAdvanced.dat and SdPlayerAdvanced.dat. WplayerSimple.dat and SdPlayerSimple.dat each have six macros (one for each button) to control Play/Pause, Zero, Back, Forward, Rewind and TipTimer. WplayerAdvanced.dat and SdPlayerAdvanced.dat are set up for a total of 10 functions by using one button to toggle between two sets of functions for the other five buttons. The default set is called WplayerSimple.dat (which is set up for controlling the older Wplayer). We need to select the SdPlayerSimple.dat macros for controling SdPlayer. It is easy to switch to a different set of macros. Just select Import Macros from the File menu in RfRemote, select the SdPlayerSimple.dat file, and click OK. Note that six macros are defined in the RfRemote main window. These macros are for the six buttons on the transmitter. I have them defined for the functions Play/Pause, Zero (the counter), Back (5 seconds), Forward (5 seconds), Rewind (back to zero), and Tip Timer. These macros are defined to simulate keypresses to the SdPlayer application as defined in the following table:
| Name of Macro | Key | Target Window |
| Play/Pause | SPACE | SdPlayer |
| Zero | Z | SdPlayer |
| Back | LEFT | SdPlayer |
| Forward | RIGHT |
SdPlayer |
| Rewind | R | SdPlayer |
| TipTimer | T | SdPlayer |
Every macro has a red question mark on it, which means the macro has not
been "learned" yet. To learn the macro, we must tell RfRemote to learn the
macro, then press the corresponding button on the transmitter. I like the
following layout of the buttons:
(antenna) |
Make sure the USB receiver is plugged in, and the proper Com Port was selected above. Right click the first macro (Back, since they are listed in alphabetical order), and select "Learn" from the pop up menu. Press the button that you want to use for the Back command. A series of hex values should appear in the learn window, similar to "F7F0F1F4". The exact values will vary according to which button you push. Also, each transmitter has a unique "ID" code (the "F0F1" part), so your transmitter will give different numbers. Click OK to accept the data for this button.
Repeat for each macro to be learned. Make sure you use a different button for every macro.
We are almost done. Click the "Start" button at the bottom of the RfRemote window, and launch SdPlayer. Your remote control should be working! Assuming all is well, there are just a few settings left to make. Select File->Settings and check the boxes for "Auto Start" and "Auto Minimize". This makes RfRemote "Start" automatically when you launch it, and makes it minimize itself whenever it is started, so it doesn't clutter up your screen. If you want, you can put a shortcut to RfRemote in your Programs->Startup menu so it launches every time you start your computer, but I just launch it from the desktop shortcut or Start->Programs menu. When RfRemote is minimized, it appears on the task bar at the bottom of your screen. Just click it to restore RfRemote.
Now that all your macros have been learned, you probably want to export the macro definitions to save them. Select File->Export Macros, navigate to the C:\Program Files\RfRemote folder, and save the macros as SdPlayerSimple.dat (yes, you can overwrite the existing file). Select File->Exit to close RfRemote and save all settings.
RfRemote comes with four sets of macros already set up. These are WplayerSimple.dat, SdPlayerSimple.dat, WplayerAdvanced.dat and SdPlayerAdvanced.dat. WplayerSimple.dat and SdPlayerSimple.dat each have six macros (one for each button) to control Play/Pause, Zero, Back, Forward, Rewind and TipTimer. WplayerAdvanced.dat and SdPlayerAdvanced.dat are set up for a total of 10 functions by using one button to toggle between two sets of functions for the other five buttons. The default set is called WplayerSimple.dat, which is set up for controlling Wplayer. Note that six macros are defined in the RfRemote main window. These macros are for the six buttons on the transmitter. I have them defined for the functions Play/Pause, Zero (the counter), Back (5 seconds), Forward (5 seconds), Rewind (back to zero), and Tip Timer. These macros are defined to simulate keypresses to theWplayer application as defined in the following table:
| Name of Macro | Key | Target Window |
| Play/Pause | SPACE | Wplayer |
| Zero | Z | Wplayer |
| Back | LEFT | Wplayer |
| Forward | RIGHT |
Wplayer |
| Rewind | R | Wplayer |
| TipTimer | T | Wplayer |
Every macro has a red question mark on it, which means the macro has not
been "learned" yet. To learn the macro, we must tell RfRemote to learn the
macro, then press the corresponding button on the transmitter. I like the
following layout of the buttons:
(antenna) |
Make sure the USB receiver is plugged in, and the proper Com Port was selected above. Right click the first macro (Back, since they are listed in alphabetical order), and select "Learn" from the pop up menu. Press the button that you want to use for the Back command. A series of hex values should appear in the learn window, similar to "F7F0F1F4". The exact values will vary according to which button you push. Also, each transmitter has a unique "ID" code (the "F0F1" part), so your transmitter will give different numbers. Click OK to accept the data for this button.
Repeat for each macro to be learned. Make sure you use a different button for every macro.
We are almost done. Click the "Start" button at the bottom of the RfRemote window, and launch Wplayer (Winamp should start as soon as Wplayer is launched). Your remote control should be working! Assuming all is well, there are just a few settings left to make. Select File->Settings and check the boxes for "Auto Start" and "Auto Minimize". This makes RfRemote "Start" automatically when you launch it, and makes it minimize itself whenever it is started, so it doesn't clutter up your screen. If you want, you can put a shortcut to RfRemote in your Programs->Startup menu so it launches every time you start your computer, but I just launch it from the desktop shortcut or Start->Programs menu. When RfRemote is minimized, it appears on the task bar at the bottom of your screen. Just click it to restore RfRemote.
Now that all your macros have been learned, you probably want to export the macro definitions to save them. Select File->Export Macros, navigate to the C:\Program Files\RfRemote folder, and save the macros as WplayerSimple.dat (yes, you can overwrite the existing file). Select File->Exit to close RfRemote and save all settings.
To edit a macro, right click it and select "Edit" from the pop up menu. You can select any combinations of KEY, MOUSE CLICK, VOLUME, MACRO, or LAUNCH FILE commands to be generated by the macro. Simply select the desired action from the drop down list, and click the Add button to add it to the list of actions in the right window. You can select the target window by clicking the Browse... button under the Window text box. This lets you pick the target window from a list of currently running applications. Each macro can also be set to "Loop Mode", which means that only one of the defined commands is executed each time the button is pressed, cycling through them from first to last, and starting over again from the first. This allows several sequential commands to be assigned to one button.
To delete a macro, right click it on the RfRemote, and select Delete from the pop up menu.
To add a macro, right click and select Add Global Macro, Add Group, or Add Member Macro. Type a name for the macro, select the target window, and add the commands to be executed. Then click OK. Of course, and newly added macro needs to be "learned" to assign it to a button before it will do anything.
Of course, you can define any commands you want for the buttons, or use the RF remote control system and RfRemote to control other media players as well. It can even be used to control Powerpoint presentations, slide shows, or anything else you can dream up.
For details on other options, refer to the RfRemote help file by selecting Help->Help.