OS Version: Windows XP 5.1 (Build 2600.xpsp_sp2_gdr.050301-1519: Service Pack 2)
Version of G-Force: 3.1.3
Version of your media player: Windows Media Player 10.00.00.3646
Detailed Description of Bug:
G-Force command keys (eg. h for short help) are not working in Windows Media Player (WMP). WMP keys (eg. Ctrl-F / Ctrl-B for skipping songs) are working as expected. The right-click menu of G-Force is also working.
The command keys are working fine with WinAmp on the same computer.
G-Force keys not working in Windows Media Player
G-Force keys not working in Windows Media Player
Regards,
Hans Henrik
Hans Henrik
-
Guest
Update:
I've just installed 3.5.3, and here's my update to the key command problem, which seems to have been minimalized in this version. Still, keyboard focus switching between WMP and has to be done explicitly with the mouse, which is not obvious to all users (not me, anyway).
[My WMP is now 10.0.0.4019]
1) When going into fullscreen mode of "Now Playing" in WMP, nothing happens if I press any key (WMP or G-Force command).
2) When I right-click the G-Force menu is posted. Sometimes, it immediately disappears, otherwise I can click somewhere on the background to make the menu disappear. After this, keys (WMP and G-Force) produce a beep when pressed (commands are not executed).
3) If I left-click the G-Force window, or right-click and highlight (focus) a menu item, G-Force receives key focus and commands (WMP and G-Force) start working.
4) Similarly, when I want to go back to WMP, pressing ESC won't work. I have to move the mouse so the top and bottom bars of WMP appear, and then click on them to transfer key focus over to WMP. ESC then works as expected, and I can leave "Now Playing".
For the inexperienced user, there is a separate, but interrelated problem making interacting with G-Force more complicated - the mouse pointer disappers at inconvenient times - I'll report this separately...
Best regards, Hans Henrik
I've just installed 3.5.3, and here's my update to the key command problem, which seems to have been minimalized in this version. Still, keyboard focus switching between WMP and has to be done explicitly with the mouse, which is not obvious to all users (not me, anyway).
[My WMP is now 10.0.0.4019]
1) When going into fullscreen mode of "Now Playing" in WMP, nothing happens if I press any key (WMP or G-Force command).
2) When I right-click the G-Force menu is posted. Sometimes, it immediately disappears, otherwise I can click somewhere on the background to make the menu disappear. After this, keys (WMP and G-Force) produce a beep when pressed (commands are not executed).
3) If I left-click the G-Force window, or right-click and highlight (focus) a menu item, G-Force receives key focus and commands (WMP and G-Force) start working.
4) Similarly, when I want to go back to WMP, pressing ESC won't work. I have to move the mouse so the top and bottom bars of WMP appear, and then click on them to transfer key focus over to WMP. ESC then works as expected, and I can leave "Now Playing".
For the inexperienced user, there is a separate, but interrelated problem making interacting with G-Force more complicated - the mouse pointer disappers at inconvenient times - I'll report this separately...
Best regards, Hans Henrik
Regards,
Hans Henrik
Hans Henrik
I don't understand... That's how Windows work. A window must have focus (be clicked on) to interpret keyboard commands.hheriksen wrote: ...
However, the G-Force window must still receive focus explicitly (be clicked on) in order to receive G-Force commands.
...
I wouldn't expect to still be able to type in my browser window if it didn't have focus...
Well izblah,
My comments were all made in the assumption that the WMP application already had focus. I'm not familiar with the WMP plugin architecture. I'm not sure whether G-Force runs as a separate process and just sublets display space from WMP (most likely), or whether it's controlled by callouts from WMP.
Most of my examples refer to full screen mode, and the point I have tried to make is that the response is different if you [when in full screen mode] click the WMP-supplied controls at the top and bottom of the screen vs. the central part controlled by G-Force.
It's hard for the non-expert user to understand that he's dealing with two applications, when the other visualizations seem to be more tightly integrated with WMP interface-wise.
My comments were all made in the assumption that the WMP application already had focus. I'm not familiar with the WMP plugin architecture. I'm not sure whether G-Force runs as a separate process and just sublets display space from WMP (most likely), or whether it's controlled by callouts from WMP.
Most of my examples refer to full screen mode, and the point I have tried to make is that the response is different if you [when in full screen mode] click the WMP-supplied controls at the top and bottom of the screen vs. the central part controlled by G-Force.
It's hard for the non-expert user to understand that he's dealing with two applications, when the other visualizations seem to be more tightly integrated with WMP interface-wise.
Regards,
Hans Henrik
Hans Henrik
I guess I was infering, aparently incorrectly, by the statement(s) above that you had a seperate "window" that G-Force was in... i.e. Stand-alone or something.hheriksen wrote: ...
...However, the G-Force window must still receive focus explicitly...
...
I don't mean to imply your problem is trivial or anything, I'm simply trying to understand it myself... I just haven't witnessed any of these WMP/MCE problems on my system (since the 3.5.2 update, anywayz) and it's frusterating to keep hearing them come up (although I bet more-so for the users that HAVE the problems...
)-
Guest
Hi again,
When there is a misunderstanding, many times there is room for improvement at all/both ends of the communication => I didn't specify the problem clearly enough.
Keyboard focus issues can be complex - within an application, it can be hard or impossible for the user to see which part of the application has the focus, and if the application responds differently depending on focus, the user might get confused.
I believe that WMP users should experience G-Force as an integral part of the media player, and I see no reason that WMP/G-Force keyboard commands should be interpreted differently depending on keyboard focus - I'm not sure why the G-Force drawing window within WMP needs to get keyboard focus in the first place - why can't key commands be received by WMP "centrally" and sent to G-Force?
BTW I discovered that I can use Alt-Ret instead of Esc to leave full screen mode. However the G-Force drawing window is the only one within WMP that doesn't responding consistently to Esc.
When there is a misunderstanding, many times there is room for improvement at all/both ends of the communication => I didn't specify the problem clearly enough.
Keyboard focus issues can be complex - within an application, it can be hard or impossible for the user to see which part of the application has the focus, and if the application responds differently depending on focus, the user might get confused.
I believe that WMP users should experience G-Force as an integral part of the media player, and I see no reason that WMP/G-Force keyboard commands should be interpreted differently depending on keyboard focus - I'm not sure why the G-Force drawing window within WMP needs to get keyboard focus in the first place - why can't key commands be received by WMP "centrally" and sent to G-Force?
BTW I discovered that I can use Alt-Ret instead of Esc to leave full screen mode. However the G-Force drawing window is the only one within WMP that doesn't responding consistently to Esc.
The facts are that WMP has had a dodgy track record playing with with others (namely, visual plugins). I've communicated directly w/ WMP dev team members and their feeling is that they don't want WMP plugins stealing keystrokes unnecessarily, so they therefore actively try to withhold the vis getting keyboard focus (yeah, no joke). Until the WMP dev team decides to withdraw from this practice, we're stuck with focus getting stolen away from G-Force (and our other visuals).hheriksen wrote:Well izblah,
My comments were all made in the assumption that the WMP application already had focus. I'm not familiar with the WMP plugin architecture. I'm not sure whether G-Force runs as a separate process and just sublets display space from WMP (most likely), or whether it's controlled by callouts from WMP.
Most of my examples refer to full screen mode, and the point I have tried to make is that the response is different if you [when in full screen mode] click the WMP-supplied controls at the top and bottom of the screen vs. the central part controlled by G-Force.
It's hard for the non-expert user to understand that he's dealing with two applications, when the other visualizations seem to be more tightly integrated with WMP interface-wise.
Andy