Started talking about this on the software list sticky in the Audio/Jukebox/MP3 Forum and wanted to move it before I strung it out and abused that particular thread.
Any interest and ideas from everyone on this project I'll be getting myself into shortly will be much appreciated.
So I want to get familiar with and play with the software a bit, because it will be the hardest part. The mechanics of making it work will be easy in comparison.
So to catch everyone reading up to speed, here it is so far.
Hey Chris.... now that sounds like an idea if what I'm thinking is what you mean.
Basically use the original title strips as the list of music to choose from and then map the keys to function similar as they normally would for selection, etc.
Will DOSCab allow selections such as --BINGO! Either that, or I was attempting to say "before" but it was too many letters to type--, G6, A3, etc and then just "add" them to the playlist that already playing like a regular old jukebox would?
EDIT: Just checked out the web site for DOSCab/WinCab and think it already answered my last question.
EDIT 2: Yup.....Just finished playing with the software a bit and it looks like it will do exactly what I need. Very easy to edit the .ini files as well.
Next question: If I need to make a custom skin to match the original juke selection table will I need any other specific editing software to modify one?
The Disco was also sold as the Fiesta and the Claremount; the actual model number is R-83. The R-83 is pretty basic control-wise; just a 10-key pad with a reset (I think) button. The tricky part is the skin; although it's a singles-style box, I believe it needs three digit input (200 selections, with selection numbers starting at 100), which means you need to use a CD-skin to simulate it until I can get three-digit selections working for singles. Essentially, you will have a two-album CD skin with each album having 100 tracks. The track lists will run off the screen but it's irrelevant as they'll never be seen without a monitor. You'll also need to enable the UseTrackZero option, which was added specifically to support this type of selection system.
Still don't have the juke cab yet..... been busy.
Slowly but surely I'll get the hang of this stuff.
But I was playing with the song tags and such to get them to show up correctly in the DosCab/WinCab software, I have it set to list them by Artist, but every one that I edit the tag the artist always shows up as "Various Artist" after it does it's little update.
The tag editing software seems to be working fine and doing what it says it does when I open a song with Media Player, it'll show exactly as I've changed it to etc.
I'll start messing with the skin for it once I get the basics understood well enough on editing the .ini's and all it's options, etc. Should be easy enough from the looks of it so far.
Sounds like the tag editor is going out of its way to preserve the file date. If the file date hasn't changed the juke doesn't re-read the tags. Check to see if preserving the date is an option in the software that you can turn off.
The file date info and such was being updated by the editor and DOSCab "seemed" to be updating it, but when it did I got a whole bunch of 'Various Artists".
Found an option on the editor setup to NOT allow it to change the date info, still no go.
You'll almost certainly have to replace the display... just trying to think about how to go about designing a circuit I can talk to... or see if there's some serial LED controller out there.
Just edited a few more "Artist" tags and it seems to be working fine like it's suppose to now every time.
It seems like I had read about a serial led (actual digits)controller of some sort on one of the other forums. Might have to go take a look around.
Anyways.... back on the project, got the actual juke now, things are looking good and should work out easy enough once I finish figuring the software out. And it's got a cool array of like eight lights in the base of it that should flash in relationship to the music via a controller if I get it working also.
Is it possible to change the numbering sequence to start at 100 when using the singles skins?
Or would I have to edit all the music tags and eliminate the artist/album, etc?
Is there any pro's and con's I'm missing as far as using individual strips versus a strip grid?
Any pointers, suggestions, slap upside the head to get me going in the right direction on the numbering issue?
Now I'm no programmer at all, so if anyone could let me know if these are easily possible I would appreciate it. The hardware aspect of it is no problem, I'm lost on the whole "tcl" coding stuff, but otherwise looks simple enough to do.
There are actually a couple other standard leds on the selection display which might be an option to play with getting to light as well, but not neccissary, the digits would be awesome though. The other small led's are "make selection", "reset and make another selection", "now playing", "your selection". Those are just lights that light up when that particular function is requested.
Not yet. Currently, the only way to start at 100 is to use a 2 CD skin. I'm working on it.
Yeah, for now you would have to make all the albums the same.
Individual strips can be positioned anywhere, wheras grids are always in grids. Of course, grids are what you want 99% of the time... Also, strips are numbered in order, so if you want an unusual numbering arrangement you may need to use individual strips.
No, I just need to get off my tail and write the code to support it.
Well, I wouldn't use TCL, but I could do the same thing in C... time to go shopping at Mouser!
There are actually a couople other standard leds on the selection display which might be an option to play with getting to light as well, but not neccissary, the digits would be awesome though. The other small led's are "make selection", "reset and make another selection", "now playing", "your selection". Those are just lights that light up when that particular function is requested.
Can you get me a close-up picture of these?
Well, at least it seems I'm on the right track in figuring out the software options.
I'll keep playing with it some. I'm keeping it a no frills simple application.
Thanks for clarifying those points I had questions on.
I'll try to get a couple close-ups of the digit display and LED's.
I'm assuming you want the circuit trace portion right?
It seems like a pretty straight forward layout, easy to trace out.
I'm also contimplating sticking a regular stereo in there to have a true radio option and also to amp the sound from the pc. There's like a total of 5 speakers in this thing, the two in the base are at least 8", the other three are 4.5-5". I figured instead of throwing a simple amp in there why not give it the radio options with a remote and all that jive. Not sure yet though.
Note: The only real reason I'm concerned with numbering sequence and the ability to visually "see" the list and how it's actually numbered in relationship to the real jukebox is so that when I go to makle up the real songs strips..... I know which song goes where.
I've been playing with a 2 CD skin style like you suggested with the strip grid and it seems to be working out well, after I figured out the tag editing software again to get them to show up in the same album, etc. And it really only shorts me the very first two selections, "100" and "200", the rest should work great.
I'll take a pic of the actual juke strip panel and it may make more sense why I have so many numbering and sequence type questions.
Can you scroll up and down on each album list? Or read the data file list in some way?
I know you can "page" next or previous, but not sure about up and down.
Very few updates at the moment..... trying my options before I jump to too many questions.
1. Still need to figure out a better way to display the two song lists. Seems even if I setup the grids to be from top to bottom of the page it still wouldn't be enough space to list 100 songs vertically.
Is there any way to "split" each half of the grid and have two lists per album?
Then there would only be 50 songs per vertical list x 2 for each album.
2. Has anyone try to run their jukebox "remotely" from another PC?
I already have the jukebox pc all networked for easy file swapping etc, so I figured I'd try this out as well.
I've been playing with Anyplace Control software and it seems to work pretty good....except while running the jukebox software. I don't seem to have any keyboard functionality while that program is running. It works fine for anything else though, including DOS prompt window, notepad, Internet stuff, etc.
3. Picked up one of those usb number pads like for a laptop and it seems to work good and I will be able to map any extra functions I may need without haveing to keep a full-size keyboard actually inside the jukebox. Might even make it accessible from the back of the machine for things such as volume control or to clear the currently playing song, etc.
This is probably because I'm looking at the actual hardware via DirectX and Anyplace Control is probably looking at the Windows GDI message queue. I'm willing to bed you'd have the same problem trying to control any DirectX game via keyboard with Anyplace Control.
I'm willing to bet you'd have the same problem trying to control any DirectX game via keyboard with Anyplace Control.
Hmmm.... haven't tried it on anything except for what is loaded with Windows98.
I may have to load a game or two and see what happens then.
Their "support" department wasn't much help.
I think that your DOS program has some protection. It disables input of Anyplace Control. Unfortunately we can't help you to solve this problem.
I think I'd be more inclined to go on your advice on this one.