digital picture frame

[krys]

Thom,
I created the device, its in the proper room and I pasted the codes that you gave me into the on and off boxes when you click on the edit codes button. However, when I go to the power screen on the Web DT orbiter and click "display off" nothing happens. When I go to the orbiter on the actual MD that I am trying to turn off and click the "display off" button all it does is immediately close the orbiter screen and shows the picture slideshow. I tried it a few times and it happened like this every time.
Any ideas?
Is there a log somewhere that I can pull up to see where it is sending the code to and if it is sending it correctly?
I also tried sending the command from the web admin with no luck.

[tschak909]

You can check the output of the /var/log/pluto/DCERouter.log at the exact time you send the command to see a detailed list of the command and if it delegates to any other devices.

-Thom

[jondecker76]

If you are running this digital picture frame as an MD, why not just send it and On/Off command directly? You'll turn the entire thing off instead of the whole screen, but it works on my MD's. Though I have run across some that don't like to turn on/off remotely.

[tschak909]

sending on/off to the md should blank the screen and turn off any devices in any active pipes.

-Thom

[krys]

Well, for some reason this MD doesn't seem to like the on off process. All my other md's will reboot when the core reboots, and automatically kick on if the core has been off for a while then turns on. This MD turns off when the core turns off, but will not come back on. I checked in the bios and WOL was not enabled, so I enabled it but it still doesn't want to wake. I tried running etherwake <mac address> from the core and that wouldn't wake it either. Honestly either would be sufficient, but my main goal is to save lcd life and I dont like this thing glowing in the middle of the night.

[krys]

do you think it is possible that I need to rebuild the image for this now that WOL is enabled in the bios?

[tschak909]

no.

-Thom

[stampeder]

krys:

Can you post some pictures of how you built your picture frame?
I for one would like to see them.

Thanks.

[jeangot]

Krys,
there is this bug with certain Nvidia ethernet chipsets where the Mac address is reversed for WOL. So Instead of sending aa:bb:cc:dd:ee you need to send ee:dd:cc:bb:aa. Although it's unlikely that you rpicture frame has an Nvidia chipset, you could always try that just in case, by sending the reversed mac address with etherwake and see what happens...

Jean

[tschak909]

guys, you are all pointing to the wrong bloody problem. He just wants the screen to dim!

Pay attention.

-Thom

[jeangot]

Thom,

thanks a lot for posting the information on how to create a generic PC monitor device. I was waiting for this for a long time. I tried following your instructions but I am also running into problems.
Some questions to cover my basics: where do I put the PC monitor device? As child of the MD, of the MD's orbiter, or perhaps under some GSD device that belongs to the MD? Do I need to create a video pipe for this to work?

Right now I can see in the logs that the orbiter is sending the off command to the MD, but nothing more is logged after that. I have right now the Monitor as child of the MD, with ON and OFF commands implemented, and located in the right room.

I am really interested in getting this to work. Thank you!

Jean

[krys]

Here are some pics of the picture frame build, sorry I didnt take many and I dont have any that show me stuffing it into the frame.




I will add a picture of it turned on in its final location, the one where it is hanging on the wall is before I ran the cat5 and power to it.
Basically I just took the laptop apart so I could free up enough wire for the monitor to be on the bottom side of the mother board. I stripped out crap I didn't need to slim it down and loose some weight (keyboard, battery, dvd drive, plastic parts, etc) I built the frame from 1x2 oak, routed the groove for the glass, took my measurements to Lowe's and had them cut the glass, had hobby lobby cut the matte board (they cut it exact and put a nice 45 degree bevel on it). Painted the frame black, put in the glass and matte board. Put the lcd screen in face down and used hot glue to hold it to the matte, used the back of the lcd case for support, hot glued the motherboard to the back of the lcd case, tucked wires and used a usb wireless keyboard and mouse. Hung it on the wall and ran the cables behind the drywall. I am really happy with the way it turned out. I used Roy's flickfetcher program and now all my wife has to do is add photo's to her flickr account and they automatically populate to the LMCE screensaver which just runs non-stop on this media director (unless we watch a video on it or something). All I really have left to do is solve the lcd on/off situation and i will be totally done, right now I can only turn it off through lmce, it wont come back on on its own.
I would prefer Thom's method to work because then I can set it up to turn the screen on and off based on events or time of day. I have not yet had a chance to check my logs to see what the problem is.

[stampeder]

Thanks for the pictures and explanation Krys .
I bought four touchpanel computers off eBay and I plan on doing something very similar to what you are. Only I want them more for orbiters to do media director controls. I do want to have our digital pictures displayed while they are not doing anything else so I may have to set them up as media directors to do that. I like the flickr idea as well.
As mine are touch screen I'll have to develop a different kind of frame idea. That's going to take some more thought.

Thanks again for sharing you idea and the results.

Glenn.

[krys]

Actually I originally wanted this as a touchscreen also, but I wanted it to look like any ordinary picture frame (to please my picky wife) so that required glass across the front which obviously wouldn't work with a touch screen. I am more techie myself an would have just mounted the touchscreen in the wall if it was up to me.
If I were you I would definitely just set them up as media directors because it give you more flexibility, I can use my picture frame to watch tv, dvd's, surf the web, or run applications on KDE as well as control the music I have running through my house, and eventually the lights and sprinklers etc.

[krys]

Victory.... not sure if this was my problem or not, but I didnt have the picture frame set up as a video device pipe for that MD. I am sure Thom mentioned this.... but I added it as a video pipe, and now I can turn the display of via the web dt.
SWEET! Now I just have to set it up to do it automatically.