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    AlienFX Pidgin + Winamp plugin

    Discussion in 'Alienware' started by Ingrater, Sep 21, 2009.

  1. Billdozed

    Billdozed Notebook Geek

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    the fn+f11 restores the fx lighting from cc. i use ingrater's setter.
    also, is there a way to hide the beat monitor in winamp once i've found a setting that i like? i feel like it's really only useful for calibrating the plugin.
     
  2. Konig

    Konig Notebook Evangelist

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    I do :)
    (10 char)
     
  3. Ingrater

    Ingrater Notebook Consultant

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    Currently there is no way to hide the vizualization window but I already thought about making it possible to hide it. I think I will incude this in the next update.

    Regards Ingrater
     
  4. Lord_Zath

    Lord_Zath Notebook Deity

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    The download problem has to be web browser. I just tried using Firefox and it downloaded no problem.
     
  5. Lord_Zath

    Lord_Zath Notebook Deity

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    I've uploaded via Internet Explorer (also changed the filename to reflect today's date). If you're having problems w/the other link, try this one. LMK if it works/doesn't work!
     

    Attached Files:

  6. PCG4m3r

    PCG4m3r Newbie

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    I don't know if I've been doing something but I just can't seem to get it to work.
    I'll run the plugin in winamp and it shows the beat detection box but it doesn't do anything. I've included a picture.
    [​IMG]
    [​IMG]
     
  7. Ingrater

    Ingrater Notebook Consultant

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    That's really strange. It seems as there is no incoming sound data because in the first screenshot there is absolutly no sound data displayed. Are there any errors while starting the plugin?

    Try the following:
    1) Start Winamp
    2) Start the plugin (strg + shift + k)
    3) Start a song

    Green and red bars should appear in the vizualization window now.
     
  8. freedom16

    freedom16 Notebook Deity

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    So this will help the machine to basically flash all the time?
     
  9. PCG4m3r

    PCG4m3r Newbie

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    I tried what you said but it still does the same thing. And from what I can tell there are no errors when starting.
     
  10. Lord_Zath

    Lord_Zath Notebook Deity

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    no - it'll flash when you want it to. However it will require some time tweaking and adjusting since all music is different. We could set it up for techno music, for example, but the lights wouldn't work at all for jazz. Read the readme file carefully for instructions on how to set it up.
     
  11. Lord_Zath

    Lord_Zath Notebook Deity

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    no - it'll flash when you want it to. However it will require some time tweaking and adjusting since all music is different. We could set it up for techno music, for example, but the lights wouldn't work at all for jazz. Read the readme file carefully for instructions on how to set it up.
     
  12. Jstarnino

    Jstarnino Notebook Deity

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    Ingrater if you pull this off bro, You'll be Legendary! Having the lights go with the beat would TOPPPP NOTCHHH!!! I'm here to support 110%, and will do all of the testing you want me to do :)
     
  13. misterb

    misterb Notebook Evangelist

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    Wow joining epic thread :) I don't have my m11x yet, because I just ordered it. Do you have enough testers for the m11x?
     
  14. mikel527

    mikel527 Notebook Consultant

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    I'll test for M11x as soon as i get my system this week.
     
  15. ndudsz

    ndudsz Notebook Consultant

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    Wow! Great plugin, works great on M17x R1
     
  16. PCG4m3r

    PCG4m3r Newbie

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    I got the plugin to work! ;) I found out the problem when I was using winamp on my M1710 with it's plugin and it stopped working... I was playing the music from my iTunes library (m4a format) when it only works with mp3 format. So I played an mp3 file on my m15x and it worked great!
    Thanks for all your hard work, great plugin!
     
  17. Ingrater

    Ingrater Notebook Consultant

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    I'm currently don't have any tester for the m11x
     
  18. stargtsi

    stargtsi Notebook Guru

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    works great on my allpowerfull M15x just needs tweaking on different types of music and delays
     
  19. misterb

    misterb Notebook Evangelist

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  20. BatBoy

    BatBoy Notebook Nobel Laureate

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    That is the AlienFX at work. AlienFX, like Dell's LightFX (which is a component of Quickset), allows game developers to utilize an API to code in support for the system's built-in LED's. Basically, a developer can code the game to produce a certain pattern/color/sequence depending on actions within the game. So, for example, you are in a first person shooter and are hit by enemy fire, the an LED zone could flash red.

    Dark Void is a recent release which includes support for AlienFX. You can find more info on it here:
    http://forum.notebookreview.com/showthread.php?t=451721

    If you right click on the Alien Head in your task tray (AlienFXController.exe), you will see an option to "Enable 3rd Party AlienFX Access". If the game supports AlienFX you either can uncheck it to turn off the effects or leave it checked to experience the coolness of AlienFX.
     
  21. misterb

    misterb Notebook Evangelist

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    cool :) didn't know that. Is there a list of 3rd parties using alienfx lights?

    Btw the FPS example of a LED zone flashing red would be awesome!
     
  22. BatBoy

    BatBoy Notebook Nobel Laureate

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    I have not been able to locate a list of games which supports AlienFX on the net. It'd be nice to create a list and add to it as more and more games are found to support it. This however, is not the thread for it ;)
     
  23. Konig

    Konig Notebook Evangelist

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    AS much as I don't want to continue the discussion, I have a question. How do you add games to the AlienFX? Is it through the command centre? Is it compatible with AlienFX running on the Area 51 m15x or only on the Allpowerful models?
     
  24. Ingrater

    Ingrater Notebook Consultant

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    As far as I know the API only was added to the CC's for the all-powerfull models. If it had been added to the area-51 models I would never have started this project ;-)

    I made some huge progress in the last days, but there is many to do left, as the next update will include the complete configurable led-zones.
     
  25. Lord_Zath

    Lord_Zath Notebook Deity

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    sounds good.
     
  26. misterb

    misterb Notebook Evangelist

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    Would it be possible to make this (personal request i know)

    In modern warfare 2, when you get hit that all the lights flash red. But it just sounds awesome and hopefully it's possible.
     
  27. Konig

    Konig Notebook Evangelist

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    Just tried Dark Void, there seems to be some control. When the game starts, the keyboard and name go blank. In the midst of the game, they became white, and when I shoot, the KB turns brown/dark red.
    Area 51 m15x :)
     
  28. Ingrater

    Ingrater Notebook Consultant

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    Just to clarify things, this project is not about making games compatible with AlienFX. It's a winamp and pidgin alienfx plugin project.

    Regards Ingrater
     
  29. Konig

    Konig Notebook Evangelist

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    I was referring to your last post.

    Needed to kill sometime, still waiting for the next update :)
     
  30. djpopn

    djpopn Newbie

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    Ingrater, I got my m11x today if you still need someone to test a verison for it. Also, did you see my post for the g15 winamp plugin to check how they do their beat detection?
     
  31. Mr Pras

    Mr Pras Hardware and systems

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    works! thanks!!
     
  32. max23

    max23 Notebook Enthusiast

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    where is the files is it done ?
     
  33. Lord_Zath

    Lord_Zath Notebook Deity

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    Last I heard, Ingrater's still working on it. I haven't gotten a tester file yet so my hope is this weekend we can meetup...

    Regarding using the Logitech plugin - the issue with that is the blinks are always slightly behind since it reads pulses as they happen. The winamp plugin reads ahead so it's timed perfectly with the music.

    Though I must say having the lights flicker on ANY sound even if it's a slight delay might be super cool awesome...
     
  34. Mr Pras

    Mr Pras Hardware and systems

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  35. Mr Pras

    Mr Pras Hardware and systems

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    I have a few suggestions for the Winamp vis - I'm not sure if they are just obvious, but just in case :)

    1 There are 3 led ranges right? R G and B. Could each be allocated to a frequency in the range such as 100 1000 and 10000?

    2 Instead of flashing, can the dimness be set to follow the overall volume?

    3 Speakers could be bass, keyboard could be 4 ranges of Mid range freq and touchpad could be highs.

    4 Speakers could be Beat detection.

    5 You could add a control panel with a delay slider maybe?

    6 Profiles - jazz, tech, symphony (flowing and more subtle changes - based around the mid ranges).

    I don't really know too much about the interface with AlienFX other than it's USB based. But I wonder how good the timing is. Your app shows that it's way faster than I thought, and definitely shows potential for many things.

    I'm glad someone is working on more than a game flashing your keyboard every now and then (which is lame, let's be honest). I hope you get a donation from Alienware and that they incorporate your work into their systems when it's completed!!

    Good luck!!
     
  36. Ingrater

    Ingrater Notebook Consultant

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    Hi, I'm very busy at the moment but I'm making slow progress on the plugin. Currently missing is only the ability to save and load settings from and to xml filers. I hope I will get done with that soon.

    @Mr Pras
    1) Already in the works
    2) what you mean by that? Color depending on the volume?
    3+4) already in the works
    5) that is unfortunately not possible. There will be sliders for everything else but the delay value has to be passed to winamp before the plugin starts. So I can't change it while the plugin is running. So I'm not able to put a slider in for it.
    6) I already though about that. As soon as I'm done with the basic stuff I will look if I have time to implement that.

    I hope that alienware does not pull me in front of any court because of what I'm doing here ;-)
     
  37. misterb

    misterb Notebook Evangelist

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    does your patch work for m11x?
     
  38. Dante024781

    Dante024781 Newbie

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    I love the work your doing Ingrater. Please keep it up.





    [Edit] Off topic comment moved to the correct thread.
     
  39. impruv

    impruv Notebook Evangelist

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    ingrater: if your patch works with m11x or you plan to support it... I will buy a m11x =)
    haha
     
  40. gabbb

    gabbb Notebook Enthusiast

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    Hey guys, can someone tell me what is this plug-in? Is this alienfx pigidin + winamp plug-in would give the keyboard like a "light show effect" conjunction to the beat of the music? So if the beat would be like every 2 seconds the color will change every two seconds or do something new?
     
  41. Lord_Zath

    Lord_Zath Notebook Deity

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    we're working on changing colors. So far it just beats red.
     
  42. Mr Pras

    Mr Pras Hardware and systems

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    Thanks for responding Ingrater... I played more with the plugin (i noticed the config panel haha)> NICE

    Yeah I meant in suggestion 2 that - Perhaps the volume level could adjust the brightness of the LEDs instead of just on and off. Not sure if that would work but just curious..

    Also on a side note - the new Control Center allows us to DIM the leds, any chance of a utility that allows more gradients of dimness? The control center has a morph mode so I can see probably 5-6 levels of brightness.

    I'd love to be able to set it to the lowest one, since in the dark that would still be enough to see the keys and wouldn't use much battery..

    Like on my phone I have a program to hack the backlight down to really low levels since you really don't need much to see it in the dark (and it is too bright normally even on the lowest setting..

    er, got carried away there - thanks for this great utility. I hope the mod here can get it to the right people at Alienware, once it's finished it should be part of the package :) :) :) :)
     
  43. Ingrater

    Ingrater Notebook Consultant

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    The morph setting actually is a hardware call to the device. I can't say, set brightness X I only can say, go from color X to color Y. I think the dimming in the CC simply uses a darker color, and does not actually dim the leds.
     
  44. impruv

    impruv Notebook Evangelist

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    So are you working on supporting the m11x yet Ingrater?
     
  45. Ingrater

    Ingrater Notebook Consultant

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    I'm currently working on it. Did you test if the current plugin does work with it?

    I made some huge progress today, saving and loading the settings from/to xml files does now work. Just have to do some final steps, then I can release the next version.
     
  46. impruv

    impruv Notebook Evangelist

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    O, I'm just wonder cause I haven't heard you mention anything and a few people have mentioned they were willing to test for you. I won't be getting mine till April 8th [according to EDD]. But if you still need testers at that time I'm more than willing to help.!
     
  47. ittekimasu

    ittekimasu Notebook Consultant

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    I've gotten the m11x today willing to test the app, got link to latest ver?

    EDIT: After downloading and installing the files in the appropriate folders. I opened winamp and selected the AlienFX Vis Plugin i'm presented with a "Alienware Device not found. Plugin not active!"
     
  48. Ingrater

    Ingrater Notebook Consultant

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    So I have a working version, and gave it for testing to Lord_Zath, unfortunately a few bugs showed up, I have to fix them before I can release it.

    Regards Ingrater
     
  49. mevlar

    mevlar Notebook Consultant

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    Count me in :) give me a call if you need any beta testing please

    EDIT: Didn't see the extra 25 pages lol, downloading it now
    +1 rep for the awesome software
     
  50. Lord_Zath

    Lord_Zath Notebook Deity

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    Yup a few bugs but otherwise it's much farther off than before.
     
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