Press one button = Launch Boxee and app of your choice

[thesprup]

Not sure if everyone has figured this one already, but I thought I would share my recent findings.

First. I am currently using Boxee on a Mac with Remote Buddy 1.16 and my Harmony One. I want to be able to press ONE button on my remote and immediately launch Boxee and load Pandora immediately. I wanted the same for boxee's Netflix application.

This is how I did it.

1) Assuming you guys know where your keyboard.xml file is in your keymaps folder, open this add the following lines in the <Global><keyboard> section.

<p>RunApp(app://pandora/14000)</p>
<n>RunApp(app://netflix/14000)</n>

Save the file.

2) Open up boxee and press the letter 'P' key to launch Pandora. Press the 'N' key to launch Netflix.. YAY! Cool, huh?

3) Now, add the following AppleScript to a Custom action in Remote buddy as step 1.

tell application "Boxee" to activate

Then for step 2. tell remote buddy to issue the keystroke 'p' or 'n'

Map this custom action to any key on your remote and watch the magic.

You will find that with one press of a button on your remote you can launch boxee and any app of your choice immediately.

Supercool! Enjoy!
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Yes, this is a vague tutorial, Im sorry Boxee-family. I'm at work and don't need the boss asking what I'm doing. PM if you have more questions!

[MDBailey87]

Very cool.
I was wondering if anyone knows how to do this in linux? I'm running 9.10, with a HP Media Center Remote Control. If I press the power button while Boxee is running it will close the program, is there a way to have the power button also start it? (doesn't necessarily have to start an app as well)

[drewman77]

You can even do it without Applescript. Not sure if they added this to Boxee inbetween the original post and this one.

Edit the keyboard.xml as described except in mine the 'P' button is set aside for 'Play' so I used the 'A' button instead. Whatever one floats your boat.

Create a custom action in Remote Buddy. Let's call it 'Start Pandora'

Add a Step 1 - Add a delay (mine works at 2.25 seconds but your system may work faster or slower than mine)

Add a Step 2 - Add a keystroke. Enter the one you picked in the keyboard.xml in the actor space below the Actors to run within Action. Edit these parameters:

- Operation change to 'Single key press on button press'
- Drop the boxee application on the bundle identifier entry
- Tick the checkbox that says 'Activate application and bring it to front'

Then click the 'Use' button and you are done with this part. Now map this custom action to a key on your defined remote in Remote Buddy.

Press that key and even if Boxee is closed, it will open and you will have Pandora in just a few seconds.

Setup Netflix or whatever app you like the same way. This also allows you to switch directly between Boxee apps. It wlll pause the app that is not in front. Note that Pandora will continue to play in the Netflix app(or any other like app) until you press the 'Play' button on the movie you have selected.

Thanks to the original poster for this great beginning to build on!