Autohotkey script for Play, Pause, Volume Up/Down, Next/Previous

Russ

You'll need to install this on your Windows box to make it work: https://autohotkey.com

This is my media.ahk autohotkey script:

Gosub, %1%
return

next:
Send {Media_Next}
return

previous:
Send {Media_Prev}
return

pause:
Send {Media_Play_Pause}
return

play:
Send {Media_Play_Pause}
return

stop:
Send {Media_Stop}
return

volup:
Send {Volume_Up}
return

voldown:
Send {Volume_Down}
return

mute:
Send {Volume_Mute}
return

These are the corresponding commands.json entries:

{"trigger":"Mute","command":"start C:\\autohotkeyscripts\\media.ahk mute","ground":"foreground","voice":"mute"},
{"trigger":"Volume Up","command":"start C:\\autohotkeyscripts\\media.ahk volup","ground":"foreground","voice":"volume up"},
{"trigger":"Volume Down","command":"start C:\\autohotkeyscripts\\media.ahk voldown","ground":"foreground","voice":"volume down"},
{"trigger":"Media Next","command":"start C:\\autohotkeyscripts\\media.ahk next","ground":"foreground","voice":"next"},
{"trigger":"Media Stop","command":"start C:\\autohotkeyscripts\\media.ahk stop","ground":"foreground","voice":"stop"},
{"trigger":"Media Previous","command":"start C:\\autohotkeyscripts\\media.ahk previous","ground":"foreground","voice":"previous"},
{"trigger":"Media Play Pause","command":"start C:\\autohotkeyscripts\\media.ahk pause","ground":"foreground","voice":"pause"},

NOTE: You don't need a Play and a Pause because they do the same thing - they just toggle between play and pause.

This is optional, but I'm also using my Raspberry Pi based IR receiver to trigger the above commands with a VCR remote.

I have these entries in my /etc/lirc/lircrc file on the Pi:

  begin
       prog = irexec
       button = KEY_1
       config = export HOME=/root ; /root/triggertest.sh play downstairs
  end
  begin
       prog = irexec
       button = KEY_2
       config = export HOME=/root ; /root/triggertest.sh notepad downstairs
  end
  begin
       prog = irexec
       button = KEY_PLAY
       config = export HOME=/root ; /root/triggertest.sh "Media Play Pause" downstairs
  end
  begin
       prog = irexec
       button = KEY_PAUSE
       config = export HOME=/root ; /root/triggertest.sh "Media Play Pause" downstairs
  end
  begin
       prog = irexec
       button = KEY_RIGHT
       config = export HOME=/root ; /root/triggertest.sh "Media Next" downstairs
  end
  begin
       prog = irexec
       button = KEY_LEFT
       config = export HOME=/root ; /root/triggertest.sh "Media Previous" downstairs
  end
  begin
       prog = irexec
       button = KEY_STOP
       config = export HOME=/root ; /root/triggertest.sh "Media Stop" downstairs
  end
  begin
       prog = irexec
       button = KEY_UP
       config = export HOME=/root ; /root/triggertest.sh "Volume Up" downstairs
  end
  begin
       prog = irexec
       button = KEY_DOWN
       config = export HOME=/root ; /root/triggertest.sh "Volume Down" downstairs
  end
  begin
       prog = irexec
       button = KEY_MUTE
       config = export HOME=/root ; /root/triggertest.sh "Mute" downstairs
  end

Tim S

@Russ
Thanks for this! The volup and voldown was unnoticable, only moving 2 on the 1-100 vol scale. I ended up making mine this and now it moves 16 in either direction when I tell my google home to volume up or down.

volup:
Send {Volume_Up 8}
return

voldown:
Send {Volume_Down 8}
return

Russ

@Tim-S, good idea, I like it. Thanks for sharing.

drosenth

Question/Need help -

I just ran across triggercmd (WOW - great service) and subscribed for a year; however, I have found a very challenging issue. It goes like this :

Goal: Use my Alexa service to control my itunes application on a remote PC that is connected to my home audio system. Basically I want to trigger things like next track, previous, pause, volume up/down, etc from my echo DOT (I know I can control via my iphone using itunes remote but I want to use Alexa).

Situation: I have it working with triggercmd and AHT; however, when I disconnect my console (via RDP) my AHT commands don't work - they do fire and log correctly, but they don't do next track, previous, etc. Here are the details:

I have a music server that I use to play my music via itunes
It is a windows 7 32bit OS (I know, old machine but it works), so I used the manual install of triggercmd (worked fine) and also installed AHT
I have the setup working perfectly when I have am RDP'd into the windows 7 machine; however, when I minimize or close the console window the command fires but takes no action.
What I have noticed is that either via Alexa or the web triggercmd screen commands via AHT (next, previous, etc) only work when the RDP window is open and showing (minimized fails as well)
Strange part is I kept the default triggers like calc and notepad and they work perfectly at all times - even when my RDP session is disconnected. This is the STRANGE part

So, basically unless my RDP window is up my AHT commands for next, previous, etc won't work even though the the log shows they fire fine.

Any thoughts??? Also, let me know if you need configs, etc.

Thanks,
DaveR

Russ

@drosenth,

I think the Autohotkey commands would work if you used VNC to connect to the console instead of using RDP.

Autohotkey is simulating keystrokes which I think are blocked because RDP somehow knows there's no actual keyboard. Maybe it's a Windows security feature.

Nice job getting the 32bit agent to work. Not everyone can figure that out.

drosenth

Russ,

THANKS for the quick response - I should have followed-up back when I read this response. I will give VNC a try. The strange thing is even with just a minimized RDP window the AHK commands won't fire. It needs to be visible. But I will try VNC as if I get this working your product solves one of my biggest home automation issues!

Again, AWESOME product! So very well thought out and versatile - professional all the way!!!

Thanks,
Dave R

Russ

Thank you @drosenth !

I appreciate the feedback.

drosenth

Russ,

Great news - A simple search of AHK and RDP turned up others having the same issue. I'll find a workaround, for sure, and thanks again FOR AN AWESOME PRODUCT!!

Your solution is a best kept secret!!! Get the word out!! You have truly taken a great idea and developed nice add-on components that make if very usable (example, the Alexa piece is simple and cool, plus your subscription model - nice).

So, again, thanks and great work. I will figure this out.

And if you ever compile your code for Win7 32bit I would be glad to test. The GUI would be nice, but it works great as-is.

Thanks,
DaveR

Link to AHT and RDP issue:

https://autohotkey.com/board/topic/26749-running-ahk-with-remote-desktop-minimized/

Russ

Thank you @drosenth. I'll take any help I can get spreading the word.

username6

Hi Russ, thanks for this.

I spent the last 5 hours setting up AHK commands for Kodi control and now I'm curious about backing up my triggers.

On a Windows machine, does backing up the AppData folder suffice?

If I reformat my PC or accidentally remove a trigger, will the triggers be saved in the cloud? Is there a way to make a backup of them? I created 120 of them and I really don't want to have to do that all again should the worst happen haha.

Regards.

Russ

@username6, good question. You take a copy of commands.json in the .triggercmddata folder in your profile folder (c:\users\username\.triggercmddata).

Concretesurfer

Hey Russ,

I have been having trouble with this. I tried getting the directory right but it either cant find the file without using "" or it just opens a CMD with the directory as the title and does not execute code.

Does the directory have to use \ before the media.ahk and can this be in another directory separate from the C:Drive?

I am new to this program and cant seem to get the AHK scripts working yet.

Russ

@concretesurfer, this might be the issue:

When I wrote "start C:\\autohotkeyscripts\\media.ahk stop" above, the context was the commands.json file, but if you're using the GUI Editor, you can skip the double \\'s.

Just use "start C:\autohotkeyscripts\media.ahk stop" in the GUI Editor.

Or "start G:\autohotkeyscripts\media.ahk stop", if you're using the G: drive.

Concretesurfer

@russ It works now! It must have been the spaces in my directory.

Russ

@concretesurfer, awesome. Yea if you have spaces you need quotes around your path.

SailorEffinMoon

First off, I apologize for any stupid things I may say I'm a noob to such things. I'm just trying to learn new and different ways I can control things with Alexa

I got autohotkey, made the script and made sure all commands are linked to the correct script. It didn't do anything even when I'd trigger it manually. I tried running the script and it just gives me an error "Target label does not exist" for "Gosub, %1%.

Did I miss something or do it wrong?

Russ

@sailoreffinmoon, I get that "Target label does not exist" for "Gosub, %1%." error if I run the ahk script with no parameter.

So maybe you just need to add one of the parameters, like mute to the command line.

Example command:

start C:\autohotkeyscripts\media.ahk mute

EDIT: I just learned that some scripts require you to run the AutoHotKey.exe directly instead of using "start", so the command would be:

"C:\Program Files\AutoHotkey\AutoHotkey.exe" C:\autohotkeyscripts\media.ahk mute

Russ

Another way to play/pause is to simulate pressing the space bar with a command like this:
wscript c:\scripts\space.vbs

The contents of c:\scripts\space.vbs would look like this:

Dim Wsh
Set Wsh = Wscript.CreateObject("Wscript.Shell")
Wsh.SendKeys "{ }"

Chabetico

So, I tell alexa to execute this command but open cmd and say that she couldn't find such a directory. I tried to do without the "start" at the beginning but nothing happens. If you can help me I would appreciate it, I am new to this branch of TriggerCMD, I started yesterday to tell the truth. sorry about my English

Chabetico

@Chabetico I tested it and triggercmd does not execute the command, I sent him to write a letter through AHK, but nothing came out