Mede8er JukeBox Desktop Player (Net Api Windows client)

[jer1956]

(posted by Jer1956 on behalf of Neo_2011)


I've completed a beta version of my Mede8er JukeBox Desktop Player.
Basically, its a Desktop client that can be used as Music player (like Foobar 2000, JRiver, etc), to enable to use the Mede8er as a music player without the need to have the TV on.

Although its still incomplete, and has to be polished, its already totally functional.
So far its has been used with success by 3 people.

In this version, although 100% functional, the major drawbacks are the inability to provide an adequate feedback.
As i'm developing the application on my free time, the improvements will be consistent, but slow.
My purpose is correct all the major bugs, and as time permits, to add feedback capabilities.

The application has two layers :
- A service developed with spring framework + Guice
- A JavaFx 2.2 client.

While the service will be proprietary, if there is any interest, i can share the JavaFx client source code, maybe some expert in JavaFx would like to improve it.
My JavaFx skills are pretty basic, so someone more skilled would easily be able to do a better job than i did.

The application just needs a proper MusicJukebox to be created, and in the first run, the user just needs to insert the Mede8er IP.
The application proceeds getting the information from mede8er, and creates a local database for normal use.
I have approximately 100 albuns, and it takes aprox. 1m to get all the information, and the local database created has 2MB .
I dont know how long it will take with a larger Music database ...

You can see a video from an earlier version here : http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=xCcArdNZVLc
Please skip the scan process time, the 00:02 to 1:15m.

I would like to share the application to the community, but it still has to be properly tested. Although it worked very well for me and two more users, i know it still has several bugs, i don't know how it will perform with large databases, etc-.

As i've said, the application is still very basic, and the major handicap is the lack of feedback.
I'm also a little "afraid" of how will the application respond with very large databases, several jukeboxes, etc.

Nevertheless, if the testers understand that this is still in a very beta phase, and they will probably found many bugs, i'm more than happy to proceed with the creation of a Beta test group.
There are a few requirements in order to use the application with full success:

1 - There has to be a functional Jukebox
2 - The images covers, need to be named "folder.jpg", and should have 230x230px.
3 - The computer resolution should be greater than 1024x768.

Application download

64 Bits : https://meocloud.pt/link/96e49503-51c0-4982-a935-2ad90e2cbe34/Mede8erMusicPlayer.zip
32 Bits : https://meocloud.pt/link/e840d7ec-09b7-4da2-9c90-7c3ed6956817/Mede8erMusicPlayer-32-Bits.zip

Temporary 800x600 version - 64 bits
- https://meocloud.pt/link/a8c24808-82b7-4453-872c-3b0162c341d3/Mede8erMusicPlayer_800_600.zip

If someone encounters this error : “The program can’t start because MSVCR100.dll is missing from your computer.” the resolution is to install the specific Microsoft C++ dll's, available in:

Microsoft Visual C++ Redistributable - x86 or x64 edition
32 bit: http://www.microsoft.com/download/en/details.aspx?id=5555
64 bit: http://www.microsoft.com/download/en/details.aspx?id=14632

From now, the installation is manual, just unzip the file, and execute the Mede8erMusicPlayer.exe
(In future versions, it will have a normal installation wizard).
After the application launches, it only requires the introduction of Mede8er IP, and it will start the scan process.
I really don't know how would it take to scan a large database. In my tests with 100 folders, it took aprox 1.15m ...


The application has the logs printing all the debug info, to log/mede8er.log
If someone encounters any bug, please send me the log file to ar160212@gmail.com

As i've said, if the testers understand that this is still in a very beta phase, and that they will probably found many bugs, i'm more than happy to correct them as soon as i can, in order to provide a stable version for anyone to use.
Finally, yes, the application could be named 'JukeBox Desktop Player' Smiley



Best regards,
Neo_2011


Can  those interested in testing please post their findings as replies to  this post.

[Mike42]

yesterday i tried the app din't get it to work. (wrong ip input)
today wanted it to try again with the correct ip, but app won't start up !?

mike42

[Mede8er1]

App starts my side and I entered X3D IP but I did not see any progress even after some time. I tested on Win7 PC and the Music JukeBox has about 5k tracks.
 
Mede8er1

[neo_2011]

yesterday i tried the app din't get it to work. (wrong ip input)
today wanted it to try again with the correct ip, but app won't start up !?
mike42

Hello Mike.

In the config folder, there is a Configuration.xml file that looks like this:

<?xml version="1.0" encoding="UTF-8"?>
 <config>
   <hostname>IP_VALUE</hostname>
   <port>1187</port>

Please change the IP_VALUE to the correct IP.

If the config folder contains a Mede8erDB.xml file, please remove it and start the Application.

Can you please send me the log/mede8er.log file, to analyze the error?

[neo_2011]

App starts my side and I entered X3D IP but I did not see any progress even after some time. I tested on Win7 PC and the Music JukeBox has about 5k tracks.
 
Mede8er1

Can you please send me the log file to analyse?

[Mede8er1]

Its basically empty and only logs the power button when I tried to close the App after no activity

2013-10-29 19:26:07,261 DEBUG p.t.m.s.i.JukeboxService Sending Mede8er Command  [rc power].
2013-10-29 19:26:08,352 DEBUG p.t.m.s.i.JukeboxService Sending Mede8er Command  [rc power].
2013-10-29 19:26:14,172 DEBUG p.t.m.s.i.JukeboxService Sending Mede8er Command  [rc power].


Mede8er1

[neo_2011]

It's very strange, the application should log everything ...
Can you post your Configuration.xml file ?

[Mede8er1]

<config>
 <hostname/>
 <port>1187</port>
 <reload>false</reload>
 <config-folder-path/>
 </config>


Mede8er1

[neo_2011]

Was the IP correctly saved, or you removed it?

[Mike42]

my config file containes:

<?xml version="1.0" encoding="UTF-8"?>
<config><hostname>192.168.178.15</hostname><port>1187</port><reload>false</reload><config-folder-path>C:\mede8er\Mede8erMusicPlayer-32-Bits\app\config\</config-folder-path></config>

This is the correct IP

the log file:
I would like to send the log file however it's kinda big (24 + MB) . i see it the app started with scanning
the music on my mede8er. when i came back from diner the mede8er was off.. i don't know my son switched it off
or it crashed due to the scanning of my pretty large music collection (35000+)
I'll keep on testing......

when i start the task manager i can see that the app is doing something, probaply scanning of the music collection
yep is scanning log file stil growing now over 26MB

mike42

[Mede8er1]

That is all that is in the xml file

Mede8er1

[neo_2011]

the log file: ...
 i don't know my son switched it off or it crashed due to the scanning of my pretty large music collection (35000+)
I'll keep on testing...... when i start the task manager i can see that the app is doing something, probaply scanning of the music collection yep is scanning log file stil growing now over 26MB

Mike,
thank you very much for your feedback.

As i've said, the application was only tested with small music databases (80 albums,  aprox 300 songs).
I don't know how it will perform when scanning large databases.

Please let the scan process finish (or until the application crashes).
If its indeed a crash motivated by the large amount of memory necessary to store a local cache of the Mede8er information, i will have to figure a way to perform the scan by range, or something like that

If the application crashes, please send me the last lines of the log file.
The log file is printing everything, that's the reason its so big

[neo_2011]

<config> <hostname/>  <port>1187</port>  <reload>false</reload>  <config-folder-path/>  </config>

That explains the empty log file.

Could you please change it to :
<config><hostname>X3D IP</hostname><port>1187</port><reload>false</reload><config-folder-path></config-folder-path></config>

and insert your X3D IP manually and start the application?

It should start the scan process, although its possible you should experience the same problems as Mike42, due to you large database.

thank you very much for your feedback.

[Mike42]

for the final version, think of adding an progress bar. now you can't see: If the app is started or what it's doing (for later worry's)

mike42

[neo_2011]

for the final version, think of adding an progress bar. now you can't see: If the app is started or what it's doing (for later worry's)
mike42

Yes, i intend to add a progress bar in the Scan process, a slider/scroll bar to show the music progression time, and work on the design, as its has a very square look 

But my main purpose for the moment is to correct the problems with the scan process, and guarantee it works with large databases. I will probably need to create a very large database with dummy files to simulate the process on my side ...