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VLC media player recording automation

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By xseekx,
in AutoIt General Help and Support

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Hi. I'm new here! I have created a simple script to automate the process of recording an IP stream in VLC media player and it works! Now I have to find out how to stop the recording after the specified ending time. I am using 'Windows task scheduler' to run the script on a schedule. The script opens VLC and executes the default recording hotkey (+r). I want to find a way to re-execute (send ("+r")), about a second before the task ends in Windows task scheduler. So essentially I will be automating the process of recording in VLC media player on a schedule in Windows 7.

Like I said I'm new here! I’m open to suggestions instead of using Windows task scheduler, or maybe there is a simple few lines of code I can add?

My code.

http://imgur.com/gallery/7VumOaw/new

 

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ViciousXUSMC Universalist

ViciousXUSMC

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Posted (edited)

VLC has cmd backend so its very scriptable.  

I guess you know when the stream is ending so staying along the same lines of what you are doing now I don't see why you would not just call another script to press the keys to stop recording and then close VLC.

Something like a 

WinActivate()

Send()

ProcessClose()

Edited by ViciousXUSMC
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I have edited my code to have a GUI which will allow me to enter a start time an stop time in (HH:MM).

What I'm trying to do: When I start the script, A GUI will start. I then enter the start hour, and the start minute of the recording. I will then enter the end hour and the end minute of the recording. I will the click a the save button which will load the times into the variables. My 'if statement' should then check to see if the time to start recording is the current time, or a future time. If it is a future time it should start recording at that time, and also end at the time I have specified in the GUI.

My problem: In the GUI, If I enter a future time to start the recording, it seems that the code 'If @HOUR = $theStartHour And @MIN = $theStartMinute Then' at line# 64 does not work. But if I enter the current time into the GUI , VLC with start, and keep on recording and stopping.

So I believe I should be using some other loop besides a 'do ... until'? I'm just not sure how to do something until a specified time in a loop, without keep on executing until the time is reached

My code.

#include <ButtonConstants.au3>
#include <EditConstants.au3>
#include <GUIConstantsEx.au3>
#include <StaticConstants.au3>
#include <WindowsConstants.au3>
#include <Date.au3>

#Region ### START Koda GUI section ### Form=c:\users\eric\desktop\stream tut\myform.kxf
Global $myForm = GUICreate("myForm", 615, 438, -1, -1)
$Label1 = GUICtrlCreateLabel("Start Time", 272, 24, 52, 17)
GUICtrlSetBkColor(-1, 0x00FF00)
$sHour = GUICtrlCreateLabel("Start Hour", 208, 72, 52, 17)
GUICtrlSetBkColor(-1, 0xA6CAF0)
Global $HourStart = GUICtrlCreateInput("", 272, 72, 73, 21, BitOR($GUI_SS_DEFAULT_INPUT, $ES_NUMBER))
$sMin = GUICtrlCreateLabel("Start Minute", 208, 112, 61, 17)
GUICtrlSetBkColor(-1, 0xA6CAF0)
Global $MinuteStart = GUICtrlCreateInput("", 272, 112, 73, 21, BitOR($GUI_SS_DEFAULT_INPUT, $ES_NUMBER))
GUICtrlCreateLabel("End Time", 277, 155, 49, 17)
GUICtrlSetBkColor(-1, 0xFF0000)
$ehour = GUICtrlCreateLabel("End Hour", 213, 187, 49, 17)
GUICtrlSetBkColor(-1, 0xA6CAF0)
$eMin = GUICtrlCreateLabel("End Minute", 210, 220, 58, 17)
GUICtrlSetBkColor(-1, 0xA6CAF0)
Global $HourEnd = GUICtrlCreateInput("", 280, 184, 65, 21, BitOR($GUI_SS_DEFAULT_INPUT, $ES_NUMBER))
Global $MinuteEnd = GUICtrlCreateInput("", 280, 216, 65, 21, BitOR($GUI_SS_DEFAULT_INPUT, $ES_NUMBER))
Global $saveBtn = GUICtrlCreateButton("Save", 272, 264, 75, 25)
Global $cancelBtn = GUICtrlCreateButton("Cancel", 272, 296, 75, 25)
GUISetState(@SW_SHOW)
#EndRegion ### END Koda GUI section ###



While 1;the infinite loop to keep the script alive
    $nMsg = GUIGetMsg()

    Switch $nMsg
        Case $GUI_EVENT_CLOSE
            Exit

            ;If the 'Save' button is clicked, then execute the following
        Case $saveBtn

            ;START TIME

            ;Get the start hour from user input
            $startHourInput = GUICtrlRead($HourStart)
            ;Set the hour to the user input
            $theStartHour = $startHourInput
            ;Get the start minute from user input
            $startMinuteInput = GUICtrlRead($MinuteStart)
            ;Set the minute to the user input
            $theStartMinute = $startMinuteInput

            ;END TIME

            ;Get the end hour
            $endHourInput = GUICtrlRead($HourEnd)
            $theEndHour = $endHourInput
            ;Get the end minute
            $endMinuteInput = GUICtrlRead($MinuteEnd)
            $theEndMinute = $endMinuteInput

            ;NOT WORKING CORRECTLY

            ;When it is the specified hour
            If @HOUR = $theStartHour And @MIN = $theStartMinute Then

                Do
                    ;Start Recording
                    startRecord()
                    ;until the end time specified in the GUI
                Until @HOUR = $theEndHour And @MIN = $theEndMinute

                ;Otherwise the time has not been reached
            ElseIf Not (@HOUR = $theStartHour) And Not (@MIN = $theStartMinute) Then

                ;The Sleep() function uses miliseconds, so I will have to convert time

                ;minutes = hours x 60
                $hourNum = $theStartHour
                $minuteNum = $theStartMinute
                $minutesCalc = ($theStartHour * 60) + $minuteNum

                ;milliseconds = minutes x 60,000
                $milli = ($minutesCalc) * 60000

                ;Sleep until the start time

                Sleep($milli)

                ;Then start recording
                startRecord()

                ;MsgBox(0, "", "The time is reached")

            EndIf

        Case $cancelBtn
            Exit
    EndSwitch
WEnd


Func startRecord()

    ;Open the stream file, which will open up VLC by default
    ShellExecute("E:\Eric\Documents\dbStream.m3u")

    ;Wait 7 secs for VLC stream to start
    Local $hWnd = WinWait("[CLASS:VLC media player]", "", 7)

    ;Focus on the window
    WinActivate($hWnd)

    ;Start recording
    Send("+r")

EndFunc   ;==>startRecord


Func endRecord()
    ;Stop recording
    Send("+r")
    ;Close The VLC window
    WinClose("VLC media player")
EndFunc   ;==>endRecord
Edited by xseekx
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I have now changed my code to use a 'while loop', instead of a 'do loop', but I am having the same problem.

#include <ButtonConstants.au3>
#include <EditConstants.au3>
#include <GUIConstantsEx.au3>
#include <StaticConstants.au3>
#include <WindowsConstants.au3>
#include <Date.au3>

#Region ### START Koda GUI section ### Form=c:\users\eric\desktop\stream tut\myform.kxf
Global $myForm = GUICreate("myForm", 615, 438, -1, -1)
$Label1 = GUICtrlCreateLabel("Start Time", 272, 24, 52, 17)
GUICtrlSetBkColor(-1, 0x00FF00)
$sHour = GUICtrlCreateLabel("Start Hour", 208, 72, 52, 17)
GUICtrlSetBkColor(-1, 0xA6CAF0)
Global $HourStart = GUICtrlCreateInput("", 272, 72, 73, 21, BitOR($GUI_SS_DEFAULT_INPUT, $ES_NUMBER))
$sMin = GUICtrlCreateLabel("Start Minute", 208, 112, 61, 17)
GUICtrlSetBkColor(-1, 0xA6CAF0)
Global $MinuteStart = GUICtrlCreateInput("", 272, 112, 73, 21, BitOR($GUI_SS_DEFAULT_INPUT, $ES_NUMBER))
GUICtrlCreateLabel("End Time", 277, 155, 49, 17)
GUICtrlSetBkColor(-1, 0xFF0000)
$ehour = GUICtrlCreateLabel("End Hour", 213, 187, 49, 17)
GUICtrlSetBkColor(-1, 0xA6CAF0)
$eMin = GUICtrlCreateLabel("End Minute", 210, 220, 58, 17)
GUICtrlSetBkColor(-1, 0xA6CAF0)
Global $HourEnd = GUICtrlCreateInput("", 280, 184, 65, 21, BitOR($GUI_SS_DEFAULT_INPUT, $ES_NUMBER))
Global $MinuteEnd = GUICtrlCreateInput("", 280, 216, 65, 21, BitOR($GUI_SS_DEFAULT_INPUT, $ES_NUMBER))
Global $saveBtn = GUICtrlCreateButton("Save", 272, 264, 75, 25)
Global $cancelBtn = GUICtrlCreateButton("Cancel", 272, 296, 75, 25)
GUISetState(@SW_SHOW)
#EndRegion ### END Koda GUI section ###



While 1;the infinite loop to keep the script alive
    $nMsg = GUIGetMsg()

    Switch $nMsg
        Case $GUI_EVENT_CLOSE
            Exit

            Break

            ;If the 'Save' button is clicked, then execute the following
        Case $saveBtn

            ;START TIME

            ;Get the start hour from user input
            $startHourInput = GUICtrlRead($HourStart)
            ;Set the hour to the user input
            $theStartHour = $startHourInput
            ;Get the start minute from user input
            $startMinuteInput = GUICtrlRead($MinuteStart)
            ;Set the minute to the user input
            $theStartMinute = $startMinuteInput

            ;END TIME

            ;Get the end hour
            $endHourInput = GUICtrlRead($HourEnd)
            $theEndHour = $endHourInput
            ;Get the end minute
            $endMinuteInput = GUICtrlRead($MinuteEnd)
            $theEndMinute = $endMinuteInput

            ;NOT WORKING CORRECTLY

            While (@HOUR = $theStartHour And @MIN = $theStartMinute)
                startRecord()

                If Not (@HOUR = $theStartHour) And Not (@MIN = $theStartMinute) Then

                    ;The Sleep() function uses miliseconds, so I will have to convert time

                    ;minutes = hours x 60
                    $hourNum = $theStartHour
                    $minuteNum = $theStartMinute
                    $minutesCalc = ($theStartHour * 60) + $minuteNum

                    ;milliseconds = minutes x 60,000
                    $milli = ($minutesCalc) * 60000

                    ;Sleep until the start time

                    Sleep($milli)

                    ;Then start recording
                    startRecord()

                    ;MsgBox(0, "", "The time is reached")
                EndIf
                endRecord()

            WEnd

    EndSwitch

WEnd


Func startRecord()

    ;Open the stream file, which will open up VLC by default
    ShellExecute("E:\Eric\Documents\dbStream.m3u")

    ;Wait 7 secs for VLC stream to start
    Local $hWnd = WinWait("[CLASS:VLC media player]", "", 7)

    ;Focus on the window
    WinActivate($hWnd)

    ;Start recording
    Send("+r")

EndFunc   ;==>startRecord


Func endRecord()
    ;Stop recording
    Send("+r")
    ;Close The VLC window
    WinClose("VLC media player")
EndFunc   ;==>endRecord

I think that I am misunderstanding @HOUR, @MIN. I wonder if I have to keep checking the system time?
 
By the way, this is the forum Koda forum that I will be using.

http://imgur.com/gallery/xVbQTvN/new

Edited by xseekx
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Posted
  • Author
Posted (edited)

VLC has cmd backend so its very scriptable.  

I guess you know when the stream is ending so staying along the same lines of what you are doing now I don't see why you would not just call another script to press the keys to stop recording and then close VLC.

Something like a 

WinActivate()

Send()

ProcessClose()

I have tried doing a VBScript, but when I tried using 'AppActivate', in vbs I couldn't get the VLC window to focus, So I couldn't execute a hotkey, but I can focus using 'WinActivate' in Autoit script.

Edited by xseekx
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ViciousXUSMC Universalist

ViciousXUSMC

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Posted

Instead of going with current hour/time etc.

I would probably try something like Take your End Time Subtract the Start time to get the Net Record Length.

Fire off a TimerInit() to start a timer and then do a comparison.

If NetRecordTime is Less Than or Equal To TimerDiff() Then ...

https://www.autoitscript.com/autoit3/docs/functions/TimerDiff.htm

https://www.autoitscript.com/autoit3/docs/functions/TimerInit.htm

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