Using only TouchControl Server, you may freely use your remote activity layouts as stand-alone remote controls on your Windows PC, effectively turning your PC into a universal remote control itself. Simply click the "Remote Control" option on the Tools menu in TouchControl Server to launch your activities onto your desktop. You may easily switch between activities using the drop down list at the top of the activity panel, or you may click "Remote Control" again (and again) to open multiple remote activities on your desktop simultaneously. Use the TouchControl icon in the upper left corner of the activities to drag them around your desktop, and right-click on the icon for additional configuration options, including "Always on top", "Auto-hide navigation" (autohding the config icon and drop down list until you mouse over it), and "Zoom". Use the "X" icon in the upper right to close a remote activity.

 

Almost all major functionality found in the TouchControl app on your iPhone/iPod/iPad is also available from the PC remote feature, including IR via USB-UIRT, command buttons, AutoHotKey, EventGhost, IRCommand2, macros, rotated buttons, repeating buttons, button delay, etc. One major feature not supported at this time in the PC remotes is the swipe/rotation feature of gesture pads (tap is supported as a mouse click). Another feature not supported is the onscreen mousepad/keyboard found in the device app. Every attempt will be made to keep the PC remote feature on par with the TouchControl device app to the extent possible given the platform differences.

 

An additional feature was added to allow you to automatically launch a specific remote control activity when starting TouchControl Server. To perform this, create a shortcut on your desktop and privde the following as the shortcut target:

 

"C:\Program Files\Touch App Technologies, LLC\TouchControl Server\TouchControl.exe" -r "Home Theater - Watch TV"

 

The path to the TouchControl Server executable should match your Program Files location (may include "(x86)" if on 64bit), and the last parameter is the activity location and name, and should match the window title displayed in the Windows task bar when you have the activity open on your desktop. Note that you can only have one instance of TouchControl Server running on your PC, and only one activity can be auto launched, but you can open as many other activities as you want or switch between activities once the first one is open.

You can also use the remote control interface on one PC, and send the remote commands (IR, AutoHotKey, EventGhost, executables, scripts, etc.) to another system running TouchControl Server. This makes this feature work on Windows pretty much exactly how it works on the iOS devices. To enable this, open the remotes on your desktop (select "Remote Control" from the TouchControl Server Tools menu), right-click on the icon at the left of the title bar on the PC remotes, and select "User Remote Server". This will display a panel that will allow you to enter the IP address and port of the remote server you'd like to control. Please note that the port required here is the "Socket" port, NOT the "HTTP" port of the remote server. To find the "Socket" port, go to the remote server and select Help - Troubleshooting - Show Ports from the TouchControl Server menu. Enter the port displayed as the "Socket" port.

Also note that the issue that exists within the layout designer where buttons layered on top of other buttons obscure the view of the button at the lower level also exists in the PC remote activities. Where the iOS devices provide true transparency, the Windows controls only provide transparency to the background, and not to other controls layered beneath another control. Just be aware that you may need to adjust some of your button layouts to accomodate this for display on your desktop.

 

IMPORTANT: Although this feature is available for anyone to download and use for free, it should be noted that TouchControl Server is first and foremost a companion for the TouchControl iPhone/iPod/iPad app, and features of TouchControl Server will evolve as required to meet the needs of the TouchControl app and it's users, and is offered as-is, with no warranty of any kind.