Custom Plex Remote For Unified Remote

Background:

I have recently started to use www.plexapp.com. It is a fantastic media center and it now also runs on Windows.

My setup has one media server and 4 PC clients 2 laptops and 2 desktops. It all works great and we are using several of the clients at once without any problems.

I downloaded the Plex app https://market.android.com/details?id=com.plexapp.android&hl=en for Android and it is great for browsing the media on the phone. It can even play the media directly on the phone. It has built in very simple remote that lacks functionality. That is why I decided to make my own custom Plex remote using www.unifiedremote.com

The remote control on the Android Plex app

The Remote:

The official Plex app cannot launch the Plex media center application and it cannot control windowed and fullscreen mode. This is something I really need so I had to add that to the new remote. I also wanted support for the volume up and down hard buttons on the phone. The remote uses the keyboard shortcuts for Plex so Plex needs to be in focus for the app to work.

I have set the launch button to try to start Plex if it is not running. Launch also sets the Plex windows active. This makes it the go to option for getting Plex in front of the rest of your windows without having to touch the computer keyboard.

My Custom Plex Unified Remote 

Button Config:

1.1 Stop

1.2 Up

1.3 Play/Pause - Works globally not only when movie or music is active

2.1 Left

2.2 Select

2.3 Right

3.1 Flip between full screen video or music and menu system

3.2 Down

3.3 Back

4.1 Rwd

4.2 Fullscreen/Windowed

4.3 FFD

5.1 Lower volume

5.2 Brings up OSD when video or music is playing.

5.3 Increase volume

How to install it:

1. First of all you need an Android phone running the paid version of Unified Remote https://market.android.com/details?id=com.Relmtech.RemotePaid&hl=en. It has to be the paid versions since the free version doesn't support custom remotes.
2. Then you need the latest version of the Unified Remote server http://www.unifiedremote.com/  installed on your PC . 
3. Now download this file https://github.com/br0sk/Custom-Unified-Remotes/zipball/master. It contains the custom remotes I have implemented.
4. Extract the file and copy the files plex.png and Plex.xml to the unified remote custom remote directory. You can find that here directory here C:\Program Files\Unified Remote\Remotes\Custom on a 32bit Windows or here C:\Program Files (x86)\Unified Remote\Remotes\Custom on Windows 7 64 bit. 
5. The Plex.xml file is written for 64 bit Windows. You have to change the path to the app in the XML file if you are running it on a 32 bit Windows version. You can easily do so in notepad.
6. Stop the Unified Remote server by right clicking the task bar icon and selecting quit.
7. Start the Unified Remote server again.
8. Now launch Unified Remote on your phone and there should be a new Plex remote available.

This is what it looks like in the list of remotes