Windows Now Playing

[isadorekestrelwind]

Thanks for the plugin, it works amazing!
I only have problems with displaying Cyrillic symbols, I've tried to change fonts and OutputType to UTF8, UTF16 but it didn't work.
I've tried also "WindowsNowPlaying title 64" in the terminal, and it prints Cyrillic correctly. Also (maybe it would help you to catch a problem) files artist.txt and title.txt are empty when artist or title contains Cyrillic symbols.
Maybe you could advise me on what to try?

Снимок экрана 2023-11-20 220156.png

[balala]

I've tried to change fonts and OutputType to UTF8, UTF16 but it didn't work.

What do you mean by "change fonts and OutputType"? If you mean something else, try reencoding the .ini file of your skin to UTF-16LE. Open it in Notepad, click Save as and save it with the same name on same location with the same .ini extension, but in the Encoding dropdown menu choose UTF-16LE. Does this help?

[isadorekestrelwind]

What do you mean by "change fonts and OutputType"? If you mean something else, try reencoding the .ini file of your skin to UTF-16LE. Open it in Notepad, click Save as and save it with the same name on same location with the same .ini extension, but in the Encoding dropdown menu choose UTF-16LE. Does this help?

I meant FontFace=Tahoma and OutputType=UTF8 (OutputType=UTF16) in Song Info.ini
FontFace in [MeterTitle] I tried to change because I thought maybe the default font doesn't contain Cyrillic and OutputType in [MeasureTitle] because found other possible options here https://forum.rainmeter.net/viewtopic.php?t=28764

I just checked the encoding of Song Info.ini, it's UTF-16LE. I tried to switch to UTF-8 and back to UTF-16LE, but it didn't help.

Снимок экрана 2023-11-22 143128.png

[balala]

because found other possible options here https://forum.rainmeter.net/viewtopic.php?t=28764

The linked post is related strictly to the OutputType option of a RunCommand plugin. Please pack the whole config you have problems with and upload the package here. We need to check...

[Yincognito]

I meant FontFace=Tahoma and OutputType=UTF8 (OutputType=UTF16) in Song Info.ini
FontFace in [MeterTitle] I tried to change because I thought maybe the default font doesn't contain Cyrillic and OutputType in [MeasureTitle] because found other possible options here https://forum.rainmeter.net/viewtopic.php?t=28764

I just checked the encoding of Song Info.ini, it's UTF-16LE. I tried to switch to UTF-8 and back to UTF-16LE, but it didn't help.
Снимок экрана 2023-11-22 143128.png

You did well, as per your description and screenshot, and the right combination between UTF-16LE encoding for the skin file (whose effect is related only to what you write or use in the .ini file itself) and the RunCommand's OutputType value should do the job, considering that it works in the terminal. While balala's request for the packed skin would surely help in identifying and fixing the issue, I can't help but notice that you have TWO OutputType options in your RunCommand measure from the screenshot (and possibly in other such measures from your skin that are not captured in the image). That might play a part in the problem you're experiencing, so make sure you only have one such option and then try again to change its value (in all such measures) and refresh the skin to see if it works.

[isadorekestrelwind]

The linked post is related strictly to the OutputType option of a RunCommand plugin. Please pack the whole config you have problems with and upload the package here. We need to check...

Please find the config attached.

Song Info.ini

You did well, as per your description and screenshot, and the right combination between UTF-16LE encoding for the skin file (whose effect is related only to what you write or use in the .ini file itself) and the RunCommand's OutputType value should do the job, considering that it works in the terminal. While balala's request for the packed skin would surely help in identifying and fixing the issue, I can't help but notice that you have TWO OutputType options in your RunCommand measure from the screenshot (and possibly in other such measures from your skin that are not captured in the image). That might play a part in the problem you're experiencing, so make sure you only have one such option and then try again to change its value (in all such measures) and refresh the skin to see if it works.

Right, I had it twice for each measure. Thanks!
I removed duplicates and tried to change to UTF8 and UTF16 again, but it seems ANSI is the correct way because UTF doesn't work even for Latin letters (doesn't work means shows broken letters).
In terminal ">WindowsNowPlaying title 32" works, yes.

Снимок экрана 2023-11-22 164932.png

Снимок экрана 2023-11-22 164928.png

UPD:

I also noticed that the encoding of title.txt, thumb.txt, and artist.txt is UTF-8. I tried to change to UTF-16 but it seems the app creates new files on update so encoding returned back to UTF-8. .txt files are also empty when playing a song with Cyrillic letters.

[Yincognito]

Please find the config attached.
Song Info.ini



Right, I had it twice for each measure. Thanks!
I removed duplicates and tried to change to UTF8 and UTF16 again, but it seems ANSI is the correct way because UTF doesn't work even for Latin letters (doesn't work means shows broken letters).
In terminal ">WindowsNowPlaying title 32" works, yes.
Снимок экрана 2023-11-22 164932.png
Снимок экрана 2023-11-22 164928.png

UPD:

I also noticed that the encoding of title.txt, thumb.txt, and artist.txt is UTF-8. I tried to change to UTF-16 but it seems the app creates new files on update so encoding returned back to UTF-8. .txt files are also empty when playing a song with Cyrillic letters.

Alright, I tested both the original .ini and yours, and I get a slightly different behavior (I don't have Cyrillic songs ATM, but I tested with Chinese ones): both when running in the CMD.EXE window and the skin, non Latin characters are not displayed as they should.

BigParty Unicode.jpg

I suppose that for Cyrillic characters is roughly the same, since if one of them works, so it should the other, being all Unicode. Yes, I also noticed the .txt files encodings, but that's not that critical, as what's there is not used for the values of the String meters in the skin anyway, plus, the .txt encodings depend on the values of the OutputType options from the RunCommand measures. Obviously, I tried all 3 OutputType values and as expected, got Chinese characters for UTF16... just not the proper ones and extending for the entire string (so basically gibberish).

I suspect the problem is the "plugin" (well, actually the executrable) itself, considering my experience. Not sure why it works for Cyrillic in your terminal, but for my Chinese chars it doesn't, so the problem doesn't look like it's in the skin code or its encoding. My two cents about it, maybe balala will come up with additional details or some other judgement on it after testing.

P.S. By the way, the OutputType option was twice for all RunCommand measures right in the original skin from the "plugin" developer (so not your fault), which is kinda strange...

[isadorekestrelwind]

Alright, I tested both the original .ini and yours, and I get a slightly different behavior (I don't have Cyrillic songs ATM, but I tested with Chinese ones): both when running in the CMD.EXE window and the skin, non Latin characters are not displayed as they should.
BigParty Unicode.jpg
I suppose that for Cyrillic characters is roughly the same, since if one of them works, so it should the other, being all Unicode. Yes, I also noticed the .txt files encodings, but that's not that critical, as what's there is not used for the values of the String meters in the skin anyway, plus, the .txt encodings depend on the values of the OutputType options from the RunCommand measures. Obviously, I tried all 3 OutputType values and as expected, got Chinese characters for UTF16... just not the proper ones and extending for the entire string (so basically gibberish).

I suspect the problem is the "plugin" (well, actually the executrable) itself, considering my experience. Not sure why it works for Cyrillic in your terminal, but for my Chinese chars it doesn't, so the problem doesn't look like it's in the skin code or its encoding. My two cents about it, maybe balala will come up with additional details or some other judgement on it after testing.

P.S. By the way, the OutputType option was twice for all RunCommand measures right in the original skin from the "plugin" developer (so not your fault), which is kinda strange...

Thanks for testing!
For me it's different in the terminal, it shows Citilic perfectly (not ??? like you showed for Chinese).
Here is some Cirilic track https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2JoF-J0CcQk
For me playing it in Chrome allows me to check the title in the terminal, maybe you would like to try.

[balala]

After a test I probably would say that the problem resides in the WindowsNowPlaying.exe program itself. I say this because I tried to alter the RunCommand plugin measures in many way, replaced the OutputType options, removed the WindowsNowPlaying from the Parameter option and added a Program=WindowsNowPlaying.exe and so on, but had no success. Finally I tried running a command line in both ways, "normally" and as administrator, typing the appropriate command to execute the WindowsNowPlaying.exe program. But had no succes there either:

RunCommand.png

I think the WindowsNowPlaying.exe program should be altered in a way to can return the title and the artist even when there are Cyrillic letters, but this has to be done by the author. If you agree me, send him a PM, maybe he'll be able to make the needed update.
My thought at least...

[Yincognito]

For me it's different in the terminal, it shows Citilic perfectly (not ??? like you showed for Chinese).
Here is some Cirilic track https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2JoF-J0CcQk
For me playing it in Chrome allows me to check the title in the terminal, maybe you would like to try.

Ah, yeah, forgot that this works with browsers so didn't think to try a YT video - thanks for reminding me that!
Unfortunately, it's the same behavior:

BigParty Unicode II.jpg

The fact that it works for you and not for me in CMD might have something to do with the installed keyboard(s) - just a guess...