THE ANSWER:
You need to configure a global key that can be pressed anywhere to clear the playlist. This enables you to clear a playlist without being focused in the VLC window. This setting is configured during the startup of VLC. Then send a key stroke of the key you just configured. This is done by adding the following attribute:
--global-key-clear-playlist='CTRL+W' You can choose your own keys to your liking by changing CTRL+W to what you desire.
Example command:
Powershell.exe cd 'C:\Program Files\VideoLAN\VLC\';./vlc.exe --loop -Z --global-key-clear-playlist='CTRL+W' --one-instance --directx-device="DISPLAY1" --directx-volume=1.00 '"Path\To\Your\Playlist\playlist.m3u'"
Once VLC has started this way, send over a key stroke for example, through PowerShell, to press the key.
Example command:
powershell.exe $wshell = New-Object -ComObject wscript.shell; $wshell.SendKeys('^{w}');
If you want to send over other kind of keys, check out the following stack overflow article: How to send CTRL or ALT + any other key? OR the official documentation: https://learn.microsoft.com/en-us/previous-versions/windows/it-pro/windows-powershell-1.0/ff731008(v=technet.10)?redirectedfrom=MSDN
The ';' means end the current code line and start a new line. Then read that line and execute what is written. This can be used to write down multiple commands that have to be executed in PowerShell even though you can only write down one line of text in your solution. (mine being the stream deck)
If you are a streamer or youtuber using the stream deck, keep reading. Otherwise above is the answer and you can adapt it to your needs with the above logic.
STEP BY STEP GUIDE IF YOU ARE A STREAM DECK USER:
I have my stream deck configured with the following commands:
a multi action button. Inside the multi action button I have 2 tasks:
- Clear Playlist --> Open program action. (the rocket)
- Add playlist. --> Open program action. (the rocket)
For the first action I have the following command in the App / file section:
powershell.exe $wshell = New-Object -ComObject wscript.shell; $wshell.SendKeys('^{w}');
--> This will send over the key stroke CTRL + W. In case you don't have anything open or you have not started VLC yet because this is your first press, this has no effect.
The second action is adding the playlist to VLC. This is done with the following command:
Powershell.exe cd 'C:\Program Files\VideoLAN\VLC\';./vlc.exe --loop -Z --global-key-clear-playlist='CTRL+W' --one-instance --directx-device="DISPLAY1" --directx-volume=1.00 '"Path\To\Your\Playlist\playlist.m3u'"
--> This command will navigate to the directory where VLC is installed. It will then open vlc with the attributes:
--loop --> Loop all music without stopping
-Z --> Randomize every play and next play
--global-key-clear-playlist --> The key stroke that can be pressed, no matter what window you are focused in
--one-instance --> Only one instance of VLC can run at a time, forcing every vlc.exe command to go to the same instance
--directx-device="DISPLAY1" --> My display where I want VLC to appear. You can find this under the settings: Tools > Preferences > Video > Full screen
-volume=1.00 --> The volume that will be used.
HOW TO ROUTE AUDIO TO A SPECIFIC AUDIO DEVICE IN VLC
For some people that have a GO-XLR or any special device they want to route their music to, open up the GUI of VLC first, navigate to: Tools > Preferences > Audio
Change the device you want VLC to output to. I have tried forcing it through windows 10 settings but it did not seem to work every time I restarted the computer.
If you are a stream deck user:
First of all, enable remote control of VLC. You do this by doing the following:
Activating the Web Interface
To activate the web interface, click the
Tools menu in VLC and select Preferences. Click the All option under
Show settings to view VLC’s advanced settings. Scroll down in the list
of advanced settings and select Main interfaces under the Interface
header. Click the Web checkbox to enable the HTTP interface. Click on
LUA under the Main interfaces. Set a password under the LUA-HTTP
settings. Save your settings and restart VLC. Each time you start VLC,
the web server will be started in the background – Windows will prompt
you to allow VLC firewall access when you restart it, indicating that
the web server is running.
Configuring Stream Deck VLC Control In your stream deck configuration
manager, add a VLC Control button. Click on this button, and set the
following parameters, replacing password with the password you
previously set. Host: localhost Port: 8080 Password: {PASSWORD SET IN
VLC}
This is to have an extra plugin installed https://github.com/RGPaul/streamdeck-vlc --> This will enable you to stop and start your music on the stream deck. (you can find it on the product page inside of the stream deck application) However it is not necessary for clearing the playlist.
