RMIR Simpleset Support

[tranx]

For extender 0.03 for the URC-6440, I have now implemented button groups for shifted buttons...

think I see the point now, and that this would help to mitigate the fact that macros can't be used in activity modes.
The penny has dropped that in a particular activity, a button group for a shifted button could be different to the button group for the same un-shifted button, and that this would be more useful with so many button groups, and with more devices becoming available. Simple 4 is becoming a beast
.

[mathdon]

I must check out this issue of macros not working in combo modes. I see no reason for that and will see if I can do something about it. There are two other niggles that I intend to look into, also. One is that the shift cloaking we discussed earlier doesn't work properly on digit keys. In effect it removes one level of shift when there is nothing programmed on the shifted key. For digits this means that a double-shifted key (which would have the shift function on it if there was one) becomes a single-shifted digit (which starts the entry of a 5-digit EFC) rather than an unshifted digit (which is what one would want). The other issue is the delay before Power in a combo mode operates. Again, I see no reason for this.

Any comments, tranx?

[tranx]

...macros not working in combo modes. I see no reason for that...

I had thought that was the norm, and assumed it might even have been determined by some technical or logical limitation. The only good reason for it might have been the global nature of macros, but note that even they were cryptic. For me, the limitation has vitiated combo mode so reckon that, especially since DSMs are now also available, to remove it would be another significant improvement.

...the shift cloaking we discussed earlier doesn't work properly on digit keys. In effect it removes one level of shift when there is nothing programmed on the shifted key. For digits this means that a double-shifted key (which would have the shift function on it if there was one) becomes a single-shifted digit (which starts the entry of a 5-digit EFC) rather than an unshifted digit (which is what one would want).

If only one press could be required to send shifted digits I guess it would go away therefore...could that possibly be construed as another good reason to forgo, in the extender, the potential for issuing 5-digit EFCs on the fly? - after all the shifted keys themselves were not available as standard so, to many, it might not seem so much of a perversion
- or could the situation be reversed so the two presses would be needed to prepare for issuing 5-digit EFCs, with one press of shift to prepare the digit buttons for sending a shifted command, which would be more consistent with the rest?

The other issue is the delay before Power in a combo mode operates. Again, I see no reason for this.

While avoiding combo mode I hadn't noticed that, but quite agree that it would seem potentially annoying and quite unnecessary.

I guess the functions of Simple 4 were decided by marketing considerations and that it was most economical to use off-the-peg hardware and software.
Luckily that has resulted in a Ferrari engine and a Lamborghini gearbox, bolted together to make a so called "Austin 7", with much of the wiring left unattached.

[tranx]

edited:
Re URC-6440 Extender 2, I previously asked if it 'would be feasible to allow a macro instead of (what I have assumed is) the Power command to start a combo?'...

On second thoughts: The tick boxes for 'power TV' etc. are under the separate heading 'Activity functions' so it would seem that they refer to power functions and not to 'power commands', but they don't seem to do anything, and I now see that a keymove which works, (or a macro which does not seem to work) can already be bound to the Watch Tv or Watch Movie keys, in the usual ways.

However I am still wondering what, in the activities tab of RMIR, those boxes labelled 'Power Tv?' etc. actually do.

1.) In our current setup, power functions are allocated to the devices and the power buttons do work in device modes, but not in either activity mode (keymoves removed) whether the power boxes are ticked or not...
but, unless (e.g) input command keymoves are bound the activity buttons, no power commands, or other commands, are sent to the devices which have their 'power?' boxes ticked.
Advice would be appreciated. https://www.hifi-remote.com/forums/dload ... e_id=12850

2.) One other small thing: in keymove page, the highlight cursor disappears when a keymove is deleted, and another line has to be selected to bring it back

[mathdon]

I am still wondering what, in the activities tab of RMIR, those boxes labelled 'Power Tv?' etc. actually do.

When you press and hold the Power button in a Combo mode, it sends the Power command for every device that is used in that mode. If you uncheck the box for one of these devices, the Power command for that button will no longer be sent. The check boxes for devices that are not used in that Combo mode have no effect. This is all determined by the software in the remote. RMIR is just providing access to this functionality.

[tranx]

Finally understood Thanks.

[mathdon]

Extender 0.03 for the URC-6440 is now available. It includes the ability to import an existing setup from either the unextended remote, or from either earlier version of the extender, into the newly extended remote. This facility, however, requires RMIR v2.03 Alpha 25c which has been posted at the same time as this extender. Do not try using Alpha 25b for the installation.

There is a lot more detail in the ReadMe file in the extender package. I'm posting this in a hurry as I am about to be out of action for the next day or two and wanted to get this out and tested, so apologies for the lack of detail in this post.

[tranx]

Wow. Another amazing big expansion of the capabilities of the 6440 Found the instructions for installation were clear, the procedure quick and easy, and the facility to adopt an existing set up most useful. After loading the previous v.02 extender's configuration, and then in spite of having shuffled and reloaded some upgrades, subject to the shuffling everything tried so far has worked as before, which was astonishing...
.

[tranx]

The only seemingly new minor things in RMIR v2.03 Alpha 25c are that:-
In the general tab, when the 7th device is selected the 'edit' button remains greyed out. This doesn't happen in the devices tab.
In the device edit> layout tab, once a function has been removed from all buttons, I don't think it always reverts to being coloured red.

With 6440 R01 or converted 6440 R00 and Extender .03, all the important things seem to work just fine. In practice the '2' added to the device button names to distinguish the four extra shifted devices, as well as to the shifted non numeric functions, serves well.

[tranx]

Nothing else to report except that the extra devices give very welcome elbow room, and that the earlier shift functions continue to work fine and have proved incredibly useful.

These things make the 6440 really outstanding so thanks again for all the work!

[tranx]

Mathdon, have you been able to look again at the feasibility of getting macros to work in combo modes and might there be any chance of nested macros?

[mathdon]

Hi, tranx. Unless I can see some reason why macros in a combo mode could cause a problem, I will try it in the next extender version. At present it seems to be deliberately blocked rather than being a side effect of the way that either macros or combo modes are implemented.

Most "traditional" extenders support nested macros in remotes that do not natively allow them. I have thought about whether this can be done on the URC-6440. It may be possible, but no guarantees. There is good reason why it is not allowed with macros as implemented by UEI, so it is not a trivial change.

I have previously said that I did not intend to implement shifted activities, which would increase the number of activities from two to four, but have changed my mind. I am looking into this as a feature for the next extender version

[tranx]

That is intriguing thank you. Looking forward to any future developments.

[sirjp1]

Is there an easy way to make a device upgrade from learned signals? I've seen some mentions of a patch that introduces a button on the Learned Signals tab, but I don't see it in 25c alpha.

How can I go about easily moving data from Learned Signals to one of the devices on the Devices tab?

Thank you.

[mathdon]

Is there an easy way to make a device upgrade from learned signals? I've seen some mentions of a patch that introduces a button on the Learned Signals tab, but I don't see it in 25c alpha.

You need to select the menu option Options/Advanced/Learned to Upgrade Conversion. Once this is selected, it remains selected each time you start RMIR.