OAR Extender questions

[unclemiltie]

So, I'm getting going with the OARUSB04 remote and the extender that Graham has written. I've finally figured out how to get my configuration into the remote (thanks Graham!) so now I need to start programming it.

On my JP1.3 remotes that I've been using I use the device buttons as "activity" buttons. I.e the TV button is "watch TV", the DVD button is "watch DVD", etc and the macros have a lot of stuff in them to turn things on, switch inputs, change audio modes, etc. And the power button is "turn everything off"

However, I'm not sure how to do this with the OAR extender since I don't see a way to "select a device" when there is a macro on the device button.

i.e.

On the Nexus Remote I would

Dev_TV, Discrete on, Dev_Aud, Discrete On, Phantom1, Dev_TV, Phantom 1

This turns the TV on, turns the receiver on, sets input to HDMI1, then sets the TV input to HDMI 1

How would I do such a thing on the TV button with the OAR?

[mdavej]

On the Activities tab, make a WatchTV activity and uncheck all boxes but make appropriate Activity Group Assignments. On Macro tab put a macro on WatchTV with steps TV, Discrete On, AUDIO, Discrete On, TV, Phantom1.

[unclemiltie]

So the activity "macros" all have to be on the "watch" type buttons?

I guess that's ok but I'm going to have to "retrain" the users around here that the TV button no longer does what it used to.

[mathdon]

I'm not sure how to do this with the OAR extender since I don't see a way to "select a device" when there is a macro on the device button.

It depends on how many real devices you have. The extended remote supports 12 device buttons. You could use six of them for macros and the other six, probably the double-shifted ones and two of the shifted ones, as device buttons to select the real devices. Or perhaps the unshifted four device buttons for four activities and the shifted ones for selecting eight real devices. Personally I use the activity buttons (six of them, with shifts and double-shifts) for activities and the device buttons for device selection but I think the extender gives a good deal of scope to do things otherwise as all 12 device buttons can be used in macros.

[mathdon]

I haven't tried this, but it has occurred to me that there is a way of replicating the Dev_TV etc codes on the OAR. You can create a global Multiplex special function on a phantom button and include it in the macro on a device button. It will change the device code in use so you can follow it with whatever buttons you want on this new device. You would need to make sure that the last Multiplex included in the macro returned the device code to that of the device button you are using. As I said, I haven't tested this but I see no reason why it shouldn't work.

I think my suggestions in my previous post are simpler, but if your setup is sufficiently complicated, this might be another way of achieving what you want. You would need one global Multiplex on a phantom button for each of your devices, as being global it can be included in a macro on any device button. Global special functions on the extender are created in RMIR by selecting <none> from the drop-down for the device button in the Bound Key box.