On September 9, 2010 at 14:01, sofa_king_CI said...
So I'm finally starting to understand SB and wrap my head around how it works. Enough to where I can usually track down its "nests" of programming to see where the macro lays or whatever.
I'm hoping somebody that has programming expereince with RTI/URC can help put a solid connection between the different terminology and programming techniques. Hopefully that makes sense.
For example, with RTI you build "SYSTEM MACRO's" on the processor and then can point to or use these system macros throughout the project. In system builder is a "GLOBAL EXPRESSION" pretty much the same thing?
With URC, you can build a short macro and have it on a button or even just a discrete command stored on a hidden button. Then later in macro programming you can point to that button to either nest in a macro or just use that command in a macro. In tearing down SB programs, I found ZONE 1 SOURCE buttons that basically had the macros for switching to that source. However the front button that is pushed just has "SOURCE SELECT_LINE 1" or something similar, is this the same idea around what URC does, or is this just the way SB runs to work with the Wizard Composers that most systems are started with?
I haven't used system builder in a while and i dont know what Global Expressions are. I used Global Presets to create system macros. I made all of my source on and system OFF macros there. I would make macros like this..
Audio Zone 1 Source 1
Audio Zone 2 Source 1
Audio Zone 3 Source 1
Audio Zone 1 Source 2
Audio Zone 2 Source 2
Audio Zone 3 Source 2
Video Zone 1 Source 1
Video Zone 2 Source 1
Video Zone 3 Source 1
Video Zone 1 Source 2
Video Zone 2 Source 2
Video Zone 3 Source 2
I would lay these out for the number of sources X the possible I/O's for the switchers. Then i would create room specific macros for the TV's/local sources/surround receivers.
Then i would use those to piece together complex macros. By breaking them up this way i could give the client the ability to select DirecTV and then easily switch to CD audio while leaving the TV at DirecTV. It also let me create what i call a "send to" menu. It was a page attached to every source that let you send the currently selected source to any room or all rooms and adjust volume for them.
You would go in and assign each of those global presets as a macro command to a button and all of the commands would stack. Then you could use the join number of that button to assign the monster macro you just created to any button you want.
JOINS:
Please explain joins? If I build a button with join #62 on it and put some macro programming on it (like I would with URC/RTI), then later build another button on another page that I want to do the same thing, do I just give it the same Join number? Or is it better to create that first button as a subpage and pull the exact button into any page needed?
Lets use volume buttons as the example. You can create a subpage with the volume buttons on it and give them join 50 Vol up, 51 Vol down, 52 Mute. Then have that subpage appear on every page. This is a no brainer because its literally the same subpage & buttons showing up everywhere.
Or.. You could have the Vol up vol down and mute buttons physically copy/pasted to every page. And if you assign the same joins to those buttons they will all be the same.
Either way will work but its faster to use the subpage. One reason to do it manually is lets say you have your volume buttons stacked vertically on mostof the pages but horizontally on the home page. Here you couldn't use the same subpage.
I'm asking these questions b/c I find myself frustrated with some of the ways Composer/SB set up things. Now that I'm started to see how it works, it isn't so bad. I would like to create some custom graphics and templates, but really I can't. However I can build the system and then go to VTPro through SB or even outside of SB and copy and paste my graphic pages in and then just assign the programming, similar to how I would with RTI. Is there any problems with this or any catches that I may run into?
Thanks for all the help.
This is exactly how i use system builder. I set every device to not auto generate pages. I create my entire GUI outside of system builder then copy/paste the pages in. Then i treat it like RTI where you assign every command to every button. I use Global Presets for macros and scheduler for things like an alarm clock.
The only problem with this is that your not taking advantage of the wizard and your going to have a difficult time trying to create your own 2way device menus. Those i usually let autogenerate and then skin it with my graphics.
It takes a little longer to get rolling like this but you wont find yourself trying to figure out why something is doing what its doing. At this point i realized that i wasnt able to use System Builder the way it was intended and i wished i had tried to learn simpl. Keep in mind i attended no training or spent any time viewing howto videos. Maybe if you stick to their "rules" you will have better luck than i did.
