My first post, found this site yesterday when I was looking for the 980 editor software. :( Anyway, I finally got a copy of the editor and I can't get this thing properly programmed to save my life. I read a earlier post about someone trying to use if/else statements to avoid unnecessarily powering off your tv or reciver when you're switching from say cable to your xbox, however you would like it to power on the tv, xbox, and reciever when your first sitting down and picking up the remote. Im trying to acomplish the same thing and if I assign a power on/off code to a button on the remote and press it, the corresponding device(tv,xbox) powers off...but if I place that same code in a macro it gets ignored. I have so many questions I can't keep them all straight.

Once you download your programming to the remote, what are your varibles set to before any buttons are pressed?(all false? all true?) Is there a way to define this?

Why would a power code work when assigned to a button, but not in a macro? (I was using the if/else statements properly I assumed, but I even removed them just to see...and my TV or Xbox360 will not power on during a macro....only after when I press the assigned button)


Freehand of what I was doing(never used the else):

Watch
TEXT Cable
If(TVon = False)
Power on TV
Varible TVon now = True
Else
_______

Change TV to Vid 7
Change HDMI Switch to Input 4

If(RCVRon = False)
Power on Receiver
Varible RCVRon now = True
Else
_______

Change Receiver input to TV

If(XBOXon = True)
Power off Xbox
Varible XBOXon now = False
Else
_____

JUMP Cable/Page 1
END(Cable box is always on)



Im using a MF-260 on ID "D"
Its a sony KDS-R50XBR1 TV



Any help would be appreciated! Can't wait to get it working so I can start replacing images :)

i'm not oging to be much help here, as i cant grasp the concept of the variables for the life of me. (the if/else i get, its the true/false that boggles my little mind).

ANYWAYS, a much easier way to program is to use discrete power commands, i dont know about your TV off hand but the 360 i know for sure has discrete on/off commands that would work flawlessly in your macro.

if no dicretes another simpletons work around is to add an extra page under WATCH and/or LISTEN with power commands for all your devices. so you could power on said device before pressing the macro that switches all your inputs etc. OR simply turn the device on AFTER the macro has been fired off (by of course having your devices power toggle command on one of the power buttons on your specific device page)

all the best!

PS:i actually prefer the 1st option of having a "power commands" page, as it allows you to power up a slow device (xbox, dvd players, they all take at least 30seconds to fire up etc) before firing the macro. so of course when you do fire said macro, your device is ready to go!

pmarks421,

Can you tell me where you obtained the software. I faxes urc my receipt and email address and have not heard back from them. Thank you.

The authorizerd dealer that sold you the remote should be able to give you the software.

The MX-980 is supposed to be a professioanl model not a consumer model. An authorized dealer shouldn't be handing out software to program that.

If they bought the remote from an authorized dealer, then they should be entitled to the software for it. PC Programmability is listed as a feature of the remote, right on their website.

To clarify:

Yes, authorized dealers are allowed to provide MX-980 editor to their clients. To do so, they must either provide a copy of the editor on media they provide, or offer a password-protected web site where their clients can download it. This policy leaves the decision in the hands of the dealer who sells the remote. What dealers are not allowed to do, ever, is provide their customers with direct access URC Control Room to download the software.

Best regards,
Dale

In my opinion, the client is paying you good $ for your programming skills, why would you open a door for a client to tangle with the work that you've done, and ultimately say "it sometimes worked, blah blah blah etc etc...

just my .02's

What if the Dealer goes belly-up or skips town. Without the software you are up the creek without a paddle if you want to change something. This not a cheap remote (although I think it is worth every penny) so I wouldn't even consider something like it unless I had access to the software that is required to use it.

Anyway, back to the original subject. All variables are declared False when the remote initializes. As far as I can tell, there is no way to change this behavior (if someone knows otherwise please correct me and explain how). The power code should work in a macro if you are grabbing it from the IR database, hard to say without seeing your actual setup.

Just as general help with your programming, what I did was I created a series of "virtual" devices in my device list under the "Watch" tree in the left pane of the software (could have just as easily gone under Listen as well). Basically, I created a virtual device for each of my hardware components that stored the raw IR codes only. Then, I programed the devices visible to the user separately and instead of programming each of the buttons/macros assigned to them, I linked everything back to the virtual devices using Aliases. The nice thing is if I had to change one of the codes for, say, the TV's power buttons, I only need to change it in the virtual device ONCE. Since any reference to it in the visible devices is linked, they are automatically corrected through the nature of the setup. This is kinda/sorta like object-oriented programming.

I also created a "System_Variable" device where i programmed just macros and constants. An example of a macro is a toggle power button for my TV: yes the tv has a power toggle code of course but I want the power to be changed based on the variable called "On_TV" and, after change the power setting, it also has to change the variable setting from either True or False. By constants, I mean things like pauses between button presses when watching my Satellite box. The thing is so slow that it somethings cant keep up with the remote so it is necessary to put pauses in between the number presses in the Favorites programming. This way, I can use Aliases linked back to that variable called "Delay_Fav" and if I decided that the pause that it being used is too long or to short and needs adjustment, I only have to do it once in that System Variable settings rather then 1000 times in each and every favorites button.

Hard to visualize all of this in Text I know. Is there anything wrong with putting up our files in the file section now? I see them for the MX-3000 but none for the 980 (last I look was a while ago). If not, I could put mine up there for you to take a look at to see what I mean.

Ernie