OK, so I've pretty much completed my revision of a pcf file to use on my 9400 (still working on getting some codes to work). I have a question regarding how to jump to the general settings page. The backgrounds that were in the pcf cover the widgets at the top of the screen, so I can't hold the settings widget down to get to the general settings page. In one of the menus that the designer created, he has a button that is labeled general settings. This and remote info. are the only two buttons on the page that had no jumps attached to them.

Is there a way to create a jump to the settings/remote info. pages? Or will I have to create a blank page where I can hold the widget down for 3 seconds?

Normally you would not use a background that covers the system widgets.

Otherwise, you can put a button on any page that has an action to go to Settings. Such a button will need to be held for several seconds. I suspect that you already have such a button on the menu page you mention.

Thanks Peter.

The problem is I can't find an action that will take me to the settings page. I can jump to pretty much any other page from any button, but the only way I can figure out to go to general settings is to hold the widget down for three seconds.

How would I configure a button to go to general settings?

I appreciate any advice.

Looks like there isn't such an action in PEP. You can do it on Pronto NGs.

Your choices are to move your backgrounds down so that they don't cover the system items, or create a new page without a background.

Most of us use the same background on every page and that background is set up on the System Page. It sounds like you are using different backgrounds on each page.

Peter is correct, the "Settings Pages" special action is not available in PEP as it is in PENG/PPENG. In PENG/PPENG this special action when assigned to any given button on any given page takes you to the settings pages of the remote. Best of all, it happens on a short button press versus having to hold said button down for 4 seconds. As there is no such special action in PEP your only option is to include the "Settings Button" system item on the System page. This in turn means of course that in order to have access to the "Settings Button" system item on any given page of your configuration file you must not cover up the area up which contains the "Settings Button" system item as seen on the System page.

I've only ever included access to the settings pages via my Activities page by linking a normal button not included in the system area with the "Settings Pages" special action. I've done this even in cases where my system items are visible on all pages. For one, I've never seen the need to give access to the settings pages on every page of a given configuration file. Having access from the Activities page is enough. Additionally, assigning a regular button "not in the system area" with accessing the settings pages frees up valuable real estate in the system area. The special action also doesn't require that you hold the button down for 4 seconds which I find annoying with respect to the system item. That being said, during the TSU9600 beta test I pointed out the fact that the "Settings Pages" special action was not included in PEP and asked that it be added to the editor as seen in PENG/PPENG. Unfortunately my request did not make the cut.

How about this as a work around:
(I am not using prontoscripts extensively yet, so pardon me if this is impossible).
create a small panel (the size of the settings icon) with the same texture as your background. Place this panel then directly over the settings icon. the icon is therefore invisible while the panel is over the icon.
Create a SETTINGS button with a script that changes the offset of the panel to somewhere off the screen or behind another button. Granted it's two presses then to get to the settings.

just read up a little on widgets. What about the following:
put a SETTINGS button over the settings icon. Include a script:
settings_button.visible = false;
This will make the button invisible and allow the underlying settings icon to be seamlessly pressed.
Yes?
Also just read back on the thread and I am not answering your 3 seconds question either.

Thanks everyone. I appreciate all the advice. I will mess around a bit and see what I can do. I really don't think I will need access all that often, but I guess you never know. I guess when I put together my next system, I will be careful not to cover up the system widgets. I'm a complete newbie who is learning as he goes. Good news is I really enjoy messing with this stuff, and am even considering doing the prontoscript certification so I can get even better.

This site has been a godsend; I can't thank everyone enough. Without the help, I never would have achieved what I have so far.

All you have to do is move the background down a bit so that it does not cover the system widgets.

Why not just have a "hidden" button somewhere that links to a page with nothing on it - it should just show everything on the systems page then.

Just remember, that if you are changing general volume, brightness, etc... That upon downloading your config to the remote again, all stuff will be changed to what is in your config.

Hence, that's likely why there's no Special Action for Settings.

There is one case where settings does come in handy. If you change the LCD timeout to 240 seconds and then click '+' in Settings, you will get "Always On'. This option, however, is not available in the editor.

With a little slight of hand I was able to provide access to the settings pages from my Activities page only outside of the system area on what appears to be a normal button. Said button is labeled, "Setup" as seen below.



I accomplished this by placing the background image I wanted to use for my Activites page on the System page only in addition to the small panel showing behind the "Setup" button as seen above. The "Setup" button is actually the "Settings Button" system item located on the System page. On the System page I simply inserted a new graphic to the "Settings Button" system item, then moving the system item down to the position as seen above. This didn't get the job quite done however, as there was still no way for me to label the "Settings Button" to read, "Setup" as the "Button Properties\Label" tab is greyed out for the "Settings Button" system item. As such, I created a blank panel the same size as the new "Settings Button" graphic, set the panel to "No Fill", placed it on top to the "Settings Button" at the same coordinates, and then labeled the panel, "Setup". Done deal.

The pages throughout the rest of my configuration file in turn have their own background panels, a different color for each activity. Included is the same button and panel on the lower right side as used on the System page for my Activities page, though in this case a regular button is used programmed in the example above to jump to the keypad page of my HD DVR activity. So in the end I accomplished what I wanted to do though having a "Settings Pages" special action would have made things much simpler. To see this in action feel free to download my TSU9600 PackAndGo file. Link action is below.

LP's TSU9600 PackAndGo file:
[Link: remotecentral.com]

Thanks Lowpro. I'll give this a shot.

Lowpro:

Wasn't it easier to make the new graphcs for "Settings Button" with text "Setup" (or anything else) already typed on it?

BH13:

If you need different backgrounds for each page, you can just make it transparent at the position where your "Settings Button" apears.

I wanted the "Setup" button to only be available on my Activites page while at the same time appearing identical to the button and its text used in the same position on my activity based pages, all of which use the Pronto TrueType font via the editor which is anti-aliased once downloaded to the remote. This is why I went about things the way I did which was far easier actually then taking the time to create a graphic with graphical text which would not have yielded me the result I wanted anyway.