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Topic:
MX-1000 Software - First impressions
This thread has 14 replies. Displaying all posts.
Post 1 made on Wednesday October 25, 2000 at 17:28
mroll
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- Easy to use, intuitive operations
- Button and text editing much easier (As Daniel expected it would be in his review)
- Limited customization (same as without the software)
- Possibility of importing custom buttons from other software ie: Photodraw? (Haven't tried that yet but it might work)
- Performs as promised

I've only played with it for a short time. What do the rest of you think?
OP | Post 2 made on Wednesday October 25, 2000 at 18:35
bdub
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I haven't played with it long myself, but I've found the button editor which allows editing of buttons on the pixel level with tools similar to those of MS Paint. This is WAY cooler than I had ever hoped, since I never expected more than simple text editing on pre-selected button styles. And button styles are saved to their own files which will make sharing them quite easy to do. Again, this is way cooler than I expected.

There's no right-click on anything, so everything has to be done through the menus and toolbars. And I can't figure out a way to paste anything to the button editor from another part of the screen or from MS Paint. (There's no Edit menu function with a corresponding Paste command, and right-click doesn't bring it up.)

Still, with time, I think I could configure the perfect remote from scratch with this software.

And let's not forget -- the great graphics we now have on the Pronto didn't just appear. They were first done from scratch by very hard-working and dedicated individuals for all our benefit. In time, I'm convinced we'll have the same kind of resources to draw from for the MX-1000 as well.

I'm quite impressed! Gotta go make a TiVo button...
OP | Post 3 made on Wednesday October 25, 2000 at 19:31
bdub
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My bad... Right-Click does bring up some options on some of the buttons and text.
OP | Post 4 made on Thursday October 26, 2000 at 10:04
Jeff Cooper
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I have to disagree. I have not used any other remote design software but I think this first version of the software is very crude. Some of the features I was looking for can be found in the review of the RTI's TheaterTouch T2 at [Link: remotecentral.com]. And no I don't think I am being to harsh as this is their initial version -- haven't they been working on it for over a year? Where's the documentation? Anyway the first thing I did was upload the operating & learned program from the remote to the PC expecting to see all the hard work I have done so far but NO. I was presented with 6 buttons on the main screen and all the other pages were empty. So I assume I HAVE to start designing on the PC side and then download it to the remote. What happens if I then change something using the remote's editing buttons -- do these changes just disappear? I guess I will start over designing on the PC but I'm not sure if I trust this software enough to ever download anything to the remote!
OP | Post 5 made on Thursday October 26, 2000 at 13:19
Garrett Adams
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I don't have this remote but I downloaded the software yesterday. I agree it does look rather crude but then it's nowhere near the cost of the T2. There are upload and download options on the program menu. I assume that indicates all you have to do is synchronize your remotes current state to the existing software configuration or vice versa.
OP | Post 6 made on Thursday October 26, 2000 at 20:18
bdub
Historic Forum Post
I admit it’s crude. But I’m still excited about it having a button editor. Even so, I’ve got a few questions after playing with it for a day or so. My only caveat is that I don’t actually have the physical remote, so I accept that some features may be crippled, unusable, or unfathomable without it.

Everything seems to be “Grayed Out” on all the screens. Is there any way to view the buttons and screens without half the pixels missing?

What does the little “Key Input” spreadsheet do?

I seem to be able to place a button anywhere on the screen. Are there no restrictions as there are on the Pronto?

Is there any way at all to paste graphics into the button editor? (And, no, the button files are not compatible with any graphics editor I tried.)

What does the “Change” option do?

Thanks to anyone who can offer some insight.
OP | Post 7 made on Thursday October 26, 2000 at 21:03
John G
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I thought the editor was pretty easy to use. I don't have my remote yet, but did 24 screens in preparation. My question is -- nowhere does it talk about the IR commands. Are they even copied if you upload to the PC? And if you change a button on the PC (i.e. give it a new shape or worse move it) and download it, does it wipe out your learned commands? How would it know if you moved a button? Since there is no partial download, would this mean relearning everything? If anybody has played with this I would be interested to know how it works.
OP | Post 8 made on Friday October 27, 2000 at 09:52
Jeff Cooper
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Revised impression -- after using the software for a while a have been able to upload my original configuration to the PC, make changes to it and download it back to the remote. Initially I had deleted the text from some unused device buttons and the software did not handle this well and erased every button on every page with the exception of 6 buttons on the main page. So it is functional even if crude. One of my main complaints are the number of bugs in it. It continually traps with VB error messages and when you click OK it dies and you have to launch it again -- any changes you have made since you last saved it are gone -- so save it often! Finally I got to a point where it would trap with an overflow ANYTIME I tried to download a configuration -- any configuration. I thought it was toast! But I uninstalled the software and reinstalled it and everything was fine again. That was worrisome. It seems to be a very buggy beta version. Anyway it does let you change buttons and text much easier and a lot faster than by hand. It does not have any macro capability in the software. It does not let you cut and paste from any other graphics program and the button drawing controls are so limited that they are almost unusable. I've had to draw most buttons pixel by pixel. I'm looking forward to a new version (with better error handling) already!
OP | Post 9 made on Friday October 27, 2000 at 10:19
Jeff Cooper
Historic Forum Post
Things are "Grayed Out" until you open a configuration. Go to "File" and "Open" and click "Default.MDL". This is the default configuration file. You could start from this configuration and then upload it to the remote later. The "Key Input" spreadsheet lets you map pre-defined commands to buttons on your page. So if you pick a pre-configured device that has a "menu" command button defined you could map this to a "menu" button on a page. If the pre-configured "menu" command works with your device you're in luck. Otherwise you have to learn the "menu" command from the original remote. I have also been able to place buttons in unbelievable locations and the remote will except them. But the software doesn't always handle it well when you upload an odd configuration back to the PC! The "Change" feature let's you change from one button to another. Several steps: 1) double click the new button in the button view screen. 2) click the button to change. 3) right click that button. 4) click "change". 5) click change on the button view screen. Lots of mouse exercise. And by the way -- there is NO undo feature so save often!

You can upload the learned IR commands to the PC. I have not tried downloading them to the remote. There does not seem to be a way to map a learned command to a button. The "Key Input" spreadsheet lists only pre-configured commands. So if you insert a new button and there is no corresponding command button pre-configured you have to learn the command. The PC software has not wiped out any of my learned commands as long as I have not deleted the button. You can change it's position, it's shaped, it's text but so far it has remembered the learned command. So you only have to learn new buttons that don't have a pre-configured corresponding command (even if that command has been learned already you have to learn it again on this new button.)
OP | Post 10 made on Friday October 27, 2000 at 10:54
mroll
Historic Forum Post
Thanks for all the info Jeff. You answered a few questions I was going to ask. I've had pretty much the same experience but I haven't seen the VB error messages you mentioned. It is a very basic program, which is probably a good thing since there is no documentation available (the downloadable manual does not cover the software). It shows enough potential to make you want the next version soon!
OP | Post 11 made on Friday October 27, 2000 at 15:20
Jeff Cooper
Historic Forum Post
Good news! The format of the button files is text file format. I wrote a little VB program to read a button file in and save it as a BMP file and take a BMP file and save it as a button file. So with a little more work I will be able to use a graphics program to create buttons and then convert them to BTN format. I'll let you know how the convert program progresses. Is Remote Central going to support file configuration sharing for the MX-1000?
OP | Post 12 made on Friday October 27, 2000 at 17:10
bdub
Historic Forum Post
D'oh!! TEXT! It never occurred to me to check that!

Thanks, Jeff!
OP | Post 13 made on Friday October 27, 2000 at 18:15
John G
Historic Forum Post
Great info, Jeff, Thanks! Now you've got me looking in new places. On the "Key Input" window, did you find a way to move the commands from one spreadsheet cell to another? I assume the 14 cells represent the 14 (of 15) screen quadrants (3 cols x 5 rows). Since I have my screens done on the PC but no commands I was thinking of a sequence like this:

1) Download my screens to the Remote.
2) Select pre-programmed commands for my devices.
3) Upload to the PC.
4) Move the pre-programmed commands from the cell where it was learned to the one where I designed a similar button.
5) Download to the remote.
5) Learn all the ones that didn't match.

Otherwise I guess I'll have to move my designed keys into the positions where the learned commands are (or relearn each key)
OP | Post 14 made on Sunday October 29, 2000 at 12:52
Doug
Historic Forum Post
Please post your bitmap converter program Jeff!!
OP | Post 15 made on Sunday October 29, 2000 at 20:16
Steve c
Historic Forum Post

1.When I change the buttons and text then download the software to the MX1000, the buttons show but no text. HELP!!!
2.What is the difference between the Operating and Learned program modes?
3.When you add or change a button in the software then download to the remote it wipes out all the commands that were Learned previously and you have to re-learn the remote. How can I get around this problem?


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