When I first started working on my Pronto with ProntoEdit, one of the first things I did was to sit down with each remote I had and created an ALIAS.CCF with each remote as a device.

Depending on how many buttons there were on each remote. I had anywhere from 1 to 5 panels for each device.

This was not a "fancy" CCF, but very utilitarian, using stock Pronto buttons. Each button was labeled exactly as it was on the remote (some were oblong, depending on how long the label was). This was so it was very clear what button was what. These Panels & buttons were created in ProntoEdit with only .01 Delays.

I then loaded it into my Pronto AND LEARNED EACH BUTTON **ON THE PRONTO**.

Then it was transferred back into ProntoEdit and saved as ALIAS.CCF and changed in Windows Explorer to READ ONLY.

Now all I have to do (basically) is to download someone else's CCF, merge my ALIAS.CCF **INTO** it and do a bit of re-aliasing and I can use most any CCF I find.

Granted . . . then the *REAL* fun begins as I "micro"tweak it to my own liking. (and it generally ends up being a totally different animal).



Hope this helps some of you newbies out there!


MIKE

Nice explanation, Mike. This is an excellent example of the real value of this forum. Thanks!

That works very well for the newbie, and is a great start to any system. But for a complex system of discrete commands etc, you still have a lot of work to do...

Hello Everyone:

Yes, I am a newbie who just purchased my ProntoPro from Bruce. Special thanks are in order to Bruce for all his help and honesty.

Anyway, I am in the process of getting my Pro setup. I have read and re-read this forum numerous times finding it very useful. At this point, my remote doesn't work very well because my components didn't emulate good with the Pro defaults. Nonetheless, I have diagrammed my "Plan" of what I want my Pro to do, and have even tried to "create" what it will look like. I thought I was ready to put the "look" and the "plan" together, then just go LEARN the relevant commands from my original remotes. Unfortunately, my first problem is this: I have the "look" for each device but when I run the emulator, some of the looks don't appear! Why? I have copied and pasted some of the look from other CCF's. Does that somehow make a difference? For example, the menu driven look is what I went with but sometimes the menu tabs do not appear.

I have many other questions, but lets start there. Anyone know why what I create in the "look" stage doesn't appear when I run the emulator? FYI -- the look I am following is similar to A. J. Laban's CCF and "Daniel's" CCF both posted for download on this site. Also, AJ's DVD with the black background won't even appear on my screen during the emulator even though it appears when I edit that page of the DVD device. All that appears is the "jog" button from that exact panel.

Confused....Drew

Most buttons will not appear in the emulator or on the remote (in the "use" mode), without some type of "action" assigned to them.

An action can be:

1. A delay

2. A learned command

3. An "Alias" to a command located somewhere in the file.

4. A "jump" command.

Copying buttons or panels from a file that uses the "alias" method, will lose the "alias", and no action will be associated with the button.

Double click the button in question to see if it has an "action" listed in the properties window.

If no action is listed, an action will need to be entered for the button to appear. (Unless you are viewing the file on the remote, and in the "learn" mode)

JJP

Excellent observation. Yes, I am positive that is what it is. There is no action associated so it won't appear. I am not sure what all this usage of the term "alias" is though. Do you know of a resource or documentation that explains how exactly to use ProntoEdit. So far it has been by trial and error. Things like "alias", "delay" and all of the other detailed options within ProntoEdit are foreign to me at this stage and the Philips webpage is no help.

I appreciate your input and am sure that is what the problem is. I'll go from there.

Thanks again....drew (what would you guys do without us newbies to laugh at!)

Drew, read Mike's post at the beginning of this thread.

It's what it's all about.


JJP

John:

Thanks....and don't get me wrong...I'm thankful...and I did what the first thread said....or still am in the process....but I was hoping there was some kind of reference material or user's manual on how to use ProntoEdit...some many things I am having to learn by trial and error in that program. If anyone knows of any such reference material please let me know.

As always, thanks....

Back to my programming project!

Drew

John click below look for user documentation
[Link: remotecentral.com]
there are other usefull links on that page so bookmark it

Click on the links in the box below, in particular you will find : the FAQ, Reviews, Play With It, Phases, Planning and ALIAS.CCF helpful when just starting out.

And remember when you ask questions to be specific in your Heading and very specific in your question, including precisely what your problem/question is and what model Remote you have and what OS you are using on your PC.

Also, don't forget the Search Forum at the bottom of the Page. It may seem slow but it is VERY thourough and don't be mislead by the "0%" you will see on the first screen, it is only a progress marker.

CLICK ON THESE LINKS
FAQ | Files | Reviews | Play with it | Phases | Planning | ALIAS.CCF | Copying .BMPs & Galleries | Discretes | Docking Station | NEO | X-10 | Parts | Cable | Buy/Sell

Hey Mike, if you click on ALIAS.CCF from your help bar, it brings you right back here.

Talk about going in circles. LOL

One of those never-ending loops!


JJP

Mike, your "Alias.CCF" os very similar to my "performance phase" in the "phases" section of your help bar. You set up codes that work, and then alias your "custom-look" buttons to those. The concept is important, because the idea is that, in the end, you have a CCF with a look you like, where the buttons actually work

Otherwise, what you have is a cool-looking paperweight!

Hello Everyone, Well, I'm a newbie as well, Bruce will attest to this. I just purchased a Pronto 2000.

My question relates to learning buttons on my existing remotes. I have several, PNP for one, that simply does not work. All of my component, or most, are Pioneer. Any idea if I can find the file for a certain function which no longer works to learn.

Thanks in advance

Well, I wouldn't give up on learning, the Pronto should be able to Pioneer. Read the "Tips and Tricks to Learning IR Codes" in the features section. Since you admit to being a newbie, I'll (just in case) that the learning eye is on the back of the Pronto. If all else fails go to the files section and look for your equipment, or equipment with a close model number.

Jim L