I haven't seen this fully explained so I will ask even if it seems obvious ;) When running the emulator does it actually send IR codes out or is it just to get the feel of a CCF? If it sends codes out then I would need to set my laptop up in the theatre room I imagine. I was playing with a few CCF's in the emulator and my 6000 never lit up so hence my question is it really sending codes out?

If you find an entry on the database that works your device do these contain the discrete codes? I have gone into the properties of some devices in other peoples CCF files and did not find those hex strings. Am I looking in the wrong place? I am also trying to look inside what people have done as far as actions,macros but once again I don't think I am looking in the right place because I don't see this info. In other words I want to look inside their CCF files and see what makes them tick so I can design my own. Please point me in the right direction.

What I plan on doing for now is using Daniels color setup with my own devices. Once I get this going then in the future I hope to design my own style. I am little confused so I am looking for a little push. In another thread someone told me to learn all my devices into the Pronto and make a CCF out of that. My question is what is the purpose of having files in the database (UDB I think they are called) if you are going to learn the remotes. I don't mind doing it BTW just curious as I want to do this the correct way and trying to understand at the same time. Thanks everyone ;)

1) yes. But not 100%, it tends to eat delays, so it is not recommended to try macros this way, plus if it eats delays, it might also be affecting IR codes.

2)

Possibly, it depends on if the person has tried to find them.
All the info that makes a ccf work can be viewed in PE. A good place to start is to run the emulator. Also read the FAQ for what different things mean.

3) most of us don't differentiate between how the code enters the Pronto (UDB, learnt, pasted....). So learn is used more as a general term, as opposed to alias. The recommendation made by a lot of us here (but then again it is more of a shared opinion then anything else) is to put all the actual codes for a device on one panel, so that if you make changes later to the interface you don't risk loosing functionality and if you change devices you don't have to try and find every place where an actual code is created. The only difference between UDB and not UDB is accessibility to others, if it is a UDB code then it is useless to TS1000, Marantz remotes, and I think the Yammah, Onkyo , and Philips have slightly different databases, so codes might be useless between them.

THANKS ANTHONY,

Tell me if this is what you are saying :) I have all my devices loaded on a panel of it's own. Then I merge Daniels or anyone else's CCF. I then alias all the fancy buttons back to each devices specific button on the original panel while not actually doing anything to the original panel itself? Man I had to take a breath after that question :)

When I asked about discrete codes in the database I meant to ask if they are in the included UDB that comes with the 6000 rather then a CCF that somebody posted. In other words if I find a file in my preinstalled UDB for my Pioneer CD player has it been your experience that the disrete codes are contained in these or do most people find they need to still learn codes from the original remote? Just in general I know you can't answer for every device.

1/ Yes

2/ Some discrete codes might be in the UDB, but most are not. While some discrete codes are often on the original remote, many are not - so you can't learn them.

Ok I think I am just about ready to start. One more question. As I stated I will be using Daniels color CCF. When I alias to my panels do they then need to hidden so all I will actually see when using the remote is Daniels CCF? It seems 2 CCF files will be loaded to do this then I merge them alias the pretty one to the ugly one. Is that about right?

Hiding panels simply stops them from being reached via scrolling. They are not actually hidden.

Devices cannot be hidden, and will show up in the device (or macro groups menu).

There are several ways of doing it, and I have tried both.
1) put all the panels (hidden) at the end of an existing device

2) a) Create a Device where the first panel is a message "restricted area" and hide all the panels behind it

-- b) Create a device that uses a PIN to get to the hidden panels, that way you have access to them for functions you did not use in the rest of your CCF.

3) put each panel at the end of its device. So the hidden VCR IR-panel will be with the VCR device, the hidden TV IR-panel will be at the end of the TV device