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The Add a Command page is the place to create a new command. Commands represent the different infrared signals that the RedEye base station sends out to control each device.
Control Signal
Each command must have an infrared control signal. The control signal is a pattern by which the RedEye base station flashes it’s infrared lights to address a particular device. The Capture Control Signal button invokes the RedEye’s “learning” function. Before pressing this button, you should make sure you have on hand the remote control from which you will be capturing the control signal. Place the remote control about 3 to 6 inches from the front of the RedEye device, as shown in the illustration at right.
Once you are ready, press the Capture Control Signal button. The RedEye base station’s status light will begin to flash. From this point you have about 30 seconds to press the appropriate button on your remote control. Once the RedEye device has captured the signal, the processing screen will disappear and you will be able to save the command.
Once you have captured a control signal, you can test it by pressing the Test Control Signal button. If the signal does not work properly, you can re-capture the command by pressing the button and starting over again.
Tips for capturing control signals:
- Position the remote control no closer than 2 inches from the front of the RedEye device, and no farther than 10 or 12 inches. Try to keep the remote control level with the RedEye, rather than at an angle.
- Quickly press and release the button on your remote control. Often we have a tendency to press and hold remote control buttons to make sure that they register, but if your remote control is the proper distance from the RedEye device, you need not do so. One quick button press makes it more likely to capture a clean signal from the remote.
- Avoid otherwise interacting with the RedEye device (for example, from another iPhone or iPod controller) while it is in learning mode.
Command Type
The Command Type describes the nature of a command. When properly assigned, the RedEye application can use this information to create intelligent button layouts and manage the devices you use for different activities. You cannot change command type settings once the command is created, so please take a minute to consider your best options here.
Tap on the Command Type row to see a list of available command types. If you cannot find a command type appropriate to the command that you are creating, you can use the command type Other, although we recommend using this option sparingly, as the RedEye application cannot determine how to make use of commands without a specific type.
Toggle Commands
The Toggles row allows you to indicate whether the command is “discrete” — that is, whether the command produces the same result every time you send it — or whether it “toggles” across a list of possible values. Because infrared remote control signals are a one-way street — your controller can only send signals, it does not receive responses — we recommend using discrete signals whenever possible. When you select Toggles:Yes, a Toggle Values section appears at the bottom of the page.
Trying to decide whether to use a toggle command or not? Let’s consider how the power button works. If your remote control uses discrete commands, you will have two power buttons: one to turn on the power, and one to turn it off. Whenever you press the Power On button, the device will power up. If the device is already powered up when you press the Power On button, pressing the button again does nothing. By contrast, if you have a control that uses a power toggle button, you will have a single button. Whenever you press the button, the device switches from off to on or vice versa.
Consider what happens when we try to make your remote control “smart” — for example, by controlling multiple devices as part of an activity. When you launch the “Watch TV” activity, you want the television to turn on. If your controller has a discrete Power On command it sends that signal, the TV turns on, and life is good. However, if your controller uses a toggling Power command, it needs to know whether the TV is already on to determine whether to send the Power command. If someone presses the power button on the front of the TV instead of using the remote control, then the remote control loses track, and may mistakenly turn off the TV when it should remain on.
Although many manufacturers provide discrete commands for their devices, sometimes you may not have access to them. If you are going to use the command to launch an activity — such as will be the case with toggling Power and Input commands — it is probably worthwhile to deal with the hassle of making these toggle commands. However, in other cases in which you will not use the command to launch an activity — for example, with a Mute command — it is simpler to treat the command as one that does not toggle.
Name
The Name section contains basic identification information for the command: its name and description. This information is visible in many different parts of the RedEye application, including the main Commands screen. You can edit either value by tapping on the appropriate row and entering a new value using the onscreen keyboard.
Command Icon
Command Icon shows the icon currently assigned to the command. Tap on this row to choose an icon from the list available options. If none of the icons seems appropriate, you can choose Text Only to display the name of the command instead of an icon.
Toggle Values
The Toggle Values section defines the list of values through which the device cycles when a Toggles:Yes command is transmitted. As a result, the order of toggle values matters — it should match the order that your equipment uses when the original remote button is pressed.
Tap on a toggle value to edit, or tap on Add New Toggle Value to create one. When you create a new toggle value, you need to specify at least a name. The name and icon are visible when you use toggle buttons in your activities.
This section does not appear if the Toggles row is set to No.