Circa Software V2 on it's way soon.

Hi everyone,

I have been beavering away for a while now on the next version of Circa (C-Bus Infra-red Commissioning Application) which is used for programming NIRT units.

This software had undergone significant change and hopefully addresses all known issues reported from the field as well as adding new features.

Since it is still in development, I would like to hear from any users what they would like to see as their top 2 or 3 features/changes to CIRCA (NOTE: we are talking about CIRCA the software and NOT changes to the NIRT unit).

Speak now or forever hold your peace

 

Hi Richo
With Homevision the NEC Protocol is referred to in its doc,s as the standard protocol and as part of the learn process the software will display the device code and the key code (ifs its NEC Protocol) without going thru the learn process so the user doesnt have to learn any standard codes just records the devcie code and key code....So the vol up down etc could have a drop down menu to select learned or standard ........if standard selected then the device key and key code are entered .....Hope this makes some sense..... Quite useful i find........

HTH
Frank

 

Hi frank,

So if I understand correctly.

The ability to define "Devices and commands" based on manually building the IR commands from the library of protocols and possible commands for that protocol.

So if you were to select a protocol like NEC the software would "know" that NEC commands are made up of the address byte (device) and the command byte and allow you to manually enter these.

Hmm... intersting idea. Certainly I'm planning on expanding the ability to edit protocols and commands, but not quite how you suggested. I was considering a much more engineering like system (raw data manipulation) for the hard core users.

Your idea certainly has merit and I have captured it in our project tracking software. Can't see it making first release of V2, but I'll speak to our IR guru (Newman) and see what he can suggest about generically supporting this concept.

 

So if you were to select a protocol like NEC the software would "know" that NEC commands are made up of the address byte (device) and the command byte and allow you to manually enter these

Yep thats correct........Have attached a pic of the Homevision IR Menu that shows some learned codes (Pulse lengths) and NEC codes "Standard".....


Hmm... intersting idea. Certainly I'm planning on expanding the ability to edit protocols and commands, but not quite how you suggested. I was considering a much more engineering like system (raw data manipulation) for the hard core users.

Quite a useful idea as well.....

Your idea certainly has merit and I have captured it in our project tracking software. Can't see it making first release of V2, but I'll speak to our IR guru (Newman) and see what he can suggest about generically supporting this concept.

No Problem......With Homevision it also saves on memory as it knows the structure of the signal .........

Frank

 

Hi Guys

Would love to see the ability to build Macros within the software
including variable delay time between comands by just draging
and dropping comands and delays in the required order

then just using one group address to trigger the required macro

much simpler than making up scenes in c touch

 

Hi Stuart,

The intention is to add this feature. Allowing you to build macros of mixed commands/protocols with variable delays between commands, and as you suggested triggered from a single group address/trigger.

 

HEX Code

Richo,

A couple of ideas -

- The ability to be able to paste in HEX Code IR would be great, allowing access to lots of existing libraries.

- A format coversion, allowing you to view the IR codes as C-Bus, HEX, binary and a waveform. This allows you to loow for errors and create a few disrcrete codes for missing codesfor some devices.

- and macros

Thanks
Gavin

 

IR Hex codes

I'd have to agree with Gavin re; ability to enter hex codes. This is a real boon when using my Pronto remote.

John

 

I have an Onkyo Amplifier and it is basically two amps in one. I've set up the NIRT LED feed to control the primary amp and the secondary feed bypasses the IR stage and goes directly into the amp.

When setting this up in CIRCA, I drag the Onkyo instruction set onto a control node using one channel. I then have to drag the same instruction set onto a new node using the other channel.

Problem is:

When it comes time to save, I have to change each instruction tag on one channel so that it isn't a duplicate of the other. It would be great to avoid this mess in the first place by having the ability to edit node/tag names prior to saving.

There are some creative ways around the problem, I just feel that the software should be able to deal with this real world situation a little easier. The same would apply for anyone controlling banks of the same equipment.

 

I have to say that being able to build in delays in IR scenes would be great. I've already been toying with the idea of setting up a dummy string of IR commands and having their max frame count set to take up a couple of seconds. I'm just not sure how ordered scene execution is, so I haven't bothered as yet.

So far I've been pulsing groups in scenes to give me staggered triggering of IR events. Cascading scenes are not the most elegant of arrangements, though it does appear to work relatively well. Something that would make this a whole lot easier would be allowing a group to return to a tag rather that a % level. Perhaps you could pass that on to the C-Touch developers.

 

This mess is completely removed. Duplicate tag names are no longer created and you can edit a tag name at anytime (which you should be able to do in the current version as well).

 

The plan is to implement macros within the Nirt which would support using delays as well.

 

Hex Format support

I know a huge request is to support native Philips hex code format and CCF files, however this is a proprietory protocol and current attempts to license the format have not progressed very far. Althought there is a reasonable amount of unoffical protocol data on the web making it techincally possible to add support, there is the concern of the legal implications.

I have been toying with the idea of having some sort of plugin/scripting interface to allow some anonymous enterprising person to add the funcitonality themselves and make it available to the community, however, that certainly won't be in the first release of Circa 2.

 

Sorry Richo, I should've been more specific. The problem is with duplicate nodes. When you drag an instruction set onto a node it automatically names the node and this doesn't appear to be editable after the fact. Sounds like Circa 2 will be a great advancement.

Thanks for the continued work and support.

 

Thanks for the clarification. No that won't be a problem in Circa 2.

 

What is the ETA on CIRCA 2?

Richo,

What is the ETA on the release? Will there be any beta releases we can get our hands on sooner?

It is a major pain having to use C-Bus2 with CIRCA 1.1 and having to import/export in and out of toolkit!!

Arne

 

Circa 2 will have a beta run, probably starting in about a month. Circa 2 is tied very closely with the upcoming Multi-room Audio Matrix Switcher Configuration Software (which contains a NIRT) and I need to integrate the 2 products first, then it can go to beta.

 

Sing out if you want beta testers Richo.

Will
B.App.Sc.(Computing)

 

Will do!

(Grrr... forum software wants this post to be longer than 10 characters, so now it is)

 

Circa 2

Any updates??