PC World 2002 July & August/PCWorld_2002-07-08_cd.bin/Software/Vyzkuste/omnirem/Manual.txt

Text File | 2000-10-17 | 21KB | 436 lines

           Manual for OmniRemote V1.171


--- Table of contents ---

Chapter 1:    Quick start (the important stuff)
           Upgrading from previous versions
           New installation
           What is it?
           Version limitations
                   History

Chapter 2:    Avoiding problems

Chapter 3:    Basic features in detail

Chapter 4:    Macros

Chapter 5:    Timers

Chapter 6:    IRDA

Chapter 7:    Support contact



-------------------------
Chapter 1:    Quick start (the important stuff)


Upgrading from previous versions:

Do not remove the old OmniRemote before installing the new one.
Install the Remote.PRC file.  Do not install the OmniRemote.PDB
file.  If you do, you will lose your training.  Beaming OmniRemote
from another Palm will also cause the receiving Palm to lose its
training.


New installation:

Use your Palm Install Tool (in Windows 95 this is on your Start
menu) to install the files Remote.PRC and OmniRemote.PDB.  Remote.PRC
is the application itself and OmniRemote.PDB contains sample screens
of buttons for commonly used devices.  If you don't want the sample
screens, you don't need to install the PDB file.  If in the future you
wish to wipe all of the screens you've created and replace them with
the samples you can re-install this file (Warning, if you re-install
the PDB later all of your training will also be lost).


What is it?

OmniRemote is an IR learning remote control.  It uses infrared light
to communicate with TV's, VCR's and many other devices (nearly any
device that uses IR).  Because of this you need a way of transmitting
IR on your Palm.  Palm III and above has IR built in, but older
Pilots will require that an OmniRemote Module be purchased and plugged
into the bottom of the Pilot.  With this device installed, the Pilot
is held upside-down and the "Flip screen" mode is used.

If you're trying to use the built-in IR, make sure it's turned on in
Menu|Options|Preferences.

When you start the software you'll see a blank screen.  Here you can
create buttons wherever you wish with the text icons and sizes you
choose, then train them for the exact functions you want.  But most
people won't want to create all of the buttons themselves.  That's
why we created the sample PDB file.  Change categories (to TV for
example) and find that we've created a useful layout for you.

"Out of the box" this software won't control anything.  Because it's
a learning remote control it requires a training period before it can
be used.  What this method loses in convenience it gains in
flexibility.  Once the buttons have been created (either buttons you
created or the samples) you can train them using Menu|Modes|Training
(menus pop up either by clicking the Menu silk button or by tapping
the bar at the top of the screen).  While in training mode, align your
remote (explained in detail in chapter 2), double click the button you
want to train, then press the equivalent button on your remote
control.  For buttons that can be held down during use (such as some
rewind and volume buttons) hold the button until the Learn IR
screen disappears rather than quickly pressing and releasing the
button.  Continue doing this until every button has been trained, then
choose Menu|Modes|Normal.  You can tell which buttons need to be
trained because untrained normal buttons are displayed with a "dotty"
grey border.

After that you're ready to go!


Version limitations:

All versions require Palm OS version 2.0 or greater.

The unregistered "evaluation version" is restricted to 15 days of use
and only buttons in the "TV" category will operate.  You can train
any device in the TV category, not just TV's.  A registration code
can be purchased from Pacific Neo-Tek's order page which will allow
full unrestricted use of the software.  This code should be entered
in the registration dialog (click Menu|Options|Registration|Register)

For Pacific Neo-Tek's order page, go to:  www.pacificneotek.com


History:

V1.171    Added support for Handspring Prism and Platinum
V1.17    Changed text in test dialog
    Zeroed unique IDs in database will be automatically corrected
    (this solves problems with hard keys, timers and macros)
V1.16    Compatible with Palm IIIc
    Fixed bug in repeating buttons
    Support for special hardware for Handspring Visor handheld
    renamed ReadMe.txt to Manual.txt
V1.15    Compatible with Handspring Visor handheld
    On Visor handheld, Flip Screen mode rotates screen
V1.14    Compatible with Palm V, Palm IIIx and Symbol SPT1500
    Detects other apps interfering with serial port
    Moved English strings into resources
V1.12    Fixed infinite loop (up/down button during training)
V1.11    Fixes battery drain bug in V1.1
V1.1    Supports IR on OS3.0 upgrade card
    Added 56.0 button in preferences
    Auto Frequency detect doesn't get "stuck" anymore


-------------------------
Chapter 2:    Avoiding problems

If you have poor range, or if buttons work intermittently or not at
all try the following steps:

o  Try re-training the button you are having trouble with.  Use:
   Menu|Buttons|Edit|choose button|Retrain
   or use the training mode.  It is unlikely that you will train
   every button perfectly the first time.  Some buttons will probably
   require re-training.

o  Use fresh alkaline batteries.  We've received a startling number
   of reports that this makes a significant difference.  It seems
   that as the battery voltage drops, the IR circuit quits before
   the rest of the Palm.

o  If you're trying to use the internal IR, make sure it's turned on
   in Menu|Options|Preferences.

o  Try a different IR carrier frequency.  This setting is in
   Menu|Options|Training Settings it is used during training.  Once
   the optimum setting is determined, it should be used for all
   buttons on that remote.  To determine the optimum setting,
   perform the following steps:

   Press the Auto detect button.  Hold your remote up to the IR
   sensor on your Palm or your OmniRemote Module.  Hold down or
   repeatedly press one of your remote's buttons.  On the screen the
   word Testing should be followed by changing numbers as it scans
   for the correct frequency.  Very slowly pull your remote away
   from the Palm until slow beeping begins.  Hold remote still and
   continue holding or pressing button while beeps continue.  Test
   will complete in a few seconds.

   Auto detect will only try scanning the lower five built-in
   frequencies and the one typed on the blank (under the Auto detect
   button).  39.2 is the most commonly used frequency.

o  When training try holding the button on your remote a little longer
   rather than just a "tap".

o  Training must be performed with the remote aimed at the IR receiver
   (either the small window at the top of the Palm or the middle
   bump on an OmniRemote Module) never more than an inch away (except
   during auto frequency testing).  Training should not be attempted
   in bright light, if necessary use your hand or another object to
   shade the receiver.

o  When training, try positioning the Palm and remote a different
   distance apart.  Generally closer is better, but on some remotes
   the LED is not in the middle, if it's near the side and you make
   the Palm's receiver touch the middle of the remote, you might miss
   it entirely, in which case a half inch apart might be better.
   Make sure the remote's LED and the Palm's receiver are at the same
   height and sitting on a stable surface (rather than in your hand).
   The beeps in training mode are helpful as a guide, but aren't a
   guarantee that you have them aligned perfectly.  Don't attempt to
   train while in bright light (such as sunlight).

o  When testing, hold the Palm near the device you are trying to
   control, but not within six inches.  Keep the Palm aimed at the
   device's receiver and don't sit at an angle to the front of the
   device.  Glass doors or other obstacles between the Palm and the
   device can cause poor range.

o  If you are using the internal IR on a Palm III, IIIx, Palm V,
   Palm VII or Visor you may experience range problems.  This is
   because the Palm's internal IR LED's are not very bright.  This
   may be more noticeable when controlling certain devices.  If this
   causes you problems, you may wish to purchase the OmniRemote
   Module which fits in the bottom of your Palm and has its own
   brighter LEDs.  It is available from:

   www.pacificneotek.com

   The IR on 3Com's OS3.0 upgrade card does not have this range
   problem.  The OmniRemote Module will not offer improved range
   for users of the upgrade card.  The range on a Palm V is slightly
   better than that of a Palm III, but not as good as the OS3.0
   upgrade card for older Pilots.  The OmniRemote module does not fit
   the connector on the Palm V.

o  If your Palm has internal IR, you might get slightly better
   performance from the Palm's internal receiver than the OmniRemote
   Module's receiver.

o  If using timers, make sure OmniRemote is running when the timer
   goes off, or if the Palm is off that OmniRemote was the program
   running when it was turned off.


-------------------------
Chapter 3:    Basic features in detail


This chapter assumes that you have the program running and know
how to perform training successfully.  If this is not the case
you should read over the previous chapters.

To create a button choose Menu|Buttons|Create.  You will hear a beep
and the message "Draw button where you want it" will be displayed at
the top of the screen.  Many features use this area of the screen to
display messages, so remember to look here for important instructions.
Place your stylus on the screen and drag it diagonally (toward the
lower right for example).  A rectangular button will "rubber band
out".  When it's the size and shape you want, lift the stylus.  Don't
worry if it's not in the right place.  After you've created your
button a dialog will be displayed.  This is the same dialog that would
be displayed if you used the Menu|Buttons|Edit... feature.  Now you
can give your button a name.  The name will be displayed inside the
button.  A name is not required but it will be convenient when it
comes time to program macros.  If you don't want the name displayed
press the "hidden" button.  An icon can be displayed instead of a
name by pressing the icon button.

If you want to train the button now, you can do so by clicking Retrain
or you can wait, creating all of your buttons now and then training
them all later using training mode.  If you made your button the wrong
size or shape you can re-draw it by pressing Recreate.  You can
draw the button in a new location this way too, however if it only
needs to be moved, Menu|Modes|Move buttons is probably an easier
method.  If you put the button in the wrong category, Recreate
can be used to re-draw the button on a new category screen.  Trained
buttons will not lose their training when re-drawn in the new
category.

The Edit Buttons dialog also lets you change the type of a button to
one of four types.  So far we've been working with Normal buttons, but
there are also three special types of buttons.  A Label is basically
just a name or an icon without a border around it.  It can't be
clicked like other buttons.  In the example TV category, the words
Channel and Volume are labels.  When a label is moved or redrawn it
is on a finer grid allowing it to be aligned more precisely than other
buttons.  The icons used on the seek buttons in the example's Amp
category are also labels.  We did this so that we could have a name
and an icon on the same button.  The trick is to create a Normal
button with a hidden name - for example /Seek+ - then create a label
with a name and a label with the arrow icon and put them on top of it.

A Category button is a button that when clicked, changes the current
category.  Common uses are the TV, VCR and CD buttons in the examples.
If you would prefer to save screen space, create a single Category
button that sends the user to a different screen containing only other
Category buttons.  To set the button's category, press the Retrain
button then choose the category from the drop-down menu in the upper
right corner of the screen.

Choosing the Macro checkbox or pressing the Edit Macro button will
turn the button into a macro.  Macros are discussed in detail in the
next chapter.

Your changes in the Edit Buttons dialog are saved when you press OK,
Retrain or Recreate.

On the Modes menu there are four modes: Normal, Flip screen, Move
buttons and Training.  Flip screen will flip your screen so that you
can turn your Palm over and use it upside-down.  This is useful
because the OmniRemote Module sticks out of the bottom of the Palm
and needs to be pointed at the device that is being controlled.  Menus
aren't supported in Flip screen mode, so activating a menu will flip
the display back right-side-up.  If you plan to use Flip screen mode
most of the time, turn on the checkbox in Preferences and the program
will start in Flip screen mode by default.

Move buttons mode makes it easy to reorganize and find the best layout
for your buttons.  Simply drag and drop.  If two buttons are in the
same location, you'll need to move the top one out of the way to get
to the bottom one.  Buttons cannot be moved to another category.  If
you need to do that, use the Recreate feature in the Edit buttons
dialog.

Training mode is the fastest way to train buttons.  After entering
Training mode, tap the button you want to train.  A test mode screen
will be displayed allowing you to get the alignment of your remote
correct and to make sure the room is dark enough.  Once you are
finished testing, one more screen tap will send you to the training
screen.  Press the button on the remote and you're done and ready to
move on to your next button.  Once you're sure that the alignment is
correct you can even skip the testing and just double tap the button
to be trained.  Only Normal buttons can be trained in this way (not
Category or Macro).

Don't forget to switch back to Normal mode after you are done moving
or training your buttons.

At the top of the Preferences dialog you'll see a row of six buttons
that look like the six hard keys at the bottom of your Palm.  These
allow you to redefine the function of each of these keys.  Simply
tap the picture of the key you want to redefine, then choose which
button you want that key to activate.  It can be a macro, normal or
category button.  When you press the key the button's action will
occur no matter what category you're currently in.  If you want to
set it back to its default function (i.e. Address book, Memo pad,
etc...) tap it, then tap a blank area of the screen (not on any
button).


-------------------------
Chapter 4:    Macros


A macro is a very powerful type of button.  One press of a macro
can activate many functions on multiple devices, simplifying
operations that would ordinarily require multiple keypresses, perhaps
on numerous remotes.  Before attempting to use macros, be sure you've
mastered the training methods described in previous chapters.  A
properly working macro can be very convenient, but a macro that relies
on a poorly trained button that behaves intermittently can be more
trouble than it's worth.

A macro is just a list of normal buttons which should be pressed in
sequence.  Press the macro and each of the other buttons will be
automatically pressed in order with a fraction of a second delay
between them.  For example, "Amplifier on, Cable box on, TV on, Set
amp source to video".  When you press a macro you can hear the clicks
as if you were pressing each of the buttons yourself.

You create a macro the same way you would any other button except
that you choose the Macro checkbox in the Edit buttons dialog.  After
you press either Ok or Retrain, macro training mode is entered and
you'll see the message "Click buttons then Modes|End Macro".  At this
point press each of the buttons in sequence, changing categories if
necessary.  If you want to place a larger pause between buttons,
choose the Modes|Macro pause menu.  Each time you select this menu
item a pause of approximately 3/4 second will be added.  When you've
finished entering all of the buttons, choose the Modes|End macro
menu item.  If you want to look over or correct the sequence of events
you've created, press the Edit Macro button in the Edit buttons
dialog.  This will display the list of events.  If there are too many
to fit on one screen there will be an arrow in the lower right corner
of the list box that allows you to scroll down.  If you find that
you've made a mistake, the three buttons Delete, Insert and Move at
the bottom of the screen allow you to correct your error.  To delete
an item, select the item and click Delete.  To move an item to a new
position in the list select the item to be moved then click Move then
click the item in the list that you would like it to be inserted
AFTER.  To add new buttons and/or pauses to the list select the item
that you would like them inserted AFTER and choose Insert.  You will
then be asked to "Click buttons then Modes|End Macro" as before.
If you want to delete all of the entries and start over, choose the
Retrain button in the Edit buttons dialog.


-------------------------
Chapter 5:    Timers


OmniRemote supports up to 32 timers that each allow you to schedule
a normal or macro button press to occur while you're away.  When
using timers, it is very important to test often.  Test your macros
many times to be sure they're reliable.  Make sure the Palm is
aimed properly and closely enough that reliable operation is ensured.
Don't put the Palm in a place where cats or people will be likely
to move it.  Unlike other Palm alarms, the timers will not trigger
if another program is active.  For example, if you set a timer, then
launch the calculator program the timed event will not occur.  The
Palm does not need to be turned on, but OmniRemote must be the
currently running program when the Palm is shut off.  These are the
most important things to remember when setting up timers.  Ignore them
and your timed events may fail.

Timers are set using the Options|Timers... menu.  Up to 16 events
can be set, each with a Start time and an End time.  While they are
called Start and End they don't really need to have anything to do
with starting or ending anything, they are really just two timers
which must be set for the same day and with the same repeat interval.
For example, you could use Start to start taping a show and End to
stop and turn off the VCR or you could use Start to turn on your
livingroom lights using your X-10 controller and End to turn on
your kitchen lights.  It's up to you.  Because each timer only
activates one button, people will usually use it to trigger a macro.
The Time and Date buttons allow you to set the time and date of the
Start and End timer.  The Start and End buttons allow you to set
which macro (or normal button) you want activated (pressed) when
the timer goes off.  Just click the Start or End button then tap the
button you want linked to that timer.  If you wish to delete a timer,
click the Start or End button then tap a blank area of the screen
(not on any button) and the timer will be set to -None-.  You can
have a Start timer but no End timer or an End timer with no Start
timer, but if Start and End are both set to -None-, the whole event
entry will be deleted from the list (unless it is the last entry
because there is always at least one entry in the list).  To scroll
through the list of events, use the Next and Prev buttons.  The list
is not shown in chronological order.  The Repeat button is used to
select whether the alarm will be reset to a new date in the future
after it goes off.  If set to Never the timer will only go off once.
If set to Daily the timer will go off at the same time every day
after and including the specified date.  Weekday does the same, but
Saturday and Sunday are skipped (i.e. timer goes off on weekdays only)
and Weekly causes the timer to go off at the same time and on the same
day of the week every week after and including the specified date and
time.


-------------------------
Chapter 6:    Support contact


For more information visit:
  http://www.pacificneotek.com

Many of your questions can be answered by our FAQ page.

For other questions or comments send e-mail to:
  [e-mail]