Is there any way to customize the remote for an activity so that it has multiple panels that one can flick through? Thus, for a watch TV activity, I would like to set up multiple panels, one with the numeric keypad, the other with less frequently used commands and so on.
If the above is not possible, can one anchor the volume control for example in the remote page so that in scrolling the remote, the volume frame remains fixed? That way, the user can be assured that the master volume is always in the same place even if the remote is scrolled. Next, is there any way to make some buttons larger than others in the interface? Specifically, I would like to make the volume and channel +/- buttons larger so that they are more easily pressed. A general approach for all of these issues might be providing the ability to set up a reasonable number of custom frames with their own user-defined buttons and sizing, with the ability to either fix or float the position of the frame depending on the background.
That said, you have an awesome product. With some interface tweaks and particularly, some type of server software that can retain the state of the system, you have the basis for a wonderful home automation system.
Best,
Nandu
In reality, you can define as many custom positions/sizes as you’d like, but you would need to edit your custom design in RoomieRemotes.plist to do it. The unpublished tags for exact coordinate positioning are “x”, “y”, “height”, and “width” under the “buttons” array in each button item which do exactly what you’d imagine. Combined with the custom graphics for buttons, you can pretty much do whatever you want at any size you want. However, because this requires editing the XML directly and various aspects of that are not documented and probably will never be documented because we’re more likely to provide a UI editor than support XML editing directly if enough users were to request this (pretty rare actually), it’s complicated so we don’t generally mention it but in the context of the kinds of things you want to do it may be appropriate.
Also, there are certainly ways to shoot yourself in the foot at that level. For instance, defining a region outside the coordinate space of an iPhone screen will make buttons unavailable on the iPhone. This is something Roomie normally handles for you, but we wont attempt to override exact coordinate positions to rearrange a remote for iPhone screen sizes.
I am also trying to create my own remote, but I am struggling even to find the file you refer to as “RoomieRemotes.plist” . I put a Denon controller into roomie remote talking via a itachwf2sl unit which I bought. I used Dropbox to backup the roomie config, but the only file I get is “roomie.plist” , when I edit this file with a plist editor I see nothing which resembles anything to do with key positions, there is no image information, so I don’t see anything at all useful to help me start designing my own remote!! Can either Chris or Roomie please help ?
RoomieRemotes.plist is a file created the first time you create a custom Remote Design. So if you go into any Activity and tap Remote Design, you can edit from there and any Dropbox backup after that will include that file.
Note that the techniques referred to in our previous post in this thread are not necessarily something everyone needs. That’s a very advanced special case. Normal remote editing and design is inside the app in the user interface.