Hi all. I have been able to find vast amounts of information from the forums as well as some very helpful users here. Thanks for making the learning curve easier!

I have a question about linking. I understand the reason for linking rather than embedding the actions within each button. I have a DVD changer and use thumbnail buttons for access the specific slot for each DVD. In this case, should the DVD thumbnail button link to a macro button which contains all of the steps to choose a DVD changer slot? Is there a downside skipping the macro button and have the DVD thumbnail button link to each of the "step" buttons?

Sorry if this is confusing and thanks for your input!

TVN

I would use the link to a a macro button.

I have all my macros on one page and link to these as needed. Down the road if you upgrade all you have to do is change the macros on this one page and not try to find every button in your PCF that might be using a macro that needs to be changed.

I have before and after buttons on a hidden page along with 400 buttons - each one for one slot in the changer. The number buttons have links to have actions that are something like

Link to Before
Link to 3
Link to 3
Link to 1
Link to After.

This takes you to disc 331.

The before button contains several actions like stop, display, right cursor.
and after contains similar actions. Basically, whatever needs to be entered before the number is on the before button and everything that needs to be entered after the number is on the after button.

The advantage of this is that if you need to make a change to your macros you only need to make it in one place. The DVD image simply links to the number macro. Hope this makes sense.

Thanks for the input. Based on the advice here, I think I will continue to use the macro approach. I really like the idea of breaking up the before and after events. That makes for a very clean and easily maintainable setup. Good stuff!

Thanks!

TVN

I had problems years ago with linking to a Macro so I just never do it. Anybutton that needs a macro... I do the whole link over again to et each code into the macro.

I used to follow that approach until I decided to alter my DVD macros. There were several steps I wanted to change times 800 buttons (two changers). I decided to redo them with this approach so any changes in the future would be easier. They have been 100 percent reliable since.

I do the same. My channel switching macros for Pay TV all start with and with a call to a macro. The start macro ensures that the box is in the correct mode to accept channel numbers.

I also have a macro for each digit, which includes a delay. If I want to change the delay between digits then I have just 10 macros to change rather than hundreds of channel buttons.

Yeah I am with you guys on adding a delay to the channel number tand then ailasing them. I was happy to find out that made them more reliable in macros. They however impacted how fact the customer could/had to be on the number pad. I try to watch the habits when I do the first demo for them and then ajust delays and macros so they fit with how the person seems to be hitting buttons.