Internal function limitations?

jjames

Sort of a spin off of this thread: http://www.amxforums.com/showpost.php?p=16232, but what are the limitations of the internal functions? I know you can turn buttons on and off (or at least visually throught ANI command), but what about variable stuff such as a button's percentage? I know we can use $P to display it, but can we use $P in the loopback programming portion?

Does anyone know if there are wildcards or something to the likes so we could say . . . errr . . . I don't want to give away what I'm trying to do just yet - but how (if we) can we use those special "wildcards" to affect the command loopback port?

Also, what cool neat little things have you done / accomplished with the internal panel commands?

Joe Hebert

jjames wrote:

..what are the limitations of the internal functions?... can we use $P in the loopback programming portion?

TP4 help file wrote:

Formatting codes can be used in the state text for bargraph and multi-bargraph buttons. The following formatting codes will be replaced with the identified values:

$P - level percentage

$V - raw level value

$L - range low

$H - range high

$A - adjusted level value (raw level value ? range low)

$R - range (range high ? range low)

$$ - $ character

The help file doesn?t state so explicitly but I believe the formatting codes can only be used at design time. If you send $P as text to a bargraph at runtime it just displays $P. At least that?s the way it?s working in my environment.

As far as loopback limitations, I don?t think there are any other than I don?t see a way to loopback a command to a button that?s using anything other than Address Port 1. I interpret the loopback port as a way to issue any valid
SEND_COMMAND dvTP,
same as if it were via code or control a device. So you can send text to a button, hide/show a button, and change borders for example. And you can issue a series of SEND_COMMANDs to multiple buttons with just one button push.

I may be speaking out of my escape hatch as I just learned about the loopback port recently and haven?t had much time to experiment with it other than sending text and hiding buttons. Searching for the word loopback came back with 0 hits in the TP4 help file and came up empty in Tech Notes also.

Someone please correct me if I have fouled the air.

I too am interested in what others have done with the loopback port.

jjames

Indeed - we can use the loopback like we use any other valid TP command, but I'm more interested in . . . say "variables" in the loopback, such as . . . a joystick button's current x/y levels. I tried using $P in the command, but that won't work.

Now do you get my drift as to what I'm trying to accomplish? I wish there was much more documentation on the loopback / internal commands. Perhaps a call to AMX techsupport might be next. They certainly must have concrete documentation on it somewhere, outlining its limitations at least.