CIRCA 2.5 - What it means for you

Since CIRCA 2.5 represents some very significant changes to the CIRCA application, both in functionality and "under the hood", I thought I'd flesh out what some of the changes mean for all of you.

These changes to CIRCA will work with any 5034NIRT. A project download to any unit will automatically upgrade it's capabilities.

Macros
Finally, finally, macro support is available! It was promised when the NIRT was first released and now, about 7 years later, it's made it. Better late than never.
Within Macros you can
- mix and match IR device commands, channels, transmit durations and delays within a macro
- have pauses of up to 1 minute between commands
- have an awful lot of macros
- have very, very long macros
- duplicate macros
- trigger the macros from just about anywhere: Lighting Groups, Lighting Levels, Trigger Control, Enable Control, Irrigation, Security... etc.

New IR Compiler
The compiler is the bit of code in CIRCA that builds the data structures that get transferred into the unit. The old code was put "on notice" and it has been replaced, although the old compiler is still accessible through a Preference.
The new IR Compiler gives you the following things:
- Macros!
- Foxtel Digital (and similar) - FIXED
- Sharp and Denon A/V gear (and similar) - FIXED
- Some devices would work on channel 1 but not on channel 2 - FIXED
- Size of IR code able to be tested - DOUBLED
- Sometimes invalid data was being accepted - FIXED

New NIRT Firmware
Changes were made to the firmware to handle the extra IR Code formats. The firmware is automatically downloaded when the project is transferred to the unit.

Project portability
Firstly, all the data required for an IR code is stored in the project file. If you open a project file saved with CIRCA 2.5 and open it again it is no longer necessary to have that IR code in the main or user libraries.

Secondly opening a CIRCA project file, the project can be moved to another Network or another Project all together. When moving the project you are given the options of:
- Generating the default tags based on the IR Command
- Copying the tags from the initial project/network to the target project/network
- Using the C-Bus tags in the target project/network

This means that you'll be able to re-use the same base CIRCA project for lots of units, making just the necessary changes rather than having to re-create the project each time and Toolkit will be fully up-to-speed with the changes.

User Interface enhancements
There's been lots of tweaks to how the user interface works to make things faster and more intuitive. These include:
- Can multi-select IR Codes to change channel assignments
- Right Click menus on some items for common functions (e.g. changing transmit channel)
- Some redundant information dialogues now no longer pop up
- Help has been revamped to include explanation of Macros
- Can now double click on more items to open them
- Can now test an IR Command from the Edit dialogue
- Mouse cursor changes to show that an action is not allowed
- Fixed sorting of IR Commands by their different fields
- Data download now works if Toolkit has the same network open
- Some dialogues now have "don't ask me again" checkbox

Finally
There are quite a few little annoying bugs fixed all over the place.

PS - Don't forget to get yourself a USB programming cable. They are like chalk & cheese compared to the old serial jobbie.