Hi Roblipop,
I would probably do this in 2 steps.
Step 1: Create a custom panel that gives you all of the functions you need.
Step 2: Tie those buttons/functions into your hard panel.
For Step 1, creating your custom panel.
I personally would use Visual Logic for this.
Typically you would be making a set of buttons that all do one thing each, change a crosspoint, start an auto trans etc..
To do this for Carbonite:
Add the Carbonite in the Visual logic editor.
To do this, in edit mode for tasks on a button in the upper left is a small green '+' button in the 'Devices & Parameters' section. Click on that and select 'Add Carbonite.
(use the 'Create parameter' feature for the IP address and Port when you do this, that will allow you to keep the same panel and easily change the IP address of the DashBoard computer you are sending messages to).
You will now have a Carbonite in the 'Devices & Parameters' tree.
If you expand that node, you will find the 'API section' expanding that you will find the API commands you can drag onto your tasks, most are self explanatory.
The 'set crosspoint' one requires you to type in the correct text for vid source and vid dest. If you click on the '?' in the upper right of the visual logic block it tells you the syntax to use.
For step 2, linking this to a hard control panel.
2a: Add 'GPI Triggers' to buttons in your panel.
Typically you would put GPI triggers on a button in your panel. This means that whenever DashBoard receives a GPI trigger any Button that has the same trigger value will run it's scripts.
To do this, on a button, in edit mode, on the 'Button Attributes' tab, put a value in 'Trigger ID' this is the GPI value to look for.
2b: Create keyboard hotkeys that send the same GPIs.
In the main DashBoard menu system under Window\Preferences\Keyboard Shortcuts select 'New Command'
You are going to make a new command for every GPI that you want to trigger from a keyboard shortcut, select 'Fire GPI Trigger'.
You will need to type Something into the Shortcut section, some key combo you will never use anywhere else, 'CTRL+ALT+M' or something like that. Hit the next button, In GPI Trigger, select the value you put onto the button. (You can leave the State empty).
2c: You should be able to test this from your keyboard now, to verify that the keyboard shortcut is firing your buttons script and changing items on your Carbonite.
2d: Your hard control panel needs to be configured so that when you press one of its buttons it generates that same keyboard shortcut from step 2B.
You should now be done.
So, recap of what is going on here.
Hard control panel Button pushed -> Creates a keyboard button press on your computer ->
DashBoard receives that keyboard press and generates a GPI Trigger ->
The button on your control panel receives that GPI Trigger and runs its script ->
That script sends a command to your Carbonite to do whatever you want.
(It sounds more complex than it really is…).
Let me know if you have any issues.
All my best.
Troy
PS. When you are using your hard control panel, you need to make sure your Custom Panel is open in DashBoard...
#DashBoard