RedEye User Manual V2.7.0x Red Eye

2015-06-29

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RedEye User Manual
for software version 2.7.0

Contents
Part I: Overview................................................................................................... 1
Introduction ......................................................................................................... 3
Technical Support Contacts .......................................................................................... 3

Basic Concepts ................................................................................................... 4
Infrared control.................................................................................................................. 4
Radio frequency control .................................................................................................... 4
Serial (RS-232) control...................................................................................................... 5
Contact closure ................................................................................................................. 5
Devices ............................................................................................................................. 6
Commands........................................................................................................................ 6
Activities............................................................................................................................ 6
Ports.................................................................................................................................. 6
Rooms............................................................................................................................... 7

Opening the Box: RedEye (WiFi)....................................................................... 9
Step 1: Plug In .................................................................................................................. 9
Step 2: Install the App or Download Software Updates .................................................. 10
Step 3: Connect to your RedEye..................................................................................... 11
Connecting via iOS ..................................................................................................... 11
Connecting via PC ...................................................................................................... 11
Step 4: Launch the RedEye App and Install Updates ..................................................... 11

Opening the Box: RedEye Pro......................................................................... 13
Step 1: Install Rack Mounting Kit (optional) .................................................................... 13
Step 2: Plug In ................................................................................................................ 13
Step 3: Connect to Your RedEye Pro ............................................................................. 14
Step 4: Launch the RedEye App and Install Updates ..................................................... 15

Opening the Box: RedEye mini ....................................................................... 17
Step 1: Install the App..................................................................................................... 17

Part II: iOS Application ..................................................................................... 19
Networking ........................................................................................................ 21
Step 1: Open the Setup Tab ........................................................................................... 21
Step 2: Select the Network Row ..................................................................................... 21
Step 3: Find Your Preferred Network .............................................................................. 21
Step 4: Enter Your Network Password (if required) ........................................................ 22
Step 5: Save Your Changes............................................................................................ 22
Resetting to the RedEye (Ad Hoc) Network.................................................................... 22
Advanced: Editing Networking Details ............................................................................ 23

Main Setup and Preferences ........................................................................... 24
RedEye Hardware........................................................................................................... 24

Technical Support ........................................................................................................... 26
Software Version............................................................................................................. 27

Find RedEye by IP Address ............................................................................. 28
Deleting an IP Room ....................................................................................................... 29

RedEye Setup.................................................................................................... 30
Identification.................................................................................................................... 30
Networking ...................................................................................................................... 30
Status Light ..................................................................................................................... 30
Rooms............................................................................................................................. 31
Devices ........................................................................................................................... 31
Activities.......................................................................................................................... 31
Guide Activity .................................................................................................................. 32
Custom Variables............................................................................................................ 32
Factory Reset.................................................................................................................. 32

Adding a Room.................................................................................................. 33
Name and Description .................................................................................................... 33
Ports................................................................................................................................ 33

Room Setup....................................................................................................... 34
Definition ......................................................................................................................... 34
Devices ........................................................................................................................... 34
Activities.......................................................................................................................... 35
Guide Activity .................................................................................................................. 35
Delete Room ................................................................................................................... 35

Adding a Device ................................................................................................ 36
Manufacturer................................................................................................................... 36
Device Type .................................................................................................................... 37
Port ................................................................................................................................. 37
Name and Description .................................................................................................... 37
Downloading Control Codes ........................................................................................... 37

Device Setup ..................................................................................................... 39
Name .............................................................................................................................. 39
Details ............................................................................................................................. 39
Port ................................................................................................................................. 39
Infrared Port Settings .................................................................................................. 40
Serial Port Settings ..................................................................................................... 40
Command Repetitions .................................................................................................... 41
Commands...................................................................................................................... 42
Moving, Copying, or Deleting a Device ........................................................................... 42

Adding a Command .......................................................................................... 44
Capturing Infrared Control Signals.................................................................................. 44
Tips for capturing control signals: ............................................................................... 45
Command Type .............................................................................................................. 45
Toggle Commands.......................................................................................................... 46
Name .............................................................................................................................. 47
Command Icon................................................................................................................ 47

Toggle Values ................................................................................................................. 47
Script............................................................................................................................... 47

Command Setup ............................................................................................... 49
Name .............................................................................................................................. 49
Details ............................................................................................................................. 49
Command Icon................................................................................................................ 49
Edit Script........................................................................................................................ 49
Toggle Values ................................................................................................................. 49
Capture New Control Signal............................................................................................ 50
Test Control Signal/Test Script ....................................................................................... 51
Delete Command ............................................................................................................ 51

Adding an Activity............................................................................................. 52
Activity Type.................................................................................................................... 52
Name .............................................................................................................................. 52
Devices ........................................................................................................................... 52
Activity Actions................................................................................................................ 53

Activity Setup .................................................................................................... 55
Name .............................................................................................................................. 55
Activity Type.................................................................................................................... 55
Devices ........................................................................................................................... 55
Launch and Shutdown Actions ....................................................................................... 55
Show Power Button ........................................................................................................ 56
Layout Activity Buttons.................................................................................................... 56
Delete Activity ................................................................................................................. 56

Activity Button Layout...................................................................................... 57
Adding a Button (or Other Control) ................................................................................. 57
Moving a Button .............................................................................................................. 57
Deleting a Button ............................................................................................................ 58
Undo and Redo ............................................................................................................... 58
Editing Button Details...................................................................................................... 58

Editing Button Details ...................................................................................... 59
Name .............................................................................................................................. 59
Button Type..................................................................................................................... 59
Appearance..................................................................................................................... 60
Shortcut Gesture ............................................................................................................. 60
Shortcut Key ................................................................................................................... 61
Button Actions................................................................................................................. 61

Editing Image Details........................................................................................ 62
Name .............................................................................................................................. 62
Image Type ..................................................................................................................... 62
Appearance..................................................................................................................... 62
Shortcut Gesture ............................................................................................................. 63
Shortcut Key ................................................................................................................... 64
Action .............................................................................................................................. 64

Room Guide Setup............................................................................................ 65

Guide Activity .................................................................................................................. 65
Guide Action Delay Period .............................................................................................. 65
Trailing Action ................................................................................................................. 65

Rooms ................................................................................................................ 67
Activities ............................................................................................................ 68
Launching an Activity ...................................................................................................... 68
Changing Activities ......................................................................................................... 68
Shutting Down an Activity ............................................................................................... 68

Channel Guide................................................................................................... 69
Settings ........................................................................................................................... 69
Selecting a Provider .................................................................................................... 69
Customizing a Channel Lineup ................................................................................... 69
Making Changes to Guide Settings ............................................................................ 70
All .................................................................................................................................... 70
Favorites ......................................................................................................................... 71
Program Details .............................................................................................................. 71

Devices .............................................................................................................. 73
Sending Commands ....................................................................................................... 73
Adjusting a Device .......................................................................................................... 73

Commands......................................................................................................... 75
Part III: Browser Application............................................................................ 77
Introduction ....................................................................................................... 79
Accessing the Browser Application................................................................................. 79

Browser Control ................................................................................................ 80
Activities.......................................................................................................................... 80
Devices ........................................................................................................................... 81
Commands...................................................................................................................... 81
Switching Rooms ............................................................................................................ 82
Setup............................................................................................................................... 82

Settings.............................................................................................................. 83
Preferences..................................................................................................................... 83
Technical Support ........................................................................................................... 84
Software Version............................................................................................................. 84

Wi-Fi Networking............................................................................................... 85
Wi-Fi MAC Address ........................................................................................................ 85
Choose a Network .......................................................................................................... 86
IP Address ...................................................................................................................... 86
HTTP Proxy .................................................................................................................... 86

LAN Networking ................................................................................................ 87
LAN MAC Address .......................................................................................................... 87
IP Address ...................................................................................................................... 88
HTTP Proxy .................................................................................................................... 88

Maintenance ...................................................................................................... 89
Basic ............................................................................................................................... 89
Advanced ........................................................................................................................ 91

Selecting a Room to Edit.................................................................................. 92
Identification.................................................................................................................... 92

Room Setup....................................................................................................... 93
Adding a Room ............................................................................................................... 93
Editing a Room ............................................................................................................... 94
Name and Description ................................................................................................ 94
Changing Ports ........................................................................................................... 95
Devices and Activities ..................................................................................................... 95
Reordering Rooms .......................................................................................................... 95
Deleting Rooms .............................................................................................................. 95

Device Setup ..................................................................................................... 96
Adding a Device.............................................................................................................. 96
Editing a Device .............................................................................................................. 99
Name and Description ................................................................................................ 99
Manufacturer, Model Name, and Type ..................................................................... 100
Port ........................................................................................................................... 100
Editing Commands........................................................................................................ 102
Toggle Values ........................................................................................................... 103
Infrared Commands .................................................................................................. 104
Scripted Commands ................................................................................................. 104
Deleting a Command ................................................................................................ 104
Adding a Command ...................................................................................................... 104
Infrared Commands .................................................................................................. 104
Scripted Commands ................................................................................................. 107
Deleting Devices ........................................................................................................... 108

Activity Setup .................................................................................................. 109
Adding an Activity ......................................................................................................... 109
Editing an Activity.......................................................................................................... 109
Name and Description .............................................................................................. 110
Changing Devices ..................................................................................................... 110
Activity Type.............................................................................................................. 111
Launch and Shutdown Actions ................................................................................. 111
Reordering Activities ..................................................................................................... 112
Deleting Activities.......................................................................................................... 112
Laying Out Activity Controls .......................................................................................... 112

Editing Activity Layouts ................................................................................. 113
Selecting Controls ......................................................................................................... 113
Moving Controls ............................................................................................................ 114
Constraining Movement ............................................................................................ 114
Deleting Controls .......................................................................................................... 114
Adding Controls ............................................................................................................ 114
Saving Changes............................................................................................................ 114
Control Details .............................................................................................................. 115

View .......................................................................................................................... 115
Position ..................................................................................................................... 115
Appearance............................................................................................................... 116
Shortcut / Gesture ..................................................................................................... 117
Actions / Toggles ...................................................................................................... 117
Tips ........................................................................................................................... 119

Custom Variables............................................................................................ 120
Adding Variables........................................................................................................... 120
Editing Variables ........................................................................................................... 120
Deleting Variables ......................................................................................................... 121

Part IV: Android Application .......................................................................... 123
Dashboard and Navigation ............................................................................ 125
Setup and Preferences................................................................................... 126
RedEye Hardware......................................................................................................... 126
Technical Support ......................................................................................................... 127

Find RedEye by IP Address ........................................................................... 128
Deleting an IP Room ..................................................................................................... 129

Room Guide Setup.......................................................................................... 130
Guide Activity ................................................................................................................ 130
Guide Action Delay Period ............................................................................................ 130
Trailing Action ............................................................................................................... 130

Rooms .............................................................................................................. 132
Activities .......................................................................................................... 133
Launching an Activity .................................................................................................... 133
Changing Activities ....................................................................................................... 133
Shutting Down an Activity ............................................................................................. 133

Devices ............................................................................................................ 134
Sending Commands ..................................................................................................... 134
Adjusting a Device ........................................................................................................ 134

Commands....................................................................................................... 136
Channel Guide................................................................................................. 137
Settings ......................................................................................................................... 137
Selecting a Provider .................................................................................................. 137
Customizing a Channel Lineup ................................................................................. 138
Making Changes to Guide Settings .......................................................................... 138
All .................................................................................................................................. 138
Favorites ....................................................................................................................... 139
Program Details ............................................................................................................ 139

Part I: Overview

Introduction
New to RedEye? Veteran user scratching your
head and wondering how to make your system
work just the way you want? You can find a lot
of information within the RedEye application
itself — just tap on the information icon when it
appears in the bottom-right corner of the screen.
This user manual has additional information that
you might find helpful, but if you cannot find the
answer you are looking for, please try searching
our support pages, or drop us a line — we want
to make sure your RedEye experience is an
enjoyable one.

Technical Support Contacts
By phone:
By email:
Online:

Introduction

617-299-2000, option 1
support@thinkflood.com
http://thinkflood.com/support/redeye/

Basic Concepts
We have tried to structure the RedEye system around the way you actually use
your home theater equipment. Even so, sometimes a high-level overview can be
helpful. Here is a brief rundown of the philosophy and the basic concepts you will
encounter when using RedEye.

Infrared control
Since the 1970ʼs, most wireless remote controls for home theater equipment
have relied upon infrared signals. While relatively easy and inexpensive to
produce, infrared signals have some drawbacks:
1. Most infrared remote controls are “one-way” — that is, they only send
signals to the equipment and cannot receive information back from them.
2. Infrared signals cannot travel through walls or other opaque objects. Often
this limitation is referred to as the “line of sight” problem: your equipment
must have an unobstructed view of the remote control in order for the
system to work. (RedEye mini customers will still need to use “line of sight”
to control their devices)
3. Infrared signals have relatively poor range — usually between 25 and 50
feet (7.5 to 15 meters). In addition, sunlight contains large amounts of
infrared light can degrade the effective range of an infrared remote.
4. Infrared signals are “low bandwidth” — meaning that they cannot send
large amounts of information quickly. As a result, they are good for turning
the TV off or on, but forget about streaming audio or video.

Radio frequency control
Radio frequency remotes also use light waves to send signals, but they use
higher frequency microwaves, which gives them certain advantages. Chief
among these are the ability to travel through walls, longer range, and wider
bandwidth. Although much less common than infrared remotes, radio frequency
remote controls have become more popular recently as they have become more
affordable. For example, both the Sony PlayStation 3 and the Nintendo Wii use
radio frequency (Bluetooth) remote controls.
RedEye and RedEye Pro systems use both infrared (IR) and radio frequency
(RF) signals. The RedEye sends out IR signals to control your home theater
equipment. However, in order to overcome the limitations of IR, it communicates
with your iOS device using RF signals — specifically, a Wi-Fi network. This
combination of IR and RF gives you the best of both worlds: compatibility with a
4

Basic Concepts

wide array of equipment over IR, and the ability to control your equipment from
any room in your house over RF.
The RedEye mini functions using only infrared (IR) signals and offers a range of
up to about 30 feet, depending on the sensitivity of the equipment you are
controlling.

Serial (RS-232) control
RedEye Pro is able to interface with devices that use serial communications,
specifically the RS-232 standard. RS-232 has been around since the 1960ʼs,
when it was developed for the telecommunications industry and used primarily in
modems. It generally provides “point-to-point” communication – i.e., a direct
connection between two devices.
From a control perspective, RS-232 control provides two distinct advantages:
1. Communication is bi-directional. Not only does this allow feedback to
the controller – whether the power is off or on, what the current volume
level is, etc – but it also enables error handling so that we can know a
command was transmitted successfully.
2. Data throughput can be much faster. Infrared signals have relatively
low bandwidth – with the ability to transmit up to a handful of commands
per second – but modern serial communications can move significant
amounts of data. Sending images or audio files may not be ideal, but
doing so is theoretically possible, at least.
Of course there are downsides to serial control. First, there is no established
standard for data formats – the established standard governs only how the data
is transmitted, not what it means, so generally we have to write separate serial
drivers for each different type of device we wish to control. Second, serial control
requires running wires, and the typical DB9-to-DB9 cable is rather thick, bulky,
and even a bit pricey.

Contact closure
A contact is basically electronics jargon for a switch. When a contact is closed,
the switch is on (current is flowing). When it is open, it is off (current stops). The
light switch, the most familiar of control devices, is a simple contact closure
apparatus.
RedEye Pro provides two types of contact closure. One type is the contact
closure sensor – a device which determines when a switch is flipped. For
example, this could be tied to a garage door opener, a magnetic strike plate, or
Basic Concepts

something more sophisticated such as a light or humidity sensor. The other type
is a contact closure relay – a switch that turns on or off another piece of
equipment, such as a pump or a sprinkler system.

Devices
A device is a piece of equipment in your home theater system, such as a TV or
DVD player. Within the RedEye application you should add a device for each
piece of equipment you want to control.

Commands
A command is a bit of functionality that you can use to control a particular device.
For example, you might have a command to turn on your TV, and another to turn
up the volume.

Activities
An activity is something that you do with your home theater setup, such as Watch
a DVD or Listen to an MP3. Activities are a powerful way of grouping functionality
from a number of different devices in one place. Because they are based around
what you do rather than the different pieces of equipment that you own, activities
make it easier to operate complex home theater systems.
For example, consider all of the equipment involved in watching a DVD. At the
very least you need a television and a DVD player. In many cases, you also have
a surround sound system. To watch the DVD, you need to turn on all of these
devices and then tune the TV and the sound system to the proper inputs. Then
which remote control do you use? You want the TV or sound system remote to
change volume, but the DVD remote to access the menu and specific titles. With
RedEye activities, one tap on your iOS device turns on everything and presents
you with a single button layout so you do not have to juggle remotes.
The general idea behind activities is that less is more. Activity button layouts
should include only the buttons that you regularly use. Commands that you use
less frequently are always available through the “Commands” and “Devices”
screens in the application, so there is no need to complicate the button layout by
adding them there, as well.

Ports
A port is a place on the RedEye hardware where your device(s) “attach.” On
RedEye and RedEye mini, there is only one physical port and it is hidden for
6

Basic Concepts

simplicity – we control devices using infrared light emitting diodes (LEDs).1 Ports
are more interesting on RedEye Pro, which has 8 infrared ports (which
alternatively you can configure for use with sensor devices), 4 relay ports, and 2
RS-232 ports.
All these port types mean you can control a wider variety of devices. They also
give you more targeted control of individual devices that use the same
communication method. For example, what if you have two identical cable boxes
stored in the same cabinet? If you blast out infrared light into the cabinet, you will
be controlling both devices in sync. Maybe this is acceptable in some kind of
“party mode,” but if your intention is to be able to watch one show in the kitchen
and different show in the den, then this configuration will not work.2 If instead of
flooding the cabinet with infrared light, however, you use small, targeted infrared
emitters, you can run a separate line from each cable box to a different port on
RedEye Pro. Doing so allows you to control each box independently.

Rooms
RedEye rooms are analogous to rooms in your house – places where you do
things. Typically they have devices, and activities. Inside the RedEye application
you can quickly switch between rooms so that you can control devices and
activities anywhere in your house. Thus they become a convenient grouping
mechanism, “zones of control.”
Prior to RedEye Pro, each RedEye unit had the effective range of a single room.3
You could control more rooms only by adding more RedEye units. However, with
RedEye Pro we now have many more ports to which we can attach more
devices, so now it makes sense to divide RedEye Pro up into multiple rooms.
On RedEye Pro, you define room by the name you give it and a set of ports to
which it is “connected.” Often there will be physical cables running from your
RedEye Pro to the devices in a particular room, so in practice this definition
should be quite close to the real world. The implication of assigning ports to
rooms is that all devices attached to that port immediately become part of the
1

Actually, on the gen2 RedEye we also have a physical, 3.5mm (1/8”) infrared
out jack. We treat this as the same port as the LEDs because we send the same
signal out the jack as we do over the LEDs.
2
Indeed, for this reason some set-top box manufacturers actually provide as
many as 8 alternate IR codesets so that you can individually control otherwise
identical equipment. When available, we provide these codes in our database.
3
If you use a RedEye mini to control equipment in more than one location, we
recommend naming your devices and activities according to the location – for
example, “Bedroom TV” or “Living Room: Listen to Music.”
Basic Concepts

room. Similarly, if you move a device to a port outside the room, then the device
“disappears” from the room.
Of course you can re-use the same port across multiple rooms. This is
particularly appropriate for lighting systems and other whole-home devices which
would properly be part of each room.
Also unique to RedEye Pro is the chance to control from a “whole-house” level,
independent of rooms. Specifically, you can select RedEye Pro itself as if it were
a room, add whole-house activities, and control any of the devices attached to
RedEye Pro. This is particularly useful for multi-zone audio and other such
systems that have a “party mode,” as well as true whole-house systems such as
lighting and climate control. Thus you might create an “away” activity that selects
a certain lighting scene when you are on vacation, or one that turns off all your
equipment at bedtime.

Basic Concepts

Opening the Box: RedEye (WiFi)
Assuming you already have
a PC or iOS device, your
RedEye unit came with
everything you need to
control your home theater or
other equipment using
traditional infrared control
signals. Inside the box you
will find:
1. RedEye device. In
addition to controlling
your equipment,
RedEye also
provides a dock for you to charge an iPhone or iPod touch – handy if you
have a “decommissioned” phone in need of a home, or you want a home
for your main remote control.
2. Universal Dock Adapters Assortment. We recommend using a
Universal Dock Adapter insert when charging your iPhone or iPod touch to
reduce strain on the dock connector.
3. Quick Start Guide. Outlines the initial setup process for your RedEye
system. You can download a copy of the guide here:
http://thinkflood.com/products/redeye/quick-start-guide.pdf.
4. Important Product Information Guide (not shown). This booklet
includes important safety and regulatory information, product warranty,
and other details about your purchase. You can download a copy of the
guide here: http://thinkflood.com/products/redeye/product-information.pdf.
5. AC Power Adapter. Appearance may vary slightly depending on country
and manufacturing lot.

Step 1: Plug In
First things first: your RedEye needs
power, so find a good location in the room
with your equipment, and plug it in. You
can find the plug receptacle on the
underside of the unit, as shown in the
picture at left.

Opening the Box: RedEye (WiFi)

When choosing a location, it is important that there be a direct “line of sight”
between your RedEye and the equipment you wish to control, because the
infrared control signals cannot pass through walls or other opaque objects. Even
so, you should not need to worry too much about the orientation of your RedEye,
as it provides 360-degree coverage through its transparent sides. In addition, you
should have no problems controlling equipment up to 30 feet or more away from
your RedEye.
Once your RedEye is plugged in, you can charge an iPhone or iPod touch using
the dock connector on the topside of the unit. We recommend inserting the
appropriate Universal Dock Adapter to prevent unnecessary wear and tear on the
dock connector and your phone.
To determine which dock
connector to use with your model
of iPhone or iPod touch, find the
Universal Dock Adapter
corresponding to your model:
•
•
•
•
•

iPhone (first generation):
#12
iPhone 3G/3GS: #15
iPod touch (first generation): #14
iPod touch (second, third generation): #16
iPhone 4: #19

Step 2: Install the App or Download Software
Updates
If you will be using your RedEye with an iOS device, the next step is to install the
RedEye iOS app. You can download the app directly to your device through the
built in App Store (just search for “RedEye”), or you can download it to your
computer through iTunes and sync your device.
If you are using RedEye exclusively with PCs or Android devices, this is a good
time to download the latest firmware update, which you can find on the
ThinkFlood website, here:
http://thinkflood.com/media/browser-app/software-updates/currentrelease/UnzipMe.zip
You can download the Android application from the Android Marketplace.
The RedEye app and future software upgrades are free.
10

Opening the Box: RedEye (WiFi)

Step 3: Connect to your
RedEye
Your controllers communicate with
RedEye using Wi-Fi, so the next step is to
set up a Wi-Fi connection. The RedEye
device ships from the factory in an “adhoc” Wi-Fi mode, and does not require a
separate wireless access point to
communicate with your phone. In order to
establish a network connection to your
RedEye, you need either an iOS device or
a PC with WiFi card (most laptops have
one).4

Connecting via iOS
If you are using an iOS device, first open
the Settings application on your iOS
device and tap on the Wi-Fi option. You should see a new network called
“RedEye” in the list. Tap on this network to connect to it.

Connecting via PC
If you are using a PC, look for your network
settings (on Windows, look in your Control
Panel; on Mac, check System Preferences).
Scan for WiFi networks and look for one
called RedEye. Connect to this network,
and follow the instructions in Accessing the
Browser Application to load RedEyeʼs builtin web application.

Step 4: Launch the RedEye
App and Install Updates
We update the RedEye app regularly, so
there is a good chance that the software in
your RedEye needs to be upgraded, as
well. This will happen automatically when
the RedEye iOS app finds your RedEye on
4

Unfortunately, the Android operating system does not support ad hoc WiFi
networks, so if you will need access to either an iOS device or PC with WiFi card
at least until you can get your RedEye on a regular (infrastructure) WiFi network.
Opening the Box: RedEye (WiFi)

the network for the first time. After the software update package has transferred
over to your RedEye, the progress bar will disappear and then your RedEye will
reboot. If you wait a minute, it should reappear in your Rooms list, and then you
are ready to go.
If you are using the browser application, click on the Setup link and follow the
software update instructions found in Part III, Maintenance.

Opening the Box: RedEye (WiFi)

Opening the Box: RedEye Pro
Assuming you already have
a PC or iOS device, your
RedEye Pro came with
everything you need to get
started with total home
controls. Inside the box you
will find:
1. RedEye Pro
automation
processor.
2. Grounded power
cable. Appearance
will vary slightly
depending on
country.
3. Quick Start Guide. Outlines the initial setup process for your RedEye Pro
system and includes important safety and regulatory information, product
warranty, and other details about your purchase. You can download a
copy of the guide here: http://thinkflood.com/products/redeye/pro-quickstart-guide.pdf.
4. Rack mounting kit. You can use the included rack ears, screws and
faceplate to mount RedEye Pro into a 1U slot on any standard A/V rack.

Step 1: Install Rack Mounting Kit (optional)
If you plan to install your
RedEye Pro in a rack now is
the best time to put on the rack
mounting kit. First, affix the two
rack mount ears using the four
included screws and a driver
with a Phillips head. Second,
slide the faceplate on from the
back of your RedEye Pro.

Step 2: Plug In
RedEye Pro contains an internal power supply rated for international use (100240V @ 50-60Hz). The power jack is located at the back of the unit on the leftOpening the Box: RedEye Pro

hand side. If you need to replace the power cable, please ensure that the
replacement cable is 18AWG or better and has an IEC320-C5 connector and a
proper grounding pin. Do not use a power cable with compromised insulation or a
damaged or missing grounding pin.
If you will be using your RedEye with an iOS device, you should also take a
moment to install the RedEye iOS app. You can download the app directly to
your device through the built in App Store (just search for “RedEye”), or you can
download it to your computer through iTunes and sync your device.
If you are using RedEye exclusively with PCs or Android devices, this is a good
time to download the latest firmware update, which you can find on the
ThinkFlood website, here:
http://thinkflood.com/media/browser-app/software-updates/currentrelease/UnzipMe.zip
You can download the Android application from the Android Marketplace.
The RedEye app and future software upgrades are free.

Step 3: Connect to Your RedEye Pro
RedEye Pro offers both Ethernet and WiFi networking, but in most cases only
one network interface is active. If you plug in an Ethernet cable and connect your
RedEye Pro to a local area network (LAN), then by default the WiFi radio will be
turned off. If you boot RedEye Pro without
connecting to a LAN, then the WiFi radio
will be active. The exception is when you
have attached your RedEye Pro to a LAN
but are configuring WiFi access. In this
case we enable the WiFi radio so that you
can scan for other networks and verify the
WiFi connection without losing the ability to
connect over the LAN.
If you connect to a LAN, network
configuration is fairly simple. In most cases
you will have a DHCP server on the
network, from which RedEye Pro will
automatically receive an Internet Protocol
(IP) address. If you do not have a router or
other DHCP server on the network (such as
when connecting directly to a PC), RedEye
14

Opening the Box: RedEye Pro

Pro will self assign an IP address of 169.254.254.254.
RedEye Pro has an internal Ethernet switch. This means that you can plug
another device into the second Ethernet port on the back of your RedEye Pro.
Please do not connect both Ethernet ports on your RedEye Pro to the same
network – if you do, you will not be able to connect to the network.
If you are using WiFi, by default RedEye Pro ships configured to create an “adhoc” wireless network which does not require a separate wireless access point.
In this case in order to establish a network connection with your RedEye Pro, you
will need to join this network (called “RedEye”). For more information about
connecting via the ad-hoc network, please see the instructions under Step 3:
Connect to Your RedEye for the WiFi model.

Step 4: Launch the RedEye App and Install
Updates
If you are on an iOS or Android device with the RedEye app installed, at this
point all you need to do is open the app.
If you are on a PC, you can use RedEyeʼs built-in browser application for some of
the basic setup functions. To launch the browser app, simply navigate your
browser to the RedEye unitʼs IP address or type
http://redeye_[serialnumber].local/ into your browserʼs address bar, where
[serialnumber] is the serial number of your
RedEye Pro (found on labels affixed both to
the bottom of the package and the bottom
of the RedEye Pro itself). For example, a
valid URL might look like this:
http://redeye_A0101-12345.local/
Please note that while the above address
format will work on all Mac computers and
most Linux or Windows PCs, in the latter
two cases you may need to use the IP
address directly.
We update the RedEye app regularly, so
there is a good chance that the software in
your RedEye Pro needs to be upgraded, as
well. This will happen automatically when
your iOS device finds your RedEye Pro on
the network for the first time or when you
Opening the Box: RedEye Pro

launch the browser app from a network with an active Internet connection.
After the software update process is complete, your RedEye Pro will reboot. If
you wait a minute it should come back online and be available in whichever
version of the RedEye app you are using. From there you are ready to go.

Opening the Box: RedEye Pro

Opening the Box: RedEye mini
Assuming you already have an
iPhone, iPod touch, or iPad, your
RedEye mini came with everything
you need to control your home
theater or other equipment using
traditional infrared control signals.
Inside the box you will find:
1. RedEye mini device.
2. Keychain case. RedEye
mini will fit snugly inside this
case, allowing you to take
your mini wherever you go.
3. Important Product
Information Guide. This
booklet includes important
safety and regulatory
information, product warranty, and other details about your purchase. You
can download a copy of the guide here:
http://thinkflood.com/products/redeye/mini-product-information.pdf
4. Quick Start Guide. Outlines the initial setup process for your RedEye
mini system. You can download a copy of the guide here:
http://thinkflood.com/products/redeye/mini-quick-start-guide.pdf

Step 1: Install the App
To use your RedEye mini, you will need to install the RedEye app on your iOS
device. You can download it directly to your device through the built-in App Store
(just search for “RedEye”), or you can download it to your computer through
iTunes and sync your device. The RedEye app and future software upgrades are
free.

Step 2: Adjust Volume Limit
RedEye mini receives its power from the headphone jack. For the mini to function
correctly, please ensure that your iOS deviceʼs Volume Limit is set to OFF. To do
this on your iOS device, navigate to Settings  iPod/Music  Volume Limit and
drag the volume bar to the right (max). When you navigate back to the
iPod/Music screen, the Volume Limit row should say “Off.”

Opening the Box: RedEye mini

Step 3: Plug In and Launch the App
Plug RedEye mini into your headphone jack and launch the RedEye app. Please
make sure that your headphone volume is turned all the way up so that RedEye
mini has enough power.
Once you are in the application, it may take a few seconds to recognize your
mini. If you are using an iPod touch, the screen will automatically reverse
orientation so that you can properly use the application with the mini pointing
away from you. You should also see a room called “RedEye mini.” Once RedEye
mini appears in your Rooms list, you are ready to begin configuration.

Opening the Box: RedEye mini

Part II: iOS Application

Networking
Note for RedEye mini owners: The RedEye mini
has no networking capabilities, so this section
does not apply. Please proceed to Main Setup
and Preferences.

If you are configuring a RedEye (WiFi) unit or
a RedEye Pro using WiFi, out of the box,
your RedEye hardware uses an “ad hoc” WiFi network. In order to access certain
functionality (such as the online database of
remote control codes), we recommend
switching the RedEye over to your home WiFi network.

Step 1: Open the Setup Tab
From within the RedEye application tap on the Setup tab in the lower-right corner
of the screen. Doing so brings you to the Main Setup screen, which displays a list
of available RedEye “rooms.” Tap on the room you want to change.

Step 2: Select the Network
Row
Once you are on the Room Setup screen
for the room you want to change, find the
Networking section. The Network row
displays the Wi-Fi network that the RedEye
hardware is currently using. Tap on this row
to change to a different network.

Step 3: Find Your
Preferred Network
When you arrive on the Wi-Fi Networks
screen, the RedEye app will automatically
initiate a network scan, which should return
with a list of available networks within a few
seconds.
Networking

Each network row identifies:
1. The network name (SSID)
2. Whether the network is secured (a gray padlock icon) or open
3. Network signal strength
If your desired network appears in the list, simply tap on its row to select. If you
do not see your network, you can scan for networks again by tapping on the
Scan button in the lower-left corner of the screen. If you have hidden your
network SSID, you will need to tap on the row labeled “Other…” to manually enter
the network name and security information.

Step 4: Enter Your Network
Password (if required)
If you are using a secured network, enter
your password (case sensitive) twice for
verification and tap on the Save button. The
RedEye application uses industry-standard
strong encryption (RSA 1024-bit) to protect
your password for transmission to and
storage on the RedEye base station.

Step 5: Save Your Changes
Once you have finished selecting your desired network settings, tap on the Save
button. Because the Wi-Fi RedEye cannot be a member of more than one
network at a time, when you save these changes it will drop off the current
network and join the new network. To see the RedEye room again, you will need
to change network settings on your iOS device using the Settings application.

Resetting to the RedEye (Ad Hoc) Network
On occasion you may need to connect your RedEye to a different network. If you
still have access to the old network, this is easy — you can follow the five steps
above to switch over to the new network. If the old network is unavailable,
however, you will need to reset the unit back to the RedEyeʼs ad hoc network so
that you can connect to it and modify the network settings.
To reset back to the RedEye network, first ensure that the RedEye unit is
plugged into power. If you just plugged it in, first wait until it boots completely and
the blue status light goes off.
22

Networking

The next step is to locate your RedEyeʼs reset
button. For RedEye WiFi, turn the RedEye over
and locate the reset button on the bottom of the
unit adjacent to the T in the ThinkFlood logo.
You will need a paperclip or similar object to
press this button
For RedEye Pro, the reset button is located at
the front of the unit on the left-hand side.
Press and hold the reset button until the blue
lights flash a few times – about 5-6 seconds. At
this point the unit will reboot in ad hoc
networking mode and you can proceed to
configure networking as you did on first use.

Advanced: Editing Networking Details
What if you want to assign your RedEye
unit a static IP address, or if you need to
edit advanced networking information such
as proxy settings, subnet mask, etc? To
access these finer details, first proceed
through step 3, above. Once you have
selected your network from the list (or
entered your network name from the Other
Network screen), tap on the blue detail
disclosure button on the right-hand side of
the network row to bring up the network
details screen. This screen works in the
same way as the similar screen in the
iPhoneʼs Settings application.

Networking

Main Setup and Preferences
The Main Setup screen is the jumping off
point for configuring any RedEye rooms.
It also provides some basic application
preferences and links to technical support
resources.

RedEye Hardware
Tap on a RedEye in the RedEye
Hardware section to edit specifics for that
RedEye unit. The Find RedEye by IP
Address option is for use with the
networked products (RedEye and
RedEye Pro). Detailed information about
adding rooms by IP address can be found
under Find RedEye by IP Address.

Preferences
RedEye mini allows you to toggle recognition for the RedEye mini on and off. If
you are not using a RedEye mini and want to listen to music through your
headphones while using your RedEye system, you will need to turn off the
RedEye mini switch. If you are using a RedEye mini, you must turn on this switch
or the application will not power up your RedEye mini.
Screen Auto-Lock allows you to override the Auto-Lock preference for your iOS
device while the RedEye application is open. By default, Screen Auto-Lock is set
to “Yes,” which means that your iOS deviceʼs screen will go to sleep after the
amount of time you have specified in Settings > General > Auto-Lock. If you turn
off Auto-Lock, then while the RedEye application is open your iOS device will
never go to sleep. The benefit of preventing the iOS device from going to sleep is
that you will not have to wait for the WiFi radio to turn on again or for the mini to
reboot before using the RedEye system. Because the screen is the primary
consumer of power in your phone, we only recommend turning off auto-lock when
you have a charger nearby, such as the one built into the Wi-Fi model.
Motion Gestures lets you toggle the option to control your devices using the
accelerometer in the iPhone and the iPod Touch. If this is set to ON you will be
able to specify one of five motion gestures for any button in one of your activity
layouts.
24

Main Setup and Preferences

Channel Guide lets you toggle the Channel Guide function on or off. Currently
the channel guide only supports providers in the US and Canada, so customers
in other countries may want turn off this feature until local guide information is
available.
Hide Toolbars allows you to specify whether or not you would like the toolbars
on the Activity Layout to be hidden. You can specify that they are hidden
automatically, when tapped, never, or that only the bottom toolbar is hidden.
Button Feedback gives you options to
provide a response when you tap on a
button within an activity. “Sound” plays a
short click when each button is tapped,
and “vibrate” causes the phone to vibrate
briefly (unfortunately we cannot control
the duration of the vibration, which may
be a little longer than ideal). Please note:
the vibration setting does not work on
iPod touch models, and first generation
iPod touch devices do not have a speaker
for sound playback. Also, button feedback does not work with the RedEye mini
because vibrations are tied to “sound” for Apple iOS devices, and therefore
cannot work with the mini plugged in.
Button color determines the default color
of the buttons in your activity layouts. There
are twelve button color choices: white,
black, gold, coral, rose, violet, moss, teal,
coffee, sand, lavender, and stone. Tap on a
row to select, and then tap Save to finalize
your choice.
Button style indicates the overall look for
each button in your activity layouts. There
are four button styles: flat, framed, gel, and
plastic. Tap on a row to select, and then tap
Save.
Wallpaper allows you to choose the
background displayed behind your activity
layouts. RedEye includes twenty built-in
styles (black, alligator skin, asphalt,
bamboo, brick, canvas, carbon fiber,
Main Setup and Preferences

carpet, concrete, denim, granite, coarse-grain leather, fine-grain leather, linen,
paper, sand, stone, stucco, wicker, large wood grain, and small wood grain). The
built-in styles are monochrome so as not to clash with your button color choices
or make it difficult to see buttons on the page. They also tile seamlessly,
accommodating activity layouts of any height. To select one of the built-in
wallpaper styles, simply tap on the row to select and then tap Save.
As an alternative to the built-in styles, you can also select your own custom
wallpaper from the photo library on your iPhone or iPad. Tap on the “custom
image” row to select this option. If you have not previously selected a picture,
doing so will open your photo library, where you can browser your available
pictures and select one you would like to use. If you have a previously selected
custom wallpaper, tapping on this row once simply chooses the old image; to
select a new image, tap a second time. When you are finished, tap Save to
finalize your selection.
Lock Setup gives you the option to password protect your settings on your iOS
device so you do not make any accidental changes to your configuration. This
setting is only active on the iOS device where you added the password. You will
need to enable password protection separately for each iOS device you use with
your RedEye hardware.
Advanced Options determines whether or not to show some of the advanced
customization options for RedEye and RedEye Pro. These settings include
scripting and custom variables. Choosing to hide advanced options does not turn
off or disable these functions, it simply governs whether they are available for
display in the iOS application. In many cases these advanced settings are not
convenient to configure from an iPhone or iPad, and are better accessed through
your RedEye unitʼs browser app where you have access to a full keyboard and a
larger screen more suitable to things like typing out custom scripts.

Technical Support
Go to ThinkFlood website opens the Safari browser on your iOS device and
takes you directly to the support pages here.
Contact by email opens the Email application and addresses an email to
support@thinkflood.com.

Main Setup and Preferences

Software Version
The number here indicates which version of the RedEye application you are
currently running on your phone, and may be useful if you are contacting our
support team.

Main Setup and Preferences

Find RedEye by IP Address
Note for RedEye mini owners: The RedEye mini has no networking capabilities, so this
section does not apply.

Normally the Find RedEye by IP Address function is not necessary. The RedEye
application should detect your RedEye hardware automatically within a few
seconds. However, there are some situations in which this will not work. First, if
you plan to access your RedEye unit remotely using a Virtual Private Network
(VPN), you will need to enter the LAN IP address of your RedEye in order to see
it while you are away from home. Second, if you experience longer delays — 20,
30 seconds or more — but eventually do see the room appear, or if the app finds
your hardware easily sometimes, but not others, then there may be some
incompatibility between Bonjour (the Apple technology we use for discovering the
RedEye on your network) and your router. Upgrading your router firmware can
help, but if that fails, we recommend using the Find RedEye by IP Address
function.
To find your RedEye by IP address, it is important to make sure that IP address
does not change. In other words, we need to establish a static IP address for it.
In most home networks a router acts as a DHCP server and assigns IP
addresses as needed, which means those IP addresses can change from time to
time. While you can set your RedEye device to self-assign a static IP address,
usually the best way to reserve a static IP address is through the DHCP server.
Each router and DHCP server
will have a slightly different way
of assigning static IP
addresses, but basically what
you need is the MAC address
for your RedEye —
conveniently printed on the
label on the unitʼs underside.
(NOTE: all RedEye MAC
addresses begin with 00:23:87,
so you may be able to locate
the MAC address through your
DHCP server, as well.) The screenshot pictured here shows how to reserve a
static IP address on an Apple Airport using the Airport Utility
Next, open the RedEye app to the Main Setup screen and tap on the Find
RedEye by IP Address row. Then tap Add Room. You will see two rows in
28

Find RedEye by IP Address

which to enter your RedEye serial number
and the static IP Address you just reserved.
Your serial number is printed on the bottom
of the RedEye unit. After entering the serial
number and IP Address, tap the Save
button in the top right corner.

Deleting an IP Room
You can delete IP rooms that you no longer
use. From the Main Setup screen in the
RedEye app, tap on the Find RedEye by
IP Address row to go to the IP Rooms
screen. From here, tap on the Edit button in
the lower-left corner. Tap on the red circle
next to each row you want to delete, and
tap again on the delete button to confirm.
When you a finished, press the Done
button in the lower-left corner.

Find RedEye by IP Address

RedEye Setup
The RedEye Setup page displays basic
information about the RedEye hardware
you are configuring, and is the place to
begin configuring devices and activities.

Identification
Name indicates the name you have given
your RedEye hardware. To edit the name,
simply tap on the “name” row and enter a
new name using the onscreen keyboard.
Serial Number is the RedEye hardwareʼs
unique, factory-assigned serial number,
and should match the values printed on the
bottom of the RedEye box and the RedEye
unit.

Networking
Note: This section does not apply to RedEye mini and will not display when you select a
RedEye mini unit

WiFi displays your RedEye unitʼs current WiFi network name, or “off” if the WiFi
radio is powered down. To change these network settings, tap on the “WiFi” row.
You can read more about networking configuration here.
MAC Address is your RedEye unitsʼs unique, factory-assigned MAC address,
and should match the values printed on the bottom of the RedEye box and the
RedEye unit itself.
Ethernet displays your RedEye Proʼs IP address, or “off” if the local area network
is not connected. To change these network settings, tap on the “Ethernet” row.
You can read more about networking configuration here.

Status Light
Note: This section does not apply to RedEye mini and will not display when you select a
RedEye mini unit

RedEye Setup

You can turn your RedEyeʼs status light on or off with this switch. Even if turned
off, the status light will still flash in certain conditions – specifically, when
updating software or waiting to capture an infrared signal.

Rooms
Note: This section applies only to RedEye Pro
and will only display when you select a RedEye
Pro

With RedEye Pro, you can add as many
rooms (or zones) as you wish. The Rooms
section contains a list of all previously
defined rooms, and is the place to go to add
new ones. To add a new room, simply tap on
the “Add New Room” row.
By default, rooms appear in the list according
to the order in which you add them. To
reorder the list of rooms, tap on the “Edit”
button at the bottom of the screen and drag
the device rows into the desired
arrangement. When you are finished
reordering, make sure you tape the “Done”
button to save your changes.

Devices
The Devices section is the place to go to add a device (such as a TV or DVD
player) to the RedEyeʼs list of controllable equipment. To add a new device,
simply tap on the “Add New Device” row. To change or delete a device, tap on
the appropriate device row and make your changes from the Device Setup
screen.
By default, devices appear in the list according to the order in which you add
them. To reorder the list of devices, tap on the “Edit” button at the bottom of the
screen and drag the device rows into the desired arrangement. When you are
finished reordering, make sure you tap the “Done” button to save your changes.

Activities

RedEye Setup

The Activities section is the place to go to
add an activity (such as Watch TV or Listen
to MP3) to the RedEyeʼs list of activities. To
add a new activity, simply tap on the “Add
New Activity” row. To change or delete an
activity, tap on the appropriate activity row
and make your changes from the Activity
Setup screen.
By default, activities appear in the list
according to the order in which you add
them. To reorder the list of activities, tap on
the “Edit” button at the bottom of the screen
and drag the device rows into the desired
arrangement. When you are finished reordering, make sure you tap the “Done”
button to save your changes.

Guide Activity
This section allows you to associate an activity with the Channel Guide function.
For example, when you select a program from the channel guide, you would
probably like to launch your Watch TV activity. To add a guide activity, simply tap
this row to select an activity and configure other options. If your TV does not
support leading zeros with channel input, you can disable this option in this menu
so that channel inputs directly from the Guide will leave out the leading zero.

Custom Variables
If you have the Advanced Options preference enabled, then there is an
additional section at the bottom of this page for custom variables. Custom
variables are out of the scope of this manual, but you can read more about them
in the RedEye Advanced Programming Manual on our support website.

Factory Reset
Factory reset deletes all configuration information (devices, activities, etc) from
your RedEye device, and reverts it to the original factory conditions. You cannot
undo this step. If you are using a Wi-Fi RedEye and need to restore the original
networking settings, you should not use this feature. Instead, you should use the
reset button on the bottom of the RedEye unit as explained on page 11.

RedEye Setup

Adding a Room
Note: This section applies only to RedEye Pro.
RedEye and RedEye mini devices already
come pre-configured with a single room.

When you add a new room, you need to
provide the following information:
1. The room name
2. The ports that you are using to
connect devices in the room

Name and Description
Throughout the application we use the
name you provide here to identify the room
you are creating. You can easily edit the
name after you have added the room, as
well.
Any description you provide will also be available below the name in select
places within the application, notably on the main Rooms screen.

Ports
Tap to select (or to deselect) any ports to which you plan to connect devices for
use in this room and its activities. Devices already added to these ports will
automatically be available in this new room. In addition, if you move a device to a
different port which is not part of this room, it will no longer be visible in this room
unless you change the room definition to include that port. Finally, you can reuse
ports as many times as you wish across rooms; this is particularly appropriate for
systems like lighting or multi-room audio that are available everywhere.
You must select at least one port before you can add the room.

Adding a Room

Room Setup
Note: This section applies only to RedEye Pro.

The Room Setup page displays basic
information about the room you are
configuring. This is the place to begin
configuring devices and activities for a
particular room on your RedEye Pro.

Definition
Name indicates the name you have given
the room. To edit the name, simply tap on
the “name” row and enter a new name
using the onscreen keyboard.
Enter a Description if you want to display
additional information about the room in the
application.
Tap on the Edit room ports row to choose which ports are assigned to the room.
Tap a port to select, and again to deselect; press the Save button to save your
changes.
Each room must have at least one port, but you can change ports anytime you
wish. Please note that because devices are attached to ports, if you change the
ports assigned to a room you may also change the devices visible there. A
device is not deleted simply because you remove the port from a room – it will
still be visible on the RedEye Setup page.

Room Setup

screen and drag the device rows into the desired arrangement. When you are
finished reordering, make sure you tap the “Done” button to save your changes.

Activities
The Activities section is the place to go to
add an activity (such as Watch TV or Listen
to MP3) to the RedEyeʼs list of activities. To
add a new activity, simply tap on the “Add
New Activity” row. To change or delete an
activity, tap on the appropriate activity row
and make your changes from the Activity
Setup screen.
By default, activities appear in the list
according to the order in which you add
them. To reorder the list of activities, tap on
the “Edit” button at the bottom of the screen
and drag the device rows into the desired
arrangement. When you are finished reordering, make sure you tap the “Done”
button to save your changes.

Delete Room
The Delete Room deletes the room and all its activities from your RedEye Pro. It
does not delete devices, as these are attached to ports, not to the room itself.
You cannot undo this step.

Room Setup

Adding a Device
Adding a device to your RedEye
configuration is simple. You need to provide
the following information:
1. The manufacturer (brand) of the
device
2. The device type (TV, DVD player,
A/V receiver, etc)
3. The name that you would like to use
to refer to the device in the RedEye
app
Also, when adding devices to a RedEye
Pro you will need to specify
4. The port to which the device is
attached

Manufacturer
Tap on the Manufacturer row to choose a
manufacturer from the RedEye systemʼs list
of known manufacturers. You can scroll
quickly through the list or jump to a
particular spot by using the alphabetical
index on the right edge of the screen, just
as in the iPhoneʼs built-in Contacts
application. When you find the appropriate
manufacturer, tap on it to select and then
tap the Save button to return to the Add a
Device screen.
If you do not see the manufacturer of your
device in the list, you can Add a
Manufacturer by tapping on the plus
button in the lower-left corner of the screen.
Doing so presents you with a box into
which you can type the new manufacturer
name. Enter the name and tap Save.
Please note that our database will not
36

Adding a Device

contain infrared control codes for manufacturers not already in the manufacturer
list.

Device Type
Tap on the Device Type row to identify the kind of device you are adding to your
RedEye configuration. The RedEye app will use this information to locate infrared
control codes in our online database. If you do not see the appropriate device
type in the list you can choose Other, but we will not be able to provide any
infrared control codes for download.

Port
This row is visible only when configuring a RedEye Pro. Tap to select from a list
of available ports on your RedEye Pro. Please note that after you have added a
device to a port you can easily switch to another port of the same type (for
example, you can move a device from infrared port I1 to infrared port I2), but you
cannot switch to a port of a different type (in other words, you cannot switch from
infrared port I1 to serial port S1), because the two different modes of
communication (in this case infrared and serial) are not compatible.

Name and Description
You must provide a Display Name, which we will use to identify the new device
throughout the RedEye app. Model Name is optional, but in some cases can
help us find better matches within our control code database. Description is also
optional, and is a short line that appears below the Display Name in the
application.

Downloading Control Codes
We back your RedEye system with a database that contains infrared control
codes for thousands of devices. In order to access this database, your RedEye
must be on a network that connects to the Internet, whether over WiFi or 3G. If
you cannot connect to the Internet you can still add a device, but you will need to
use the RedEyeʼs “learning” function to create commands for the device.
You may find that the online code database does not have any codes for the
particular manufacturer and device type that you specified. In this case you may
want to try again with a different manufacturer (for example, the manufacturer of
your Comcast cable box may actually be Motorola), or if you know of a source of
device codes online you can contact us to see if we can load the codes into our
database. Of course you can also proceed without downloading codes and then
add commands manually using the learning function.
Adding a Device

When the RedEye system finds results for your device in the database, it
presents you with a list of matching codes. The list is sorted with the most
popular codes at the top. Each row includes a codeset number, which can be
useful in finding a particular codeset, such as when directed there by our
technical support team.
Tap on a codeset row to view a preview of
that codeset. Typically each preview
contains 3-4 test commands and a listing of
all other commands in the set to help you
determine whether it is the best match for
your equipment. When testing power on
commands, we recommend waiting a few
seconds before moving on to the next test
command to allow for your equipment to
respond appropriately.
Once you have found a codeset that works
you can tap the Save button at the upperright corner of the screen. RedEye will then
proceed to download the codes and create
your device.

Adding a Device

Device Setup
On the Device Setup screen you can
change basic device information such as
the device display name, and manage the
list of device commands.

Name
The Name section contains basic
identification information for the device: its
display name, and description. This
information is visible in many different parts
of the RedEye application, including the
main Devices screen. You can edit either
value by tapping on the appropriate row
and entering a new value using the
onscreen keyboard.

Details
The Details section displays information about the deviceʼs manufacturer, type,
and model. The RedEye application uses this information — such as the device
type — when configuring activities and other functionality. Because these values
are fundamental to the device, you cannot modify them on this screen. If you
need a device with a different manufacturer, model name, or type, you should
add a new device.

Port
If you are using a RedEye Pro, the Port section displays information about the
port to which your device is currently attached. Depending on the type of port and
its settings, you may see some different information here.
The Port row indicates the port to which the device is currently assigned. To
switch to a different port of the same type, simply tap on this row and choose the
new port from the list.
Depending on the type of port, you may also see an Edit port settings row. Tap
on this row to change the configuration of the port. Specifically, you can change
settings on 3.5mm infrared ports (I1 to I8) and RS-232 serial ports (S1 and S1).
Device Setup

Finally, depending on your port type and settings you may see an Edit port
script row. Although technically you can edit the port script from within the iOS
application, you will find it much more convenient to use the keyboard on your PC
and the built-in script editing tools that come along with our browser application.

Infrared Port Settings
When you tap on Edit port settings for
one of the 3.5mm infrared ports, you have a
couple of options. First, you can change the
mode. Choices here are infrared output
and sensor input. If you choose infrared
output, then RedEye gives you a second
option to adjust the power level on the port.
This can be helpful if you need to attach
multiple infrared emitters to a single port, or if a device you are controlling is
overly sensitive to the brightness of the emitters. We recommend leaving the
power level relatively low if you can to avoid burning out your emitter cables
prematurely.
When you change an infrared port to sensor input mode, your RedEye Pro will
put a 5 volt current on the line to drive the sensor you attach. Please be careful
when switching modes: if you have an infrared emitter plugged in under a
constant 5 volt current for too long you may burn out the emitter. Instead, you
should always plug your sensor into the port first and then switch the mode to
sensor input.

Serial Port Settings
When you tap on Edit port settings for one of the serial ports you arrive at the
serial port configuration page, which gives you quick access to the most common
RS-232 options and complete control over the setup of your serial port.
Baud Rate sets the communication speed for the serial port. RedEye Pro
supports baud rates from 300 bps up to 230.4 kbps. By default it is set to 9600
bps, a common rate for many RS-232 devices.
Word Length determines the size of each data frame, usually 8 bits.
Parity indicates whether to add an extra bit to each word for error checking, and
if so, how to detect errors. The default is not to include a parity bit.

Device Setup

Strip 8th Bit indicates whether to discard the last (most significant) bit in the data
frame. The default is to include all 8 bits in the frame.
Stop Bits indicates how many stop bits
appear at the end of each frame. The
default is 1.
Flow Control determines whether to
coordinate transmission events on the data
line. The default is no flow control, but
software (Xon/Xoff) and hardware
(RTS/CTS) options are also available.
Echo Input refers to RedEye Proʼs
behavior when it receives input data from
the device being controlled. If this switch is
enabled, then RedEye Pro will parrot back
all data it receives. While this is a useful
feature when typing data on an interactive
terminal, echoed data can cause problems
when two computers are speaking directly
to one another; as a result, the default
setting for this switch is off.
In the Advanced Settings section you can enter any additional “stty" arguments.
These arguments are always added to the end of the arguments generated by
the other field. Practically speaking this means that you can override any of the
earlier arguments, and therefore have full control over RS-232 configuration. For
documentation on stty, please visit
http://www.freebsd.org/cgi/man.cgi?query=stty.

Command Repetitions
Note: Currently this section applies only to
RedEye mini, although we are working on
changes to make it available with other RedEye
products, as well.

The Command Repetitions row allows
you to customize how many signals are
sent by the RedEye mini when a button is
pressed (Note: this option does not appear
with the Wi-Fi RedEye). The default value
is 3. Depending on the sensitivity of your
equipment, some commands should be
Device Setup

sent multiple times before the equipment responds. If you notice that hitting your
Volume Up button once causes the volume to go up multiple values on your
Television, or a similar problem, you can change the command repetitions for
that device using this setting.
To change the number of command repetitions, tap the Command Repetitions
row and select a number. You can choose from 1, 2, 3, 4, or 5 repetitions. When
the desired number is selected with a checkmark next to it, please press Save to
apply your changes.

Commands
Commands represent the signals you
use to control your device. You can edit
or delete an existing command by tapping
on the command name. Also, you can
add a command by tapping on the Add
New Command row.
To reorder the list of commands, tap on
the Edit button at the bottom of the
screen and drag the command rows into
the desired arrangement. When you are
finished reordering, make sure you tap
the Done button to save your changes.

Moving, Copying, or Deleting a Device
Note: This moving and copying devices to or from RedEye mini hardware is not possible.

Copy Device to Another Room allows you to create a copy of the device and all
its commands to a RedEye in another room. This option can be useful if you have
the same model of device in multiple rooms
(for example, as with a set-top box from a
particular cable or satellite service
provider). Select the room to which you
wish to copy the device and tap on Save
button to copy the device information and
all of its commands.
The Copy Device to Another Room button
is only available if your iOS device detects
more than one RedEye on the current
network. If you have multiple RedEye
42

Device Setup

rooms but you do not see this button, tap the Exit Setup button at the top of the
screen and verify that you see only one room listed on the main Rooms tab in the
RedEye app. Then check to make sure that your other RedEye device(s) are
powered on. If you still do not see them in the Rooms list at this point, you may
need to go through the initial setup process to ensure that they are connected to
the Wi-Fi network you are currently using. When you are ready, return to the
Device Setup screen and tap the Copy Device to Another Room button. A list of
available rooms will appear.
Move Device to Another Room is similar to the Copy Device to Another Room
button, except that after the device and command information has been copied
over, the device and its commands are removed from the current room. This
option can be useful if you are moving a piece of equipment from one room to
another.
Delete Device removes the device and all of its commands from the RedEye
system. This operation cannot be undone. If you are moving the device to
another room in which you have a different RedEye device, you should use the
Move Device to Another Room button instead.

Device Setup

Adding a Command
The Add a Command page is the place to create a new command. Commands
represent the different signals that the RedEye sends out to control each device.
In the past with WiFi RedEye and RedEye mini, commands were always infrared
signals, and therefore adding a command required capturing that command from
an existing remote control. With RedEye Pro comes support for a variety of other
devices, so now there are two different types of commands: infrared commands,
and script commands. When your device is attached to an infrared port (which is
automatic for devices added to a RedEye or RedEye mini), the capture method is
available. For devices using any other communication method (contact closure
relays, RS-232) you write a “script” – a short piece of code – that RedEye runs
whenever you issue a command. Scripting is quite powerful – with it you can do
just about anything on RedEye – but as you can imagine it can also become
rather involved and is therefore outside the scope of this manual. For more
information on how scripting works and how to write scripts, please reference the
RedEye Advanced Programming Manual on our support website.

Capturing Infrared Control Signals
Each infrared command has an infrared
control signal. The control signal is a pattern
by which your RedEye infrared lights to
address a particular device. The Capture
Control Signal button invokes the RedEyeʼs
“learning” function. Before pressing this
button, you should make sure you have on
hand the remote control from which you will
be capturing the control signal.
For RedEye (WiFi):
Place the remote control about 3 to 6 inches
from the front of your RedEye unit, as shown
in the illustration at right.
For RedEye mini:
Point the remote control about 3 to 6 inches
from the “R” emblem on the unit.
For RedEye Pro:
Point the remote control about 3 to 6 inches
44

Adding a Command

in front of the RedEye Pro and about 2 inches just to the right of the “R” badge.
Once you are ready, press the Capture Control Signal button (for owners of the
RedEye base station, the status light will begin to flash). From this point you have
about 30 seconds to press the appropriate button on your remote control. Once
the RedEye device has captured the signal, the processing screen will disappear
and you will be able to save the command.
Once you have captured a control signal, you can test it by pressing the Test
Control Signal button. If the signal does not work properly, you can re-capture
the command by pressing the button and starting over again.

Tips for capturing control signals:
•

•

Position the remote control no closer than 2 inches from your RedEye, and
no farther than 10 or 12 inches. Try to keep the remote control level with
your RedEye, rather than at an angle.
Quickly press and release the button on your remote control. Often we
have a tendency to press and hold remote control buttons to make sure
that they register, but if your remote control is the proper distance from
your RedEye, you need not do so. One quick button press makes it more
likely to capture a clean signal from the remote.
Avoid otherwise interacting with your RedEye unit (for example, from
another iPhone or iPod controller) while it is in learning mode.

Command Type
The Command Type describes the nature
of a command. When properly assigned,
the RedEye application can use this
information to create intelligent button
layouts and manage the devices you use
for different activities. You cannot change
command type settings once the command
is created, so please take a minute to
consider your best options here.
Tap on the Command Type row to see a list
of available command types. If you cannot
find a command type appropriate to the
command that you are creating, you can
use the command type Other, although we
recommend using this option sparingly, as
the RedEye application cannot determine
Adding a Command

how to make use of commands without a specific type.

Toggle Commands
Note: This section only applies to infrared commands, and does not appear for
commands added to devices that use other communication methods.

The Toggles row allows you to indicate whether the command is “discrete” —
that is, whether the command produces the same result every time you send it —
or whether it “toggles” across a list of possible values. Because infrared remote
control signals are a one-way street — your controller can only send signals, it
does not receive responses — we recommend using discrete signals whenever
possible. When you select Toggles:Yes, a Toggle Values section appears at the
bottom of the page.
Trying to decide whether to use a toggle command or not? Letʼs consider how
the power button works. If your remote control uses discrete commands, you will
have two power buttons: one to turn on the power, and one to turn it off.
Whenever you press the Power On button, the device will power up. If the device
is already powered up when you press the Power On button, pressing the button
again does nothing. By contrast, if you have a control that uses a power toggle
button, you will have a single button. Whenever you press the button, the device
switches from off to on or vice versa.
Consider what happens when we try to make your remote control “smart” — for
example, by controlling multiple devices as part of an activity. When you launch
the “Watch TV” activity, you want the television to turn on. If your controller has a
discrete Power On command it sends that signal, the TV turns on, and life is
good. However, if your controller uses a toggling Power command, it needs to
know whether the TV is already on to determine whether to send the Power
command. If someone presses the power button on the front of the TV instead of
using the remote control, then the remote control loses track, and may mistakenly
turn off the TV when it should remain on.
Although many manufacturers provide discrete commands for their devices,
sometimes you may not have access to them. If you are going to use the
command to launch an activity — such as will be the case with toggling Power
and Input commands — it is probably worthwhile to deal with the hassle of
making these toggle commands. However, in other cases in which you will not
use the command to launch an activity — for example, with a Mute command —
it is simpler to treat the command as one that does not toggle.

Adding a Command

Name
The Name section contains basic identification information for the command: its
name and description. This information is visible in many different parts of the
RedEye application, including the main Commands screen. You can edit either
value by tapping on the appropriate row and entering a new value using the
onscreen keyboard.

Command Icon
Command Icon shows the icon currently assigned to the command. Tap on this
row to choose an icon from the list available options. If none of the icons seems
appropriate, you can choose Text Only to display the name of the command
instead of an icon.

Toggle Values
Note: This section only applies to infrared
commands, and does not appear for
commands added to devices that use other
communication methods.

The Toggle Values section defines the list
of values through which the device cycles
when a Toggles:Yes command is
transmitted. As a result, the order of toggle values matters — it should match the
order that your equipment uses when the
original remote button is pressed.
Tap on a toggle value to edit, or tap on Add
New Toggle Value to create one. When
you create a new toggle value, you need to
specify at least a name. The name and icon
are visible when you use toggle buttons in
your activities.
This section does not appear if the Toggles
row is set to No.

Script
Note: This section does not apply to infrared commands, and does not appear when
adding an infrared command.

Adding a Command

In the Script section you can type your command script. For entering all but the
simplest of scripts, we recommend using RedEyeʼs browser application. Typing
on a PC is not only easier than on an iOS device, but the browser application
also provides context-sensitive help, commonly used system functions and
variables, syntax checking, and some debugging tools.
If you do modify a script using your iOS device, you can use the Test Script
button to see whether your changes work.

Adding a Command

Command Setup
On the Command Setup page you can modify information about a command or
re-capture a control signal for a command that is not working properly.

Details
The Details section provides information about the command type. This
information is fixed once the command has been created. If you must change this
information, you can delete the command and then recreate it from the Device
Setup screen.

Edit Script
Note: This section does not apply to infrared commands, and does not appear when
adding an infrared command.

Tap on the Edit script row to edit the script for your command. For entering all
but the simplest of scripts, we recommend using RedEyeʼs browser application.
Typing on a PC is not only easier than on an iOS device, but the browser
application also provides context-sensitive help, commonly used system
functions and variables, syntax checking, and some debugging tools.

Toggle Values
Command Setup

Note: This section only applies to infrared
commands, and does not appear for
commands added to devices that use other
communication methods.

The Toggle Values section shows a list of
values through which the device cycles
when a Toggles:Yes command is sent. This
section does not appear if Toggles is No.
Tap on a toggle value to edit, or tap on Add
New Toggle Value to create one. When
you create a new toggle value, you need to
specify at least a name. The name and icon
are visible when you use toggle buttons in
your activities.
To change the list of toggle values, tap on
the Edit button at the bottom of the screen. To delete a toggle value, tap on the
red circle to the left of the row you wish to delete. Then tap on the Delete button
to delete, or tap somewhere else on the screen to cancel. To reorder toggle
values, drag the toggle value rows into the desired arrangement. When you are
finished deleting and reordering, make sure you tap the Done button to save your
changes.

Copy Command URL
Tapping the Copy Command URL button will copy a text version of a specific
command URL to your clipboard. You can then paste the command in a web
browser to launch the command from a computer. You could also control the
RedEye hardware from another application or platform by using the URL with
HTTP GET. This feature was added to accommodate our customers
experimenting with home automation applications.

Capture New Control Signal
Note: This section only applies to infrared commands, and does not appear for
commands added to devices that use other communication methods.

You can recapture control signals for commands using the Capture New
Control Signal button. You can read more about capturing control signals on the
Adding a Command page.

Command Setup

Test Control Signal/Test Script
You can try out the control signal (or script) for a specific command using the
Test Control Signal/Test Script button. This will allow you to identify whether or
not your changes to the command are working.

Delete Command
The Delete Command button removes the command from RedEye system. This
action cannot be undone.

Command Setup

Adding an Activity
You add activities to the RedEye system in
much the same way that you add devices.
In order to add an activity, you need to
identify
1. The activity type
2. A name for the activity
3. The devices you use in conjunction
with the activity

Activity Type
Tap on the Activity Type row to select the
type of activity that you would like to create.
The RedEye app will use the activity type
you specify here to create a button layout
which you can customize later on. If you
prefer to build your own button layout from
scratch, you can choose the activity type
Other, which gives you a blank slate.

Name
Your activity should have a Name by which you can refer to it in other places
within the RedEye app. Optionally you can also add a Description, which will
appear in smaller type below the name.

Devices
Each activity involves at least one device. Which devices you choose here
depends on your particular home theater setup. For example, if you are creating
a Watch TV activity and have only a television that receives over-the-air
broadcasts, you would select only the TV. However, if you have a more
complicated setup in which you receive programming through a cable or satellite
set-top box, pipe sound through an audio system, and use a video switch to
direct input to your TV from the set-top box, then you would select all four of
these devices. In addition to providing button layouts optimized for each activity
type, the real power of RedEye activities is that they simplify the operation of
such complicated configurations.
52

Adding an Activity

Tap on a device row to select a device, at
which point the text color change will to
blue-gray and a checkmark will appear. To
de-select the device, simply tap on the row
again. Once you have chosen your activity
type, name, and devices, tap on the Save
button to continue.

Activity Actions
The RedEye app will examine your devices
and suggest some Launch and Shutdown
Actions. Launch actions are steps the
RedEye system will take when you start the
activity, and shutdown actions are those it
will take when you close it. Typically launch
actions involve turning on the power to your
devices and switching to the appropriate
inputs, while shutdown actions involve
turning off the power.
Please note that the RedEye system is
“smart” enough to know that if you are
switching among different activities that use
the same devices, it will not need to turn
those devices off and then back on again,
but rather will leave them in their poweredup state. For this reason there is no need to
avoid Power Off in the shutdown action list.
To add an action to either the launch or
shutdown action list, tap on the appropriate
Add Action row.5 The Action Setup
screen will appear, where you can choose
the device, command, and (as necessary)
toggle value for the action. Tap Save to
finish adding the action.
You can edit an existing action in a similar
5

If you have the Advanced Options preference turned on, you will also see an
Add Script row. More information on scripting and advanced configuration is
available in the RedEye Advanced Programming Manual.
Adding an Activity

way — just tap on the action row and then adjust the device, command, or toggle
value as appropriate.
You can also reorder and delete actions from the list. Tap on the Edit button.
Drag the rows up or down to reorder. To delete, tap on the red circle, and then
confirm by tapping on the Delete button. When you are finished making changes,
tap on the Done button.
Once you have your launch and shutdown actions in place, tap on the Save
button to finish creating your activity.

Adding an Activity

Activity Setup
On the Activity Setup screen you can specify what is involved in common
activities such as watching television or playing a DVD.

Name
The Name section is the place to identify the activity name and optionally provide
a description. The activity name is visible in many parts of the application,
including the main Activities screen.

Activity Type
Activity Type indicates the purpose of the current activity, and cannot be
changed once the activity has been created.

Devices
The Devices section lists the devices used
in the activity. Once you have identified that
a device is part of an activity, the
commands for that device are available in
the Launch and Shutdown Actions
sections.
To choose which devices are involved in
the activity, tap on the Select Devices to
Use row. A list of available devices
appears. Tap on a device to select it; tap
again to de-select it. When you are
finished, tap on the Save button to save
your changes, or Cancel to return to the previous settings.

Launch and Shutdown Actions
Launch Actions are the actions the RedEye device will take when starting up an
activity. Shutdown Actions are the actions the RedEye device will take when
turning off an activity. Each action corresponds to a device, a command, and (if

Activity Setup

the command toggles) a toggle value,
which appear in the row separated by
colons (:). Tap on the action row to edit, or
tap on Add Action to add a new one.6
You can reorder or delete actions by
tapping on the Edit button in the bottom left
corner of the screen. Drag the action rows
into the desired order. To delete, tap on the
red circle to the left of the action and
confirm by tapping the Delete button which
appears to the right of the action. When you
are finished, make sure you tap the Done button to save your changes.

Show Power Button
On RedEye and RedEye Pro if you have the Advanced Options preference
turned on, you have the option to show or hide the power button on your activity
layouts. Hiding the power button is useful if you want to provide your own
alternative to the basic shutdown process (usually via a button with a custom
script).

Layout Activity Buttons
Tap on Layout Activity Buttons to arrange the buttons you will use to control
your activity after it has launched.

Delete Activity
Tap on the Delete Activity button to delete the current activity entirely. This
operation cannot be undone.

Activity Setup

Activity Button Layout
The Activity Button Layout screen is the place to arrange the buttons you use
most often in the process of an activity. Layouts are specific to each activity, so
you can include just the buttons you need in the ideal arrangement for that
activity. If there are commands that you use only occasionally, you can access
them from other parts of the application (i.e., the Devices and Commands
screens), so you do not need to clutter your button layouts with obscure
functions.

Adding a Button (or Other Control)
To Add a Button, tap on the Plus icon (
). If you are using a RedEye mini or
have the “Advanced Options” preference
turned off, the New Button screen will
appear. The New Button screen closely
resembles the Action Setup page: you tap
on the top row to select a device, and on
the bottom row to select a command. Once
you have chosen a device and command, tap Save to create the button. You can
tap Cancel at any time to exit without creating a button.
If you are using a RedEye or RedEye Pro and have the “Advanced Options”
preference turned on, you have a choice of control types to add. For now, there
are two types: buttons and images. If you choose to add a button, the New
Button screen will appear, as described
above. If you add an image, the Image
Setup screen appears.

Moving a Button
To Move a Button, tap on the button to
select it, and drag to the desired position.
As you drag, the button will “snap” into
alignment with other buttons and the edges
or center of the screen. When the button
snaps into alignment, it will display grid
lines so that you can see the other objects
with which it is aligned at that moment.
Activity Button Layout

Your activity layouts are not limited to the space immediately visible on screen. If
you drag a button below the bottom of the screen, the layout area will expand
automatically — the farther you drag, the larger the layout area. You can flick to
scroll up and down in the layout area.

Deleting a Button
To Delete a Button, first tap the button to select it. (Once selected, the button
will appear with a thin, blue border; to deselect a button, tap on a blank area of
the layout screen.) Then tap on the Trash Can icon (

) to delete.

Undo and Redo
To Undo or Redo changes to the activity layout — including adding, moving, or
editing buttons — tap on the Undo (
) and Redo (
) icons, as appropriate.
The left arrow steps backward through your changes (Undo), and the right arrow
steps forward (Redo).

Editing Button Details
To Change a Button, tap on the button to select it, and then tap on the Details
icon (

). You can also double-tap on a button to bring up the Details page.

Activity Button Layout

Editing Button Details
The Button Detail screen allows you to customize the look and function of an
activity button.

Name
In the Name section, you can change the name and description of the button.
The button name is displayed in the activity layout if the Show Label option is set
to On or if the Text Only icon is chosen in the Appearance section.

Button Type
In the Type section, you can specify how
the button functions when tapped. There
are five button types:
•
•

•

Normal buttons execute a single
action one time when tapped.
Macro buttons execute more than
one action when tapped. Macro
buttons are particularly useful for
creating buttons that jump to favorite
television channels.
Toggle buttons execute a single
action at one time, but cycle through
a series of actions when pressed
repeatedly. For example, perhaps you want a single button to switch
between Play and Pause on successive taps, because combining these
actions into one button will save space in your activity layout. You can
create a toggle button with two actions — one for Play and one for Pause
— so that each time you tap the button, you alternate between the two.
Toggle buttons are similar to toggle commands, but more powerful. For
example, toggle buttons can work with discrete commands, or even
commands that target different devices.
Repeating buttons function as do Normal buttons when tapped and
released. However, if you tap and hold a repeating button, the buttonʼs
action is repeated rapidly until you release the button. This type of button
is useful for things such as volume and channel functions that “ramp”
when you hold them down.

Editing Button Details

•

The Script button type is available if you have the Advanced Options
preference turned on. More information on scripting and advanced
configuration is available in the RedEye Advanced Programming Manual.

Appearance
In the Appearance section, you can change how a button looks. Tap on the Icon
row to choose an icon to display. The list of available button icons includes all of
the command icon choices, in addition to the logos of many popular television
networks.
Tap on the Size row to change the icon size. Large icons are the same size as
application icons on the iPhoneʼs home screen, and are the ideal size for reliable
tapping without taking up too much screen real estate.
Toggling Show Label to “On” will display the button name underneath the button
in your activity layout.

Shortcut Gesture
The Shortcut Gesture indicates which
multi-touch or accelerometer gesture
shortcut (if any) is assigned to the button.
One of the problems with touch screen
remote controls is that you must look down
at the screen to know what button you are
pressing. Sometimes — particularly when
paging through information on a television
or other display — it is inconvenient to have
to divert your eyes. Shortcut gestures solve
this problem by allowing you to assign
shortcuts to as many as twenty-three
different buttons within each activity layout.
To execute these shortcuts, you do not
need to look down at the screen — simply
make the appropriate gesture, and the
RedEye application will respond as if you
had tapped the corresponding button.
A shortcut may be assigned to only one button at a time, so if you select a
shortcut that is currently assigned to another button, the previously assigned
button will no longer have that shortcut.

Editing Button Details

**Please note that we do not recommend using accelerometer motion gestures
with the RedEye mini. Because the mini needs to be pointed at the device you
are controlling, flicking or shaking the phone around will make it harder for your
mini to control your equipment.

Shortcut Key
The Shortcut Key indicates which keyboard key is assigned to the button.
Although the shortcut key has no function on iOS devices, it can be quite useful
when operating your RedEye unit from a controller that has a keyboard (such as
a PC).
As with gestures, shortcut key may be assigned to only one button at a time, so if
you select a shortcut that is currently assigned to another button, the previously
assigned button will no longer have that shortcut.

Button Actions
The name and format of the last section on the page changes depending on the
Button Type, but in all cases this is the place to assign the buttonʼs functionality
in the form of one or more actions. Tap on an action row to change the action.
Macro and Toggle buttons each make use of more than one action. As a result,
when you have selected one of these button types, you can tap on the Add New
Macro Action or Add New Toggle Value row to add a new action.
You can reorder or delete actions by
tapping on Edit in the top right corner of the
page. To delete, tap on the red circle and
then confirm by tapping on the red Delete
button that appears.

Editing Button Details

Editing Image Details
The Image Detail screen allows you to customize the look and function of image
controls in an activity layout.

Name
In the Name section, you can change the name and description of the image.
The image name is displayed in the activity layout if the Show Label option is set
to “On.”

Image Type
In the Type section, you can specify whether
the image has any function when tapped.
There are four image types:
•

•

Display only images are there for
appearance only – tapping on them
does not generate any action.
Button images work like custom
buttons. You can assign a single
action to a button image. (If you want
a macro button, please use the script
type, as described below.)
Repeating button images work like repeating buttons. That is, they
function as do Normal buttons when tapped and released. However, if you
tap and hold a repeating button image, the imageʼs action is repeated
rapidly until you release it. This type of image is useful for things such as
volume and channel functions that “ramp” when you hold them down.
Script images execute scripts when tapped. More information on scripting
and advanced configuration is available in the RedEye Advanced
Programming Manual.

Appearance
The Appearance section determines how an image looks. Here you can input an
exact Width and Height, in “relative pixels.” The relative pixel measurement
assumes a display width of 320.0 pixels. For iPad, we scale up the size by 40%.
On other screens (Android phones and tablets, PCs running the browser app) the
exact scaling factor depends on the size and resolution of the display.
62

Editing Image Details

Z Index is a property which determines the stacking order of images in your
activity. Any integer value between 1 and 1000 is valid. The lower the value, the
closer to the “bottom” of the display – images with higher Z Index values appear
on top. All other controls (buttons, etc) appear on top of your images (i.e., they
have an effective Z Index value of 1001). Z Index is particularly useful when you
are dealing with background images or images that have transparency and can
be stacked to add a feeling of depth to the display.
The Image and Highlight Image fields
determine the actual image that your
control will display. Image is the primary
image for your control and is the picture
you will see most often. Highlight Image is
the graphic that will display when you tap
on the control.
The values for Image and Highlight Image
come from state variables. You can update
state variables dynamically, which makes
image controls suitable for displaying things such as album art. For more
information on the scripting involved in updating state variables at runtime,
please refer to the RedEye Advanced Programming Manual.
Your image state variables should be properly formatted URLs. Because of
limitations within the browser application and limited storage space within the
RedEye unit itself, at this time we support images hosted on publicly accessible
web (HTTP) servers. You can use file types supported by standard web
browsers, including JPEG, GIF, and PNG. We recommend using PNG files, as
this format uses lossless compression and allows for transparency.
The RedEye application will cache the images you feed it based on URL. If you
need to update an image, the URL needs to change. (Alternatively, you can
delete and reinstall the application.)
Toggling Show Label to “On” will display the image name underneath the image
in your activity layout.

Shortcut Gesture
The Shortcut Gesture indicates which multi-touch or accelerometer gesture
shortcut (if any) is assigned to the image. One of the problems with touch screen
remote controls is that you must look down at the screen to know what button
you are pressing. Sometimes — particularly when paging through information on
Editing Image Details

a television or other display — it is
inconvenient to have to divert your eyes.
Shortcut gestures solve this problem by
allowing you to assign shortcuts to as
many as twenty-three different controls
within each activity layout. To execute
these shortcuts, you do not need to look
down at the screen — simply make the
appropriate gesture, and the RedEye
application will respond as if you had
tapped the corresponding control.
A shortcut may be assigned to only one
control at a time, so if you select a
shortcut that is currently assigned to
another control, the previously assigned
button will no longer have that shortcut.

Shortcut Key
The Shortcut Key indicates which keyboard key is assigned to the control.
Although the shortcut key has no function on iOS devices, it can be quite useful
when operating your RedEye unit from a controller that has a keyboard (such as
a PC).
As with gestures, shortcut key may be assigned to only one control at a time, so
if you select a shortcut that is currently assigned to another control, the
previously assigned control will no longer have that shortcut.

Action
The name and format of the last section on the page changes depending on the
Image Type, but in all cases this is the place to assign the imageʼs functionality
in the form of an action or script. Tap on an action row to change the action or
edit the script. If you have a “Display only”-type image, then this section will not
be visible.

Room Guide Setup
Tapping the Guide Activity row allows you
to associate the Channel Guide with a
specific activity. Once you have selected
an activity, tapping on a row in the guide
will change channels for you
automatically. Typically, the appropriate
guide activity is either “Watch TV” or
“Watch DVR.”

Guide Activity
Tapping the Guide Activity row will bring
you to the Room Guide Setup menu.
This will allow you to select an activity
with which to associate your usage of the
Guide. When launching a program from
the Guide, the activity layout that you see
will depend on which activity you select in
this row. For example, it is likely that you would prefer to use your Watch TV
activity layout when using the Guide to channel surf.

Guide Action Delay Period
When you select a row in the channel guide, RedEye will assemble the
appropriate actions necessary to change the channel for you. The Guide Action
Delay Period row allows you to specify how much delay to put between those
actions. Normally the default delay is fine,
but if you notice that your equipment does
not change channels appropriately – for
example, one or more digits in the
channel number may be dropped – you
can increase this delay slightly to give
your equipment more time to respond.

Trailing Action
Tapping the Trailing Action row will bring
up an Action Setup menu and allow you
to select an action to send at the end of
Room Guide Setup

the channel numbers. For example, some televisions and set-top boxes require
that you press “Enter” after you input a channel number to confirm your choice. If
your equipment functions in this way, then you should add “Enter” as a trailing
action and RedEye will automatically include it after sending the channel button
actions. If you have an action configured that you wish to delete, simply tap the
Trailing Action row and press the Clear Action button.

Room Guide Setup

Rooms
The Rooms tab displays a list of RedEye
rooms on the current network.
If you expect to see a room in the list but it
is not there, please ensure the following:
1. The RedEye base station is turned
on
2. Your iOS device is on the same
network as the room
If you still do not see the RedEye room, you
can try resetting back to the RedEye (adhoc) network.
If you have a RedEye mini and it is not
recognized in the Rooms tab, please
ensure the following:
1. The enable “RedEye mini” switch is toggled ON in the Main Setup menu
2. Your headphone volume is turned up to the maximum level
3. Your Volume Limit is turned OFF. To access the Volume Limit setting on
your iOS device, navigate to Settings  iPod/Music  Volume Limit.
4. That you do not have a case on your iOS device that is preventing the mini
from full contact with the headphone jack.
When you select a room, the RedEye app will take you to the Activities tab. You
can select a different room by returning to the Rooms tab and tapping on the new
room. A checkmark appears next to the currently selected room.

Rooms

Activities
The Activities tab displays the current
activity for the selected room. If there is no
current activity, it displays a list of available
activities.

Launching an Activity
To launch an activity, simply tap on the
appropriate row. The activity screen will
appear configured with the buttons
specified in the activity button layout.

Changing Activities
To switch to a different activity, tap on the
back button in the upper-left corner of the
screen to return to the Activities list. Then
tap on the new activity row. RedEye will
compare the shutdown and launch activities
of the two activities to determine what commands to send to your equipment. For
example, if you switch from Watch TV to Watch DVD, RedEye will figure out that
you do not need to turn the TV off and then
on again as part of the transition.
To return to the current activity screen
without switching activities, tap on the
Current Activity button in the upper-right
corner of the screen.

Shutting Down an Activity
To turn off an activity, tap on the power
button ( ) in the upper-right corner of the
current activity screen.

Activities

Channel Guide
The Guide tab displays a list of channels and programming for your current
television service provider. This feature is available in several countries, and we
are working to add even more locations in the future. In addition to local listings,
the guide can also change channels for you (you must first choose a Guide
Activity before using this function.)

Settings
Tap the Settings bar to configure the
Guide for your television service provider.
First, tap the Country row to select your
country.
Depending on your country, you may have
a couple of options. Television providers in
your area allow you to create custom
channel lineups, tap on the Customize
Lineup button. On the other hand, if
television providers in your area use fixed
channel lists, please enter your Postal
Code and tap on the Search Providers button.

Selecting a Provider
Once you tap on the Search Providers button, the application will search for
providers in your area and present you with
a populated list. Select the appropriate
provider, and the application will download
the channel list for you.

On the Assign Channels page, you can
enter the channel number that you use to
watch each network in your list. Tap on a
row to begin channel number entry. When
you have finished entering a channel
number for all of your networks, tap on the
Save button.

Making Changes to Guide
Settings
After your initial configuration of the
channel guide, when you tap on the
Settings bar you will see your information
about your existing configuration.
If your channel guide information seems out
of date or you see the message “No
Information Available” on most stations, you
can tap the Cleanup Schedule button to refresh the information.
To see channel listings for another provider, tap the Change Providers button.
To customize your channel lineup (e.g., select other networks or change channel
number assignments), tap on the Customize Lineup button.

All
The All bar displays your complete channel listing. You can easily scroll between
channels by flicking, or by sliding through the number index on the right side of
the screen.
A header at the top of the screen indicates the day and time represented in the
guide. Tap the left arrow to navigate to an earlier time slot, and the right arrow to
navigate to a later time slot.
Tap on the information icon in any row to display detailed information about the
program in that row, including a brief description, run time, and names of cast
and crew members.
Tap on any row to launch your Guide Activity (if necessary) and tune to that
channel.
70

Channel Guide

Favorites
The Favorites bar displays a list of your
favorite channels. To add favorites to the
list, tap Favorites tab, and then tap the
Edit button on the bottom left side of the
screen. From here, simply tap on a channel
to add it to your favorites, and tap on it
again to remove it. Tap the Done button
when you are finished to save your
changes.
Favorites lists are unique to each iOS
device and are not stored in the Wi-Fi
RedEyeʼs configuration.

Program Details
While tapping on a row will launch your
guide activity and change channels for you,
tapping on the white information icon will
bring you to the program details page. On the details page you will find a short
description of the program, including running time and episode name, as well as
a list of cast and crew members.
Some programs will have associated media files, such as cast and crew photos.
When such media is available, you will see a small thumbnail where the station
logo usually appears, and an Images button in the upper-right corner of the
screen. Tap on either the thumbnail or the Images button to see the full portfolio
of media. Tap on any image in the portfolio to zoom in. Once zoomed in, you can
flick left or right through the media. You can also rotate your iPhone or iPod touch
to view landscape-formatted media full screen. Tap on any image to return back
to the portfolio view.

Channel Guide

Devices
Although you will primarily control your
home theater through the Activities tab,
you can control specific devices through
the Devices tab. This can be useful for
sending commands that you use less
frequently, or for making adjustments to
the RedEye app if it becomes “out of
sync” with a particular device.

Sending Commands
The Device tab gives you access to all of
the commands that you have configured
for the device, regardless of whether the
device is part of the current activity or
whether a particular command is mapped
to an activity button.
To send a command to a device, first tap on the device you wish to control, and
then choose Send Command. RedEye will present you with a list of commands
for the device. Flick through the list to scroll, or drag your finger down the index
column on the right-hand side of the screen.
Tap on any row to send a command.

really off, what should you do? Sending the Power command will have the
desired effect (turning it on), but the RedEye will now think the TV is off. What
you need to do here is adjust the system. When you adjust a device, RedEye
sends a command, but does not “change its opinion” of what it thinks about the
device. Back to our example — if RedEye thinks your TV is on when it is really off
and you tap Adjust > Power, then RedEye will turn on the set and everything will
be in sync.
Although this sounds complicated, in practice it is simple. If you launch an activity
and one of your toggle commands is not operating properly, just go to the
Devices screen, select the device you need to adjust, then tap on Adjust and tap
the appropriate command row until everything is they way you need it.
Because you need to adjust only toggle commands, the Adjust screen shows just
the toggle commands you have configured for the device, not the entire list of
device commands.

Devices

Commands
If you have the Channel Guide enabled, you
may need to tap the More tab in order to
select the Commands tab. From here you
can see a list of all available commands for
all devices you have configured in the
selected room. Because some devices may
have identical command names, the name of
the device appears in parentheses to the
right of the command name. You can scroll
through the list by flicking, or drag through
the index on the right-hand side of the
screen. Tap on any command row to
execute.

Commands

Part III: Browser Application
Note: This feature applies only to networked RedEye systems.

Part III: Browser Application

Introduction
If you own a networked RedEye system, you can also control and configure your
RedEye from any laptop or desktop PC with a standard web browser. Currently,
RedEye supports the following browsers:
• Internet Explorer 8 or later
• Safari 4 or later
• Firefox 3 or later
• Chrome
The most recent browser versions – IE9, Safari 5, Firefox 4, and Chrome – all
have optimized JavaScript engines and generally offer better performance when
controlling your RedEye.

Accessing the Browser Application
To access your RedEye unitʼs browser application, all you need to do is load
RedEyeʼs home page. If you are using a Mac or Linux PC, or a Windows PC with
iTunes installed, you should be able to use the following URL:
http://redeye_[serialnumber].local/
where [serialnumber] is the serial number printed on the bottom of the unit. For
example, for a RedEye unit with the serial number B0103-78857, the URL is:
http://redeye_b0103-78857.local/
If you are using a Windows PC but this URL does not work, you may need to
enter the RedEye unitʼs IP address directly. You can find your RedEye unitʼs IP
address from within the iOS application. Open the Setup tab and select your
room. Then tap on the Network row. Find your network within the list, and tap the
blue “detail disclosure” button to the right of the network name.
The first time you access the your RedEye unitʼs homepage it may take a few
seconds to load the necessary files. Once this is finished, you will see a RedEye
logo and a progress bar, which indicates how much of your unitʼs configuration
has loaded. More complicated configurations may take several seconds to load.
Once this step is complete you can begin controlling your system.

Introduction

Browser Control
One of the goals of our networked RedEye systems is to give you control over
your equipment through whatever piece of technology you have nearby, whether
that be a smartphone, a tablet, or a personal computer. RedEyeʼs built-in browser
application allows you to use a wide variety of computers as controllers. It even
takes advantage of the unique capabilities of these machines; for example, you
can use the keys on your keyboard to press buttons on your activities so that you
do not always have to “mouse around.”

Activities
The Activities tab is selected by default. To launch an activity, simply click on its
name in the list. The button layout for that activity will appear in the main window
of the browser application. To shutdown an activity, click the red power toggle
button next to the Activity name.
If after launching an activity one or more of your devices is not powered on
properly or is on the wrong input, you can usually fix the issue by clicking on the
Adjust link below the activity name. This area expands to show a short list of
power and input toggle commands for which RedEye might be out of sync with
your equipment. Click on any of these commands to sync up again.
You can change the split between the activities on the left and the activity buttons
on the right by clicking and dragging on the dividing line between the two
sections. Your activity buttons will scale appropriately as you drag.

Browser Control

Devices
Click on the Devices tab to bring up a list of devices for the room. Click on a
device name to adjust the device (if it is out of sync with your RedEye) or send a
command.

Commands
Click on the Commands tab to bring up a list of all commands in your system.
The Device name appears in parentheses next to each command name. Click on
a command to execute it.

Browser Control

Switching Rooms
On a RedEye Pro with one or more
rooms configured, you can switch
rooms in the browser application. To do
so, click on the rooms drop-down menu at the top-left of the screen and pick your
desired room.

Setup
Click on the Setup link at the top of the browser to configure your RedEye
through the browser.

Browser Control

Settings
When you click on the Setup link from the browser control page, the application
will take you to the Settings tab on the setup side of the application. From here
you can click on other tabs along the top of the page to access other parts of the
setup application, or you can access the following directly within the Settings tab.

Preferences
Button Feedback allows you to determine whether buttons clicked in the control
portion of the browser application will play a sound.
Status Light allows you to determine whether RedEyeʼs blue status light is lit
when in use or dark except at certain special times (specifically, when updating
software or waiting to capture infrared codes). Uncheck the box to turn off the
status light.
When you are done making changes to preferences, please remember to click
the Save button to store your changes.
Settings

Technical Support
This section provides links to ThinkFloodʼs technical support website and email
directly to ThinkFloodʼs technical support team.

Software Version
This section displays the current software version of the browser application.
Please note that this version number may not exactly match the iOS application
version. In particular, if we have released a minor update to the iOS application
which has not modified the RedEye firmware, this version will be slightly behind
the iOS version.

Settings

Wi-Fi Networking
From the Wi-Fi page you can change the WiFi network settings of your RedEye
unit.

Wi-Fi MAC Address
This section displays the Medium Access Control (MAC) address for your
RedEye unit. This value can be helpful if you are looking for your RedEye unit
within the wireless client list on your router. All RedEye MAC addresses begin
with 00:23:87.

Wi-Fi Networking

Choose a Network
When you load the Wi-Fi page, RedEye will automatically scan for nearby
wireless networks.
If the network you need does not appear in the list of scan results, you can click
the Scan button (just to the right of the Choose a Network label) to scan again.
To select a network, click on the radio button next to the network name. If the
network is secured, you will need to enter your password (twice for confirmation).
Once you are finished, click the Save button at the bottom right corner of the
page to save your changes and connect to that network (please note that at this
point you may need to switch your PC over to the same network in order to reestablish a connection with your RedEye unit).
Note: the RedEye (ad-hoc) network always appears in this list so that you can
select it if you wish. This does not indicate that the RedEye network is currently
available (in other words, you may not “see” in the RedEye network from other
devices if you scan for it at this point).

IP Address
In this section you can specify information about your RedEye unitʼs IP address.
Most networks will assign IP addresses automatically using a DHCP server.
Therefore if you have the DHCP tab selected here, IP address information is
there for information purposes only and you cannot make changes to it.
If you change the IP address information using BootP or Static, please make sure
you click the Save button at the bottom-right corner of the screen to store your
changes.

HTTP Proxy
If your network uses an HTTP Proxy, you can enter proxy information here.
When you are finished, please make sure to click the Save button to store your
changes.

Wi-Fi Networking

LAN Networking
Note: This section applies only to RedEye Pro.

From this page you can configure the Local Area Network (LAN) settings for your
RedEye Pro.

LAN MAC Address
This section displays the second Medium Access Control (MAC) address for your
RedEye unit. This value can be helpful if you are looking for your RedEye unit
within the DHCP client list on your router. All RedEye MAC addresses begin with
00:23:87.

LAN Networking

HTTP Proxy
If your network uses an HTTP Proxy, you can enter proxy information here.
When you are finished, please make sure to click the Save button to store your
changes.

LAN Networking

Maintenance
From the Maintenance page you can access a variety of functions that are
useful in fixing your RedEye should you have a problem, or upgrading your
software.

Basic
In the Basic maintenance section you will find functions that you can use on your
own to keep your RedEye unit up to date.
If you click on the Backup Data link, RedEye will create a backup file of its
configuration, including a snapshot of its internal database and all command files.
Once the backup process is complete, please click on the “Backup File (.tgz)” link
and save this file off to your computer for safekeeping. NOTE: it is important that
you store a .tgz file, and not a .tar file. Some browsers will “unzip” the .tgz file into
a .tar file automatically, and if you attempt to restore from a .tar file, you will
Maintenance

actually erase your configuration. To prevent the browser from automatically
unzipping the .tgz file, please right-click (on a Mac, control-click) the link and from
the ensuing pop-up menu choose the option to save the file to your computer
(opening the file unzips it).
Once you have a backup file that you wish to restore to your RedEye, please
click on the Restore Data link. Find the .tgz file and click on the Upload to
RedEye button. NOTE: If your backup file is any format other than .tgz, please
contact ThinkFlood technical support first. If you attempt to restore the wrong file
type, you will erase your configuration. In many cases, ThinkFlood support can
help you create a .tgz file using whatever format you originally stored (e.g., .tar).
Beginning with v2.5.0 of the application, RedEye can automatically check to see
if there is a software update available. When there is a new update, RedEye will
bring you to this maintenance page and prompt you to download the update. If
you do not wish for RedEye to automatically check for updates when you launch
the browser application, please uncheck the box labeled “Check every time the
application loads.”
Click on the Upgrade Software link to upgrade your RedEye firmware. This
section will show you the current version of the software installed on your
RedEye unit, and the latest version available, with links both to download the
latest version and to view release notes.

Old-style upgrade files are always a single file named tf_jffs2.tgz. New style
updates may come in one or more pieces. In this case, the file you download will
be a zip folder containing those pieces. Unzip the folder and follow the
instructions inside as to the order in which the files should be installed and so
forth.
To upload a single upgrade file, first select the file from your computer and then
click on the Upload to RedEye button. When the upload is complete you can
90

Maintenance

proceed to the next file. After the last upgrade file has been installed, your
RedEye unit will reboot.

Advanced
The Advanced section of the maintenance page contains functionality that may
be useful if you are having trouble with your RedEye unit.
Download Database downloads a copy of your RedEye unitʼs internal SQLite
database.
Upload Patch allows you to upload special patch.tgz files which our technical
support team may create for you to resolve a particular problem with your
software or configuration.
Factory Reset erases all of the configuration data stored on your RedEye unit
and resets it back to default networking.

Maintenance

Selecting a Room to Edit
The far-right tab on the setup page is the room editing tab. Normally this tab
displays your RedEye room name. If you are using a RedEye Pro with at least
one room defined, you will see a drop-down menu instead of a single room
name. Selecting any item in the drop-down menu (including the root RedEye Pro)
allows you to edit that room.

Identification
In this section you can change the name of your RedEye room, and also view its
serial number. If you are editing a RedEye Pro room other than the root, there is
an editable description field in addition to the name field. Click Save after you
make changes to store them.

Selecting a Room to Edit

Room Setup
Note: This section applies only to RedEye Pro.

Because RedEye Pro has so many connectivity options, it is possible to use it to
control more than one location simultaneously. In RedEye parlance, we call these
zones of control “rooms.”
Each room definition consists of
two things:
1. A room name
2. A list of connected ports
We use the room name to identify
the room within the application.
The port list determines which
devices are available within the
room, because each device is
attached to a port.
In order to add, edit, or delete
rooms, you need to first select the
RedEye Pro root room as
described in Selecting a Room to
Edit.

Adding a Room
Click on the Add New Room link
to add a room to RedEye Pro. The
Add New Room dialog box will
appear. Enter a room name, select
at least one of the ports from the
list, and then click on the OK
button.
At this point you will see your new
room appear in the list of rooms on
this page. You can make changes
or continue adding rooms as
needed. However, your new room
Room Setup

and subsequent changes are not yet saved, so please make sure that you click
on the Save Changes button before you navigate away from the page.

Editing a Room
When you click on the Rooms section within a RedEye Pro you will see a list of
existing rooms. Click on any room in this list to expand and edit its details.

Name and Description
You can change the name and description for your room simply by typing directly
into the text boxes provided. As with all room changes on this page, you need to
click on the Save Changes button at the bottom of the screen when you are
done. If you need to discard your modifications, you can click on Cancel
Changes button to reload the page with the data currently stored in your RedEye
unit.

Room Setup

Changing Ports
To the right of the Name and
Description fields there is a Ports
box which lists the ports currently
assigned to your room. Click on the
Edit button to change this list. The
resulting pop-up displays a list of
available ports. Check or uncheck
devices as you wish, and click OK
to accept your changes.
When you remove a port from your
room, any devices connected to that
port. If you accidentally remove a
port, you can still use the Cancel
Changes button at the bottom of
the page to undo.

Devices and Activities
The detail section for each room
displays a list of the current devices
and activities for that room. On this
page, these sections are
informational only – if you need to
edit room devices or activities,
please select the room from the
drop-down menu at the top of the page and then click on the Devices or Activities
section within that room, as desired.

Reordering Rooms
You can reorder your rooms list. To the right of each room there is a handle icon
(
). Click and drag this icon to move a room to a different place within the list.
As with other changes, your new order is not stored until you click the Save
Changes button.

Deleting Rooms
If you wish to delete a room, simply click on the red “X” button ( ) to the right of
that one you wish to remove. Remember to click the Save Changes button when
you are finished – or click Cancel Changes if you did not mean to delete the
room.
Room Setup

Device Setup
On the Devices page you can add, edit, and remove devices and their
commands.

Adding a Device
Click on the Add New Device link to add a device. After retrieving the current list
of manufacturers from RedEyeʼs online code database, the Add a Device dialog
box will appear.
First, choose your manufacturer
from the list. If you do not see the
manufacturer you need, you can
click on the Add link to create a
new one; however, if you add a
manufacturer there will not be any
command codes in our database
for you to download, so you will
have to create each command for
the device manually. If you are
looking for command codes for a
particular manufacturer, please
contact ThinkFlood support for
assistance.
Next, please select a device type
from the list. In addition to aiding in
the database search for command
codes, the device type is useful
when creating button layouts for
new activities.
If you are using a RedEye Pro, you
will need to select a port
assignment for your new device.
Your choice of port type
determines how the application will
search for command codes. If you
pick an infrared port, then RedEye
will search for infrared codes; if
96

Device Setup

you pick a serial port, then RedEye will search for serial codes, and so forth.7
Once you have added the device, you can change the port assignment to
another port of the same type, but you cannot change the device to a different
port type. For example, if you pick an infrared port I1 now, you can change to any
of the other infrared ports (I2 through I8) later, but you cannot change to a serial
port (S1 or S2).
Finally, you will need to enter a Display Name. RedEye uses the display name to
present your device throughout the application, so this should be a user-friendly
name such as “TV” or “Blu-Ray player.” If you enter a Model Name, RedEye will
use the model information you provide to filter the database for closely matching
infrared codes when possible. The device Description is simply additional
information that appears below the display name in certain parts of the
application.
Once you have provided the above information, click on the Find Infrared
Codes button to search for codes that match your criteria. If the database does
not contain any possible matches, RedEye will create an empty device onto
which you can manually add commands.
In the event that there are possible matches in the database, the dialog box will
expand to display those matches along the right-hand side. You can change your
selections along the left, but if you change anything other than the name or
description, RedEye will re-run your database search.

Currently our online code database contains only infrared command codes, so if
you choose a serial port, you will need to add commands manually for now. We
will be adding serial drivers and other types of codes in the near future.
Device Setup

Matching sets of codes appear sorted with the most frequently used sets at the
top. Click on any codeset to expand. The application will load a handful of
Preview Commands onto your RedEye unit for testing – simply click on any of
the buttons at the top of the codeset to see if they work with your equipment. You
can also scan through the entire Command List to see if the commands match
what you need for your device.
Click on other codesets in the list to test them. Once you have found a good
match for your device, click on the Save This Device button to download the full
set of codes and create your device.
At this point you will see your new device appear in the list of devices on this
page. You can make changes or continue adding devices as needed. However,
your new device and subsequent changes are not yet saved, so please make
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Device Setup

sure that you click on the Save Changes button before you navigate away from
the page.

Editing a Device
When you click on the Device section you will see a list of existing devices. Click
on any device in this list to expand and edit its details.

Name and Description
You can change the name and description for your device simply by typing
directly into the text boxes provided. As with all device changes on this page, you
need to click on the Save Changes button at the bottom of the screen when you
are done. If you need to discard your modifications, you can click on Cancel
Changes button to reload the page with the data currently stored in your RedEye
unit.
Device Setup

Manufacturer, Model Name, and Type
The Manufacturer, Model Name, and Type fields display the information that
you entered when adding the device. These values are set when the device is
added, and you cannot change them later.

Port
On RedEye Pro you can change the port to which a device is assigned as long
as the type of port (infrared, serial, etc) remains the same. Please bear in mind
that if you have defined rooms on your RedEye Pro and you change a device
port, that device may not appear on the same room(s) as before until you also
modify the port assignment for your room(s).
Editing Port Settings
To edit the settings for the port to which a device is attached, click on the Edit
Port Settings hyperlink. There are different settings for different types of ports,
so the dialog box that appears over the page will vary depending on the type of
the port to which the device is connected.
For infrared ports, there are two
basic settings: port Mode, and
Power Level. Infrared ports are
dual purpose – they can either send
out infrared commands, or they can
trigger off of sensor input. To switch
between functions, simply select the
desired mode and click the OK
button.8
When an infrared port is in infrared
out mode, you can adjust the power
level used to transmit infrared
signals. This gain control can eliminate the need for a separate connecting block
in many cases. To change the power level, simply slide the bar to the left (for
lower power) or to the right (for higher power). Click OK and then Save Changes
to test – the power level does not adjust dynamically as you slide.

Please note that in sensor input mode, infrared ports emit a constant 5V. In
order to avoid burning out LEDs on infrared flasher cables, we recommend
disconnecting any flasher cables from the port before switching the mode to
sensor input.
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Device Setup

You have full control over serial port configuration through the serial port settings
dialog.
Baud Rate sets the communication speed for the serial port. RedEye Pro
supports baud rates from 300 bps up to 230.4 kbps. By default it is set to 9600
bps, a common rate for many RS-232 devices.
Word Length determines the size
of each data frame, usually 8 bits.
Parity indicates whether to add an
extra bit to each word for error
checking, and if so, how to detect
errors. The default is not to include
a parity bit.
Strip 8th Bit indicates whether to
discard the last (most significant)
bit in the data frame. The default is
to include all 8 bits in the frame.
Stop Bits indicates how many
stop bits appear at the end of each
frame. The default is 1.
Flow Control determines whether
to coordinate transmission events
on the data line. The default is no
flow control, but software
(Xon/Xoff) and hardware
(RTS/CTS) options are also
available.
Echo Input refers to RedEye Proʼs
behavior when it receives input data from the device being controlled. If this
switch is enabled, then RedEye Pro will parrot back all data it receives. While this
is a useful feature when typing data on an interactive terminal, echoed data can
cause problems when two computers are speaking directly to one another; as a
result, the default setting for this switch is off.
In the Advanced Settings section you can enter any additional “stty" arguments.
These arguments are always added to the end of the arguments generated by
the other field. Practically speaking this means that you can override any of the
earlier arguments, and therefore have full control over RS-232 configuration. For
Device Setup

101

documentation on stty, please visit
http://www.freebsd.org/cgi/man.cgi?query=stty.
Editing the Port Script
For serial ports and infrared ports
set to sensor mode, you can edit
the port control script by clicking
on the Edit Port Script hyperlink.
Doing so opens a script editor in a
new browser tab or window.
Scripting is outside the scope of
this manual; you can read more
about port control scripts in the
RedEye Advanced Programming
Manual.

Editing Commands
Along the right-hand side of the
device information is a list of
commands for the device. Click on
any command name in the list to
edit the command, or click on the
green “play” button to test
command playback.
When editing a command, the
Command Setup dialog box
appears on top of the page.
Type into the appropriate text
boxes to edit the Name or
Description for your command.
The Type field displays the
command type, and Toggles?
indicates whether the command
will toggle between different values
(e.g., on and off) each time it is
sent. Neither of these values is
editable once the command has
been created.

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Device Setup

If you wish to choose the command icon, you can choose a new one from the
Icon list.

Toggle Values
For (infrared) toggle commands, the Command Setup dialog appears double
wide, and toggle values appear along the right-hand side.

For each toggle value, you can specify a Name and a Description. You can also
choose an Icon from the list. To add a new toggle value, click on the Add New
Toggle Value link. You can reorder toggle values by dragging the handle (
Click on the “X” button (
Device Setup

) to delete.
103

Infrared Commands
If an infrared command is not functioning as you expect, you can capture a new
control signal by clicking on the Capture New Control Signal button. The Test
Signal button is useful in verifying that the new control signal is working properly.
Command URL is a unique URL that other applications can use to invoke the
command on your RedEye unit.

Scripted Commands
In the case of scripted commands, you
can click on the Edit Script button to
edit the command script. The Test
Script button executes the command
for verification.

Deleting a Command
Once you have opened the Command
Setup dialog, you can delete the
command by clicking on the Delete Command button. As with other changes,
the command is not actually removed until you click on the Save Changes
button; if you accidentally delete a command, you can simply click Cancel
Changes or close the browser page.

Adding a Command
When you click on the Add New Command hyperlink, the Add a Command
dialog appears. The exact format of the Add a Command dialog differs slightly
depending on whether the command uses infrared or a script.

Infrared Commands
In order to add an infrared command, you will need the original remote control for
your device in hand.
For RedEye (WiFi):
Place the remote control about 3 to 6
inches from the front of your RedEye unit,
as shown in the illustration at right.
For RedEye Pro:

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Device Setup

Point the remote control about 3 to 6 inches in front of the RedEye Pro and about
2 inches just to the right of the “R” badge.
Next, click on the Capture Control Signal to put your RedEye unit in a “learning”
state. From this point you have about 30 seconds to press the appropriate button
on your remote control. Once the RedEye device has captured the signal, the
processing screen will disappear and you will be able to save the command.
Once you have captured a control signal, you can test it by pressing the Test
Control Signal button. If the signal does not work properly, you can re-capture
the command by pressing the button and starting over again.
Tips for capturing control signals:
• Position the remote control no closer than 2 inches from your RedEye, and
no farther than 10 or 12 inches. Try to keep the remote control level with
your RedEye, rather than at an angle.
• Quickly press and release the button on your remote control. Often we
have a tendency to press and hold remote control buttons to make sure
that they register, but if your remote control is the proper distance from
your RedEye, you need not do so. One quick button press makes it more
likely to capture a clean signal from the remote.
• Avoid otherwise interacting with your RedEye unit (for example, from
another controller) while it is in learning mode.
Next, please choose a command type from the Type list. The command type
describes the nature of a command. When properly assigned, the RedEye
application can use this information to create intelligent button layouts and
manage the devices you use for different activities. You cannot change command
type settings once the command is created, so please take a minute to consider
your best options here. If you cannot find a command type appropriate to the
command that you are creating, you can use the command type Other, although
we recommend using this option sparingly, as the RedEye application cannot
determine how to make use of commands without a specific type.
The Toggles? checkbox allows you to indicate whether the command is
“discrete” — that is, whether the command produces the same result every time
you send it — or whether it “toggles” across a list of possible values. Because
infrared remote control signals are a one-way street — your controller can only
send signals, it does not receive responses — we recommend using discrete
signals whenever possible. When Toggles? is checked, a Toggle Values
section appears at the right-hand side of the page.
Trying to decide whether to use a toggle command or not? Letʼs consider how
the power button works. If your remote control uses discrete commands, you will
Device Setup

105

have two power buttons: one to turn on the power, and one to turn it off.
Whenever you press the Power On button, the device will power up. If the device
is already powered up when you press the Power On button, pressing the button
again does nothing. By contrast, if you have a control that uses a power toggle
button, you will have a single button. Whenever you press the button, the device
switches from off to on or vice versa.
Consider what happens when we try to make your remote control “smart” — for
example, by controlling multiple devices as part of an activity. When you launch
the “Watch TV” activity, you want the television to turn on. If your controller has a
discrete Power On command it sends that signal, the TV turns on, and life is
good. However, if your controller uses a toggling Power command, it needs to
know whether the TV is already on to determine whether to send the Power
command. If someone presses the power button on the front of the TV instead of
using the remote control, then the remote control loses track, and may mistakenly
turn off the TV when it should remain on.
Although many manufacturers provide discrete commands for their devices,
sometimes you may not have access to them. If you are going to use the
command to launch an activity — such as will be the case with toggling Power
and Input commands — it is probably worthwhile to deal with the hassle of
making these toggle commands. However, in other cases in which you will not
use the command to launch an activity — for example, with a Mute command —
it is simpler to treat the command as one that does not toggle.
Enter a Name and (optionally) a Description for your command. This information
is visible in many different parts of the RedEye application.
Choose an Icon from the list to determine how buttons created using this
command will display by default. If none of the icons seems appropriate, you can
choose Text Only to display the name of the command instead of an icon.
If you are creating a toggle command, the Toggle Values section defines the list
of values through which the device cycles when the command is transmitted. As
a result, the order of toggle values matters — it should match the order that your
equipment uses when the original remote button is pressed.
Click on a toggle value to edit its Name, Description, or Icon; or tap on Add
New Toggle Value to create one. The name and icon are visible when you use
toggle buttons in your activities. You can reorder toggle values by dragging the
handle (

). Click on the “X” button (

) to delete.

This section does not appear if the Toggles? checkbox is left unchecked.

106

Device Setup

When you are finished configuring your new command, click the OK button. As
with other changes on the Devices page, you will need to click the Save
Changes button before you navigate away in order to make your changes
permanent. If you need to undo, you can click on the Cancel Changes button.

Scripted Commands
RS-232 and relay devices use scripts for their commands rather than infrared
signals. In order to add these commands, you will need documentation provided
by the device manufacturer – particularly in the case of RS-232 devices. For
more information on writing scripts for RedEye, please review the RedEye
Advanced Programming Manual.
Enter a Name and (optionally) a Description for your command. This information
is visible in many different parts of the RedEye application.
Device Setup

107

Choose an Icon from the list to determine
how buttons created using this command
will display by default. If none of the icons
seems appropriate, you can choose Text
Only to display the name of the command
instead of an icon.
Click on the Edit Script button to write a
script for your command. RedEye
includes a template to get you started, but
you will need to provide the text or other
data as required by the device control
specification available from the device
manufacturer. You can click on the Test
Script button to verify that your script is
working.
When you are finished, click the OK
button. As with other changes on the
Devices page, you will need to click the
Save Changes button before you
navigate away in order to make your
changes permanent. If you need to undo,
you can click on the Cancel Changes
button.

Deleting Devices
If you wish to delete a device, simply click
on the red “X” button ( ) to the right of
that one you wish to remove. Remember to click the Save Changes button when
you are finished – or click Cancel Changes if you did not mean to delete the
device.

108

Device Setup

Activity Setup
On the Activities page you can add, edit, and remove activities for the selected
room.

Adding an Activity
Click on the Add New Activity link
to add an activity. The Add New
Activity dialog box will appear.
First, choose your Activity Type
from the list. If the type you are
looking for does not appear here,
please choose Other.
After specifying an activity Name
and (optionally) Description, select
the Devices using the checkboxes
to the left of each device name.
When you are finished, click the OK
button.
At this point you will see your new
activity appear in the list of activities
on this page. You can make
changes or continue adding
activities as needed. However, your
new activity and subsequent
changes are not yet saved, so
please make sure that you click on
the Save Changes button before
you navigate away from the page.

Editing an Activity
Your activities appear in an “accordion”-style list. Click on a row in the list to
expand the activity details for editing.

Activity Setup

109

Name and Description
You can change the name and description for your activity simply by typing
directly into the text boxes provided. As with all activity changes on this page, you
need to click on the Save Changes button at the bottom of the screen when you
are done. If you need to discard your modifications, you can click on Cancel
Changes button to reload the page with the data currently stored in your RedEye
unit.

Changing Devices
To the right of the Name and Description fields there is a Devices box which
lists the devices currently used in your activity. Click on the Edit button to change
this list. The resulting pop-up displays a list of available devices in your current
RedEye room. Check or uncheck devices as you wish, and click OK to accept
your changes.
110

Activity Setup

When you remove a device from
your activity, any actions related to
that device – whether assigned to a
particular control in the layout or to a
launch or shutdown action – will
also be removed. If you accidentally
remove a device, you can still use
the Cancel Changes button at the
bottom of the page to undo.

Activity Type
Activity type is set when you create
the activity and you cannot change
it later. RedEye uses activity type to
create the initial button layout, so there is not any need to change the type after
the fact.

Launch and Shutdown Actions
You can add, delete, change, or reorder
both launch and shutdown actions from
this section.
Click on the Add New Action link to add
an action to either the launch or shutdown
list. When you add an action after an
existing action, a delay field appears in
between the two actions. You can edit the
delay by typing into the text boxes; valid
values range between 0.05 and 20.00
seconds.
For each action you can choose between
Command or Script types. A Command
action plays an existing device command.
Script actions give you the chance to
write freeform scripts. For more about scripting, please refer to the RedEye
Advanced Programming Manual.

Activity Setup

111

You can reorder actions by clicking and dragging the handle icon (
right-hand side. To delete an action, click on the red “X” button (

) on the
).

When creating your launch and shutdown action lists, you should consider all of
the steps required at the beginning and the end of the activity. Do not worry
about what happens when you switch from one activity to another – your RedEye
is smart enough to determine how to make the transition without, for example,
turning off the TV and turning it back on again when you switch from watching a
Blu-Ray to watching live television.

Reordering Activities
You can reorder your activity list in the same manner that you reorder actions in a
launch or shutdown sequence. To the right of each activity there is a handle icon
(
). Click and drag this icon to move an activity to a different place within the
list. As with other changes, your new order is not stored until you click the Save
Changes button.

Deleting Activities
If you wish to delete an activity, simply click on the red “X” button ( ) to the right
of that one you wish to remove. Remember to click the Save Changes button
when you are finished – or click Cancel Changes if you did not mean to delete
the activity.

Laying Out Activity Controls
You can edit your activity layout by clicking on the grid icon (
right-hand side of the page, across from the activity name.

112

), located on the

Editing Activity Layouts
Although you can edit the button layout for any activity using an iPhone or iPad,
certain things about personal computers make it significantly easier to do so.
Namely, the presence of a keyboard and mouse, and a larger monitor all make
for a more precise and satisfying experience. For this reason, the ability to edit
activity layouts was one of the first bits of functionality that we developed for the
browser application.
When you select an activity for layout editing, a fresh window or tab opens in
your browser. On the left-hand side of this window you will find the existing
control layout. On the right-hand side are detail about the layout and the currently
selected control(s).

Selecting Controls
Click on a button to select. Shift-click to select additional controls. Shift-clicking
on an already-selected control deselects it. When you select each control, a
small, yellow number appears in the upper right-hand corner of the control
indicating the order in which the control was selected relative to the rest of the
selected controls. Also, you will see dashed lines appear which indicate the
Editing Activity Layouts

113

boundaries and centerlines of your selection. These lines are particularly useful
in positioning controls.

Moving Controls
Once selected, you can move controls by dragging them. As you move them, you
may see gridlines appear which indicate when you have aligned your controls
with others on the screen, whether exactly along the same line, or at the systemdefault margin of 10 pixels apart.
You can also “nudge” controls in 1-pixel increments using the arrow keys on your
keyboard.

Constraining Movement
When dragging a control, you can constrain motion to a particular axis. If you
hold down the Shift key while dragging, the control(s) will only move up and
down; if you hold down the Control key, the control(s) will move only left and
right.

Deleting Controls
Once selected, you can delete a button by clicking on the Delete Selected
button on the right-hand side of the page.

Adding Controls
To add a control, click on the Add Control button on the right-hand side of the
page. From the resulting pop-up,
choose whether you would like to
add a button or an image. After you
click OK, new control will appear in
the top-left corner of the screen; it is
pre-selected so you can begin
editing it right away.

Saving Changes
Once you have made changes, you need to save them or they will not be
available when you close the browser window. To do so, click the Save Changes
button. If you have made changes that you wish to discard, clicking the Cancel
Changes button discards your changes and reloads the activity layout page. If
you want to exit without saving your changes, simply close the browser window
or tab.
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Editing Activity Layouts

Control Details
Along the right-hand side of the activity layout page there is an accordion
containing control details and other information about the layout. It contains the
following elements:

View
In the View section you can determine the level of zoom that you use in
displaying the layout. You can also choose whether or not to show guidelines.
The iPhone/iPod touch Guide Lines option draws a purple line at the border of
an iPhone screen so you know how many buttons will fit on the screen at one
time. The Layout Lines option displays control edges and default margin lines to
help you align your controls against one another.

Position
In the Position section you can view
or edit the current position of your
selected control(s). The Top value
displays the vertical (Y) coordinate
of the control. When you type a
value into this text box, the control
will move to that vertical offset.
Similarly, the Left value displays the
horizontal (X) coordinate of the
control; typing a value into this text
box moves it to the appropriate
horizontal offset.
If the control you have selected is an
image control, you can set its ZIndex. Z-Index determines the
stacking order of your images. You
can give your images a Z-Index
value between 1 and 1000, and
different images can share the same
value. Lower Z-Index values appear
toward the bottom of the stack. Buttons appear on top of images – that is, they
have an effective Z-Index value of 1001.
If you have more than one control selected, the Align and Distribute buttons
become available. When you click on an Align button, all the controls are aligned
Editing Activity Layouts

115

to the axis of the first control in the selection (the one marked with the yellow
number 1). In other words, if you have selected three controls and you selected
the one at the far left first, then clicking on the “Align right edges” button will move
all the other buttons so that their right edges line up with that first, left-most
control. You can align left, right, top, and bottom edges, as well as vertical and
horizontal centers.
If you click one of the Distribute buttons, all of the control will be evenly
distributed between the positions of the first selected (yellow 1) and last selected
(highest yellow number) controls. You can distribute along either the horizontal or
the vertical axis.

Appearance
In the Appearance section you can
change the look of the selected
control(s). For button controls, there
are three Size choices: small, large,
and jumbo. For image controls, you
specify the exact Width and Height,
in “relative pixels.” The relative pixel
measurement assumes a display
width of 320.0 pixels. For iPad, we
scale up the size by 40%. On other
screens (Android phones and
tablets, PCs running the browser
app) the exact scaling factor
depends on the size and resolution
of the display.
You can also change the control
Name, and choose whether to show
a text label below the control. You
can also give each control a
Description, which is useful on the
iPhone for customers using the
VoiceOver accessibility option, as
descriptions are read to give control
“hints.”
For button controls, you can choose
an Icon. Icons here include all of the available command icons, plus many
popular television network icons. If there is not an appropriate icon, you can

116

Editing Activity Layouts

choose “Text only,” which displays text in the middle of the button in lieu of an
icon.
If you are working on an image control, you determine what the image will display
by selecting a Base Image Variable. Optionally, you can also assign an Active
Image Variable, which determines the image shown when the control is clicked
or tapped (highlighted). The variable referred to here is a “state” or “custom”
variable. You can update state variables dynamically, which makes image
controls suitable for displaying things such as album art. For more information on
the scripting involved in updating state variables at runtime, please refer to the
RedEye Advanced Programming Manual.
Your image state variables should be properly formatted URLs. Because of
limitations within the browser application and limited storage space within the
RedEye unit itself, at this time we support images hosted on publicly accessible
web (HTTP) servers. You can use file types supported by standard web
browsers, including JPEG, GIF, and PNG. We recommend using PNG files, as
this format uses lossless compression and allows for transparency.
The RedEye application will cache the images you feed it based on URL. If you
need to update an image, the URL needs to change. (Alternatively, you can
delete and reinstall the iOS application, or clear your browserʼs image cache.)

Shortcut / Gesture
In this section you can set both the keyboard shortcut for your control (which you
can use when controlling your RedEye through the browser application) and the
shortcut gesture (which you can use in conjunction with an iOS controller). iOS
shortcuts include a number of motion gestures as well as multi-touch options.
Keyboard shortcuts include all the basic alphanumeric characters, plus many
special characters such as tab, space, escape, and arrow keys. Shortcuts
already assigned to controls display the control name next to the shortcut in each
list.

Actions / Toggles
In this section you determine what happens when you press a control while
running your activity.
If you are editing a button, there are four basic types:
• Normal buttons execute a single action one time when tapped.
• Macro buttons execute more than one action when tapped. Macro buttons
are particularly useful for creating buttons that jump to favorite television
channels.
Editing Activity Layouts

117

•

Toggle buttons execute a single action at one time, but cycle through a
series of actions when pressed repeatedly. For example, perhaps you
want a single button to switch between Play and Pause on successive
taps, because combining these actions into one button will save space in
your activity layout. You can create a toggle button with two actions — one
for Play and one for Pause — so that each time you tap the button, you
alternate between the two. Toggle buttons are similar to toggle
commands, but more powerful. For example, toggle buttons can work with
discrete commands, or even commands that target different devices.
Repeating buttons function as do Normal buttons when tapped and
released. However, if you tap and hold a repeating button, the buttonʼs
action is repeated rapidly until you release the button. This type of button
is useful for things such as volume and channel functions that “ramp”
when you hold them down.

If you are editing an image, you do not have to specify an action (i.e., the image
can be there for display purposes only). However, you can also give the image
an action to make it function like a custom button. In this case there are two
types:
• Normal images can execute a single action one time when tapped.
• Repeating images function as do Normal images when tapped and
released. However, if you tap and hold a repeating image, the imageʼs
action is repeated rapidly until you release it. This type of image is useful
for things such as volume and channel functions that “ramp” when you
hold them down.
Actions themselves have two different types. Command actions simply send out
one of your pre-defined commands. To pick a command, first pick the device,
and then the command, as well as a toggle value (if necessary). Script actions
run a custom script that you write. Scripting is outside the scope of this manual,
but more information on scripting is available in the RedEye Advanced
Programming Manual on our support website.
In the case of toggle and macro button types, you can add additional actions to
your button. Click on the Add New Macro Action or Add New Toggle Value
link as appropriate. For macro buttons, there will be a delay between each action,
which you can customize by typing a value in the delay text box.
You can reorder commands in the macro or toggle list by dragging on the handle
icon (

) at the right. You can delete an action by clicking on the red X (

Buttons which display with a red border do not have any action assigned, so you
may want to add one here.

118

Editing Activity Layouts

Tips
The Tips section displays a quick reference for some of the less obvious features
of the activity layout page.

Editing Activity Layouts

119

Custom Variables
You can add, edit, and delete custom variables within the browser application
through the Custom Variables section. For more information on the use and
function of custom variables, please refer to the RedEye Advanced Programming
Manual.

Adding Variables
Click on the Add New Variable button to create a new variable. After typing a
unique name into the Name field, you can enter a starting value. Variable values
are always stored as text, and can be multi-line strings, if necessary. When you
are finished editing the variable value, click on the Save button to store it.
After you have added a variable, the application will select it for you, so you can
continue editing its value, if necessary. Once added, you cannot change the
name of a variable.

Editing Variables
Click on any variable in the list to display and edit its current value. Remember to
click the Save button when you are finished to store the new value.

120

Custom Variables

Deleting Variables
Once you have selected a variable in the box, click on the Delete button to
remove it permanently. Deletions are permanent, so be sure you want to delete
the variable before you click the confirmation button.

Custom Variables

121

Part IV: Android Application
Note: Only works with networked RedEye systems.

Part IV: Android Application

123

Dashboard and Navigation
When first launching the RedEye app, you
arrive at the application dashboard. The
dashboard is the jumping off point for
controlling your system. From here you can
access RedEye “rooms” on your network,
activities, devices, and so forth.
Once you have navigated away from the
dashboard, you can return by tapping on the
home icon (
), which appears in several
places throughout the application.
You do not have to return to the dashboard in
order to switch rooms or to navigate to
activities, devices, or commands. Instead, if
you press your phoneʼs Menu button (usually
located between the Back and Home
buttons), the application displays a
navigation menu so that you can jump
directly to these other locations.

Dashboard and Navigation

125

Setup and Preferences
Because you can use your RedEyeʼs
browser application to fully configure your
system using a PC, and because
configuration on a computer with a
keyboard and mouse is significantly more
convenient than doing so on a relatively
cramped smartphone or tablet screen,
RedEye setup within the Android
application is generally limited to a handful
of local preferences.9

RedEye Hardware
Tap on a RedEye in the RedEye Hardware
section to edit specifics for that RedEye
unit. If you do not see a RedEye unit in this
list, you may need to manually add it using
an IP address. Detailed information about
adding rooms by IP address can be found
under Find RedEye by IP Address.

Preferences
Disable Screen Timeout allows you to
the Screen Timeout preference for your
Android device while the RedEye
application is open. By default, Disable
Screen Timeout is unchecked which means
that your Android deviceʼs screen will go to
sleep after the amount of time you have
specified in Settings > Display > Screen
9

Because the RedEye iOS application was the first RedEye application, it
provides the full range of configuration capabilities. In developing the RedEye
browser application, we have found the PC to be a better environment for the
more complex actions of the setup process. In addition, because the
configuration side of the application accounts for roughly 80% of code, looking
forward we can add more client operating systems and control capabilities if we
leave most of the setup process to the browser application, so this is our current
approach.
126

Setup and Preferences

timeout. If you check this box, then while the RedEye application is open your
Android device will never go to sleep. The benefit of preventing the Android
device from going to sleep is that you will not have to wait for the WiFi radio to
turn on again before using the RedEye system. Because the screen is the
primary consumer of power in your phone, we recommend only disabling the
screen timeout when you have a charger nearby.
Vibration Feedback gives you the option to provide a physical response (haptic
feedback) when you tap on a button within an activity. When checked, your
phone will vibrate briefly each time you press a button. (Unfortunately we cannot
control the duration of the vibration, which may be a little longer than ideal.)
Audio Feedback gives you the option to provide an audible response when you
tap on a button within an activity. When checked, your phone will play a short
click sound each time you press a button.

Technical Support
The Software Version number indicates which version of the RedEye
application you are currently running on your phone, and may be useful if you are
contacting our support team.
Go to ThinkFlood website opens the browser on your Android device and takes
you directly to the support pages here.
Contact by email opens the an application of your choice and addresses an
email to support@thinkflood.com.

Setup and Preferences

127

Find RedEye by IP Address
Normally the Find RedEye by IP Address function is not necessary. The RedEye
application should detect your RedEye hardware automatically within a few
seconds. However, there are some situations in which this will not work. First, if
you plan to access your RedEye unit remotely using a Virtual Private Network
(VPN), you will need to enter the LAN IP address of your RedEye in order to see
it while you are away from home. Second, if you experience longer delays — 20,
30 seconds or more — but eventually do see the room appear, or if the app finds
your hardware easily sometimes, but not others, then there may be some
incompatibility between Bonjour (the Apple technology we use for discovering the
RedEye on your network) and your router. Upgrading your router firmware can
help, but if that fails, we recommend using the Find RedEye by IP Address
function.
To find your RedEye by IP address, it is important to make sure that IP address
does not change. In other words, we need to establish a static IP address for it.
In most home networks a router acts as a DHCP server and assigns IP
addresses as needed, which means those IP addresses can change from time to
time. While you can set your RedEye device to self-assign a static IP address,
usually the best way to reserve a static IP address is through the DHCP server.
Each router and DHCP server
will have a slightly different way
of assigning static IP
addresses, but basically what
you need is the MAC address
for your RedEye —
conveniently printed on the
label on the unitʼs underside.
(NOTE: all RedEye MAC
addresses begin with 00:23:87,
so you may be able to locate
the MAC address through your DHCP server, as well.)
The screenshot pictured here shows how to reserve a
static IP address on an Apple Airport using the Airport
Utility
Next, open the RedEye app to the Setup screen and tap
on the Find RedEye by IP Address row. A dialog box
will appear in which you can enter your RedEye serial
number and the IP Address you just reserved. Your
128

Find RedEye by IP Address

serial number is printed on the bottom of the RedEye unit. After entering the
serial number and IP Address, tap the Save button.

Deleting an IP Room
You can delete IP rooms that you no longer use.
From the Setup screen in the RedEye app, tap on
row which shows the serial number of the RedEye
you want to delete. Tap on the Yes button when
prompted to confirm.

Find RedEye by IP Address

129

Room Guide Setup
When you tap on a RedEye hardware unit
within the list on the Setup screen, you can
associate the channel guide with a specific
activity. Once you have selected an activity,
tapping on a row in the guide will change
channels for you automatically. Typically, the
appropriate guide activity is either “Watch
TV” or “Watch DVR.”

Guide Activity
This will allow you to select an activity with
which to associate your usage of the Guide.
When launching a program from the Guide,
the activity layout that you see will depend
on which activity you select in this row. For
example, it is likely that you would prefer to
use your Watch TV activity layout when
using the Guide to channel surf.

Guide Action Delay Period
When you select a row in the channel guide, RedEye will assemble the
appropriate actions necessary to change the channel for you. The Guide Action
Delay Period row allows you to specify how much delay to put between those
actions. Normally the default delay is fine, but if you notice that your equipment
does not change channels appropriately – for example, one or more digits in the
channel number may be dropped – you can increase this delay slightly to give
your equipment more time to respond.

Trailing Action
Tapping the Trailing Action row will bring up an Action Setup screen and allow
you to select an action to send at the end of the channel numbers. For example,
some televisions and set-top boxes require that you press “Enter” after you input
a channel number to confirm your choice. If your equipment functions in this way,
then you should add “Enter” as a trailing action and RedEye will automatically
include it after sending the channel button actions. If you have an action

130

Room Guide Setup

configured that you wish to delete, simply tap the Trailing Action row and press
the Clear Action button.

Room Guide Setup

131

Rooms
The Rooms screen displays a list of
RedEye rooms on the current network.
If you expect to see a room in the list but it
is not there, please ensure the following:
1. The RedEye base station is turned
on
2. Your iOS device is on the same
network as the room
If you still do not see the RedEye room, you can try resetting back to the RedEye
(ad-hoc) network.
When you select a room, the RedEye app will take you to the Activities tab. You
can select a different room by returning to the Rooms tab and tapping on the new
room. A checkmark appears next to the currently selected room.

132

Rooms

Activities
The Activities screen displays the current
activity for the selected room. If there is no
current activity, it displays a list of available
activities.

Launching an Activity
To launch an activity, simply tap on the
appropriate row. The activity screen will
appear configured with the buttons
specified in the activity button layout.

Changing Activities
To switch to a different activity, tap on the
back button to return to the Activities list.
Then tap on the new activity row. RedEye
will compare the shutdown and launch activities of the two activities to determine
what commands to send to your equipment. For example, if you switch from
Watch TV to Watch DVD, RedEye will figure
out that you do not need to turn the TV off
and then on again as part of the transition.
To return to the current activity screen
without switching activities, tap on the
Current Activity button in the upper-right
corner of the screen.

Shutting Down an Activity
To turn off an activity, tap on the power
button (
) in the upper-right corner of the
current activity screen.

Activities

133

Devices
Although you will primarily control your
home theater through the Activities screen,
you can control specific devices through
the Devices screen. This can be useful for
sending commands that you use less
frequently, or for making adjustments to the
RedEye app if it becomes “out of sync” with
a particular device.

Sending Commands
The Device screen gives you access to all
of the commands that you have configured
for the device, regardless of whether the
device is part of the current activity or
whether a particular command is mapped
to an activity button.
To send a command to a device, first tap
on the device you wish to control, and then
choose Send Command. RedEye will present you with a list of commands for the
device. Tap on any row to send a command.

Adjusting a Device
If you are using toggle commands, it is possible that the RedEye system will lose
track of your devices. For example, if you are using a Power On/Off command to
control your TV, RedEye keeps track of
whether the TV is currently on or off. When
you launch an activity that requires the TV,
if RedEye thinks the TV is already on, then
it will leave the TV alone. This works fine
until someone turns off the TV by pressing
the power button on the front of the set
instead of using the RedEye system.
If RedEye thinks your TV is on when it is really off, what should you do? Sending
the Power command will have the desired effect (turning it on), but the RedEye
will now think the TV is off. What you need to do here is adjust the system. When
you adjust a device, RedEye sends a command, but does not “change its
134

Devices

opinion” of what it thinks about the device. Back to our example — if RedEye
thinks your TV is on when it is really off and you tap Adjust > Power, then
RedEye will turn on the set and everything will be in sync.
Although this sounds complicated, in practice it is simple. If you launch an activity
and one of your toggle commands is not operating properly, just go to the
Devices screen, select the device you need to adjust, then tap on Adjust and tap
the appropriate command row (repeatedly if necessary) until everything is they
way you need it.
Because you need to adjust only toggle commands, the Adjust screen shows just
the toggle commands you have configured for the device, not the entire list of
device commands.

Devices

135

Commands
From the Commands screen you can see
a list of all available commands for all
devices you have configured in the
selected room. Because some devices
may have identical command names, the
name of the device appears in
parentheses to the right of the command
name. Tap on any command row to
execute.

136

Commands

Channel Guide
RedEyeʼs build in channel guide is
available as a pull-up drawer whenever you
are on an Activity screen. The guide drawer
displays a list of channels and
programming for your current television
service provider. This feature is available in
several countries, and we are working to
add even more locations in the future. In
addition to local listings, the guide can also
change channels for you (you must first
choose a Guide Activity before using this
function.)

Settings
Tap the Settings button to configure the
guide for your television service provider.
First, tap the Country row to select your
country.
Depending on your country, you may have
a couple of options. Television providers in
your area allow you to create custom
channel lineups, tap on the Customize
Lineup button. On the other hand, if
television providers in your area use fixed
channel lists, please enter your Postal
Code and tap on the Search Providers
button.

Selecting a Provider
Once you tap on the Search Providers
button, the application will search for
providers in your area and present you with
a populated list. Select the appropriate
provider, and the application will download
the channel list for you.

Channel Guide

137

Customizing a Channel Lineup
After you tap on the Customize Lineup button, the application will download a
list of available television networks in your area. Tap on a network row to select it
(a checkmark appears inside the row); tap again to deselect. Once you have
selected all of the networks in your lineup, tap on the Save button.
On the Assign Channels page, you can
enter the channel number that you use to
watch each network in your list. Tap on a
row to begin channel number entry. When
you have finished entering a channel
number for all of your networks, tap on the
Save button.

Making Changes to Guide
Settings
After your initial configuration of the
channel guide, when you tap on the
Settings button you will see your
information about your existing
configuration.
If your channel guide information seems out
of date or you see the message “No
Information Available” on most stations,
you can tap the Cleanup Schedule button
to refresh the information.
To see channel listings for another provider, tap the Change Providers button.
To customize your channel lineup (e.g., select other networks or change channel
number assignments), tap on the Customize Lineup button.

All
The All button displays your complete channel listing. You can easily scroll
between channels by flicking, or by sliding through the number index on the right
side of the screen.
A header at the top of the screen indicates the day and time represented in the
guide. Tap the left arrow to navigate to an earlier time slot, and the right arrow to
navigate to a later time slot.
138

Channel Guide

Tap on the information icon in any row to
display detailed information about the
program in that row, including a brief
description, run time, and names of cast
and crew members.
Tap on any row to launch your Guide
Activity (if necessary) and tune to that
channel.

Favorites
The Favorites bar displays a list of your
favorite channels. To add favorites to the
list, tap Favorites tab, and then tap the
Edit button on the bottom left side of the
screen. From here, simply tap on a
channel to add it to your favorites, and tap
on it again to remove it. Tap the Done
button when you are finished to save your
changes.
Favorites lists are unique to each iOS
device and are not stored in the Wi-Fi
RedEyeʼs configuration.

Channel Guide

139

ThinkFlood, the ThinkFlood logo, RedEye, the RedEye logo, and the RedEye stylized “R” logo are
trademarks or registered trademarks of ThinkFlood, Inc.
Apple, the Apple logo, iPod, and iTunes are trademarks of Apple Inc.,
registered in the U.S. and other countries. iPhone is a trademark of
Apple Inc.
Wi-Fi, WPA, and WPA2 are trademarks or registered trademarks of
the Wi-Fi Alliance.
All other trademarks are the property of their respective owners.
©2009-2011 ThinkFlood, Inc. All rights reserved.

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Create Date                     : 2011:08:17 20:22:31Z
Modify Date                     : 2011:08:17 20:22:31Z

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