Specifications

Crestron Programming Design Kit
Doc. 5277J | crestron.com
1
Introduction
Crestron
®
connects people with technology. As products and systems become more complex, our touch screens
and keypads streamline and simplify technology so people can fully utilize and enjoy its advantages. Crestron
touch screens and keypads provide an intuitive way for people to interact with and experience the systems in their
homes, offices, schools and churches. Using touch screens, individuals can create a comfortable environment, set a
mood, and benefit from technology.
Managing Expectations
The key to designing a successful user interface is having a clear vision of the project, space, subsystems, the
customer’s desires and expectations — all of which dictate functionality. It is vital to know the functions to be
controlled and have a clear vision from the end user regarding system use.
• Will the touch screen interface with subsystems such as lighting, HVAC, and security?
• How does the customer want the zones divided and controlled for lighting, audio, and video?
• Does the customer expect complex lighting, water, and climate control events and scenarios, or do they
just want to turn lights on and off?
It is equally important to evaluate the level of technical sophistication that the end user possesses. The programmer
must work within the customer’s abilities while striving to meet expectations. If the customer is pushed beyond
their comfort zone, then the system will be unappealing to the client, resulting in disappointment and/or
intimidation. Managing expectations is extremely important and knowing when and why to say “no” is critical to the
success of any given project. If there are too many buttons on a page, reorganize or reprioritize the subcategories
to reduce the number of buttons per page. The number of buttons that can comfortably be positioned on a screen
is determined by the physical size of the touch screens. Therefore, a more attractive, intuitive, easy-to-read and
use interface is achieved with a larger touch screen. The ideal number of button presses to affect an event from
anywhere in the GUI is one to three. Reducing navigation, button presses, and subpages for the end user makes the
interface more useful and attractive. When designing a custom interface, start by talking to the customer about the
décor of the room, corporate image, or favorite colors. It is essential to understand how the interface is intended to
complement or match the client’s décor and environment.
Programming Software
VisionTools
™
Pro-e (or VT Pro-e
®
) is the Crestron Windows-based software for designing the page layouts and
functionality of user interfaces. Controls are grouped together on “pages” and these control pages are organized
and grouped together as a project. A typical page layout includes objects such as buttons and sliders that start
actions and provide feedback to the end user. Pages can also include video windows, decorative graphics,
background graphics, text and a variety of other objects. A “page flip” causes the screen to switch from one page
to another when a button is pressed. Browser projects also support page flips to a URL, or even to a different
section of the current (large) page. Subpages are similar in many ways to standard pages, in that they may
contain buttons, text, graphics, etc. However, subpages ordinarily do not take up the entire display area. Instead, a
subpage often defines a small area with buttons serving a specific function, such as VCR control. A subpage can be
designed to appear on top of a standard page at any time and then disappear when no longer needed. VisionTools
Pro-e software enables layering of objects on top of each other, allowing for versatile design possibilities. Objects
are layered in the order they are created. That is, a newly created object will be overlaid onto an existing one, and
if one object is dragged over to another, the more recently created object is visible on top. Refer to Appendix B for
an example program.