Crestron Studio 1.07 Release Notes

Introduction

Crestron Studio is Crestron's new advanced programming application with the following features:

Core 3 UI/Programming Designer integration.

Ability to import Core 3 VTZ projects.

Custom Macro style programming dialog for events, keypads, touch screens. Includes global macros, variable editor, scheduler, as well as assigning device commands, conditionals, delays, etc. Visual callout programming dialog in Core 3 Designer.

Programming Designer full functionality, with ability to import SMW programs

Finish View: Build, upload, Network Setup Wizard. Device configuration via equivalent of SIMPL Programming tree/Network Device tree

Ability to combine generated programs and SIMPL programs

Full content of Device and Crestron databases is imported and available. Device Updates are also available for beta devices.

Faceplate Designer

The following sections are available in the release notes:

Required Firmware/Software

Released Toolbox 2.34.065 or released Toolbox 2.35 versions or later

MC3 firmware version 1.002.0009 or later for MC3.

Core 3 UI Controls 1.12.26.00 or later. You may use 1.13 versions, but objects not present in 1.12 will not yet be shown.

Core 3 Controls Update 1.1 for the weather app. The weather app will work, the weather widget will not. Both are being incorporated into Core 3 Controls 1.13, and we expect both to work at that time.

The following are needed ONLY if you intend to import modules/programs/VTZ files into Crestron Studio:

SIMPL Windows 4.01.10 or later: You MUST use this version to save/compile any modules/programs.

VTPro 5.01.15.04 or later: You MUST use this version to compile Core 3 UI projects into a VTZ for import.

Included Data

The included data represents Device and Crestron databases released as of February 1, 2013. Specifically: Dev Db 47.05.005 and Cresdt 36.05.015 with snippets for ADMS, ADMS-G2, Fusion, CLWI D3, Core 3 Controls, CSM-QMT50DCES, SB Pro3 and D3 Pro3_AV3_CP3, D3Pro TPCS-4SM(D) and Event Scheduler.

Some devices, especially beta devices, might only be shown in the Manual (symbol-based) type of system.

Changes and Known Issues

Installs and Device Updates

Increased reliability. When updating Device Packages, if your FTP connection drops, Crestron Studio will resume the connection. When the download is finished, you may see a message that the "FTP connection timed out". Re-select "Download and Install" and the installation will continue. . Some log messages may falsely indicate that a package did not install, when it actually did. Check the actual status on the Device Updates screen.

Simpler Device Updates screen. It currently always shows all packages, whether they are installed or not, but shows a column that indicates whether they are installed.

Faster, in that some of the large packages can be partially downloaded, if only a few parts have changed.

Known issue for DMPS-300-C: Front panel is not operational when programmed in Crestron Studio.

Crestron Studio

If you are running 64-bit Windows 7 versions, about twice as much memory is now available to the application for use. There are warnings that will caution you when memory usage is getting too high, so that you may take precautions like closing Designers and saving your program.

There have been changes to the shortcut keys, particularly in Core 3 UI Designer for consistency across the application and to meet Microsoft standards.

You must run as administrator for now, due to some issues with the Microsoft signing dll, capicom.dll, which will be fixed soon. Toolbox 2.34.065 removes its own requirement to run as administrator.

Crestron Studio has been locked down to prevent data changes from altering the program while actively building it on the Build Screen.

If you encounter an exception during program generation, save your system, close CS. Then re-start CS and try again. Data about your exception will be uploaded to a Crestron server, so that we may better understand and fix bugs.

There are a few PCs where SQL Express does not immediately begin running, causing the install to appear to fail. Restarting the PC will usually start SQL. There are sometimes also SQL install issues where an administrator installs SQL Express and does not include the actual user as a SQL Express administrator - ask your IT administrator to fix this. Soon, Crestron Studio's install will fix this automatically.

Program Designer

Dragging a symbol out for edit, and scrolling, expanding and contracting that symbol are now MUCH faster.

We have fixed the issue with symbols being added in the wrong order from speedkeys or symbol library.

There is a 50 character limitation on the local portion of a file name that has been recently added – it’s working correctly for newly created systems, but you are allowed to give an exported system a name greater than 50 characters, and then it fails to import (unless you manually rename it to be shorter than 50 characters). Beginning with this version, the compiled SIMPL program will have the same name as the system, rather than the same name as the control processor device, and this may cause issues with compiling programs that previously had no problem, due to length of the name. If you experience mysterious compile issues, please do a "Save As" of your program to another shorter name.

Importing SIMPL Windows programs with user modules now gives you a choice of storing them either with the project or in a central location. All modules embedded within another module MUST be stored with the parent module. A number of bugs related to this were fixed.

Known Issue: SIMPL+ Editor keystrokes show a noticeable delay when Core 3 UI Designer is open, and to a much lesser extent if other designers are open. For optimal performance, close Core 3 UI Designer, or for even better performance, restart Crestron Studio and run only the SIMPL+ Editor.

Known Issue: Editting a User Module and doing a Save As has an issue where you cannot use or edit the saved version until Crestron Studio is closed and reopened.

Known Issue: If you create a SIMPL+ module, use it in a program, and then subsequently change the number of inputs or outputs, the instance in the program is not updated until after you close Studio and re-open.

System Designer

User modules now show up in Product Browser, so they can be added as devices, although you will need to manually connect a device to the module.

Known issue: XPanel for Core 3 (Web) does not upload properly through Crestron Studio. You must use the "Mobility" dialog through Toolbox. It does not run on 2-Series systems - design changes are required in the Controls.

Core 3 UI Designer

There is an import method that imports Core 3 VTZ files from VTPro 5.1.15.04 and later. However, there is a memory leak associated with it, so you should save your system after import, close the app, and re-open.

Images that are added to a system are automatically added to the Resource Library.

Known issue: New objects supported in Core 3 Controls 1.13 are not yet shown. Importing VTPro projects with these new objects will either just not show the object or will result in anomalies where the object should be deleted.

Known issue: In Core 3 Controls 1.12.026, the release notes say that subpage references will be always on top of other controls. This is true if using VTPro, but not true if using Crestron Studio. Users will need to manage the z-order themselves until changes are made to the Core 3 Controls.

Known issue: The Core 3 weather app does not render properly in Crestron Studio.

Faceplate Designer

Graphics for faceplates are still being added, so not all shipping devices are supported yet. You may still program keypads that are not visually supported.

Future Changes

Future releases will be scheduled fairly often, in order to add features and resolve bugs as quickly as possible.

System Requirements

Supported Operating Systems:

Windows 7, 32 or 64 bit platforms supported when installed and run on an account with administrative privileges and XP Compatibility mode turned OFF. We recommend 64-bit platforms because additional memory is available to the Crestron Studio application. DirectX 9 must be supported by the video drivers.

Has been tested running on VMWare virtual machines.

Preliminary testing has been done on Windows 8. There is an installation issue where Crestron software will begin to install before the completion of required packages such as .NET Framework 3.5. Wait until the required packages install, then run the install again. CS should run.

Recommended PC Configuration:

i7 processor with 8GB RAM