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copying and pasting programs, reusing programs without having to start from scratch


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is there a way to copy a program and only change the device being used, keeping the original parameters intact? For instance, I have 4 programs for my z-wave fan controller, one for high, medium, low, and off.  I have 6 ceiling fans total that I will be needing programs for, and it would save a bunch of time to be able to copy and paste the programs and just rename the devices used.  I am finding, the moment i change the device, all the parameters change.

I plan on using the fan countdown timer programs in the near future, and if I have to enter everything in manually 4 different times for 4 different bath fans, I think i'm gonna shoot myself... lol

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29 minutes ago, brysonlndg said:

is there a way to copy a program and only change the device being used, keeping the original parameters intact? For instance, I have 4 programs for my z-wave fan controller, one for high, medium, low, and off.  I have 6 ceiling fans total that I will be needing programs for, and it would save a bunch of time to be able to copy and paste the programs and just rename the devices used.  I am finding, the moment i change the device, all the parameters change.

I plan on using the fan countdown timer programs in the near future, and if I have to enter everything in manually 4 different times for 4 different bath fans, I think i'm gonna shoot myself... lol

If you right click on the program and then click on copy it will make a copy of that program in the admin console. You can then edit the program with the changes you want.

 

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Yes, I have done that, but the moment that I change to another similar device with a different name, all the parameters get changed, and I have to edit everything as if I am writing the program from scratch.  Is this a firmware glitch? Is this supposed to happen this way? 

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I find the copy and edit method a great time saver. After I copy a program I just click on any line, edit the parameters I want changed and click "update"

Once done don't forget to click "Save"

What parameters are changing that you don't want changed? What line and which ones?

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12 minutes ago, brysonlndg said:

Yes, I have done that, but the moment that I change to another similar device with a different name, all the parameters get changed, and I have to edit everything as if I am writing the program from scratch.  Is this a firmware glitch? Is this supposed to happen this way? 

What firmware version are you using?   

I use the copy, rename, edit technique rather frequently and don't have to edit "everything".  Maybe you can screenshot and show examples of what's happening?

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15 minutes ago, brysonlndg said:

Yes, I have done that, but the moment that I change to another similar device with a different name, all the parameters get changed, and I have to edit everything as if I am writing the program from scratch.  Is this a firmware glitch? Is this supposed to happen this way? 

Did you update the parameters before moving to another program. If you didn't the parameters won't change.

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1 minute ago, brysonlndg said:

here is the copy... image.thumb.png.8035ea66233fea4dbedc7d793d6949ec.png

Your screenshot doesn't show the "Update" button at the bottom of the page.

When you click on any program line it gets copied down to the edit area at the bottom. After you make your changes, you have to hit the Update button underneath to install the changes to that program line.
When you are done editing you must hit the program "Save" button at the bottom of the program Tree on the far left. This copies the admin console copy of the program changes to the ISY agan for actual usage.

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currently looking at the export, then opening in notepad++ to edit, then hopefully import back in... I am hoping this is just a bug because I really want to try that bathroom countdown timer set of programs on the wiki and I dont want to have to enter the programs 4 separate times.

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Yes @larryllix, I hit update and it updates... and changes all the parameters... I was trying to not take up so much room on the upload with the partial screen shots

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31 minutes ago, dbuss said:

Did you update the parameters before moving to another program. If you didn't the parameters won't change.

No i did not

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54 minutes ago, brysonlndg said:

No i did not

Here's the procedure.

1. Copy the program you want to which you make changes.

2. After each change click the "Update" button.

3. When all updates are completed click on the "Save Changes" button.

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ok so let me clarify this... 

I highlighted a previously saved program that I wanted to copy, right clicked, selected copy.

It creates a program with a duplicate name + copy

I renamed the program and moved it into the folder where I want to reuse the code and just change the device and nothing else.

I go into the copied program, change the device name to the new device that i want to reuse the program for.

It changes the parameters for the program.  If I hit update, it saves all the changes (the changes that I do not want)

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I had made a bunch of folders and dragged all the devices under the ISY tree into these separate folders to try to make some sense out of the chaos of having too many devices (made it hard to navigate).  Could this be the cause?

image.thumb.png.59758df40b5d40becf620a7e09f04f60.png

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35 minutes ago, brysonlndg said:

ok so let me clarify this... 

I highlighted a previously saved program that I wanted to copy, right clicked, selected copy.

It creates a program with a duplicate name + copy

I renamed the program and moved it into the folder where I want to reuse the code and just change the device and nothing else.

I go into the copied program, change the device name to the new device that i want to reuse the program for.

It changes the parameters for the program.  If I hit update, it saves all the changes (the changes that I do not want)

Try making all your changes and then move it to the folder after the changes updated and saved.

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nope, it did not help... I even thought the fact that I had moved all my devices into sub-folders might be the issue (so i moved all the devices back into the root folder), it changed the parameters once I selected the new device:image.thumb.png.f7a457e4f1804a65112d5bea3c5f755a.png

this sure seems like a bug to me.

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You should open a ticket with UDI. If this is a bug they should see it and have it fixed. If it is normal they should see how annoying it is.

IIRC there were some parameters that did change for me also. It started about a year back in a version change.

Also to note: If you pick a device with different characteristics, the parameters must change, as some of the original device's parameters will not exist in the new device's profile.

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i did... i referenced this forum post and included a backup of the isy.  I understand what you mean with picking a different type of device, but the devices are all GE Enbrighten Z-Wave Plus fan controller modules, and I was picking the identical "type" of device (this module creates 7 different "devices" for the single unit). I have installed 3 of these so far, and I still have 3 more to go... so being able to copy a program and only change the device name itself keeping the parameters intact is a huge timesaver.  I have 4 bath fans and want to install Switchlinc switches for each, and use the series of programs in the wiki for countdown timers... it would be a huge burden if the code could not be reused. 

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Got a response on the ticket:

Unfortunately that’s as designed because it’s very difficult to figure out which devices are compatible (should you have the same values for a toilet vs. floodlight?). And, apologies, we have no plans for changing this.

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i figured out a workaround... this requires knowing what the original name was of the device prior to renaming it in the Main folder.

go to programs tab, right click on the program, select export to clipboard... open notepad++ or some other plain text editor and paste into the blank page.

You will see xml code. you can do a replace all text (in my program I replaced ZW002 with ZW005) and there will be an ID for the name of the program. You can edit this here or wait until you import it back into the programs then rename.

Once changes are made, right click the folder you want the program to be in, and select import from clipboard. 

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