Quick-Create groups

Usually when storing new groups you need to do several steps: store the group which creates it in the show library, move it to the location where you want it, and set its legend. Using quickcreate you can do all in one go: create the group with the legend you want in the location you want. Also pay attention to the function Handles.CreateHandleReference which creates a reference to a not-yet existing handle. on the contrary something like Group.QuickCreateGroup(“Location=Groups,1,10”, userNumber:10, “Group 10”, 0) would throw an error and would not work as currently no handle exists with this location.

• Group.RecallGroup
• UserMacros.RecallMacroById
• Group.QuickCreateGroup
• Handles.CreateHandleReference
• Programmer.Editor.Clear

• Attribute.Mask.Clear.Value
• Programmer.Editor.Fixtures.Clear.Presets
• Expert.ClearMenu.FadeTime

QuickCreateGroups.xml

<?xml version="1.0" encoding="utf-8"?>
<avolites.macros>
  <macro id="Wiki.Macros.QuickCreateGroups" name="QuickCreate Groups">
    <sequence>
 
      <!-- Select group 1, pattern even. Save with Usernumber 10 -->
      <step>Group.RecallGroup(userNumber: 1)</step>
      <step pause="0.001">UserMacros.RecallMacroById("Avolites.Macros.PatternSelection.Odd")</step>
      <step>Group.QuickCreateGroup(Handles.CreateHandleReference("Groups", 1, 10), userNumber:10, "Group 10", 0)</step>
      <step pause="0.01">Programmer.Editor.Clear(Attribute.Mask.Clear.Value, Programmer.Editor.Fixtures.Clear.Presets, false, Expert.ClearMenu.FadeTime)</step>
 
      <!-- Select group 1, pattern even. Save with Usernumber 11 -->
      <step>Group.RecallGroup(userNumber: 1)</step>
      <step pause="0.001">UserMacros.RecallMacroById("Avolites.Macros.PatternSelection.Even")</step>
      <step>Group.QuickCreateGroup(Handles.CreateHandleReference("Groups", 1, 11), userNumber:11, "Group 11", 0)</step>
      <step pause="0.001">Programmer.Editor.Clear(Attribute.Mask.Clear.Value, Programmer.Editor.Fixtures.Clear.Presets, false, Expert.ClearMenu.FadeTime)</step>
 
    </sequence>
  </macro>
</avolites.macros>

This explains the functional steps within the sequence. For all the other XML details please refer to Formats and syntax

• Group.RecallGroup(userNumber: 1) selects group 1
• UserMacros.RecallMacroById(“Avolites.Macros.PatternSelection.Odd”) selects the odd fixtures only
• Group.QuickCreateGroup(Handles.CreateHandleReference(“Groups”, 1, 10), userNumber:10, “Group 10”, 0) does the heavy lifting here: it creates the new group
  • on button 11 on page 2 of the groups window, as denoted by Handles.CreateHandleReference(“Groups”, 1, 10)
    (we need to use this to create a reference to a not-yet existing handle)
  • with userNumber 10
  • with the legend “Group 10”
  • the function also allows to set the icon if you know its Titan Id
• Programmer.Editor.Clear simply clears the selection (a quicker way would be Programmer.Editor.ClearAll(true, true) while Handles.ClearSelection() would not work as selecting fixtures to create a group is a programmer operation)

1. make this macro available
2. this is probably more suitable as part of setup macros to quickly create the groups you like in a new show