Relative Custom Controls

Relative custom controls store the ME re-entry position so that they can be taken on-air from any ME that is re-entered on the Program ME. For example, if you have ME 2 re-entered into ME 3, of a 3 ME switcher, and record a standard custom control event for ME 2, that custom control event will only run on ME 2. The standard custom control will only record that the buttons on ME 2 were pressed, and does not record that the ME was re-entered into ME 3.

Figure 1. ME 2 Re-entered into ME 3 (Program ME)

If you record the same events as a relative custom control, you could recall the button presses made on ME 2 on ME 1, if ME 1 is re-entered into ME 3.

Figure 2. ME 1 Re-entered into ME 3 (Program ME)

Note: Relative custom controls can only be properly recorded and run on upper MEs that are re-entered onto the Program ME. If the ME is not re-entered, you will not be able to properly record or run a relative custom control. Instead, the relative custom control will act like a normal custom control when run.

Relative custom controls are not ME specific, as normal custom controls, but instead are re-entry specific. This means that the re-entry order, or levels that the relative custom control was recorded on, do not need to be the same in order to run that custom control. For example, if we again record a relative custom control on ME 2, which is re-entered into ME 3, we can run that relative custom control with more or fewer MEs. If we have ME 1 re-entered into ME 2 and ME 2 re-entered into ME 3, the relative custom control is run on ME 1.

Figure 3. ME 1 Re-entered into ME 2, Re-entered into ME 3 (Program ME)

Note: If you record a relative custom control across multiple re-entered MEs, at least the same number of MEs must be re-entered in order to run the entire custom control. For example, if a relative custom control that uses 2 MEs is run on a one ME switcher, the actions to be run on the second ME are ignored.

You can run the same relative custom control on multiple control panels at the same time. However, a relative custom control can only be stopped from the control panel that it was started on. The same relative custom control is treated as an independent custom on each control panel.

Record a relative custom control the same way as you record a normal custom control except press Start Relative Recording to start the recording.