Premise How do you add another Audio-Video Input (properly)?

I'm creating a CustomDevice to support an LG TV. It has a serial port and a well-documented control protocol.

I created an LG Module and, using the class wizard, added a generic TV class. This class offers a maximum of four Audio-Video Inputs ... I need six.

Right-clicking the newly created TV class, results in a menu offering to create a "Modulated Input" (and three other choices). I used it to create two additional Modulated Inputs and renamed them VideoIn5 and VideoIn6.

It looked promising until I attempted to add serial commands to these new video inputs. Whereas they are visible in the Explorer tree:

Devices
..CustomDevices
....LG TV
......VideoIn1
......VideoIn2
......VideoIn3
......VideoIn4
......VideoIn5
......VideoIn6

They are not seen in the central Devices pane:

AudioVideo Switch
..Current Source
....PreviousGroup
....PreviousItem
....Clear
....NextItem
....NextGroup
....VideoIn1
....VideoIn2
....VideoIn3
....VideoIn4

The list is limited to the original video inputs created by the class wizard. The two inputs I created are missing so I can't program them with the correct text-string command.

The Modulated Input appears to be derived from Audio-Video Input so I thought everything would be OK ... but it isn't.

How do I add two new AV inputs properly?
======================
This isn't easily done, but here you go...

1. Add/Create your device with 4 inputs.
2. Delete the device from custom devices (this leaves the class around though)
3. Use "File|Backup to client" and save the .xdo as something like c:\temp.xdo
4. Use a text editor (i.e. notepad) to open c:\temp.xdo.
5. Search for "VideoIn4". You will see a line like this although the ID will be different. <Object ID="{4B871AD4-5906-48B6-AADD-C31CD6AC61BD}" Name="VideoIn4" Class="sys://Schema/Device/AudioVideoInput" Description="Video Input 4" />
6. Copy the whole line and insert a copy below.
7. Change the text of the inserted line from "VideoIn4" to "VideoIn5".
8. VERY IMPORTANT... Change the ID to a new GUID. If you don't have the guidgen.exe or uuidgen.exe tool around, you can use http://www.guidgen.com to generate one.
9. Search for the next instance of "VideoIn4". It will look like this...
   
   Code:

    <Object ID="{0BAB92A1-31E7-4958-A2B4-4604DD3EBE36}" Name="CurrentSource VideoIn4" Class="sys://Schema/System/Command" Value="{4B871AD4-5906-48B6-AADD-C31CD6AC61BD}" Property="{31DB62B4-4832-4DC0-B5DE-CEA674607FE1}" />

10. Make a copy of this line and paste it below the original.
11. Change the text from "CurrentSource VideoIn4" to "CurrentSource VideoIn5".
12. Change the ID to a new unique value. Again use guidgen or guidgen.com to do this.
13. Change the "Value" property (also a GUID) from its value to the value you used for the ID in STEP 8 (this maps this line back to the first line you inserted).
14. Repeat for however many inputs you need.
15. Save the file and exit the editor.
16. From SYS do a "File|Restore from Client" and pick the file you edited.
17. You will get a disconnect message and then the connect dialog will appear. The server is restarting with the file you just specified. Give it 10-30 seconds for it to reappear in the connect dialog.
18. Connect to your server
19. Go to custom devices, right-click and add your device.

Voila... It should have all the inputs you specified.

--jim

======================
Jim,

Many thanks for the detailed instructions! I added the missing AV Inputs and now my TV class has six inputs.

I had scoured the help file, forums, and tutorials and couldn't find an example of how to use Builder to add AV Inputs. I didn't realize one could modify a class's definition in XML. Obviously, this is an easy way to break something and should be used very carefully.

You've helped me gain a deeper appreciation for Premise's capabilities. Kudos to the development team for crafting this gem!

Cheers,
Taras