TouchControl "devices" are groups of buttons with a common purpose.  This can include:

• Controlling an individual device, such as a TV, receiver, computer, etc.

• Performing similar functions, such as controlling various lighting devices or scenes, etc.

• Executing commands for a given protocol, such as X-10, Z-wave, HTTP, etc.

• Any other logical grouping of buttons that make sense to you given your configuration.

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Devices can be shared directly from the TouchControl Server app on macOS or Windows as follows:

 

•  Right-click on any device in the "Available Devices" list and select the "Share..." option.
   

Device sharing allows you to benefit from the efforts of others who have similar devices, set-ups or environments, and allows others to benefit from yours, helping to minimize some of the overhead required to get up and running, or when adding a new device or interface to an existing configuration.

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Shared devices contain the individual buttons that have been added to the device, including any button command, and optionally including scripts and properties that have been added to those buttons, as well as any interface hosts that are controlled by those buttons.  Interface hosts found in a device export file are automatically added to TouchControl Server's Interface Manager after importing a device file.  

 

When exporting/importing shared devices, please note the following important items:

 

• If buttons execute script from external script files, you should select the needed external script files during the sharing/export process.
   

• IP addresses for interface hosts that are added to the export will be replaced with "xxx.xxx.xxx.xxx" in the exported device file.  After importing a device, you should edit any added interface hosts and update the IP address for your environment.
   

• If button properties are included, any HTTP Request buttons that use the HTTPAuth property will have the ID/password replaced with "xxxx" in the exported device file.  Likewise, HTTP Request interface hosts that are automatically added to the export, and that have HTTP authorization settings enabled, will have the ID/password replaced with "xxxx" in the exported device file.  After importing a device with buttons that require HTTP authorization, you should edit the buttons/hosts and update the ID/password for your environment.
   

• Any other information that may be included in button configurations (within commands, script, properties, etc.) will be included in the export file, so please be aware of this when sharing.
   

• When importing devices, if an imported device has the same name as an existing device in your configuration, the imported device will be re-named using a numeric incrementer (i.e. DeviceName-1, DeviceName-2, etc., until an available device name is found).  Similarly, if any interfaces that are imported with a device have the same name as an existing interface, the imported interface will be re-named using a numeric incrementer, and the affected buttons in the imported device will be updated to reference the new interface name.
   

• Before sharing a device, if there are any specific instructions that would be useful for anyone using the device in their configuration, please include a "*README*" script button in the device and document any pertinent information in the script field.  If you feel comfortable doing so, you might also include your contact information for anyone who might have questions regarding your device.  This is not a requirement but might be helpful.  When importing a device, always look for a "*README*" button for useful information.  
   

• NO personally-identifying information (other than info you may include in your device/button configuration and/or README button) is captured during the device sharing process.
   

• If you re-upload a device with the same name as a device that you have previously shared, the new device will replace the previous device on the web site.  If you would like to remove a shared device, currently you'll need to contact support@touchapptech.com to have a shared device deleted from the site. (Deleting shared devices may be added as a future enhancement.)

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Use the following button to open a page listing the currently shared devices, and providing a link to download the exported device files to your computer.  Once downloaded, you can import the devices into TouchControl Server using the "Import configuration..." option on the server's "Tools" menu.  Once imported, the devices show up just like any other device you have added, and can be freely modified to suit your specific needs, and added to any activity desired. 

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You can also request a specific device configuration from the TouchControl community on that page. Device requests are simply displayed on the page for others to see, and help let other users know if they may have a configuration that could help someone else.  You should visit this page any time you add a new device to your configuration and don't already have the button configurations that you require.

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