Beginners silly question re use of Companion. (solved)

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ThompsonJim
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Beginners silly question re use of Companion. (solved)

Post by ThompsonJim »

I am just starting with my new Taranis X9D Plus.
I am making progress and can set up a simple mix such as flap to elevator compensation.
I can do this in the transmitter and also do it separately in Companion on the computer. Using Linux Mint 19.
Question:
If I create and adjust a set up in Companion, should it be possible to load it into the tx.? (I assume it is). So far, I have not been able to get Companion to communicate with the tx.
I have updated the firmware to the latest.....2.2.3.
Second question:
After working on a model set up in Companion, is there not a "save" function somewhere? I assume there should be. The program appears to be unstable; I make a change on one parameter, then when I go to view the entire set up, everything has changed.
I must be doing something very simple the wrong way, or not saving or something similar.
Can someone please assist?
I asked a question over on the rcgroups thread and got referred to Google!.............
Last edited by ThompsonJim on Sun May 12, 2019 2:07 am, edited 1 time in total.

ThompsonJim
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Re: Beginners silly question re use of Companion.

Post by ThompsonJim »

Double post.
Last edited by ThompsonJim on Fri May 10, 2019 11:52 pm, edited 1 time in total.
rdeanchurch
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Re: Beginners silly question re use of Companion.

Post by rdeanchurch »

It sounds like you want to save a single model. Companion does not do that*. It saves a set of models plus some radio setup data...including the the stick and pot calibration data in an .otx file.
My procedure for use is:
1. set up a new model in Companion and save it to Companions SD clone structure or some other place on the PC that you like.
Using FILE then SAVE in Companion
2. power on the tx in bootloader mode then plug into the PC.
3. now you should be able to read in the model collection that is on the tx.
[Two new pseudo disks show up. one is the tx's memory...do not touch...(FORBIDDEN except through Companion that understands its structure.) The other is the SD contents on the tx, providing you have an SD installed and formatted as FAT16. TMI]
4. you should be able to use the Read/Write tab of Companion, and in the sub menu click on Read Model and Settings from the Radio (tx.) This will read in all the models you have on the tx (as well as its settings, like calibration data)
5. now drag the new model you created to the just read in tx model collection in an empty slot...or to a full slot if you want to overwrite data from a previous model setup or no longer used model. Now you have your new model in the data structure ready to write it back to your tx.
6. Use the Read/Write tab and now click on Write Models and Settings to Radio

I also save as a matter of book keeping all of the above data sets as data and labeled .otx on the PC for ease of review on PC and recovery in case of failure due to GOI. GOI of course meaning Gross Operator Incompetence. Since I'm the only user, I guess you can figure out who to blame for those failures.

* a lie, there is another way to do many things in OpenTx, but to me, it is even more convoluted than the procedure above..
Dean
OldDmbThms: 1. Takeoff, 2. Crash, 3. Repair, GOTO 1
ThompsonJim
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Re: Beginners silly question re use of Companion.

Post by ThompsonJim »

Excellent!
That seems to be just what I need, many thanks Dean.
I have copied and pasted a word doc and saved for later reference. I will try using your instructions tonight.
I fully expect that I will then be able to edit this thread as solved.
But.........I better not get ahead of myself.

Jim.
ThompsonJim
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Re: Beginners silly question re use of Companion.

Post by ThompsonJim »

rdeanchurch wrote: Fri May 10, 2019 11:36 pm .............................
I also save as a matter of book keeping all of the above data sets as data and labeled .otx on the PC .........................
I've understood your description, but I am still not clear on the full details of the "save" function.
I find save and save as under file.
However, it does not give me a destination option or options.
Where do the files go when I "save" please?

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Kilrah
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Re: Beginners silly question re use of Companion.

Post by Kilrah »

In pretty much every computer program "Save" saves the currently open document under the same name it's been either already saved or opened as, "Save As" makes a new copy under a new name. If no already saved document is open "Save" does the same as "Save As"...
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bob195558
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Re: Beginners silly question re use of Companion.

Post by bob195558 »

Can just make a new folder and name it what you want and then make your save/saved/save-as files to there.
If you do not know where the file is, you can do a search
and in Windows most of the time is saved in "Documents" or the older name was "My Documents".
Also look for the date and time when the file was created or saved.

I miss XP and we are going to be missing Win-7 64bit.
My desktop does not like Win-10, which maybe because of the age of Mother-board, but not sure.
Last edited by bob195558 on Sun May 12, 2019 6:23 am, edited 1 time in total.
Er9x on 9x radio, with Smartieparts Programmer and TelemetrEZ Board.
ErSky9x on Taranis, Sky9x, 9Xtreme radios.
3D-Printing: (https://openrcforums.com/forum/viewforum.php?f=129).
ThompsonJim
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Destination Folder?

Post by ThompsonJim »

Kilrah wrote: Sat May 11, 2019 12:10 pm In pretty much every computer program "Save" saves the currently open document under the same name it's been either already saved or opened as, "Save As" makes a new copy under a new name. If no already saved document is open "Save" does the same as "Save As"...
Thanks for the reply Kilrah, but unfortunately, it does not help me. I might not have explained my question properly.
I know about save functions generally; I am conversant and reasonably competent across 3 different computer operating systems, open source and otherwise. So, I well understand the general procedure, folder selection and such.
My question is related to the destination folder, with view to later recovery.
I don't see any choice options offered in Companion as to where the "save" or "save as" file goes before I make a choice and hit the button.
After saving, I have difficulty finding the file.
Perhaps I should try this in Win7? (I have a partition with that OS on it).
This could possibly be a Linux anomoly, but I would suspect my blindness and obtuseness first!.................. :)

Jim.
Last edited by ThompsonJim on Sun May 12, 2019 12:18 am, edited 4 times in total.
ThompsonJim
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Re: Beginners silly question re use of Companion.

Post by ThompsonJim »

bob195558 wrote: Sat May 11, 2019 12:27 pm Can just make a new folder and name it what you want and then make your save/saved/save-as files to there.
............................
Thanks for the reply Bob.
Please see my reply to Kilrah above.

Jim.
ThompsonJim
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Re: Destination Folder?

Post by ThompsonJim »

Double post.
rdeanchurch
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Re: Beginners silly question re use of Companion.

Post by rdeanchurch »

Perhaps it is different in Linux, it works well in Windows10.
Win10SaveAsFromCompanion.PNG
Dean
OldDmbThms: 1. Takeoff, 2. Crash, 3. Repair, GOTO 1
ThompsonJim
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Re: Beginners silly question re use of Companion.

Post by ThompsonJim »

rdeanchurch wrote: Sun May 12, 2019 12:56 am Perhaps it is different in Linux, it works well in Windows10.Win10SaveAsFromCompanion.PNG
I am beginning to see that is the case Dean.
So I will be searching for a file with .otx extension, correct?
I know it has saved, but cannot find it in my file manager ...........yet.
It will be there, just got to sort out where.

Thanks again for hanging in there with my trivial problem.

Jim.
ThompsonJim
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Re: Beginners silly question re use of Companion.

Post by ThompsonJim »

When I load Companion the next time after hitting "save" for a model set up, the file loads immediately; indicating I have saved it successfully.
So, is the file actually saved in the Companion application itself?
Or is the file saved in the "home folder"? (Which appears to happen in Deans screenshot of the Win10 folder system).
ThompsonJim
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Found it!

Post by ThompsonJim »

I found the file and the folder!
Old man asleep at the wheel...............again!
Sorry about all the fuss guys. I'm a bit red faced about this, to say the least.
The clue was in Kilrah's reply above...................I had previously hit "saved as" and chosen a file destination.

All good. I'll edit the post as solved.

Jim.
Attachments
Save as in Models.png

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