Create Activities on Astrion Remote
Learn how to create Activities on your Astrion Remote — combining macros with custom screen layouts. Activities let you control both what happens and what you see on your remote for each mode.
What Are Activities?
An Activity is a combination of a Macro (the actions that happen) and a custom screen layout (what you see on the remote). Activities give you a complete experience:
- When you press a button, the macro executes
- The remote screen switches to a custom layout for that mode
- The layout shows relevant controls for what you're doing
Scenes
Saved device states in Home Assistant
Macros
Sequences of actions triggered by a button
Activities
Macros + custom screen layouts combined
📌 Why Use Activities?
• A dedicated screen for each mode (Movie, TV, Games)
• Only show controls relevant to what you're doing
• More immersive and intuitive remote experience
• Accessible from the touchscreen or physical buttons
Step 1 — Open Activities Section
1.1 On Your Astrion Remote
Open the Astrion App and navigate to the Activities section. This is typically found in the main menu or under the automation settings.
1.2 Alternative — Via Home Assistant
Activities can also be configured in the RosCard dashboard in Home Assistant. Open your Astrion dashboard and look for the Activities configuration panel.
1.3 Add a New Activity
Click Add Activity to start creating your first one. You'll see options to name it, select actions, and choose a layout.
Step 2 — Create "Movie Mode" Activity
This Activity combines the "Start Movie" macro with a custom screen layout optimized for movie watching.
| Setting | Value |
|---|---|
| Activity Name | Movie Mode |
| Actions | Start Movie macro — scene + TV on + input set |
| Layout | TV Card (Samsung) + Minimal Light Controls |
Layout Configuration:
- TV Card: Bind to your Samsung TV entity — shows power, volume, direction keys, source info
- Light Controls: Optional brightness slider + a single "End Movie" button
- Clean design: Focus on the movie experience, minimal distractions
💡 Tip: For Movie Mode, consider hiding light controls entirely and adding a simple "End Movie" button that returns to the main screen.
Step 3 — Create "Normal TV" Activity
This Activity combines the "Normal TV" macro with a screen layout for everyday TV watching.
| Setting | Value |
|---|---|
| Activity Name | Normal TV |
| Actions | Normal TV macro — scene + TV on |
| Layout | TV Card + Full Light Controls for the room |
Layout Configuration:
- TV Card: Full TV controls — power, volume, direction pad, OK, input
- Light Cards: All light controls for the room — on/off, brightness, color
- Scenes: Quick-access scene buttons (Movie, Relax, Bright)
💡 Tip: Normal TV mode is where you spend most of your time, so include all the controls you might need.
Step 4 — Create "Off" Activity
This Activity combines the "All Off" macro with a simple screen that shows everything is off.
| Setting | Value |
|---|---|
| Activity Name | Off |
| Actions | All Off macro — TV off + lights off |
| Layout | Simple "Off" screen or return to main home screen |
Layout Configuration:
- Option A: A clean "Off" screen with a single "Power On" button
- Option B: Automatically return to the main home screen
- Option C: Minimal layout with status indicators (all off)
💡 Tip: For the Off Activity, consider keeping it simple — a clean screen that confirms everything is powered down.
Activity vs Macro — Two Ways to Trigger
You can configure your Astrion Remote in two ways:
Option A — Physical Buttons
Use the three colored buttons with macros as configured earlier. Press a button → actions happen. Simple and fast.
Option B — Touchscreen Activities
Launch Activities from the touchscreen. Tap "Movie Mode" → actions happen + screen changes to a custom layout. More immersive, but requires an extra tap.
✅ Best of Both Worlds: Use both approaches! Set up macros on the physical buttons for quick access, and create Activities for the touchscreen for a more immersive experience.
Choosing Your Layout
Activities let you choose what cards appear on your remote screen for each mode. Here are some common layout patterns:
| Mode | Recommended Cards | Why |
|---|---|---|
| Movie | TV Card (minimal) + Light slider | Focus on the movie, minimal distractions |
| Normal TV | TV Card (full) + All light controls | Full control for everyday use |
| Gaming | Media Player + Volume + Quick scene buttons | Fast access to game-related controls |
| Music | Media Player + Volume + Now Playing | Focus on audio playback |
| Off | Minimal or home screen | Confirm everything is off |
💡 Customizing Your Layout: You can add any RosCard card to an Activity layout — Light, Climate, Media Player, TV, Scene, Weather, or custom cards. Build the perfect screen for each activity.
Step 5 — Sync to Your Astrion Remote
1 Save Your Activities
Ensure all Activities are saved in your configuration. Each Activity should have a name, actions, and a layout selected.
2 Open Remotios / Sync
On your Astrion Remote, open the Remotios / Sync function.
3 Select Your Dashboard
Select the dashboard you want to sync (e.g., "Astrion Pro" or your custom dashboard).
4 Complete the Sync
Click Sync and wait for the configuration to transfer.
5 Test Your Activities
Open the Activities screen on your remote and tap each Activity:
- 🎬 Movie Mode → Movie scene + TV on + custom layout
- 📺 Normal TV → Normal TV scene + TV on + full layout
- 💤 Off → TV off + lights off + simple screen
✅ All Done! Your Astrion Remote now has Activities for each mode. Next, explore the NVIDIA Shield TV guide to add more devices to your setup.
Troubleshooting
Activity Doesn't Appear on Remote
- Verify the Activity is saved in your configuration
- Re-sync the remote after saving changes
- Check that the correct dashboard is selected in sync
Layout Doesn't Match Configuration
- Verify the correct cards are added to the Activity layout
- Check that the cards are saved in the dashboard
- Ensure RosCard is v1.4.0 or newer
Actions Don't Execute
- Check that the macro or scene exists
- Verify the entity IDs are correct
- Test the macro separately to isolate the issue
Screen Doesn't Change
- Check that a layout is selected for the Activity
- Verify the layout contains at least one card
- Re-sync the remote
🔧 Still Not Working? Please create a forum post and include:
• Your firmware version
• Your ROSCard version
• The Activity configuration
• Any error messages