X10 and xAP

[CouchPotatoe]

Hi Steve, well done on getting this out - it's going to be great


I have a problem though although others seem to have got this to work but for me the variables that comprise the HomeSeer device address arent't being added to the target address..

xap-header
{
v=12
hop=1
uid=FFABCD00
class=xAPBSC.cmd
source=Hiller.XLobby.Lightning
target=mi4.homeseer.Lightning.*:
}
output.state.1
{
id=*
state=On
level=100/100
}

You'll note that after the : in the target address is blank whereas its should show hall.light as was entered in the variables field.

Also - just a couple of comments - I wonder if you could (for the time being) wildcard the target instance of HomeSeer - ie the 'Lightning' bit above in the target address in my example - this is because my HomeSeer application is not on the same machine as XLobby (xAP works transparently across the network it doesn't matter where the various applications sit)

... and just as a thought I would steer away from the ABCD UID digits as it is quite a common 'favourite' choice - choose some really obscure number for here. BTW I have registered Hiller as an official xAP developer ID for you

... you may find sending level as a % is a more natural and universal way to set levels although /100 obviously achieves the same thing.

I was also thinking that if you make the target address a variable too ie the mi4.homeseer.*.* then you would be able to send BSC messages to anything including for example directly to the xAP X10 connector - the BSC13 version that is in beta. Then people could use this for X10 without having to own HomeSeer even - and it would work with any xAP BSC capable conduit.

The response times of xAP are super fast - you should see no appreciable delays introduced by xAP as it's is Ethernet speed UDP - X10 is slow to react because of the way it works but when you connect to a speedy device like say C-Bus lighting or a relay I/O board it's effectively instant.

Kevin

[Heiko]

Steve,
yes indeed. there is no noticeable delay in relation to Homeseer. Very fast !!! Kevin is right, the target adress should include the hs device. So it works even if the hs-application is on a different machine as xlobby.
I'll test the new dll tonight.

@Aaron,
IMO a example skin does not make sense. You have to specify the event parameters according to your X10 device names. So you can use any button for testing by using the event manager.

[Hiller]

Kevin,
I have a feeling that you ran into one of the quirks of the event manager. If you enter your string in the variable field and hit the add button it will move it to the column on the left. Unfortunately, it doesn't seem to save what you entered into the variable field. You can get it to save the data by selecting the command from the left and then putting in your device name. I know that isn't explained very clearly but hopefully you get the idea.
As for the rest of the stuff you mentioned, I'll email you...

Aaron,
I didn't put a skin page with it for the reason Heiko mentioned. If you want to play with the plugin you can use the test buttons in the event manager or you can create a new skin page and just add a couple buttons yourself. It's actually really easy if you play around for a few minutes. I'm also pretty sure that a couple people might add a lighting page to their skin.

Everyone,
What else do you want to see? I hope to get the device state display stuff to start working properly so that you know if something is on or off but I don't know where to go from there. I plan on making an X10 plugin that should work without HS, but I am working out how I want to handle that.

[Heiko]

Steve,
if you ask me what I want to see, I will give you three wishes:
1. Full support of "Standard" and "Extended" X-10 Code Formats:
http://mywebpages.comcast.net/ncherry/common/x10.xtc797.txt
2. Triggering HS-Events
3. Full HS State Support (Status, Location; Name; Code, Type, Last Change)
That's all

[CouchPotatoe]

I have a feeling that you ran into one of the quirks of the event manager.
As for the rest of the stuff you mentioned, I'll email you...

Indeed I did - all correct now... yep - just drop me an email Steve.

What else do you want to see? I hope to get the device state display stuff to start working properly so that you know if something is on or off but I don't know where to go from there. I plan on making an X10 plugin that should work without HS, but I am working out how I want to handle that.

The receive side I know is still 'in progress' but I think it would be nice to be able to use a slider control like the volume or track position one to change the level - and to reflect the current one. If it wasnt a slider a % display box would be nice. Also to have the 'displaytext' field from a xAP message transferrable to the legend on a button or other display area in XLobby - ideally even as html which would help with font attributes.

Obviously support for level and text type devices too as well as binary - oh and the toggle state so one button can perform ON|OFF

The access to the interface through Xlobby is what has always been the awkward thing here so I guess it depends what Steven can give you. I would assume that it's actually quite good but maybe not well documented yet certainly the existingweather plugin shows very capable graphics - I would hope {eventually } you could create a comparable screen using say xAP Weather or xAP TV .

All the HS devices 'reflect' themselves using xAP and BSC so anything that has a changing state in HS should show up (and be controllable) in Xlobby once the receive (two way) bit is implemented.

Re the extended X10 stuff - that isn't currently supported via the xAP X10 connector but it is on the feature request list. You can get to X10 3 ways.. 1) via Homeseer and an attached X10 interface, 2) via the xAP X10 connector or 3) by coding a direct serial /usb protocol support and driving the module directly from your XLobby plugin.

Kevin

[Aaron]

My wish list...

what Heiko said and:

the ability to pull the images/icons from the Homeseer device status and place it into XLobby's screen.
- this is useful since I place icons in my HS status and I would not need to write script to display the proper image.

[Heiko]

Hi Steve,
I hope you could find some time to be in progress with the plugin.
I'd like to give a suggestion for prioritization.
If it is possible for the homeseer users to trigger hs events, they can handle all the other stuff like dim or extended commands by using hs events. So it make sense, to implement the event trigger as one of the next steps.

[Aaron]

I agree that triggering HS Events should be a high priority... but I do not want to be setting up an event for EVERY dim command

So direct lighting control is a necessity!

I personally would like to see a "set" of images that allow you direct dim control like I have on my ASP pages... a set of dim levels that when clicking on the image at that level it directly sets the light to the level chosen.

here's screen shots of my current ASP interface I'd like to duplicate within XL...
http://members.cox.net/alevey/ha/hact.htm

- all of this is fully two way and icons are pulled from HS, not specific to the ASP page.

[CouchPotatoe]

Hi Hiller,

I didn't receive any email from you - I guess you are still awaiting developments from Steven that might allow the two way interaction with XLobby to work nicely.
I'm following the other thread too. XLobby will make one fantastic front end for so many things if we can get these features introduced to XL to allow xAP to truly interact with the user interface.

K

[Aaron]

Hiller,
Any update?

[Hiller]

Well, I kind of suspended work on the plugin because of the post Steven had. I'm going to see where he takes integration and go from there.

If I remember correctly, I had the received message stuff working so I could show the status of X10 devices in XLobby. I think it was still a little buggy though so I will work on that and at least get that out to you guys.

I'll be out of town this weekend and next weekend is Thanksgiving so not a whole lot will get done but I will try to get something out at the beginning of next week.

[Heiko]

good news

[Aaron]

Hiller,
Are you dropping dev on this or do you still want to work on it?

[drodegeb]

I am curious about the status of this plug-in also. I would be willing to help develop this plugin also.

Dave

[CouchPotatoe]

I am curious about the status of this plug-in also. I would be willing to help develop this plugin also.

Dave

Hiller/Steven - perhaps you could give us an update on the state of play here as I am keen to see some support within XLobby for HA.

Drodegeb - drop me an email and let's see what we can do . PM is disabled on this board

Kevin

xlobby <at> ukusa.demon.co.uk