Plugin: InControl For SageTV/HomeSeer - Version 1.2.0 BETA [Archive]

View Full Version : Plugin: InControl For SageTV/HomeSeer - Version 1.2.0 BETA

lamanmi

07-24-2010, 09:34 AM

UPGRADE PROCEDURE FROM 1.0.x:
Access HomeSeer Updater and download/isntall InControl version 1.2.0.
Go to Sage TV and update the UI Mod plugin for InControl to version 1.2.0 through the Sage Plugin options
Select Control from the Sage main menu, you will be prompted to correct any settings that were not previously set.
Description:

InControl is a plugin for HomeSeer and SageTV. It provides a real-time interactive interface between SageTV and Homeseer. With InControl, you are provided with easy to use, graphical interface in SageTV to control and monitor any HomeSeer devices. In addition, you can use HomeSeer to broadcast messages to SageTV.

Features:

Control and/or monitor any device in HomeSeer from within SageTV
Send messages and alerts from to Sage from HomeSeer with Events or Scripts
Custom graphic library included for SageTV
Secure connection with SageTV via HomeSeer user id and password

Requirements:

SageTV 7.0.8 or higher
InControl For Sage Plugin (available through SageTV plugin library)
HomeSeer 2.0 or higher
InControl For HomeSeer Plugin (available through HomeSeer store and updater)
HomeSeer and SageTV must be on the same PC or connected via a network

Installation:

Be sure to download and install the InControl Plugin for HomeSeer first. It is available through the HomeSeer Updater and Store.
Once InControl is running on your HomeSeer server, you can download and install the SageTV component through the plugin manager.
Please be sure to review the links below for more information.

More Information:

Installation Guide (http://www.lamansoft.com/2.html)
User Guide (http://www.lamansoft.com/3.html)
Screenshots within HomeSeer (http://www.lamansoft.com/5.html)
Screenshots within SageTV (http://www.lamansoft.com/4.html)

Feeback:

Enhancment Requests - There are many other features I am planning to add to this plugin. However, please feel free to post any enhancment ideas and I will do my best to add the capability.
Defect Reports - This is the first public version, please feel free to report defects and I will do my best to correct and update as soon as possible. Please note that this version has only be tested on Windows platforms.

Version Information:

1.0.8
New Features:

Initial version

1.0.9
Bug Fixes:

Added additional debug tracking capability

1.1.0
New Features:

Reconfigured SageTV and HomeSeer Pairing process to eliminate false connections and multiple entries in HS
Added capability in HomeSeer to clear all Sage connections
Modified each Sage UI to access its own Sage properties fileAdded additional debug tracking capability

1.2.0
New Features:

Added capability to Control Events with InControl. To select the Events that Sage will see, click on the "Events" link on the main InControl plugin page. The events will by default go to Sage with the group name being the location and the name of the event being the device. This can be changed to provide a more Sage friendly name. (HomeSeer and Sage)
Significantly improved and added step by step progress indication as the Sage configuration is being performed. This will significantly assist in selecting the correct settings for HomeSeer and Sage to communicate (Sage)
Added port to the Sage Server/Clients listing in the initial InControl screen Sage Listing (HomeSeer)
In Options menu, will automatically try changed port if listner is not active, otherwise will prompt to restart Sage. This eliminates the need to restart Sage while trying to find an available port. (Sage)
Added configuration parameter to set custom text for the button that appears in HomeSeer (HomeSeer)
Added check for Client vs. Server to set RecPort to different numbers (to avoid conflict of Sage running as a service and running Sage Client on the server)

Bug Fixes:

Corrected issue where plugin is being set up initially through an extender prevents the settings to be saved correctly for the server.
Corrected issue where running Sage as a service and then starting the Sage UI on the same server as the service would conflict in the port they are using.

CollinR

07-24-2010, 11:03 AM

I feel HAL is about to be gone from my system! Wanted to play with Homeseer but up until recently there wasn't another option.

Brent94Z

07-24-2010, 12:50 PM

I feel HAL is about to be gone from my system! Wanted to play with Homeseer but up until recently there wasn't another option.

I hear ya. I actually have Hal2000 but don't have it all setup yet. Since I don't have the skills to be able to do this kind of stuff, I kinda have to go where the interests are for the devs. If none of the smart guys want to make cool things for HAL, I too see myself likely checking out Homeseer because of plugins like this :D

mbowling

07-24-2010, 09:59 PM

mbowling,The new version, 1.2.0 (http://forums.sagetv.com/forums/showthread.php?p=438253&postcount=1), now allows you to fire off HomeSeer events from Sage. You can find the options, by selecting the "Events" link on the main InControl page. Let me know how it works for you.I installed version 1.2.0 today to test-drive the plug-in. I love the ability to control Homeseer events through SageTV. This has really increased the cool factor of SageTV. I'll definitely allocate funds in my August budget to purchase this plug-in. Great work! :goodjob:

There is one problem that I am seeing. In the SageTV interface, when I have three or more devices listed above an event I am unable to move from an event name to the center column to run the event. Focus is passed from the event name in the left column to the "Options" button in the right column, skipping the center column.

mbowling

07-24-2010, 10:49 PM

InControl appears to use the TVBackgroung.jpg image when scrolling through the SageTV main menu. Will there be a custom image for InControl in the future? Also, the same question when viewing the list of devices and events. This appears to use the OnlineBackground.jpg image. Will there be a custom image for this screen? I tend to replace the images in the standard theme with my own images. I would like to find some type of home automation images to use here.

mbowling

07-24-2010, 10:57 PM

Have you considered naming the main menu selection "HomeSeer" rather than "Control"?

lamanmi

07-25-2010, 05:56 AM

mbowling,

There is one problem that I am seeing. In the SageTV interface, when I have three or more devices listed above an event I am unable to move from an event name to the center column to run the event. Focus is passed from the event name in the left column to the "Options" button in the right column, skipping the center column.

Glad to see it is up and running for you. I will check out the problem of the focus not hitting the center problem. There is a work around, after you do a right movement to the third column, press up. That will take you back to the center column.....I will get this corrected in a future version.

lamanmi

07-25-2010, 05:59 AM

lamanmi

07-25-2010, 06:01 AM

mbowling,

Have you considered naming the main menu selection "HomeSeer" rather than "Control"?

My plan is to expand InControl to support additional backends (i.e. other Home Automation software), so I am going to try to keep the "Control" concept going. However, it would be easy to add an option to allow folks to customize the menu name to anything they choose. I will add that to the list and let you know when it is there.

Brent94Z

07-25-2010, 07:59 AM

mbowling,

My plan is to expand InControl to support additional backends (i.e. other Home Automation software)...

Was HAL2000 one of these other Home Automation softwares you are looking at? (keep fingers crossed :D ) I've got an alarm system that interfaces with HAL2000 and to have SageTV interface with all this would be the cat's meow. :goodjob:

lamanmi

07-25-2010, 08:34 AM

Was HAL2000 one of these other Home Automation softwares you are looking at? (keep fingers crossed :D ) I've got an alarm system that interfaces with HAL2000 and to have SageTV interface with all this would be the cat's meow. :goodjob:

Brent,

I have not yet looked into any other home automation programs to interface yet, however, I will certainly add HAL to the list when I get there.

Michael

Brent94Z

07-25-2010, 12:15 PM

Brent,

I have not yet looked into any other home automation programs to interface yet, however, I will certainly add HAL to the list when I get there.

Michael

That would be most excellent, Michael. Thank you!

mbowling

07-25-2010, 03:48 PM

I don't see any specific order to the second column device/event names. Can these be sorted by name like the first column "Location" names?

mbowling

07-25-2010, 04:16 PM

mbowling

07-25-2010, 04:49 PM

mbowling

07-25-2010, 05:04 PM

This may not be used by a lot of people, but the only device graphic that I use and can't find in the graphic list is an on/off image for an irrigation system. Yes, Homeseer even waters my lawn. :D Not a big deal, but if you happen to have one, please throw it in.

mbowling

07-27-2010, 09:19 AM

Would it be possible for InControl to detect when the HD200 is powered on and then automatically run a HomeSeer event? I would like to automatically run the event that adjusts the room lighting when the HD200 is turned on. Maybe there could be a single setting such as "Run this event at startup"?

lamanmi

08-21-2010, 12:52 PM

mbowling,

InControl appears to use the TVBackgroung.jpg image when scrolling through the SageTV main menu. Will there be a custom image for InControl in the future? Also, the same question when viewing the list of devices and events. This appears to use the OnlineBackground.jpg image. Will there be a custom image for this screen? I tend to replace the images in the standard theme with my own images. I would like to find some type of home automation images to use here.

Not sure if you noticed, but 1.3.0 has a new background just for InControl. There are two files...one that is shown in while on the main menu (InControlBackground.jpg) and one that is shown within the InControl screen (InControlBackgroundPlain.jpg).

\SageTV\SageTV\STVs\SageTV7\incontrol_images

Both are located in the Sage directory. As it stands now, each version upgrade will overwrite those files, but I can change that if it becomes a problem.

lamanmi

08-24-2010, 05:57 PM

I don't see any specific order to the second column device/event names. Can these be sorted by name like the first column "Location" names?

mbowling,

Version 1.3.1 now sorts the locations/devices....let me know how it looks.

lamanmi

08-24-2010, 06:00 PM

I used the "Status Mapping" feature in Homeseer to set the status text of my doors to "Open" or "Closed" depending on the status of "On" or "Off". The text displays correctly in SageTV, but the door icon is always the red "Unknown Status" door icon.

mbowling, in version 1.3.1 try setting the "Status Information To Send" to be Device String and select the Default Graphic to "Door". If that doesn't work. On the same HomeSeer Device Screen, click on the "InControl Device Information" then the export button at the bottom to export the device settings to a file. Then send me that file for me to further investigate, how the device status is being controlled by homeseer.

Let me know how it goes.

lamanmi

08-24-2010, 06:01 PM

I have several devices that store information from my weather station. I added the outside temperature device to Incontrol, but when I check the status of this device in SageTV the status is "Unknown". The status in Homeseer is 91, which is the current temperature.

Same as my previous message. Try changing the "Status Information To Send" to Device String and change the default graphic to Temperature.

mbowling

08-24-2010, 09:41 PM

mbowling,

Version 1.3.1 now sorts the locations/devices....let me know how it looks.
Locations and devices are now listed in ascending order. Thanks!

mbowling

08-24-2010, 09:46 PM

Same as my previous message. Try changing the "Status Information To Send" to Device String and change the default graphic to Temperature.
Weather station values are now displayed correctly in Sage. Thanks!

mbowling

08-24-2010, 10:00 PM

mbowling, in version 1.3.1 try setting the "Status Information To Send" to be Device String and select the Default Graphic to "Door". If that doesn't work. On the same HomeSeer Device Screen, click on the "InControl Device Information" then the export button at the bottom to export the device settings to a file. Then send me that file for me to further investigate, how the device status is being controlled by homeseer.

Let me know how it goes.
The door icons are no longer displayed as the red "Unknown" door icons. However, the door icons are always the white (door_off.gif) icon whether the door is open or closed. The text is updating to "Open" or "Closed" correctly. I attached the device information with the door open and the door closed.

lamanmi

08-26-2010, 05:04 PM

The door icons are no longer displayed as the red "Unknown" door icons. However, the door icons are always the white (door_off.gif) icon whether the door is open or closed. The text is updating to "Open" or "Closed" correctly. I attached the device information with the door open and the door closed.

Try the attached configuration.

mbowling

08-26-2010, 08:18 PM

The open/closed door icons are displaying correctly with the configuration change. Thank you!

lamanmi

09-05-2010, 07:20 AM

mbowling,

This may not be used by a lot of people, but the only device graphic that I use and can't find in the graphic list is an on/off image for an irrigation system. Yes, Homeseer even waters my lawn. :D Not a big deal, but if you happen to have one, please throw it in.

The new version now has a "Sprinkler" graphic. I will also publish soon, how to add your own graphics. Let me know how it looks.

mbowling

09-05-2010, 09:15 AM

mbowling,
The new version now has a "Sprinkler" graphic. I will also publish soon, how to add your own graphics. Let me know how it looks.
The sprinkler graphic works great. Thank you!

I also just noticed the garage door icon. This a nice addition as well.