Home automation: In need of a developer (it should be rather easy)

[Moskus]

I'm writing a plugin for HomeSeer that uses the Nielm webserver plugin so that HomeSeer can control SageTV and it's clients.

However, I would love to be able to make it possible the other way around: SageTV could control HomeSeer!


And I've twisted my brain in order to figure out a way to do this. And since I'm no java-programmer (I know just VB.net and some C#), I have to resign and hope that others will help me.

But I also have an idea: Nielm has made 90% of this plugin already, and I'm thinking of the Dynamic Customisable Menu plugin. If I create a plugin for HomeSeer that exports/creates a XML-document of all devices, the plugin could read it and create the menus for it. All this could be made available in a new menu item.


The XML something like:

<?xml version="1.0" encoding="utf-8"?>
<Setup> <!-- The setup can of course be stored somewhere else, of course in an ini file -->
    <Title>Someone's Home Automation Plugin</Title>
    <User>Magnus</User>
    <Password>something</Password>
    <BaseUrl>http://10.0.0.1:81/</BaseUrl>
</Setup>
<Devices>
    <Group name="Favourites">
        <Device name="Living room">
            <Status>ON</Status>
            <Code>A2</Code>
            <Image>images/on.gif</Image> <!-- To be completed with the "BaseUrl" -->
            <Actions>
                <Action name="On" url="control.aspx?device=A2&action=2"> <!-- & BaseUr l-->
                <Action name="Off" url="control.aspx?device=A2&action=3"> <!-- & BaseUrl -->
                <Action name="10%" url="control.aspx?device=A2&action=4&level=10"> <!-- & BaseUrl -->
                <!-- [*snip*] -->
                <Action name="90%" url="control.aspx?device=A2&action=4&level=90"> <!-- & BaseUrl -->
            </Actions>
        </Device>
        <Device name="Living room">
            <!-- [*snip*] -->
        </Device>
    </Group>
    <Group name="1. Floor">
        <Group name="Master bedroom">
            <Device name="Lamp by bed 1"><!-- [*snip*] --></Device>
            <Device name="Lamp by bed 2"><!-- [*snip*] --></Device>
            <Device name="Ceiling light"><!-- [*snip*] --></Device>
        </Group>
        <Group name="Childrens bedroom">
            <Device name="Lamp by bed 1"><!-- [*snip*] --></Device>
            <Device name="Ceiling light"><!-- [*snip*] --></Device>
        </Group>
        <Group name="Bathroom">
            <Device name="Ceiling light"><!-- [*snip*] --></Device>
        </Group>
    </Group>
    <Group name="2. Floor">
        <Group name="Kitchen"><!-- [*snip*] --></Group>
        <Group name="Office"><!-- [*snip*] --></Group>
        <Group name="Living room"><!-- [*snip*] --></Group>
    </Group>
</Devices>

Then we will of course have to use the exsisting Dynamic menu plugin to add this to the menus.
Selecting this menu item will open the plugin. In my head this can create menus on SageTV that looks something like:

[Favourites                                       ]
[1. Floor                                         ]
[2. Floor                                         ]

… and these groups could also have a image, just to make it prettier.

Using the up/down arrows on the remote or keyboard, selects different groups. Using the left/right arrows moves between groups. Selecting for example "1. Floor" displays the sub-groups (the rooms) on the first floor. If we then select a room like "Master bedroom" we might see:

[Img][Lamp by bed 1      ][On][Off][20%][40%]…[80%]
[Img][Lamp by bed 2      ][On][Off][20%][40%]…[80%]
[Img][Ceiling light      ][On][Off][20%][40%]…[80%]

Using the arrow up/down selects different devices. Using the left/right arrows select different actions (on, off, etc). Enter tells the device to:
1. Log on to the BaseUrl using the given username and password (basic HTTP authenticaton
2. Do a HTTP Post (or something) with the BaseUrl & the Action URL (for example http://10.0.0.1:81/control.aspx?device=A2&action=2 )

And that's all there is to it!
At least it seems simple in my head, but perhaps it is harder than it looks…

The really, really great thing about this method is that almost everything can be controlled from SageTV. All that needs to be done to make a program supported, is to make a proper XML-document and a web page that can take parameters.


Are there anybody out there that see the potential in this?
Perhaps it's easier to do than I thought?

Please let me know!

[Moskus]

No takers?

[wayner]

I would be interested in doing the same thing for Control4. I would love to have a Sage addin that would allow me to control my lights in exactly the same way via Control4. I have Java could that could do this I just need the front end written. And I assume the front end could be the same for any and all Home Automation systems - although the code that would be executed when one clicks on a button would be different.

[Moskus]

Originally Posted by wayner

And I assume the front end could be the same for any and all Home Automation systems

That was the main idea.

Originally Posted by wayner

although the code that would be executed when one clicks on a button would be different.

Sure, but as long as the SageTV plugin only generates httpweb request to a given link (provided by either you or the home automation system), it shouldn't matter.


The links in the above example wouldn't do anything right now on my system, I'd have to make the control.aspx page that accepts the parameters action and level. But that's the easy part, the hard part is getting the menus into SageTV.

[Smiley]

Being a C# developer myself I have found that Java is not all that different, so I would suggest that you throw yourself into it

I have extended my SageTV setup with many additional services and dispite a few minor hickups things have gone rather smooth (I did run into some problems when building a ShoutCast service that had to work with extenders, but Java was not the problem, the buffer in the extender was the one to overcome)... so just go for it!

In my opinion the UI coding is the hardest part (mainly due to the smurf-language used in SageTV Studio... but at least the option is there) - but since you seem to be going for a more generic interface, using nielms 'Dynamic Customisable Menu' plugin you should be all set and will only have to worry about the Java part.

Happy Coding!

Cheers,

Smiley

[Moskus]

Originally Posted by Smiley

In my opinion the UI coding is the hardest part (mainly due to the smurf-language used in SageTV Studio...

Well, this I believe is the main problem.

If it was easy it would be done by now...

[lamanmi]

I am working on just such an application. It will have both a Homeseer pluging and a Sage STVI. The main focus of it so far is to be able to see status and control devices that are in homeseer.

More to come soon.......

[Moskus]

Wow, that's great!
If you need anything, let me know!

[heatvent]

Great news. Glad to see someone else seeing some value in this plugin/STVI. If you need someone to help test, I would love to help out.

[exdirtfarmer]

This is great news indeed. I have homeseer and sagetv and would be interested in your project. Keep us all posted.

[mbowling]

FYI... Another HomeSeer and SageTV user, interested in this project.

[banjo]

Cool i would like this project as well. keep on!

[heatvent]

Originally Posted by lamanmi

I am working on just such an application. It will have both a Homeseer pluging and a Sage STVI. The main focus of it so far is to be able to see status and control devices that are in homeseer.

More to come soon.......

Any updates and is there anything you need help on?

[Moskus]

Yeah! I'd love help with beta-testing!

[DRB]

I have Sage on WHS, but HS on a seperate computer. Will the pluggin work like this? I haven't yet tried to install HS on WHS yet.

DRB

[lamanmi]

Originally Posted by DRB

I have Sage on WHS, but HS on a seperate computer. Will the pluggin work like this? I haven't yet tried to install HS on WHS yet.

DRB

Yes......there will be two components.

1) A Homeseer Plugin - this will manage the connection and communication with Homeseer and the Sage units.

2) A Sage STVI which will communicate with the Homeseer Plugin over the network.

This set up will work in both senerios of Sage/Homeseer being on the same server or them being on different servers (they of course have to be on the same network).

[lamanmi]

Originally Posted by Moskus

Yeah! I'd love help with beta-testing!

Moskus,

Thanks for the offer...I probably have about 2-3 more weeks to get the setup utilities established.....

The current functionality includes:

- Ability in Homeseer to select which devices will be visibile in Sage
- Ability to tie status graphics to the device status (i.e. On/Off)
- Ability to control the devices (On/Off/Dim) through Sage
- Ability to send Sage messages from a Homeseer event (i.e. "Garage door has opened")

More to come.....

[Moskus]

Can't wait to start Beta-testing, this will let me reach a new level in WAF!!

If you need any help at all just let me/us know. I know only VB.net and a little C# but enough to get the job done. But sadly I have no experience with Java...

[heatvent]

I can help with testing as well (although I don't have any programming experience).

[sagestuff]

As another SageTV / Homeseer user this sounds very cool to me as well - great idea / work Lamanmi! Will subscribe to this thread to stay in the loop.