X-10 page examples or uses

[Mikeydog]

Anyone using any X-10 on their HTPC, anyone have any examples of pages they have created or XML I could look at for ideas. I assume you have to use something like grider to implement it. I havn't played with that prog at all yet.

Thanks
Mike

[MFan]

Mike,

You do not have to use girder. Using homeseer and their plug-in (hsc) to communicate from xlobby to homeseer is much more user friendly than girder. I made some skins for x-10 control via the ppc. When I can, I will upload them and send the link - hopefuly this weekend.

Don

[Mikeydog]

Yes that works.. Great. I have a couple quesitons though if you don't mind. How did you implement it. I create a bunch of on and off batch files and then created a bunch of imported events in xlobby to turn the lights on and off. Does this sound right or is there and easier way. Second question is there a command to turn a number of lights on and off at the same time. I tried "hsc -x b2+3+4 off" and that didn't work (it only turns on the first light). I created a single batch file with multiple on commands and that only will turns on the 1st and 3rd light for some reason? any ideas..

Thanks for the help
Mike

[MFan]

Mike,

If you are using the homeseer - hsc approach, I would suggest that you create an event in homeseer to turn all of the lights off (or whatever). Then use the hsc command -e "eventnamehere" instead of -x a1 on. This works well.

If you want to do this without creating events in homeseer, create a number of separate commands in the xlobby event manager and add them in series in an event. I think you might want to put a wait between the commands in the event, but am not sure on this.

I don't know much about batch files, but do know that the first suggestion above works and do not see any reason why the second should not work.

Don

[Mikeydog]

Got your second suggestion to work. I used the wait commands to allow multiple lights to turn off and on. Works great. I wasn't able to call an event from home seer though. Oh well don't really need it yet.. I don't think. One more question do you know if you have have a button perform different events. For instance hit it once and it runs a x10 on event, hit it again and it runs an x10 off event..??

Thanks again

[MFan]

Mike,

I do not know how (or if you can) do this in xlobby. I think you can do this with a script in homeseer using 'if...then' logic. You could also do it in girder in a couple of different ways (scripting or using 'enable...disable' group logic).

The level of logic required is kind of getting away from xlobby's core competency. I think this is why girder access is built in.

Don

[guedelmalin]

I'm very interesting by what you did !!!!

Can you please give me your script or xml databases for see how you do that...

Thanks

[MFan]

guedelmalin,

I haven't done this, only making a suggestion how it could be done. As I said, I don't know how to do this in xlobby. In girder, I would try the following:

Create a multigroup called X10On. In it, put all of the on commands you want (via hsc to homeseer), plus a command to enable X10Off and a command to disable x10On. Have the multigroup triggered by the event 'x10doit'.

Create a multigroup called X10Off. In it, put all of the off commands you want (via hsc to homeseer), plus a command to enable X10On and a command to disable x10Off. Have the multigroup triggered by the event 'x10doit'.

In xlobby, create a button that sends the girder command 'x10doit'. By pushing this button, you should alternately turn your x10 devices off and on. Like the toggle command on a tv, you risk getting the button out of phase with the devices, but a button press (or 2) should get the devices back in sync. When you first start girder, this might act a little goofy until one of the groups gets disabled.

I have not done this because I prefer descrete on and off buttons, but I may test this at home.

Don

[MFan]

guedelmalin,

I got the girder file to work, but I had to add one more command. The last command in X10On needs to be a girder command to stop the processing. This prevents the logic from immediately turning the lights off.

Let me know if you want a copy of the file.

Don