STV Import: HAL Home Automation

[Bohica]

This import allows brings much of the day to day functionality of Automated Livings HAL product directly into sage, providing:

• Control of all lights and devices
• Control of Macros, Scenes, House Modes, and Groups
• Viewing of Contact Information
• Viewing of Sensors, Flags and Timers
• Viewing and Playback of Voicemail
• Viewing of In and Out Call Logs
• CallerID Notification

This should be considered a beta release. It is working and stable on 6 clients and the server here, but other environments need to be tested.

Todo:

• Thermostat control is coming
• Security System control is coming
• Home Theatre Device control is already in this. I just do not show it. I dont use it. Can on request.
• Work on voicemail playback controls

This import was designed to work with Sage Beta 4..11. I do not know if previous versions will work. It was also designed using java 1.5, although It should work with previous versions. Install information follows screencaps at the bottom of this message.

After installation, you should see a new selection in the main menu, as well as an indicator light at the top.



This will take you to the main HAL Menu



The Device menu allows you to control any configured HAL Device. Dimmable devices will automatically have the option to Dim, while non dimmable will not.



The MSMG (or Macro, Scene, Mode, Group) menu will allow you to control any of those you create in HAL.



Contacts will show you any contact information you have in HAL. This information will be used later to override the CallerID names as calls come in.



The Sensor menu only allows viewing today. I have disabled manipulation of these for the time being. Perhaps in a future release, or upon request, I will reenable.



The Voicemail and Call Logs Screen provides just that.... Names and faces have been changed to protect the innocent.



And Call logs....



Not only does it do CallerID, as a bonus, the message actually slides out from the side, waits about 10 seconds, and then slides away



Lastly, I have tried to make this plugin require as little resources as possible, and to make it very usable over live viewing...




This plugin relies on HALiTS, or HALi Terminal Services, which I wrote to expose Automated Livings HALi control to the network. HALiTS is installed on your HAL server, and provides an open network protocol for manipulation of HAL. It is through this protocol that Sage Clients access and control HAL. If you are reinstalling HALiTS over a previous version, please be sure to remove the program first using control panel, add and remove programs. Download HALiTS, unzip it, and run setup. By default, it will install into a TGB directory under your program files. This program is meant to run with HAL, and as such should be installed as a HAL application. To do this, open up the system settings in HAL, choose the Personal Assistant, the StartUp Applications. Put the full pathname to the executable here. This will launch HALiTS every time HAL starts, and HALiTS will automatically terminate whenever HAL shuts down.

HALiTS can be downloaded here.

Once this is complete, it is time to restart HAL. Once restarted, you should see a system tray icon for HALiTS. For more information on HALiTS, please see this page.

The Sage TV plugin for HAL can be downloaded here. This file needs to be unzipped into your sageTV directory, careful to preserve path names of the files included. This is usually c:\program files\SageTV\SageTV. It will place a new java jar in the JARs subdirectory, as well as various images and the actual Sage STVI in the STVs/SageTV3 directory. Once you have unzipped the file, go to the setup menu in your Sage TV client / server. Like any other STVI, select detailed setup, advanced, and the select Import SageTV Application. You should see HAL-import listed. Import it.

The first thing you should notice is a new little icon — a lightbulb — at the top of your screen. It will likely be off. No problems. Click on the Home Automation menu once, just to create some settings in the SageClient / Sage properties file. Then exit Sage TV. Open the properties file, and edit the following lines.

• halPlugin/ServerIP=127.0.0.1
• halPlugin/ServerPort=3001
• halPlugin/VMDir=\\\\blah\\blah\\blah

Set the Server IP and port where you installed HALiTS, and set the UNC or directory path for the Voice Messages Directory of HAL. If you have not done so at this time, go into your hal directory, under data, and share out the VoiceMsg directory. Whatever you name the share, replace the directory in VMDir above with that… e.g. \\\\myservername\\VoiceMsg. If you choose not to, or do not want to use the Voice Message playback in the plugin, leave this setting as is. Unless the plugin can find a matching voice message file, it will not playback.

That should be it. You will notice it may take a minute or two for the plugin to fully populate the state table it uses. As this is happening, menu options will appear whenever there is data to support it. Meaning, if you do not have any contacts in HAL, the contact menu will not show up. Until it downloads the current state of all the devices, every device state is set to "unknown", or a question mark. On my systems, that takes about a minute.

Enjoy.

[gplasky]

Wow. Awesome work. Now I have to look at HAL.

Gerry

[Bohica]

Thanks... you know I saw some thread on this forum a long time ago that took me to HAL... and began a fairly large home automation project. All the while I sort of had it in the back of my mind to combine the two. My two favorite projects.... Sage and HAL...

[geogecko]

Originally Posted by gplasky

Wow. Awesome work. Now I have to look at HAL.

Gerry

Wow. Have to ditto what he said!

May not do this at my current house, but maybe in the future.

Consider me subscribed...

[technazz]

X10 Can be wireless.. *I think..*

So you can by plugs and dimmers.. and add them into exsisting wired houses.

[gorr]

I'm Greg with HAL technical support. Bohica posted what he had done to combine the two softwares at our message board, and it looks impressive. So this led me to here.

To further Technazz's post, X10 works over your existing powerlines. There are interfaces that connects to your PC and plugs into your electrical wiring that will send X10 signals over your existing power lines. Then lights and appliances that are connected to X10 modules can be controlled (usually on/off and dim). This is typically done via plug in modules for plug in lights, or changing out your normal light switches with X10 light switches to control these types of lights. So X10 can be added to existing homes with usually no more trouble then homes being built.

X10 has been around since the 60's. There are newer control protocols we support including UPB and Zwave. We have beta support of Insteon. These work in similar manors where you need a PC interface for HAL to speak the protocol. Then the devices you are looking to control would need to be connected to the corresponding protocols modules. So no wires between the PC interface and the modules you are looking to control.


Here is a break down of the software we offer, I think it is important that it is talked about since I've seen threads reference our Basic software which would NOT support Bohica's interface between Sage and HAL:

HAL has 4 different pieces of core software. HALbasic, HALdeluxe, HAL2000, and HALpro. Once installed these software's give you some level of home automation control and other features.

In addition there are add on software to each of these. HALvoices US and UK which will give HAL a more realistic voices. HALdmc which will allow HAL to play digital music (.mp3, .wma). HALdvc which will give HAL the ability to view most cameras connected to your HAL PC.


The following describes the main differences between the core HAL software (HALbasic, HALdeluxe, HAL2000, and HALpro), but not all of the differences. HALbasic is the least powerful software and HALpro is our most powerful software.


-HALbasic: is the least powerful core software we make. It is an introductory software. It will allow lighting and some appliance control through X10, UPB, Zwave, and soon Insteon. You can control these devices based on using your voice through microphones and/or telephones inside and outside your home (HAL Voice Portal required for
phone control), time (at this time do this), and rules (if this happens then do this, such as a sensor input). You can also control HAL from the PC itself, or a networked PC, or if set up correctly a PC over the Internet (Broadband internet access required). This can also be used as your answering machine.

Has the ability of downloading information from the Internet and feeding you that information. These include Weather, Stocks, TV Listings, News, Sports and some POP email accounts (Internet connection required for all).

HALbasic however has limitations built into it. You can only have up to 8 controllable devices. Only have 4 time based schedules. Only one sensor and one rule. There are other limitations as well.


-HALdeluxe: has all the features of basic however it removes the limitations. So now you can have more devices, you can have unlimited schedules and rules, etc.

It also adds the HALi Active X developers interface which allows programmers to create their own features to HAL (this is what Bohica's interface to HAL was done in). Even if you are not a programmer many share their HALi work on our message board at our web site www.automatedliving.com (a message board is a place for customers to communicate with each other) so that you can utilize them as well. So in order to take advantage of these HALi add ons you must have at least HALdeluxe.

It also has our Cinemar plug in to MainLobby. MainLobby is third party software made by Cinemar that you would have to obtain. The software allows you to create graphics. Most use it to create touch screen buttons and screens. Now when you press one of these buttons you can control HAL. HAL can also feed some information to Cinemar for display on the touch screen(s).


-HAL2000: has all the features of deluxe but adds numerous things including control of infra red devices, thermostats, security, hardwired inputs/outputs, etc (additional hardware required for all). It also has a reminder and shopping list features.

-HALpro: has all the features of 2000 but it is ONLY available to HAL dealers. These are people who are established with us as a dealer that install HAL for others. It supports hardware that typically can only be installed in your home by a dealer such as Vantage and CentraLite hardwire lighting control, the NUVO music distribution system, some select security systems, thermostats, and infra red devices.

Tech Support
Greg

[bcjenkins]

Originally Posted by technazz

X10 Can be wireless.. *I think..*

So you can by plugs and dimmers.. and add them into exsisting wired houses.

HAL supports UPB too. Just need to buy the modules or replacement switches.

B

[Bohica]

Welcome Greg... the two technologies programs seem like a good fit for interoperability... most on this board feel Sage is one of the leading if not best PVR platforms on the market, and most HAL users feel the same about HAL. I think Andy should hop on the HAL boards and introduce them to Sage

[gorr]

That would be great.

Bohica posted to this thread or you could start a new one:
http://www.automatedliving.com/phpbb...pic.php?t=2411

Greg with HAL

[Polypro]

I don't do HA (yet) but this looks like an awesome plug-in. Thanks B.

P

[Morgan111]

Oh Just Great! You got me hooked on HAL now to deal with all the X10 stuff I have collected in a box. I don't have HAL yet but I can see that it imports fine with the standard Sage stv but not so fine with the SageMC stv. Any chance of a SageMC compatible import. Anybody?

[jagee23]

Will this only work with the default stv? If so, any plans to make it work with SageMC? Also....it looks like the link to the HaliTS downloads the actual plugin for Sage.

Thanks.

[marneb17]

It looks really impressive. Would it work with an MVP Client? I would think that the controls would work, but I am not sure about the voice mail. I guess they will be played through the servers audio out. Or is sage's own media player used for the audio files?

Marneb

[Bohica]

Originally Posted by marneb17

It looks really impressive. Would it work with an MVP Client? I would think that the controls would work, but I am not sure about the voice mail. I guess they will be played through the servers audio out. Or is sage's own media player used for the audio files?

Marneb

I would guess that it would play the VM on the server?? I use the PlaySound() function within studio -- it is one of the things I need to work on to improve...

[Bohica]

Originally Posted by jagee23

Will this only work with the default stv? If so, any plans to make it work with SageMC? Also....it looks like the link to the HaliTS downloads the actual plugin for Sage.

Thanks.

Thanks -- didn't catch that. Fixed. I would assume this would only work WELL with the default STV... I haven't had a look at SageMC in a while... the halMenu and the other menus are inclusive and should work with little to no modification. The problem would be trying to match the theme... and I dont use SageMC...

[marneb17]

Originally Posted by Bohica

I would guess that it would play the VM on the server?? I use the PlaySound() function within studio -- it is one of the things I need to work on to improve...

Then i am very sure that they are played back on the server.

Marneb

[bcjenkins]

Originally Posted by pawn

This is very interesting. I have a question:

Will this only work on the machine actually connected to the X10 controller, or is it (or will it be) possible to use any of the SaveTV Clients to control the system? I.e., have an X10 serial controller on the SaveTV server, and be able to control it from a client in another room. That would be amazing.

Based on his configuration you would change the ip address to whatever the IP is of the server, not of localhost 127.0.0.1.

Just a guess though

B

[Bohica]

Originally Posted by pawn

This is very interesting. I have a question:

Will this only work on the machine actually connected to the X10 controller, or is it (or will it be) possible to use any of the SaveTV Clients to control the system? I.e., have an X10 serial controller on the SaveTV server, and be able to control it from a client in another room. That would be amazing.

No no... the reason I wrote the first program, HALiTS -- is to expose HAL to the network. I then used this "protocol" for the Sage plugin... so it would works from ALL clients. HAL can exist on any server... and all sage clients can use it. In my current configuration, I have 6 sage clients configured to test this plugin... and of course the sage server itself.

[pawn]

Originally Posted by Bohica

No no... the reason I went to write the first part, HALiTS -- is to expose HAL to the network. I then used this "protocol" for the Sage plugin... so it would works from ALL clients. HAL can exist on any server... and all sage clients can use it.

Heh, I just deleted the post you responded to after reading your entire post. Should have done that first! Thanks for this, I can't wait to try it.

[Crashless]

I'm really excited about this plugin, great work on it.

Now I have to take another look at my HA setup...good thing I'm going to have some time off soon.