Plugin: InControl For SageTV/HomeSeer - Version 1.0.8

[lamanmi]

UPGRADE PROCEDURE FROM 1.0.x:

• Access HomeSeer Updater and download/isntall InControl version 1.1.0.
• After the installation, go to the InControl configuration and click "Delete All" to clear out all previous Sage connections
• Go to the Sage TV and update the UI Mod plugin for InControl to version 1.1.0
• Select Control from the Sage main menu, you should then be prompted to validate the server and user ID again.

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
• User Guide
• Screenshots within HomeSeer
• Screenshots within SageTV

Feeback:[LIST][*]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

• Initial version

1.0.9

• Added additional debug tracking capability

1.1.0

• 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

[heatvent]

You da man! I will be checking this out ASAP.

[mbowling]

This looks interesting. I've used HomeSeer for many years. I have a "Watch TV" HomeSeer event that adjusts the lighting of several lights in my living room before watching TV. Is it possible to run a HomeSeer event from SageTV using InControl?

[MitchSchaft]

Excellent. This announcment made me switch to v7 today.

[lamanmi]

Originally Posted by heatvent

You da man! I will be checking this out ASAP.

Great, let me know how it goes....I'm sure there will be a few glitches in the first version.....

[lamanmi]

Originally Posted by mbowling

This looks interesting. I've used HomeSeer for many years. I have a "Watch TV" HomeSeer event that adjusts the lighting of several lights in my living room before watching TV. Is it possible to run a HomeSeer event from SageTV using InControl?

It is not currently possible, but this is something I have wanted to add.....I will add it to the feature list and see if I can get it into a future version.

[lamanmi]

Originally Posted by MitchSchaft

Excellent. This announcment made me switch to v7 today.

V7 and the plugin capability has made this a perfect time to launch it. Please let me know any feedback or issues you may run into....

[heatvent]

OK, for some reason I can't get the SageTV plugin to login correctly to HS. I keep getting invalid. I tried setting up several users (guest, admin, etc.). Is there a special level of user rights needed or is there something I can look at to troubleshoot?

[heatvent]

OK, I upgraded to the latest beta of v7 and logged in with my main user account and all is working fine. So far, works really nice to control HS devices. I am wondering if you are planning further features that you haven't gotten around to yet. This works fine for my purposes (I don't want to do a ton of control from Sage), but a couple of obvious ideas/features are:

1. Ability to execute an event (I think this is almost a must for a lot of people).
2. Can HS monitor or control SageTV? This could be great for example, play a DVD and the lights automatically dim. End a DVD and they come back on. Would also be useful for those who use HSTouch to control AV equipment.
3. Sorting of devices by floor, etc. If someone wants a lot of devices, then they will probably need to filter first by floor, then room or something like that.
4. This may be doable already, but somehow bring up Control with transparency via a custom button so you don't have to leave your media to control something.

Anyway, great plugin! I will be purchasing and I am excited to finally be able to control HS from SageTV!!!!!!

[lamanmi]

Originally Posted by heatvent

OK, I upgraded to the latest beta of v7 and logged in with my main user account and all is working fine.

Great news.....can I ask what version of Sage were you using?

Originally Posted by heatvent

This works fine for my purposes (I don't want to do a ton of control from Sage), but a couple of obvious ideas/features are:

1. Ability to execute an event (I think this is almost a must for a lot of people).
2. Can HS monitor or control SageTV? This could be great for example, play a DVD and the lights automatically dim. End a DVD and they come back on. Would also be useful for those who use HSTouch to control AV equipment.
3. Sorting of devices by floor, etc. If someone wants a lot of devices, then they will probably need to filter first by floor, then room or something like that.
4. This may be doable already, but somehow bring up Control with transparency via a custom button so you don't have to leave your media to control something.

Yes, I am planning on many additional features....I will add these to the feature request list and see if I can work them into future versions.

[MitchSchaft]

This is great. I have a copy of Homeseer and plan to move away from mControl soon. I'll have to aquaint myself with Homeseer for a while, then I'll purchase/install this plugin. Thanks for your hard work. We've been waiting for an automation option for quite some time. The mControl guys never got around to building a Sage plugin.

[lamanmi]

Originally Posted by MitchSchaft

This is great. I have a copy of Homeseer and plan to move away from mControl soon. I'll have to aquaint myself with Homeseer for a while, then I'll purchase/install this plugin. Thanks for your hard work. We've been waiting for an automation option for quite some time. The mControl guys never got around to building a Sage plugin.

MitchSchaft,

Thanks for the comments.....I am very much looking forward to your feedback.

[heatvent]

Quick question (or comment) on thermostats??

I added my thermostat to incontrol and I get an on/off option when viewing from SageTV. Is this right? I see you have a device type for icons of temperature. Am I just supposed to be able to see temperature for now or conrol a thermostat?

If am doing something wrong or not already on your feature request list, thermostat support would be awesome!

[bsung]

Originally Posted by MitchSchaft

This is great. I have a copy of Homeseer and plan to move away from mControl soon. I'll have to aquaint myself with Homeseer for a while, then I'll purchase/install this plugin. Thanks for your hard work. We've been waiting for an automation option for quite some time. The mControl guys never got around to building a Sage plugin.

I'm thinking of switching to mControl too. But one thing I don't quite understand... Do you have to purchase a plugin for Homeseer in order for this to work? I don't see a Sage plugin on the Homeseer website. Was wondering how much it costs.

[mbowling]

Originally Posted by bsung

Do you have to purchase a plugin for Homeseer in order for this to work? I don't see a Sage plugin on the Homeseer website. Was wondering how much it costs.

Yes, you will need the Homeseer plugin. It is $29.95 on the HomeSeer web site http://store.homeseer.com/store/PI-I...a-P905C93.aspx

[bsung]

Originally Posted by mbowling

Yes, you will need the Homeseer plugin. It is $29.95 on the HomeSeer web site http://store.homeseer.com/store/PI-I...a-P905C93.aspx

Ok, I see. Thanks.

[heatvent]

You don't have to purchase a plugin for Sage however. Just install from the installer.

[lamanmi]

Originally Posted by heatvent

Quick question (or comment) on thermostats??

I added my thermostat to incontrol and I get an on/off option when viewing from SageTV. Is this right? I see you have a device type for icons of temperature. Am I just supposed to be able to see temperature for now or conrol a thermostat?

If am doing something wrong or not already on your feature request list, thermostat support would be awesome!

As of right now, InControl will only display the temperuater, it cannot control a thermastat. And so far I have only tried this for an HAI Tempurature Sensor (see attached). To remove the "on/off" option you can deselect the checkbox on the device titled "Allow control from client". If you do this, the On/Off will no longer show in Sage.

If you are interested, I certainly can add the ability to control a thermostat to the feature request list. Also, I have found devices have many different ways of representing "status" and "control", so I built in a way to get a snapshot of your device settings in HomeSeer. If you click on "InControl Device Information" and export it to a file and send it to me, it will go a long way in helping me ensure InControl supports as many devices as possible. Please also let me know the type of device it is.

Thanks!

[MitchSchaft]

Add the Venstar T1700 Thermostat and the Insteon controller to that list:

http://www.smarthome.com/2491T1/Vens...ammable/p.aspx

http://www.smarthome.com/2441V/Therm...patible/p.aspx

That's one thing I liked that mControl could do.

[heatvent]

Took me a while but here is my thermostat device (I have all of the control options enabled in HS) and my temperature status device. I use a HAI Omnistat RC-122B thermostat (first generation).