Plugin: InControl For SageTV/HomeSeer - Version 1.3.0 BETA

[lamanmi]

IMPORTANT - UPGRADE PROCEDURE FROM 1.0.x:

• Close Sage (server/service) and do a backup of the entire Sage directory, should you need to return to the pervious verison.
• Close HomeSeer (server/service) and do a backup of the entire HomeSeer directory, should you need to return to the pervious verison.
• Access HomeSeer Updater and download/isntall InControl version 1.3.0.
• Go to Sage TV and update the UI Mod plugin for InControl to version 1.3.0 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
• User Guide
• Screenshots within HomeSeer
• Screenshots within SageTV

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.

1.3.0

New Features:

• Added "Sage Device" configuration in HomeSeer to allow for each Sage Device (Server UI, Client, Extender or Placeshifter) to have its own settings within Sage. In addition, to showing the basic configration, it will also highlight if the device is on/off and/or playing any media. Note, Sage Servers running as a service will NOT have a "Sage Device" in HomeSeer.
• InControl now allows HomeSeer to control Sage in the following ways:
  a) While in the "InControl" main web page, you can send basic commands to Sage (including Sending a message to Sage, Sleep, Stop, Extender On/Off, Exit-which will close Sage on a PC).
  b) While in the "InControl" main web page, you can bring up a Web Remote with most options to directly control the "Sage Device" of your choice.
  c) Within HomeSeer Event Actions, you can now select "Sage Command" to send most available actions to all or a specific "Sage Device".
  d) Within HomeSeer Event Actions, you can now select "Sage Message" to send a message to all or a specific "Sage Device".
  Each "Sage Device" can be set up with its own name and can be tied to a HomeSeer device
  e) Within HomeSeer scripting, there are 4 new commands available:
  

      hs.plugin("InControl_Sage").SendSageCommandByID "<Sage Device id or All Device>","<Sage Command>"
      hs.plugin("InControl_Sage").SendSageCommandByName "<Sage Device Description in HomeSeer>","<Sage Command>"
      hs.plugin("InControl_Sage").SendSageMessageByID "<Sage Device id or All Device>","<String message>"
      hs.plugin("InControl_Sage").SendSageMessageByName "<Sage Device Description in HomeSeer>","<String message>"

• While editing a "Sage Device" in HomeSeer, you may now allow it to create a normal HomeSeer device that will show a status of "On", "Off" or "Playing" for any "Sage Device" that is running InControl. This will allow normal HomeSeer Events to monitor the Change in its DeviceValue to trigger actions when Sage is turned on, off or contect starts playing.
• Added an InControl background to Sage

[mbowling]

I only had a short time to test drive the new version tonight. I successfully created an event in HomeSeer to adjust the lighting in the TV room when HomeSeer detects that the HD200 has turned on. When the HD200 is turned off, the lighting is adjusted to the original brightness. This is a great addition to the software. Keep up the good work!

[Moskus]

Will test this tonight!

[Moskus]

*siiiigh*
The IP/connection name is VALID.
Sage Send Port is VALID
Sage Receive Port is VALID
HS Connection is VALIS:

The username and password are 100% correct. But after I click "Click to Login" it tells me it's INVALID!

I'll start one more time with clearing all settings.

[Moskus]

Never mind! Got it fixed!

But what I would love would to have Play, Pause, Stop, Ch+ and Ch- on the HomeSeer devices.
And if it wouldn't kill the server, is it possible to add the title of the show to the device aswell (instead of only "Playing").


I really like this! You have a new customer.

[mbowling]

Mike, when I use SendSageMessageByName to display a message on the TV, the show that is playing will pause for a few seconds and then automatically begin playing. Is it possible to indefinitely pause the show until the "Resume" button is manually selected?

I'm sending caller ID info to the TV. I would like to have the show paused until I'm finished speaking on the phone. Thanks!

[mbowling]

These issues still exist in 1.3.0. I didn't want them to get lost in the shuffle.

Second column sorting.
http://forums.sagetv.com/forums/show...4&postcount=13

Unknown door status icon.
http://forums.sagetv.com/forums/show...9&postcount=14

Unknown temperature value.
http://forums.sagetv.com/forums/show...0&postcount=15

[exdirtfarmer]

Thanks for your continued efforts working on this plugin, lamanmi!

u r the man!

[Moskus]

Lamanmi, are your around?

[lamanmi]

Moskus,

Originally Posted by Moskus

Never mind! Got it fixed!

But what I would love would to have Play, Pause, Stop, Ch+ and Ch- on the HomeSeer devices.
And if it wouldn't kill the server, is it possible to add the title of the show to the device aswell (instead of only "Playing").

So you would like these options on the HomeSeer Status page (i.e. where On/Off/Dim buttons are)?

[lamanmi]

MBowling,

Originally Posted by mbowling

Mike, when I use SendSageMessageByName to display a message on the TV, the show that is playing will pause for a few seconds and then automatically begin playing. Is it possible to indefinitely pause the show until the "Resume" button is manually selected?

I'm sending caller ID info to the TV. I would like to have the show paused until I'm finished speaking on the phone. Thanks!

Yes, this should be possible. I will check into it.

[lamanmi]

Thanks....I captured these in the list.....

Originally Posted by mbowling

These issues still exist in 1.3.0. I didn't want them to get lost in the shuffle.

Second column sorting.
http://forums.sagetv.com/forums/show...4&postcount=13

Unknown door status icon.
http://forums.sagetv.com/forums/show...9&postcount=14

Unknown temperature value.
http://forums.sagetv.com/forums/show...0&postcount=15

[lamanmi]

Moskus,

Originally Posted by Moskus

Lamanmi, are your around?

I usually can only get to the forums during the weekend. My "other" job keeps me pretty busy.

[Moskus]

Originally Posted by lamanmi

So you would like these options on the HomeSeer Status page (i.e. where On/Off/Dim buttons are)?

Yes. And having the buttons on the Status page will also make it MUCH easier to integrate it into HStouch, for instance.


Would it be possible to make the buttons selectable? (Like the DooNetwork plugin is for HomeSeer, I can select the buttons I want for each computer/device).


I know you are busy, keep up the good work. I've already purchased this plugin, and I'm very exited about where this is headed.

[lamanmi]

Moskus,

Originally Posted by Moskus

Yes. And having the buttons on the Status page will also make it MUCH easier to integrate it into HStouch, for instance.

Let me see what I can come up with.....will let you know.....

[wberry]

I apologize for having to bug you again but I am having the same exact problem that I had before - unable to get by the initial validate screen. When I enter the name of the computer that has HomeSeer on it it will not let me get by. When I enter the name of the computer that has Sage on it - no problem but then I can't log into to HS because its not there. I tried going into the properties files and doing everything manually including adding a sage client to homeseer manually but no go. I really don't want to have to move Sage or Homeseer.

I went back to your initial instructions - took everything off and started all over again - still won't work.

Thanks for any help that you can give me.

Bill

[lamanmi]

Bill,

Originally Posted by wberry

I apologize for having to bug you again but I am having the same exact problem that I had before - unable to get by the initial validate screen. When I enter the name of the computer that has HomeSeer on it it will not let me get by. When I enter the name of the computer that has Sage on it - no problem but then I can't log into to HS because its not there. I tried going into the properties files and doing everything manually including adding a sage client to homeseer manually but no go. I really don't want to have to move Sage or Homeseer.

I went back to your initial instructions - took everything off and started all over again - still won't work.

Thanks for any help that you can give me.

Bill

No problem at all, I really want to figure out where these problems are coming from as I have not been able to reproduce them. Can you try the following:

1) Make sure there is only one InControl_1.x.x.jar in the JARs directory. It should be InControl_1.3.0.jar.
2) For now, make sure if you are running any firewall on the Sage or HomeSeer server to disable them.
3) Try opening a Command Prompt on your Sage Server and enter "ping xxxxxxx" where xxxxxxx is the name of the HomeSeer computer. Make sure you are getting a reply.
4) If you are running Sage in service mode, try disabling it and starting Sage directly on the server as an application.

If none of these seem to help, can you do the following:

1) Send me a screen shot of the InControl Server Settings in Sage
2) Close out of that to the main InControl Screen, press 3 (on the keyboard or remote) and send me a screen shot of the InControl Information screen.
3) Turn on your Sage debug log, restart Sage, try the steps again and send me that log.

Thanks!

[wberry]

The firewall on the computer with homeseer was blocking the request. I should have thought of that before bothering you. Now it all works.

Thanks for a great plugin.

Bill

[lamanmi]

Bill,

Originally Posted by wberry

The firewall on the computer with homeseer was blocking the request. I should have thought of that before bothering you. Now it all works.

Thanks for a great plugin.

Bill

No problem at all, glad to here you got it working. Just curious, did you try opening up only the required ports or did you just disable the firewall?

[wberry]

I just turned off the firewall. I'll mess with it more next weekend. At least it works now. Everything is behind the routers firewall too. Should be safe.

Bill