Hi,

I've downloaded a beta version of the Commander-X and so far I have only created a PANIC button (flash all lights for 20 times). It works good and I'm amazed.

My next project is to create a LOGIC-GATE that will check for the time before it turns on/dim some lights. What I wanted it to do is the following:

As I press a button on the Pronto to watch DVD, it will also send an infared X10 code (A10 ON), but before it actually turn on/dim the lights, I want it to check the time whether it's appropriate to turn on the lights. (You know, I sometimes watch movies during daytime)

As for the coding, I think it'd look something like this:

IF Time>Dawn THEN A1 DIM TO 50%,A2 OFF, A3 OFF

I wonder what the difference is between "DIM TO" and "BRIGHT TO" as the ceiling light will be turned on from OFF. The ceiling light switch is just a cheapo X10 dimmer switch (aka no advance dimming)

Also, if you wouldn't mind sharing your scripts with me, I'd really appreciate it.

Thanks

Simon

Sorry, something I want to add... I have some low voltage recessed lights that I'm using appliance module to control them. Therefore, I created a new module in CommanderX as I set the applicance module to respond ALL LIGHTS ON/OFF, would it actually work?

I've figured out the lighting macro with Commander-X.

First of all, you need an unused unit code that can be turned ON by remote. In my case, I will assign "B1".

Schedule file: away.sch
------------------------
0000 B1=0 ; initializes B1 to be OFF
1900 IF B1=100 THEN away.scr ; activate script if B1 is ON at 7pm

Script file: away.scr
---------------------
B1 OFF ; reset the macro activator to OFF
B2,B3 ON ; turns lamps B2 & B3 ON
PAUSE 7200 ; wait 7200 seconds (2 hours)
B2,B3 OFF ; turns lamps B2 & B3 OFF


Basically, what it does is that everyday at 7pm, it will check to see if B1 is ON. If it is, it will run the script to turn the lights on for 2 hours. If B1 is OFF, the script does not run.

You can press B1-ON anytime after midnight to activate the light sequence for that day.

** Obviously, Commander-X must be running for this to work.

Simon, let me know if this is what your idea was and if it works.

Roland

Hi Roland,

What you have done is exactly what I'm looking for. I went a little bit further and did the following:

Schedule file: weekday.sch
------------------------
0000 B1=0 ; initializes B1 to be OFF
1900 IF B1=100 THEN away.scr ; activate script if B1 is ON at 7pm

Script file: away.scr
---------------------
B1 OFF
IF B2>0 THEN END ; something new I added
B2,B3 ON ; turns lamps B2 & B3 ON
PAUSE 7200 ; wait 7200 seconds (2 hours)
B2,B3 OFF ; turns lamps B2 & B3 OFF

---------------------
Basically I have to put the away schedule in the WEEKDAY.SCH so that it will run along with other schedules (I haven't been able to have time to modify weekends and holidays). Then at 19:00, the script will run as it's supposed to.

I added a new line just in case I decided not to go out and the light has already been turned on, the script will not run.


The following are some of the scripts I created last night:

THEATER LIGHTS ON:
------------------
IF Time
IF A1>0 THEN A1 OFF ; I don't like this one, but it will make sure the script will work 100%
A1 DIM TO 50% ; After it's off, it will then dim down to 50%
A2 OFF ; turn off other lamp
A3 OFF ; turn off other lamp

I haven't found a command to issue an "ABSOLUTE DIM". If it happens to be the ceiling light is already on and dim to 70%, when I issue a DIM 50%command, the final result is going to be 20% rather than absolute 50%. Therefore, I made that line so it sort of reset the dim level and will always go to 50%. I'm not satisfied with this script because if the light is already on, then it will be turned off then then on then dim to 50%. I want to improve it to if it's already on, it will dim to 50% and that's it.

THEATER LIGHTS OFF:
-------------------
IF Time
A2 ON
A3 OFF
IF A1>0 THEN A1 DIM TO 0%
A1 OFF

This script will basically turn on one lamp and leave everything else off. A1 (ceiling fixture) will be dimmed down to 0% then OFF. Also the script can only be run after the sun has set down. I'm satisfied with this script!

PANIC:
------
FlashN A1,4,0
FlashN A5,4,0
FlashN A8,4,0
FlashN A7,4,0

I wanted to flash all those lights at once, but it will take too long to process one cycle (unless they are in the same code like A10). Therefore, I flash them one by one. At a later time, I will add a chime module so it will sound also. I'm sort of happy with this, but I wanted to flash lights all at once. I wonder if I add a chime module, can I set it to chime for 2 minutes while other lights are flashing?

I found out this Commander-X program is superb and there is almost nothing you can't do with it. It's like Pronto, it's only limited to your imagination.

Thanks Roland for your tips.

Simon

Opps, correction to some of the scripts above:

THEATER LIGHTS OFF:
-------------------
IF TimeA2 ON
A3 OFF
IF A1>0 THEN A1 DIM TO 0%
A1 OFF

THEATER LIGHTS ON:
------------------
IF TimeIF A1>0 THEN A1 OFF ; I don't like this one, but it will make sure the script will work 100%
A1 DIM TO 50% ; After it's off, it will then dim down to 50%
A2 OFF ; turn off other lamp
A3 OFF ; turn off other lamp

Hmm, it seems the program doesn't like "LESS THAN SIGN". Basically the script I have is IF TIME "LESS THAN" DUSK THEN END. It never get printed!!!

In addition, I found Commander-X won't allow me to do multiple IF statments such as:

IF TIME "MORE THAN" DUSK THEN
A1 ON
A2 ON
A3 OFF
END

The above doesn't work!!! The first two lines will work but it will ignore the rest of it. Any ideas? Thanks

Simon

Simon, have you completely abandoned your ActiveHome software? I think i will play around with Commander-X for about a month before I consider abandoning ActiveHome software.

The only thing is that I turn off the computer if I will be gone for more than 2 days. ActiveHome become a convenience then.

I like the idea of the following line in the script:
IF B2>0 THEN END
but I will probably use:
IF B2>0 OR B3>0 OR B4>0 THEN END
That way, if any one of the 3 lights in my family room are on (which one of them usually are when we're home), it will cancel the script.

Commander-X is a really easy-to-program software. I had to get used to it, but I already like it.

** I'm finally installing the signal bridge this weekend. I should see MUCH improvement with the signals to some of my modules. :)

Roland

You are correct about Commander-X not accepting block IF/THEN/ELSE statements directly.

instead of:
IF TIME "MORE THAN" DUSK THEN
A1 ON
A2 ON
A3 OFF
END

you will have to do it this way:
IF TIME "MORE THAN" DUSK THEN lights.scr

and create another script: lights.scr
-------------------------------------
A1 ON
A2 ON
A3 OFF


Good Luck,
Roland

Roland, thanks for the tips about BLOCK IF/THEN/ELSE. I'll try it tonight and it should work. Another way I found it should work is to use GOTO and &Label. I'll have to experiment it to see which one is better.

Right now, I'm re-writing all the macros in Commander-X because of its LOGIC capability. Just thought of something, I guess I could use ActiveHome to design macros then use Commander-X to trigger the event. Things such as turning on Theater Lights could be done in ActiveHome and set a code to M1 ON for example. Then in Commander-X I only need one line, that is:
IF Time>Dusk THEN M1 ON

This will clean up the complain I had before about I have to turn of the ceiling light first then dim because Commander-X didn't have absolute dim (ActiveHome has absolute dim setting).

Well, I guess I won't abandon ActiveHome software. BTW, I'm running the Commander-X software on a 486 computer. All the programming and testings are done through a P2 though. I'm glad I can find a use of the 486.

I wish you good luck in your signal bridge project.

Simon

Roland,

Bad news!!!! ActiveHome Macros will not work with Commander-X. I created the HT macro and set it to P1 ON. From Commander-X, I wrote a script and if everything is true, send a P1 ON signal. At the same time, I also add A5 ON in the script just to double check to make sure the script does run. The result, A5 and P1 were sent (I can see it from the program itself), but ActiveHome never pick up the P1 signal. However, if I press P1 from the PalmPad remote, it works fine. Very weird...

Simon

I was afraid that would be the case. Looks like you may have to still keep your ActiveHome around or write a customized macro with Commander-X.

With ActiveHome, you can actually have two macros per unit code -- one for the ON button, one for the OFF button. Since macros aren't turned off but rather they just run their course, the words ON and OFF don't mean anything.

I haven't tried this yet, but with Commander-X, maybe you can do this so you can have two macros per unit code:

sample.sch
----------
0000 P1=50
0000 SETWATCH P1=100 script1.scr
0000 SETWATCH P1=0 script2.scr

...and at the end (or beginning) of each script, re-initialize P1 back to 50.


** when i have time, I may try to rewrite some of my macros with Commander-X.

Roland

BTW, Commander-X version 1.0 is supposed to come out in October. I wonder how much will be charged for the program?

Roland,

You said:
0000 P1=50
0000 SETWATCH P1=100 script1.scr
0000 SETWATCH P1=0 script2.scr

What is the need to reset the # if the macros are independent? I mean if I set A9 ON to turn on HT Lights, and A9 OFF to turn it on. They will work regardless of the current WATCH value.

Also, I found out one thing. If my hard drive is in sleep mode (only the HD, not the whole computer), Commander X would not send any signal to the interface. All the schedules I want to run after midnight wouldn't run. One problem about this sleep mode is the built-in feature of the drive. I don't know if I can override it.

I'm not so sure how much Commander X would cost (maybe around $60??), but I'm interesting of getting a copy. Hopefully they will include more script examples.

Simon

Simon,

My 3-line schedule was and example for two independent macros. P1-ON could be a macro to dim the lights to watch a movie, and P1-OFF could be a macro for turning on several lights as you come home.

For your HT lights example, you could do something like this in your schedule (assuming your HT lights are A1,A2,A3,A4):

0000 SETWATCH A9=100 A1,A2,A3,A4 ON
0000 SETWATCH A9=0 A1,A2,A3,A4 OFF

Although you won't have any dimming capabilities for the set of lights.

I forgot about the "sleep" mode in the newer computers. I have a crappy Pentium 100. Hoping to upgrade to a PIII early next year. But I'll probably keep my Pentium 100 around for X-10 and other miscellaneous stuff.

Roland

Simon,

Typically there are energy saver settings in your computers BIOS where you should be able to turn off the hard drive sleep/spin down mode.

YOu need to find out how to access you BIOS.

Over the years different mobo vendors have used different key combos to access the BIOS during boot up but pressing DEL seems to be pretty standard now as does having an instruction on the screen during boot up on how to do it.

Cheers, Jim

The sex was so good that even the neighbours had a cigarette