Your Universal Remote Control Center
RemoteCentral.com
Lighting & Home Control Forum - View Post
Previous section Next section Up level
Up level
The following page was printed from RemoteCentral.com:

Login:
Pass:
 
 

Topic:
ActiveHome Macro Dimming Levels
This thread has 4 replies. Displaying all posts.
Post 1 made on Sunday October 3, 1999 at 14:26
Rob
Historic Forum Post
I'm an X-10 newbie living in the UK and, as you may have seen on a recent posting, have purchased a PC Home Control Kit from Homebase.

This Kit includes ActiveHome 1.31 (Release v 2.0) along with a CM11U.

Having read some posts on fading lamps on by never turing them off (just diming right down instead) I thought I would give it a try.

I found that diming the lamp module down to 0% does turn it off - meaning that when you try to dim up the lamp comes on full first. But what did work better was using a macro (in my case from A2 off) to dim (lamp module B2) down by 90%. (Then A2 on dims B2 up by 90% to full.)

The problem is that the ActiveHome software only allows macros in 10% steps. So 10% is as low as you can go, and you can still see the lamp glowing.

Is there anyway that I could dim down to 1%? (Or just lower than 10%?)

Is this a function of this UK software? (I asume this is a UK version of the software as it shows UK modules on the pictures.)

Does the US version of the software allow smaller dim steps in macros? Could I use it? Does anyone produce add-on for the software to give extra features like this?

Cheers,

Rob
OP | Post 2 made on Monday October 4, 1999 at 09:49
Roland S
Historic Forum Post
As far as I know, ActiveHome software (US version included) will only allow dimming in increments of 10%.

Commander-X software will allow you dim/bright in 1% increments. This software requires that your computer be up all the time for macros and timed events. It won't upload to your computer interface. But in exchange, it's a quite flexible and more advanced program (if you know at least a little bit of programming theory).

The website is www.commander-x.com. The program is in it's beta phase and it's free. Any day now, the official commercial release version 1.0 should be released. It won't be free, so if you want to try it out, download it ASAP.

Also, see the Commander-X thread on this message board for additional info.

Roland
OP | Post 3 made on Tuesday October 5, 1999 at 09:16
Rob
Historic Forum Post
Thanks Roland.

Unfortunaly I can't leave my only PC on for Commander-X as it is an old 486 that over heats and shuts down after it's been on for several hours!

Does anyone know if it is possible to hack into the ActiveHome software to change this 10% default to a smaller step?

I have also found that the using the software to manually dim limits you to 3% steps. Can this be changed?

Or is there any other software that can download macros to the CM11. (Or is it the CM11 that limits the steps?)

Sorry to ask so many dum questions!

Rob
OP | Post 4 made on Tuesday October 5, 1999 at 12:14
Rob
Historic Forum Post
Hi Everyone,

I’ve cracked it!

In the “Program Files/Home Control/Data” folder there are five files:

Myhouse – ActiveHome (TM) User File
Myhouse.bak
Myhouse.mac
Sample – ActiveHome (TM) User File
Sample.mac

Both the Myhouse.bak & Myhouse.mac are identical and looked like this:

[Information]
FileType=X-10 Macro

[A2 Off]
Name=Bedside Lamp Off
Type=Instant
Command00=B2 Dim 090%, Delay 000
Type00=128
Command01=null

[A2 On]
Name=Bedside Lamp On
Type=Instant
Command00=B2 Bright 090%, Delay 000
Type00=128
Command01=null

By typing over the 090% with 099% and saving these files, when I next started ActiveHome the levels in the macro window did show 99%! Of course if you try and change them again in ActiveHome they revert to the 10% steps, but if you don’t touch them and just down load them to the CM11 it works!

How at a press of the button on my Mini Timer, my lamp will dim up or down. I intend to set the lamp to fade up a few minutes before the alarm each morning.

Rob

PS. Do I win a prize?!! ;-)
OP | Post 5 made on Tuesday October 5, 1999 at 13:30
Roland S
Historic Forum Post
The X-10 Hacker of the Day Award goes to...

Rob!!!



Roland


Jump to


Protected Feature Before you can reply to a message...
You must first register for a Remote Central user account - it's fast and free! Or, if you already have an account, please login now.

Please read the following: Unsolicited commercial advertisements are absolutely not permitted on this forum. Other private buy & sell messages should be posted to our Marketplace. For information on how to advertise your service or product click here. Remote Central reserves the right to remove or modify any post that is deemed inappropriate.

Hosting Services by ipHouse