ContourHC and Homeseer plugin

[nightwalker]

How is this plugin suppose to work? I already have RF devices for diming lights, turn on and off etc.. fans, PC controls an etc..

I'll add the 1.4 and see if it works...

it's just a simple link between Homeseer and GBpvr. It lets you run events you have setup in Homeseer thru the GBpvr interface. It's handy sometimes when you are siting down and not near a wall keypad or touchscreen and can trigger an event. It also lets you setup as a video plugin so you can also trigger an event from the OSD, Not earth shattering but handy at times.

You should be able to at least run the plugin and see the screen even if it's not setup properly, but i'm not sure of that, it also requires guider to be setup as the link between the two programs. I think it will still allow you to see the screen, even if triggering the event fails because of lack of communication.

You can have as many or as few buttons on the screen as you like. That's controlled by the skin and how many events you've setup in the GBpvr config. exe.

[nightwalker]

You might try Plain Jane. She has support for Home Seer and she has a Contour look-a-like skin, but as far as I know, she has no Home Seer users.

Actually, I'd try to bribe NIghtWalker into trying it first!

Best Regards,
Old Dog

I don't think i tested for plain jane, i did test it for the collection, is plain jane all that much different?

[Old Dog]

I don't think i tested for plain jane, i did test it for the collection, is plain jane all that much different?

Nope!

[nightwalker]

Thanks for the update, I got HomeSeer working and check their web site and found out I can use my RF (X10) devices with it. So I'll be ordering some new toys for HomeSeer to use with GBPVR.

Media Center (G) 008 has been released to support HomeSeer...

I'm glad that was the problem and it's working now. RF works well but the nice part is it can trigger any event, no matter what devices you've got running, if HomeSeer can control it, it can be triggered from A GBpvr screen. I use a standard x10 palmpad to control jukebox for guests so i don't have to worry about them pressing the wrong buttons, there are no wrong buttons.

[jsteele]

I hate computers. Today its working --- after a fashion. Now when I select Homeseer from the Menu I get a screen of option buttons at the top of the screen --- which I was not getting yesterday. If I select ANY cursor movement the button the buttons suddenly jump to the bottom of the screen and THEN I can select one by moving the cursor.

Wierd but it apparently does work --- sort of.

My button array does not look like the screenshot above --- its just a collection of buttons one column of four and one column of two (6 events), not framed, etc. But I am using Baskskin.ContourBlue right now so that may account for it.

[jsteele]

I just switched to the ContourHC skin and it behaves differently now. It now consists of a column of 4 buttons and a colum of two buttons, one of which is Main Menu. I have six events defined but only five of them appear in the array. There is no frame around the array, its way up in the left upper corner, below the functin name "Homeseer Control."

I am now able to move around with the cursor without the button array changing locations at least. Now I need to figure out why I am only getting 5 of the 6 buttons :-)

Any idea how to get the OSD functions working? I followed the directions in the plugin configuration guide but it doesn't work.

[nightwalker]

firstly, if you didn't update it with the version 1.4 i uploaded you need to do that. there was a bug in the button handler on 1.3.

The reason yours would look different is I have 19 events setup. I did this because it looked better than a skin with 5 buttons. Even if you don't use them all. They will be there and ready when you are and you don 't have to redo the skin to add a button. This plugin works a little different than most in that it will allow more buttons on the screen than most, i could just as easily put 40 on there. For each person it may look a little different and you may have to tweek the skin for how many buttons you use. Pay close attention to the pdf file included in the zip. it's the best install skinning guide i've seen come with a plugin.

The section of the skin you need to pay attention to is below, that's what controls where and how many buttons you get on your screen and in what configuration.

<SpecialElements>
<SpecialElement name="Buttons" orientation="v" loc="58,98" spacing="-1" alwayCentered="false" maxVisibleButtons="6,5" maxButtons="5" allowTopBottomWrap="true" allowLeftRightWrap="true"/>
<SpecialElement name="osdButtons" orientation="h" loc="15,400" spacing="-1" alwayCentered="false" maxVisibleButtons="1,4" maxButtons="4" allowTopBottomWrap="false"/>
</SpecialElements>


My config.xml for the section on homeseer looks like this

<HomeseerPlugin>
<Buttons>
<Button name="Living Room" visible="true" desc="Dim the Lamps" hsEvent="Event1" />
<Button name="Living Room" visible="true" desc="Brighten the Lamps" hsEvent="Event2" />
<Button name="Mealtime" visible="true" desc="Mood Lighting for Meals" hsEvent="Event3" />
<Button name="Mr. Bubbles" visible="true" desc="Turn Mr. Bubbles On" hsEvent="Event4" />
<Button name="Holiday Light" visible="true" desc="Holiday Lights On" hsEvent="Holiday Lights On" />
<Button name="Holiday Light" visible="true" desc="Holiday Lights Off" hsEvent="Holiday Lights Off" />
<Button name="Kitchen" visible="true" desc="Kitchen Lights On" hsEvent="x" />
<Button name="Hallway" visible="true" desc="Hallway Lights On" hsEvent="x" />
<Button name="Bedtime" visible="true" desc="Bedtime Mode" hsEvent="x" />
<Button name="Mornings" visible="true" desc="Morning Mode" hsEvent="x" />
<Button name="Party" visible="true" desc="Party Mode" hsEvent="x" />
<Button name="Lock Up" visible="true" desc="Lock All Doors" hsEvent="x" />
<Button name="Garage Lts" visible="true" desc="Garage Lights On" hsEvent="x" />
<Button name="Garage Door" visible="true" desc="Open the Garage" hsEvent="x" />
<Button name="Hot Tub" visible="true" desc="Hot tub Startup" hsEvent="x" />
<Button name="Phones Off" visible="true" desc="Send Calls To Voicemail" hsEvent="x" />
<Button name="Sprinklers" visible="true" desc="Water The Lawn" hsEvent="x" />
<Button name="Security" visible="true" desc="Set Secutity System" hsEvent="x" />
<Button name="Shutdown" visible="true" desc="Shutdown All Systems" hsEvent="x" />
</Buttons>
<hsGirder host="localhost" port="1902" password="hsGirder" />
</HomeseerPlugin>

The section for the osd is controlled by these settings, also in the config.xml

<VideoPlugin0>Homeseer</VideoPlugin0>
<VideoPlugin1>TV Guide</VideoPlugin1>
<VideoPlugin2>ProcAmp</VideoPlugin2>
<VideoPlugin3>OSD Menu</VideoPlugin3>
<VideoPlugin4>Live Guide</VideoPlugin4>
<VideoPlugin5>Record Until</VideoPlugin5>

Notice how i've moved the homeseer plugin to the '0' position. that was so all i have to do is press the 'go' button on the remote to bring it up as a OSD. You may or may not want that, but it's not a big deal to press 5 and then go if you put in in position 5.

I hope this helps to get you started.

BTW i've downloaded and installed the Contour skin and i'll take a look to make sure it's working. so far the only thing i noticed was a title bar that needed to be moved to the left a bit. Seems it has a new font since i saw it last.

I just switched to the ContourHC skin and it behaves differently now. It now consists of a column of 4 buttons and a colum of two buttons, one of which is Main Menu. I have six events defined but only five of them appear in the array. There is no frame around the array, its way up in the left upper corner, below the functin name "Homeseer Control."

I am now able to move around with the cursor without the button array changing locations at least. Now I need to figure out why I am only getting 5 of the 6 buttons :-)

Any idea how to get the OSD functions working? I followed the directions in the plugin configuration guide but it doesn't work.

[jsteele]

thanks for your input. My homeseer skin and the config.xml are set up as you indicate.

The difference I made is that my videoplugins are
<VideoPlugin0>TV Guide</VideoPlugin0>
<VideoPlugin1>ProcAmp</VideoPlugin1>
<VideoPlugin2>OSD Menu</VideoPlugin2>
<VideoPlugin3>Live Guide</VideoPlugin3>
<VideoPlugin4>Homeseer</VideoPlugin4>

I'm using the Hauppauge remote through a USB-UIRT and Girder so I suppos this may account for the differences in OSD behavior. When I press the "Go" button I get the LiveTV in a frame on the MainMenu page. Pressing "0 Go" does the same thing but pressing any numerical key other than 0 causes a channel change if the number is a valid channel (2,3,4 are valid in my case).

The USB-UIRT/Girder combination emulates the keyboard so there are clearly some differences in the way it is handled. However, when in LiveTV, pressing he Hauppauge "TV guide" key does exactly that, displays the OSD guide, the lower row Green Button displays the browsing guide, the lower Blue Button displays the program information, etc.

I'll have to play with things a bit more

[nightwalker]

thanks for your input. My homeseer skin and the config.xml are set up as you indicate.

The difference I made is that my videoplugins are
<VideoPlugin0>TV Guide</VideoPlugin0>
<VideoPlugin1>ProcAmp</VideoPlugin1>
<VideoPlugin2>OSD Menu</VideoPlugin2>
<VideoPlugin3>Live Guide</VideoPlugin3>
<VideoPlugin4>Homeseer</VideoPlugin4>

I'm using the Hauppauge remote through a USB-UIRT and Girder so I suppos this may account for the differences in OSD behavior. When I press the "Go" button I get the LiveTV in a frame on the MainMenu page. Pressing "0 Go" does the same thing but pressing any numerical key other than 0 causes a channel change if the number is a valid channel (2,3,4 are valid in my case).

The USB-UIRT/Girder combination emulates the keyboard so there are clearly some differences in the way it is handled. However, when in LiveTV, pressing he Hauppauge "TV guide" key does exactly that, displays the OSD guide, the lower row Green Button displays the browsing guide, the lower Blue Button displays the program information, etc.

I'll have to play with things a bit more

Pressing the Go button is the same as pressing 0+Go, as you found out. You may be correct in that the uirt is sending the correct keys, just not the correct ones that you wanted. That you may have to play with a bit. I don't use the USB-UIRT within GBpvr, homeseer manages that for me.

At any rate i'm glad you got it working.

[jsteele]

Yes, it works fine from a functionality stantpoint. The interaction is nuts thought :-) I can't get the OSD while the TV is running so I have to get to the menu. Then I can select Homeseer and the button array comes up. Using the Up/Down/Left/Right results in the button array going away and something that looks like its supposed to be the OSD, a single row of buttons at the bottom of a blank screen. Then I can navigate to the button I want (the second button row will appear if I press the Down key :-)

A bit quirky but at least the functionality is there. Now all I have to do is sort out the interface management :-)

PS, in my configuration (emulated keyboard) I suspect that the "0+Go" is not actually functioning that way --- I suspect its ignoring the "0". The reason i say that is that any other digit + Go does not go the the "Framed LiveTV/Menu" screen but rather to the channel. Looks to me like the emulated keyboard interaction is somewhat different than the native remote interaction.

It would be nice if there was a way to define keys to launch user-defined functions. For example, my remote has "*" and "#". The remote "*" is mapped to keyboard "F7" as I recall to allow aspect ratio changes. The "#" is unused but it would be nice if there were some way to map that to a specific GBPVR function/plugin. In my case I'd map the remote "#" to some keyboard function that would dispatch the Homeseer plugin. I realize this is a GBPVR matter and not a Plugin problem.