Jon00 HS3 Device Creator for HS4

[jon00]

One of the new requirements enforced in HS4 is that all devices created need a root device. Therefore, if you create a new device through the HS4 interface, you actually get two devices created; the root (parent) and the feature (child) device. Whilst this may be sensible for complex devices such as Z-wave devices, thermostats etc, for simple devices you want to create yourself, you are stuck with these root devices which just clutter up the devices page whilst not adding anything to the usefulness of that device.

Luckily, there is a way around this due to Homeseer’s 3 device support in HS4. Therefore, if a Homeseer 3 device is created (V3.2), only one device is made.

At the time of writing, you can still create a HS3 devices through the old device utility page, however there is no guarantee that this will be available in the future. Therefore, this utility allows you to create HS3 devices easily via a simple web page which will always be available. You can also use my device grouping utility to group/assign these HS3 devices as a parent/child as you wish. You will also benefit from installing my Status Graphics Editor for HS4 for better customation of the device graphics after creation.







As always, it can be downloaded from my site (click on my banner below)

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Any issues, please post here!

Related: Jon00 HS4 Device Creator for HomeSeer 4

[TC1]

"Never stand in the way of a good programmer... because they'll just code around you."

--TC1

[SmartyPants]

Jon00,

Can you tell me if it is possible to create two HS3 virtual devices, then using your grouping utility, attach one to the other as parent/child?
I've got to the state of not being able to make any virtual devices independent of a root/child clone I have been using.
And to be honest, I'm about done with this painful software.

[jon00]

The answer is yes:





I did read your other posts about this but you did not explain what issue you are having exactly?

[SmartyPants]

The answer is yes:





I did read your other posts about this but you did not explain what issue you are having exactly?

I've put a ticket into support because the system is buggy as hell and I know I'm not the only one.
It's just not possible to create a valid virtual device from scratch.
If I try, various different issues occur depending on the phase of the moon it seems.
Usually, the root device creates, but under features/child there isn't any, then under status /graphics there is a heading control (which should also appear under feature) and the usual standard setup with 2 rows 0 = off, 100 = on, then the respective graphics. But you cannot change status/both/control options because they are just not there. If you go into HS3 legacy pages they usual show up, but then nothing works properly on the device.

I also end up with ghost entries in the HS log referencing root or child devices that have been created and then possibly deleted or devices that were never created properly and just cause reference issues somewhere. If this continues, my HS DB is going to be full of redundant broken links.

Anyway, usually cloning VD's works but even that has been iffy lately.

I'll use you method if that works.
Will let you know, thanks.

One question, there was an option in the grouping utility to create new parent/root device.
When I click that, it takes me back to the main device page and I cannot find any new device.

[jon00]

One question, there was an option in the grouping utility to create new parent/root device.
When I click that, it takes me back to the main device page and I cannot find any new device.

The only way to create a new device in HS4 is to go the devices page (which grouping links to) and press the circular blue + button on the top RHS of the page. Grouping has never created its own device directly; only that provided by HS.

[SmartyPants]

The only way to create a new device in HS4 is to go the devices page (which grouping links to) and press the circular blue + button on the top RHS of the page. Grouping has never created its own device directly; only that provided by HS.

Oh I see, thanks.

[SmartyPants]

The only way to create a new device in HS4 is to go the devices page (which grouping links to) and press the circular blue + button on the top RHS of the page. Grouping has never created its own device directly; only that provided by HS.

Jon,

I've noticed a few issues.
When I create a device in your HS3 Device Creator, it populates the 'support status' field with false. This is only seen in HS3 device management pages and not HS4.
Point is, it's the only thing I can see that may be causing the following issue. Once I've created this device with the usual on/off controls, when I try to control it via JSON it does nothing and I get the error in the log: JSON controldevicebyvalue ref 2413 value not found

Yet clearly the device exists and it has the proper status/graphic pairs. Also keep in mind this works fine with older VD's.
The other thing I've noticed is that while the option to change status,both and control exists and is set to 'both' in the status row in the edit section, when I view the device management page in HS4 or HS3 the buttons that you can press to set the value do not appear. This is part of the issues I've been seeing with HS4.
Not sure if that makes sense but they are the two differences I can find between working VD's and non working ones.

See attachments:

[SmartyPants]

I've just checked and some of my older hs3 created VDs have 'support status' as false and they still work.
so I'm more confused, there seems to be no consistent reason why the control buttons are missing and json commands don't work.

[SmartyPants]

So I've tried creating a VD using the legacy HS3 interface, which seems to create the device properly with on and off buttons, but it won't control using json with the same errors in the log : controldevicebyvalue ref xxxx value not found

[jon00]

It does sound like a bug then. I'll have a play with this later in the week. Just need to get HSTile docs done first.....

[SmartyPants]

It does sound like a bug then. I'll have a play with this later in the week. Just need to get HSTile docs done first.....

Yeah no worries Jon, just keeping you in the loop. I'm taking to support right now but struggling to make my point

[jon00]

OK, I added some test code to force creation of buttons and they are not showing either. Definitely a bug. I'll contact Rich as well.....

[SmartyPants]

OK, I added some test code to force creation of buttons and they are not showing either. Definitely a bug. I'll contact Rich as well.....

Ok cheers. Good. At least I'm not off daft

[jon00]

Version 1.0.1 is now available.

Changes since V1.0.0:

Added Voice Command Text field.
Added User Notes field.
Added Device Type String field.
Added Amazon Alexa Discovery and Google Home Discovery check boxes.
Added check box to create standard On/Off button with Graphics.
Added 8 optional user defined buttons.
Added optional user defined range slider.