Script Update

[Kbevo]

I don't want to "waste" a button by having a button to press to turn on, then a different button to press to control volume up.

Interesting! I find different folks implementations thought provoking. So you don't (want to) have a button for "ON" at all? What about OFF? An option would be great and provide the most flexibility. I may eventually choose to implement a strategy similar to yours. With the current scripting process you could always choose to program the volume button events to turn the zone on then do the volume command, its just you don't want the extra coding, right?

In my case I intend to implement a periodic (e.g. at midnight every day) "reset to default" process whereby all zone volume settings are returned to a preferred setting for that zone. However, in my case, if a zone has been turned off for some reason, I may choose to not (also) turn the zone back on. In which case, I would not want the "reset to default" volume change for that zone to automatically turn the zone on. Just me however. In any case the option is the best of both worlds.

Gary

[completelyhis]

I wouldn't mind having an off button, but don't need the "on" and "volume up".

The problem is I only have 8 buttons at leach location. they are

light on/off
play/pause
next track
volume up
volume down
all volume up
all volume down
location specific

So, having an "on" is not worth giving up one of those buttons, when a few presses of "down" can achieve the same thing.

I agree with you on the "reset to default". For me default is what the system is at for TTS and standard music. each room has a different setting and all.

I could script each event to be volume up, volume down, etc, but the event action are there, so I'd like to use them, if they work properly (I don't know if they do or not, it could be user error on my part). Also, I wouldn't mind scripting the on when volume up thing, but I can't get it to trigger propperly. i'd like it to triger IF volume is turned up AND speaker is currently off. I can't seem to get that to trigger.

anyway, how are you controlling yours? touchscreen?

[Kbevo]

anyway, how are you controlling yours? touchscreen?

You are way head of me. I am just now getting to the speaker install so mostly what I have done is implement and control one (test) zone. The rest is best characterized as what I intend to do. To answer your question, I am using a RF Key-fob (RK19A). So in that regard, I only have 4 buttons for a zone to work with ON/OFF, Volume UP/Down. I am using script to control those functions so I am not seeing the problems your experiencing with the events. I wanted to use the dim buttons for the volume, but couldn't figure the coding out so I just used the second button pair. Works, just not very elegant. Initially, when all zones are implemented (starting with 5 and eventually up to 8), I will only be using the HS TTS source. The next part of the project however, I am going to "attempt" to use my AV receiver's digital audio as the second (primary) source so I can get whatever is playing through my receiver on the ESS speakers also. Lots of technical issues I don't fully understand however.

I have a 17" touchscreen in my LR that I currently use to control a NetRemote/MediaBridge implementation for my music (on my HTPC, via AV Receiver). That works well for player control and I guess I never considered using buttons for that as you have done. I recently purchased HSTouch and believe I can replace my NetRemote stuff with HSTouch/Media Player Plug-in. Should provide better HS integration in a form that I am more comfortable. I like VBA scripting much better than NetRemotes counterpart. Anyway, I like the ESS stuff so far and its been fun messing with all this. Keep me informed of how your progressing. Lots of food for thought with your implementation.

Thanks
Gary

[completelyhis]

What RF plugin do you use for your RK19A? I think with the acrf plugin you can tell it to move the % dim/bright by a certan ammount. In that case you could take the # of volume steps (11, i think? maybe 10 to make the math easier). and divide 100% by it. so if you had 10 volume steps, tell the plugin to dim/bright by 10% incriments. then create an event that is triggered when that device is X% to control the volume.

just theoretical, but it should work something like that. I know Rotech had talked about using similar control for his.

have fun!!!

Ian

[Kbevo]

What RF plugin do you use for your RK19A? I think with the acrf plugin you can tell it to move the % dim/bright by a certain amount. In that case you could take the # of volume steps (11, i think? maybe 10 to make the math easier). and divide 100% by it. so if you had 10 volume steps, tell the plugin to dim/bright by 10% increments. then create an event that is triggered when that device is X% to control the volume.

just theoretical, but it should work something like that. I know Rotech had talked about using similar control for his.

Thanks for the pointer. Yes, I'm using the ACRF plug-in. Didn't know about the dim/bright control it has. That would force it to be a predictable value. Question though, where you say "when that device", I assume you are talking about the RK19A remote device? I had trouble extracting the value returned by the remote event. (Tried both Device Value Change and Device Status Change.) That is, I couldn't find the percent the device is currently dimmed. I suspect its just me being thick headed but I couldn't find where that value is posted. If I understand your suggestion correctly wouldn't that require an event for each of the 10 volume steps?

Thanks
Gary

[completelyhis]

so when i say "that device" i'm referring to the x10 code the rf remote is associated with, ie E1, E2, E3.

Yes, you would have to do a device value event trigger for each percentage step. That's a lot of events! (10 per speaker).

[jackpod]

We all do things differently, now in my case (first I don't use the system for music currently, altho I will be down the road for the zones that I have TTS and no whole house audio) I never turn all the zones off, the theater turns off when I am watching a movie and the garage only turns on when I am out there, and the volume control is more of the ability to preset each room since the volume doesn't change like the AB8SS. I have a variable in HS that mutes most events from 10pm until 5:15am (doors and windows still announce 24x7 (and other "security" events)) and then I have an event that "resets" all of the zones on/off and volumes after the 10pm mute to ready the system for the next day if by chance the volume in a zone has been changed from "normal" or turned on/off. Other HS events "Globally" change TTS volume, for example when the phone rings, but again this is done in HS not with the ESS. By either just lowering the vol or muting from HS, the modules are on and can accept commands

[jackpod]

James, any chance you will have the time to break the strings down like we had discussed?

[completelyhis]

James,
I know I threw a bunch of stuff at you all at once there, sorry about that. any chance you could give an update on how some of it is going?

[jasv]

Sorry the update is "not very much". I was traveling without a computer and now I am playing catch up. I am pretty sure this weekend should give me time to get some things done.

Anytime there is anything urgent don't hesitate to PM me. I actually enjoy the programming and feel cheated when I don't get do spend some of my week on it.

[jasv]

James,
While you're in there looking at adding the all up/all down, all on/all off, could you check the way the events control the ess? I can control the ess via the config page or the status page, but not with an event. I've attached a screen shot of my events.

Computer Room volume up
Device UPB Device Link Computer Room Volume Up value changes to any
Everyday

Device Command: jvESS computer room Value Set set to Volume up

Here's what happens in my log when it triggers:

11/9/2008 5:00:49 PM Info Device: jvESS computer room (J8) Value set to 7
11/9/2008 5:00:49 PM Info Event Trigger "Computer Room volume up"
11/9/2008 5:00:37 PM Info Device: jvESS computer room (J8) Value set to 7
11/9/2008 5:00:37 PM Info Event Trigger "Computer Room volume up"


Problem is, the ess doesn't actually change. You'll notice I did them 12 seconds apart, but both of them "set" the volume to "7". So, when i repeatedly trigger the volume up or volume down event, the volume doesn't actually change. But if I go to the config, status, or script, it changes correctly.

does that make sense?

Thanks,

Ian

I didn't see a screen shot. Do you have one? It will make it easier for me to be sure I've got it.

[completelyhis]

sorry, here ya go. the screen shot shows a mix of how it was done, with the new events for the ess and the old events for the ab8ss (which is what the script file was for...i used a script to control the ab8ss for a variety of reasons that are no longer applicable with the ess)

Ian

[jasv]

Got the image. I think I know what is wrong. I will change the code and test it.

[scott12v]

I am running HS v2.2.0.66, downloaded and executed jvess.msi (shows to be jvESS_Confg.aspx ver 0.8 | jvESS_Functions.vben Version 0.6). I went into the config page (http://localhost/jvess/jvess_config.aspx) entered my com port and hit the Connect button. It shows "Connected to ESS" in green. However the log showed:
10/13/2008 5:03:36 PM ~!~jvess~!~ComTextBox_TextChanged
10/13/2008 5:03:36 PM ~!~jvESS_Functions.vb~!~Connect() to port = 10
10/13/2008 5:03:36 PM ~!~jvESS_Functions.vb~!~Sending to port = [F]
10/13/2008 5:03:37 PM ~!~jvESS_Functions.vb~!~Sending to port = [l]
10/13/2008 5:03:37 PM ~!~jvESS_Functions.vb~!~Sending to port = [c]
10/13/2008 5:03:38 PM ~!~jvESS_Functions.vb~!~pCmd = F myCmd = 0
10/13/2008 5:03:38 PM ~!~jvESS_Functions.vb~!~Sending to port = [F]
10/13/2008 5:03:38 PM ~!~jvESS_Functions.vb~!~pCmd = l myCmd = 0
10/13/2008 5:03:38 PM ~!~jvESS_Functions.vb~!~Sending to port = [l]
10/13/2008 5:03:38 PM ~!~jvESS_Functions.vb~!~pCmd = 0041 myCmd = 0
10/13/2008 5:03:38 PM ~!~jvESS_Functions.vb~!~Sending to port = [0041]
10/13/2008 5:03:39 PM ~!~jvESS_Functions.vb~!~processResults() Received pData =F][l][c][F][l][0041]{004108
10/13/2008 5:03:39 PM ~!~jvESS_Functions.vb~!~processResults() Received myData =F][l][c][F][l][0041]{004108
10/13/2008 5:03:39 PM ~!~jvESS_Functions.vb~!~Error = InterpretCommand()Conversion from string "F]" to type 'Integer' is not valid.
10/13/2008 5:03:39 PM ~!~jvESS_Functions.vb~!~processResults() cmd=F][l answer=08

Not surprising, no devices showed, so I tried the "Refresh from ESS" button and received pretty much the same in the log:

10/13/2008 5:04:41 PM ~!~jvESS_Functions.vb~!~pCmd = F myCmd = 0
10/13/2008 5:04:41 PM ~!~jvESS_Functions.vb~!~Sending to port = [F]
10/13/2008 5:04:41 PM ~!~jvESS_Functions.vb~!~pCmd = l myCmd = 0
10/13/2008 5:04:41 PM ~!~jvESS_Functions.vb~!~Sending to port = [l]
10/13/2008 5:04:41 PM ~!~jvESS_Functions.vb~!~pCmd = 0041 myCmd = 0
10/13/2008 5:04:41 PM ~!~jvESS_Functions.vb~!~Sending to port = [0041]
10/13/2008 5:04:42 PM ~!~jvESS_Functions.vb~!~processResults() Received pData =F][l][0041]{004108
10/13/2008 5:04:42 PM ~!~jvESS_Functions.vb~!~processResults() Received myData =F][l][0041]{004108
10/13/2008 5:04:42 PM ~!~jvESS_Functions.vb~!~Error = InterpretCommand()Conversion from string "F]" to type 'Integer' is not valid.
10/13/2008 5:04:42 PM ~!~jvESS_Functions.vb~!~processResults() cmd=F][l answer=08

Any ideas what the error is and how to fix it? Also, I have 1 ESS1 and 7 ESS7's (rack mount). The only led that lights up is the green "Power" button on the ESS1. No lights on the ESS7s. That normal?

Thanks
Gary

I know that I'm late to the game, but I just dusted off the ESS that has been sitting on the shelf for a couple of years. I just have two zones but thought I would try this plug in rather than scripting everything myself. I did a couple of test scripts and confirmed that the ESS works.

I am having the exact same problem that Gary mentions above. It sounds like I need to try the unencrypted version of the script....any chance that someone could sent it to me: Scott AT scottholman.com

Thanks!

[Kbevo]

It sounds like I need to try the unencrypted version of the script....any chance that someone could sent it to me: Scott AT scottholman.com

I believe the unencrypted script is posted at this post.

Let me know what you find out.

Gary