Methodolgy to Organize and name devices

[mgonzales100]

I'm having difficulty deciding on the best organization methodology for my devices. Plugins tend to create their own "Floor" and Room"

For example, when installing Alarm System plugins it creates over 100 devices. It makes it difficult to find most important devices when you have several hundred of them. I generally want to Arm and Disarm the alarm and see what mode the alarm system is in. I don't necessarily care about the other alarm related devices. I could hide them but then I forget about them. I decided to create a floor named "Alarm System" since the plugin already assigns rooms to the plugin.

The Hue plugin also creates several devices for each physical device.

With all theses devices I can't seem to find the devices that i want to actually control.

What methodology or naming scheme does everyone use to organize your devices?

What values do you assign to the "floor" and "room" fields (location1 & location 2)?

[lveatch]

I personally do not get hung up the exactness of the floor / room definitions, rather 2 filters. I primary filter by room when viewing devices with floor being a secondary filter when needed. Here are mine.

1st Floor, Den
1st Floor, Dish Washer
1st Floor, Entrance
1st Floor, Family Room
1st Floor, Front Room
1st Floor, Garage
1st Floor, HVAC
1st Floor, Irrigation
1st Floor, Kitchen
1st Floor, Kitchen Counter Top
1st Floor, Kitchen Water Sensors
1st Floor, Laundry
1st Floor, Laundry Room
1st Floor, Settings
1st Floor, Vacuum
2nd Floor, Alex BR
2nd Floor, Guest BR
2nd Floor, Hall
2nd Floor, Kids Bath
2nd Floor, Master Bath
2nd Floor, Master BR
2nd Floor, Medication
2nd Floor, Sarah
2nd Floor, Settings
Basement, Ejector Pit
Basement, Family Room
Basement, Garage
Basement, HVAC
Basement, Power Meter
Basement, Server
Basement, Settings
Basement, Smoke Detector
Basement, Sump Pump
Basement, Treadmill
Basement, Utility Room
, BLLAN
, Computers
Counters-Timers, Counters
Counters-Timers, Timers
Gutter, Garage
Home, HVAC
Home, Monitors
Home, Settings
HSTouch Current, weatherXML
HSTouch Forecast, weatherXML
Len, Medication
Nightstand Berta, Master BR
Nightstand Len, Master BR
Outside, Front Porch
Outside, Garden Hose
Outside, HVAC
Outside, Irrigation
Outside, Mail Box
Outside, Monitors
Outside, Mouse Trap
Outside, Patio
Outside, Pole Lamp
Outside, Pond
Outside, Pond Heater
Outside, Pond Plants
Outside, Rain Gauge
Outside, Security Camera
Outside, Settings
Outside, Shed
, Phones
RFXCOM, System
SDJ-Health, SDJ-Health
Server, Backup
UPS, bigUPS
UPS, netUPS
UPS, serv1UPS
Variables, Variables
weather Alerts, weatherXML
weather Current, Weather APIXU
weather Current, weatherXML
weather Daily, weatherXML
weather Forecast, weatherXML
weather Maps, weatherXML
weather Misc, weatherXML
weather Speak, weatherXML

[mgonzales100]

I personally do not get hung up the exactness of the floor / room definitions, rather 2 filters. I primary filter by room when viewing devices with floor being a secondary filter when needed. Here are mine.

1st Floor, Den
1st Floor, Dish Washer
1st Floor, Entrance
1st Floor, Family Room
1st Floor, Front Room
1st Floor, Garage
1st Floor, HVAC
1st Floor, Irrigation
1st Floor, Kitchen
1st Floor, Kitchen Counter Top
1st Floor, Kitchen Water Sensors
1st Floor, Laundry
1st Floor, Laundry Room
1st Floor, Settings
1st Floor, Vacuum
2nd Floor, Alex BR
2nd Floor, Guest BR
2nd Floor, Hall
2nd Floor, Kids Bath
2nd Floor, Master Bath
2nd Floor, Master BR
2nd Floor, Medication
2nd Floor, Sarah
2nd Floor, Settings
Basement, Ejector Pit
Basement, Family Room
Basement, Garage
Basement, HVAC
Basement, Power Meter
Basement, Server
Basement, Settings
Basement, Smoke Detector
Basement, Sump Pump
Basement, Treadmill
Basement, Utility Room
, BLLAN
, Computers
Counters-Timers, Counters
Counters-Timers, Timers
Gutter, Garage
Home, HVAC
Home, Monitors
Home, Settings
HSTouch Current, weatherXML
HSTouch Forecast, weatherXML
Len, Medication
Nightstand Berta, Master BR
Nightstand Len, Master BR
Outside, Front Porch
Outside, Garden Hose
Outside, HVAC
Outside, Irrigation
Outside, Mail Box
Outside, Monitors
Outside, Mouse Trap
Outside, Patio
Outside, Pole Lamp
Outside, Pond
Outside, Pond Heater
Outside, Pond Plants
Outside, Rain Gauge
Outside, Security Camera
Outside, Settings
Outside, Shed
, Phones
RFXCOM, System
SDJ-Health, SDJ-Health
Server, Backup
UPS, bigUPS
UPS, netUPS
UPS, serv1UPS
Variables, Variables
weather Alerts, weatherXML
weather Current, Weather APIXU
weather Current, weatherXML
weather Daily, weatherXML
weather Forecast, weatherXML
weather Maps, weatherXML
weather Misc, weatherXML
weather Speak, weatherXML

Thanks for the input. Do I understand it correctly that you have a room called Irrigation, then all the devices associated with the sprinkler system are set to 1st Floor, Irrigation?


How would you recommend that I handle the alarm system? I can assign all the related devices to the Alarm System room. However, the Arm/Disarm & the Mode devices I'd like to be able to access them without sorting through over 100 security devices. I guess I can create a room for all my quick reference devices.

[lveatch]

Thanks for the input. Do I understand it correctly that you have a room called Irrigation, then all the devices associated with the sprinkler system are set to 1st Floor, Irrigation?


How would you recommend that I handle the alarm system? I can assign all the related devices to the Alarm System room. However, the Arm/Disarm & the Mode devices I'd like to be able to access them without sorting through over 100 security devices. I guess I can create a room for all my quick reference devices.

I actually have a 1st Floor Irrigation and an Outside Irrigation because I have some automated watering for some house plants as well as an outdoor sprinkler system. However, your understanding is correct, all devices (virtual and physical) that relate to the irrigation systems, are either under 1st Floor or Outside for the "floor".

Regarding your alarm system, I don't have one as there is virtually no major crime in my town of 16,000 people - don't jinx me!! I also have some "settings" rooms that I use for virtual devices that enable / disable seasonal events. Some enable / disable virtual devices are better suited for specific rooms, e.g. the irrigation settings are in the irrigation rooms. In contrast, the home occupied / unoccupied, or "out of town" settings are broader household / system wide and therefore belong in the "settings" rooms. Therefore, I would have alarm devices in "1st Floor" Alarm System, or "1st Floor Rear Patio" Alarm System, "2nd Floor" Alarm System, while the enable / disable devices would sit in "Home" Alarm System or "1st Floor" Alarm System Panel. Again, I don't get hung up on the true definitions of those floor and room definitions rather what's descriptive as to it's location.

Finally, you can rename them with having to fix your events allowing your naming methodology to evolve.

[Meapilot]

Check out this thread and may spark some ideas for your system
.
I utilize something similar to what is mentioned in the thread with my own personal preferences and system needs. For Alarm, I have one group called House Status (Floor), Then the secondary ( Room ) is set up with Alarm, Windows, Doors, Motion Sensors.
I also as mentioned in the thread, I use a "short hand" method of actual device names.

The use of "floor" and "room" reassign sure makes it alot easier to move several devices to the new names you assign them to when you chose to do so. (check boxes on the left of each device along with the drop down in the upper left hand corner). And as Iveatch mentioned just renaming them does not affect your events as they will change the names!

https://forums.homeseer.com/forum/ho...ent-organizing

Using a method of this type, allows you to filter more relevant to what your looking for without having to "hide" some of the ones you do not utilize on a regular basis. ( And not forget about them as I would do!)

[mgonzales100]

Check out this thread and may spark some ideas for your system
.
I utilize something similar to what is mentioned in the thread with my own personal preferences and system needs. For Alarm, I have one group called House Status (Floor), Then the secondary ( Room ) is set up with Alarm, Windows, Doors, Motion Sensors.
I also as mentioned in the thread, I use a "short hand" method of actual device names.

The use of "floor" and "room" reassign sure makes it alot easier to move several devices to the new names you assign them to when you chose to do so. (check boxes on the left of each device along with the drop down in the upper left hand corner). And as Iveatch mentioned just renaming them does not affect your events as they will change the names!

https://forums.homeseer.com/forum/ho...ent-organizing

Using a method of this type, allows you to filter more relevant to what your looking for without having to "hide" some of the ones you do not utilize on a regular basis. ( And not forget about them as I would do!)

Thanks for the feedback. I'll take a look at the thread.

[RoChess]

I'm about to redo my entire naming scheme after figuring out what I use filtering for the most.

Floor is going to be renamed (there is an option in HomeSeer for this) to "Group" and I plan to use entries such as "Switch", "Light", "Thermostat", "Lock", etc. for the primary devices and potentially expand that with "Switch-Power", "Light-RGB", etc. for sub-devices that I want to still see, but quickly filter out if needed.

Then Room will be expanded to simply combine floor+room, so I'll use "Basement-Bedroom", "Main-Kitchen", "Main-Bedroom", etc.

Found out that I often wanted to quickly just get all the Thermostats filtered, or look at status of all the Lights. Often ended up having to select multiple floors, verify rooms, and even forced to use device-type filtering to narrow things down.

Not saying to follow me as this might only be useful for my situation, but wanted to give another example of what you could go with before you commit yourself (and can obviously change it afterwards).

[Wade]

You may also want to keep in mind that HS4 apparently has additional sorting capability...what they're calling "category". Can't tell if this is simply a 3rd field in addition to location1 and location2, or something different.

https://homeseer.com/hs4-smart-home-...tion-software/

[Meapilot]

RoChess . Your method of naming/sorting is basically the same. You call then Group, where others called Function. Thing is you can re-name the first sort (floor as standard) and the second sort (room as standard) anything you want them to be called! You can also under the setting screen flip flop those as to which appear first on page from left to right.

Way I currently have mine set up. I can sort by (for example):

Group 1 Group 2 Device Name
Appliance Control ~~ Coffee Machine, Deep Freeze, Air Compressor ~~ KCP Switch (Coffee pot in kitchen switch)
Lighting Control~~Switch, RGB, ~~ LaunR OH Light (Device Name-Laundry room Overhead Light)

Thing with group reassign. If you change a group, floor or whatever name. You can move all appropriate devices at once instead of individually. ( Ask me how I know HA--, too many changes half way through my naming process)

Really More what YOUR comfortable with and what works for your system.

Good point cc4005. Hopefully allow even more sorting functions.
It is nice to be able to filter out Temperature and see all devices that report Temperature readings easily.

[RoChess]

Meapilot I've requested to join HS4 testing, as it introduces "Categories" which should closely resemble the 'group' I was after. In the end it is all about the personal flexibility the user is after, but at least it is easy to switch back and forth. Internally HomeSeer simply calls it "location1" and "location2" and you can rename and mix-and-match to your heart's content

[Meapilot]

RoChess . I agree that will be interesting to see how it turns out. Good deal on the testing for you.
Thats what I like about the flexibility. I can "cater" it to my way (probably weird ) of thinking for organization.

[RoChess]

RoChessGood deal on the testing for you.

There's still room if you have hairs left to pull for the fun of it with eggnog on standby -- https://forums.homeseer.com/forum/ho...-beta-testers/

[Meapilot]

Ha. I can "break" a tried and true system. I might better think a bit LONNNGGERR on that one. ha.
It will not let me even view that thread

[TeleFragger]

I personally do not get hung up the exactness of the floor / room definitions, rather 2 filters. I primary filter by room when viewing devices with floor being a secondary filter when needed. Here are mine.

1st Floor, Den

did you type this entire list out????
how did you pull it out if you did?

so I have an alarm and have it as...

All alarm panel items into floor 1st, room Concord
Then say front door is ..
Floor - First, Room - Foyer

but then in HS, you can also category items so all of mine are security

so in HS4, which is pretty cool... if i want to see them ALL, i select category security, then i see them all then i can filter down by room (all of mine are on 1st floor)


so the one thing that has me.. and ive posted it in a few other places..

Front/Middle/Back lights in the basement...

Floor - Basement, Room - Basement, Item Middle Lights

so Ok Google, turn on the Middle Lights
Google - OK Turning on the Basement|Baement Middle lights
so i opted to not put Room and left it blank but then HSTouch on my phone, wont show the device...

[lveatch]

did you type this entire list out????
how did you pull it out if you did?

so I have an alarm and have it as...

All alarm panel items into floor 1st, room Concord
Then say front door is ..
Floor - First, Room - Foyer

but then in HS, you can also category items so all of mine are security

so in HS4, which is pretty cool... if i want to see them ALL, i select category security, then i see them all then i can filter down by room (all of mine are on 1st floor)


so the one thing that has me.. and ive posted it in a few other places..

Front/Middle/Back lights in the basement...

Floor - Basement, Room - Basement, Item Middle Lights

so Ok Google, turn on the Middle Lights
Google - OK Turning on the Basement|Baement Middle lights
so i opted to not put Room and left it blank but then HSTouch on my phone, wont show the device...

I did not type these out. While I love my linux 'server' OSes which drive towards typing more than clicking, I "grepped" it out. I believe I pulled this out of HS3 by having the SDJ-Health plug-in installed. It creates a DeviceProp.csv file in HS3's html directory that contains this info. Jon00's Device viewer and documenter is similar, but I have issues with it not running when ran in the background via an event.

This command would generate that list but sed,awk would do the same.

perl -F/,/  -nlae 'print qq($F[2], $F[1])' DeviceProp.csv | sort | uniq | sort

While I have HS4 installed on test ubuntu server, I haven't done much with it. There appeared to be too many core issues and didn't have the time to play with it but like some of it's features. Been too busy catching up on the 3d printed things I needed to design for my home automation hobby - I can print more now that I at home more.

Additionally, I have not much of a need for voice control. I think I have 2 that I use with google. I use their "goodnight" routine to run my HS3 night time lights out event and voice control of a kitchen under cabinet light. It is defined in HS as "1st Floor, Kitchen, Undercab light" and it's voice command set to "kitchen light". I then tell good to turn off the kitchen light for which it does and response using the same name. Perhaps I'm just lucky?