HS4 Feature Poll (Pick 5 features)

[avpman]

Please bring back an HS3-type compact device listing. Excel style. The HS4 interface is painful. The custom CSS offered to correct this did nothing more than I could already do by scaling my browser window. Thanks!

[ksum]

Amazon devices are so cheap and work well that why not use one of those? I have both in my home but use the Echo devices more often.

I have tried both and prefer the Google Assistant devices. I'm less entrenched in the Amazon system. I have one device in place which uses it and find its notifications to be unyieldy and unreliable. The point here isn't that one is better than the other, but that what is better for you may not be best for me. It is that what is best for HomeSeer is the flexibility to use what works for the end user

We can look more into #2, I have not looked into that yet. However, you can use the mic icon in HSMobile to give voice commands and that does not use the cloud, its all local. Same with the HSTouch client app.

The Smart NORA contrib in Node-Red does Local execution (Fulfillment) with Google Assistant very well. With devices around the house, and natural conversation capabilities, using this route for voice is easy and consistent with other voice operations such as calendar queries or calendar event creations. Both of which I also use for part of my automations in HomeSeer.

[mrceolla]

I didn't expect a reply. Thank you very much! I just wanted to comment on a few things.

The "Tell HomeSeer" skill still available with Amazon. Look for the skill named "HomeSeer Home Automation Skill". This simply sends the raw text that was heard to HS. You can do whatever you want with the text including parsing it yourself with a script.

Yes, I am aware Amazon can do this and what this does under the hood, and is exactly what I'm asking for, for Google.

Amazon devices are so cheap and work well that why not use one of those? I have both in my home but use the Echo devices more often.

Google Nest Minis are cheap too. I have a Google smart speaker or display in every room of the house. I don't think the average user wants a mix of Google Assistant and Alexa in their home. I know I don't. Too much to manage and might be hard to remember which one to talk to. Since you are a person developing for both, I totally understand why you would have both. I'm a Google-only house for smart speakers and displays. I use Chromecasts as well.

However, you can use the mic icon in HSMobile to give voice commands and that does not use the cloud, its all local. Same with the HSTouch client app.

Yes, plus a listening Speaker app is also local. The problem with HSMobile and HSTouch is that you need to be in the app. Opening the app takes time. I can accomplish the same as the mic icon press much more quickly from a home screen icon tap with this: Nearly instant HS3 voice control via Android's "Automate" app! - HomeSeer Message Board

That might be a feature you could look into incorporating into your mobile apps. A shortcut or widget that instantly listens and fires off a voice command.

That said, my requests here are all focused on the Google smart speaker/display experience. Not having to grab your phone is one of the key benefits of smart speakers and displays. And keeping communications local could only improve that experience, plus add to your "doesn't need the cloud" marketing. Anyway, I'm very glad to hear you'll look into #2! I hope it offers what I think it does.

To sum up, I would at least like to see Google integration match that of Amazon integration. Additionally, it looks like there may be an opportunity for Google integration to surpass Amazon integration.

No need to comment on my latest comments. I appreciate you guys listening!

Edit: Ouch, I guess the Nest Mini isn't so cheap anymore at $49. I seem to remember the first generation were $29. Even then I never paid full price for any of my Google speakers or displays. I always caught them in packages or other sales. I even got a couple free because my girlfriend and I are Google Fi customers!

[PaulB]

Is there any plugin for Apple Siri or homekit?

[jmaddox]

Is there any plugin for Apple Siri or homekit?

yes, but there are a few steps involved. It's something you set up outside of homeseer

https://forums.homeseer.com/forum/ho...meseer4-plugin

https://github.com/jvmahon/Homebridge-HomeSeer4

[ahuefner]

I would like to hear your thinking on support for ZWave-Long Range. Clearly, there are few LR devices available now but that will change going forward. What is HS's thinking for support for LR? Will the present 700 series based controllers be updateable or will that require a new controller? When might HS support of LR be available?

[avpman]

I would like to hear your thinking on support for ZWave-Long Range. Clearly, there are few LR devices available now but that will change going forward. What is HS's thinking for support for LR? Will the present 700 series based controllers be updateable or will that require a new controller? When might HS support of LR be available?

This looks pretty slick! Especially since it doesn't depend on neighboring devices to route the signals. Like the current mesh, layout does.

https://z-wavealliance.org/what-is-z...r-from-z-wave/

[George]

If you enter a device name in the search box (or partial device name) (from the top bar) it will display the device and all events that use that device. I think that does what this issue is addressing. It even tells you if the device is used as a trigger or an action and clicking the link brings up the event in edit mode.

Sort of exactly what HS 1.7 does now! Yessss!

And yup, I'm still running 1.7 in parallel with HS 3 because of some older plugin support issues and hardware devices.
1.7 was the cleanest, meanest of the bunch. I just checked and I haven't rebooted or even restarted HS 1.7 in over 3 months! Now that's stable!

[rjh]

Our current 700 series boards should work with it, and I don't believe the firmware needs to be updated, but if so, it can be updated.

We are looking into it. It is doable with our existing code base, but the node ID is now 16 bits vs 8 bits. This is a big code change so it will take some time. I cannot give a timeframe right now but will post something after we scope it out.

I would like to hear your thinking on support for ZWave-Long Range. Clearly, there are few LR devices available now but that will change going forward. What is HS's thinking for support for LR? Will the present 700 series based controllers be updateable or will that require a new controller? When might HS support of LR be available?

[randy]

The V4 plugin has the node info page, what is missing from it? It should have all the same information.

Sorry, I hadn't loaded the latest V4. I was still running V3. That said, the page is improved. It is still missing the ability to clear or set routing info and the Z-Wave tab on the devices still doesn't allow for adjusting polling. I know that is supposed to come back. I would like to be able to clear the routing info.

I haven't needed to deal with routing issues in a while. I guess I will start using the V4 plug-in and see how it goes. I already see I will miss the functions "Test Connectivity", "Remove Bad Node" and "Optimize" on the Z-Wave tab. It is available from The Z-Wave Device Diagnostics page, but the list is unsorted, making it difficult to find a device (I currently have about 175 Z-Wave Devices).

[swanie2000]

I would really like to see in the event area, IF THIS THAN THAT, "ELSE THIS"

I did vote for the EVENT CONDITIONS upgrade.....

Thanks for listening to your customers!

Plus 1 for all the Z-Wave request as well!!!

[RRR]

Since we are talking improvements... How about an update on some of the other items HS mentioned earlier this year. rjh mentioned possibly dashboards and Touch overall. Please share.

[rjh]

A V4 plugin update is being worked on and it will have the ability to adjust polling and the Z-Wave tab will have a direct link to one of the operations you mentioned so you can get their quickly.

We decided to leave the routing settings out for a number of reasons. With the latest Z-Wave technology routes are discovered automatically using an explorer frame. Also, there are cases where routing can change even after you set a route. Since there is no way to lock a route, we felt it best to remove this. (You can lock the routes for the entire interface but that is a bad idea)

Sorry, I hadn't loaded the latest V4. I was still running V3. That said, the page is improved. It is still missing the ability to clear or set routing info and the Z-Wave tab on the devices still doesn't allow for adjusting polling. I know that is supposed to come back. I would like to be able to clear the routing info.

I haven't needed to deal with routing issues in a while. I guess I will start using the V4 plug-in and see how it goes. I already see I will miss the functions "Test Connectivity", "Remove Bad Node" and "Optimize" on the Z-Wave tab. It is available from The Z-Wave Device Diagnostics page, but the list is unsorted, making it difficult to find a device (I currently have about 175 Z-Wave Devices).

[rjh]

Those are still planned but are much larger projects. This post was to get some feedback on smaller updates that we can implement quickly in the next update.

Since we are talking improvements... How about an update on some of the other items HS mentioned earlier this year. rjh mentioned possibly dashboards and Touch overall. Please share.

[randy]

I know it's early, but it is interesting that the top 3 for me are trending in the poll as well.