Latest Beta 4.0.3.4 - Expanded Release Notes?

[Steveo369]

Mark:
Any additional notes on the latest Beta? I see the new "Fix HS UI Devices" button at the bottom of the Groups page, but honestly, I'm a little bit afraid to push it.

I assume this is the button that will add new On/Off Button controls to all HS4 Group Controller devices previously created by MNS? I've got some 36 groups that I'd have to reprogram if something went haywire.

• Will Group Controller Device or Feature names change? I've already customized all of my Group Controller Features.
• Will the Control Section of Events have to be re-set to adapt the new Control for any Events which call for Group Controller commands?
• Will the Features/Status page of Group Controller Devices be fully reset to some default scheme? I have revised Controls/Graphics on several of my Group Controllers.
• Will the update affect any local control (Controllers) of existing Groups?

I don't mind beta testing, and really appreciate the progress on these kind of things, but I'm not seeing any documentation on this. I'd just like to have an idea as to whether I'm going to need to tweak a bunch of things after the running this "Fix HS UI Devices" routine. Especially on the local control side of things as the WAF numbers would head down the drain considering the two weeks of setup I performed after the Insteon shutdown as part of my HS4 transition.

Also just trying to figure out how much I need to document my current Group Controller customizations if I'm going to need to restore/re-create them after application of this beta routine..

Thanks for any more info you can provide; happy to provide further feedback through testing!
-Steveo369

[mnsandler]

I added the following to the beta page

The Fix HS UI buttons can be used to fix, repair, or reset the HS devices created by the plugin. This will reset the controls and status/graphics back the plugin default. It will also recreate any missing feature devices. This can be used to upgrade devices built with previous versions of the plugin. This routine will not rename any names or locations, and will not break any Events that use these devices. You will get a warning message once you click the button so you can cancel out.

since you have customized your devices you may not want to run it. you can probably update the old groups to match the newer ones. this is really for novice users.

[Steveo369]

you can probably update the old groups to match the newer ones. this is really for novice users.

I guess I'm in the novice user camp!

I have a 'Test' Group Controller which I created new using beta 4.0.3.3, and it has the On / Off button display + the dropdown list.

I took one of my existing Group Controllers, created a couple weeks ago under a previous stable release (doesn't have the On/Off buttons), and attempted to copy the Status/Graphics page to exactly match the new group. I did the following:

• changed Unknown to -1, in both Edit Controls and Edit Status/Graphics
• Edited Row/Column/Col Span in all other entries (Row 2, Column 0, Col Span 1)
• Added Control entries 101 & 102

The pages between both Group Controllers are identical. But the older/existing GC does NOT have the On/Off buttons. I've tried restarting MNS, restarting HS4, etc. Is there some additional measure I have to do to get HS4 to 'take' this new scheme? For other Insteon devices where I've played with this screen, the HS4 Device shows the changes right away.

I guess I'm not sure how I could update the old groups to match the newer ones manually. Your Insteon overlord sorcery must be working it's magic behind the scenes with this Fix HS UI Button.

[mnsandler]

can you post a pic of the two devices status/graphics tabs

[Steveo369]

can you post a pic of the two devices status/graphics tabs

Here they are. On the left is a brand new test group "NewTest" with default settings as a Group Controller created in 4.0.3.4.
On the right is an older Group Controller "All Upstairs Lights". I think this was created with 4.0.2.0? For this older GC, I have manually revised all of the Control and Status/Graphics lines to exactly match the NewTest Group.





And here's what the HS4 Device cards look like:


Still not sure why "All Upstairs Lights" doesn't have the same Control layout as NewTest.

[mnsandler]

I guess only the plugin can register buttons with devices created created/controlled by the plugin.

all thought, hs did add the Test value to the dropdown list on the group controller status/graphics page. so that's inconsistent.


as a side test, I created a virtual device using the hs button + on the Device page. and i was able to create buttons on that new device





I think you might need to write some vb scripts to restore your custom settings after the plugin reverts them to default via the Fix buttons

i have seen others do this.

[Steveo369]

I guess only the plugin can register buttons with devices created created/controlled by the plugin.

all thought, hs did add the Test value to the dropdown list on the group controller status/graphics page. so that's inconsistent.

That's what I'm seeing also. In my older All Upstairs Lights group controller, the manually created On (101) & Off (102) commands show up in the dropdown list (double On and Off controls in the expanded drop down image below), but they do not create buttons for Controls. Has HS provided any input on this to plug in devs?

I think you might need to write some vb scripts to restore your custom settings after the plugin reverts them to default via the Fix buttons

Yeah, that is WAY beyond my expertise. I'd be more comfortable re-editing them one at a time.

[Steveo369]

One more level of weirdness with this issue...
I just noticed this evening that my "All Upstairs Lights" Group Controller has started showing the On and Off buttons in HSMobile (iOS).

This is the older GC (created in ~4.0.2.0) that I manually edited/updated the Status/Graphics page to match the Beta 4.0.3.6 Group Status/Graphics.

The HS4 web interface card (both Grid and List view) still do NOT show these same On/Off Control buttons.

I'm really thinking that this is something of a bug in the Status/Graphics editing, but it seems to be applicable to Group Controllers, & therefore appears to be related to the way that MNS Insteon creates Group Controller HS4 devices.

Not sure where I'd go from here. I could run the Fix HS UI Devices, but I'd much rather understand why I can't edit GC controls/Status/Graphics in the 'intended' way so that these changes translate across platforms in a predictable manner.

[mnsandler]

you will need to post this question in the hs4 forum. you will get more traffic there on this topic.

[Steveo369]

you will need to post this question in the hs4 forum. you will get more traffic there on this topic.

Done.
https://forums.homeseer.com/forum/ho...show-up-in-hs4

Since this problem lies somewhere between MNS & HS4, you might check my post and make sure I've characterized the issues correctly.