Can't find the documentation

[davidcald]

So I've been obsessing over how to or if to use my HS4 system to provide very basic security functionality and decided to give this PI a try. However, right out of the box, I don't see much if any real documentation. I do NOT expect to read endless chains of forum posts to get things working. The content on the website is not very helpful. I need each feature, function and option fully documented including the dependencies and impacts on other external objects. For such a critical system as security, I would hope there would be more thorough treatment in a PI that looks to be a good fit for this need. Perhaps I've totally missed it somewhere, but please point me to a user guide so I can give this a real trial. THANKS!

[metkhoo]

Not exactly an answer to your question but the HS3 version did have a whole series of help screens. The screenshots are different but the basics are there.
I have been using this system for a few years and it works perfectly for me.

Basics to understand this are:
1) Use HomeSeer sensors to build an alarm system
2) Multi user activity logging

• 3) Generates HomeSeer triggers that can allow Homeseer to fire other events based on security information (e.g. send emails, capture Webcam pictures etc.) . Triggers are Security changed to ARMED",
• Security changed to PERIMETER
• Security changed to SLEEP
• Security changed to DISARMED
• Alert status reset
• Security alert triggered
• Security device in alert when arming
• Security device in communications error when arming

4) Has Homeseer Actions available in Homeseer rules to allow control of the security system.

• Set security mode to ARMED
• Set security mode to PERIMETER
• Set security mode to SLEEP
• Set security mode to DISARMED
• Reset Alert Status

These are very powerful when linked in with other HomeSeer events. For example, I use PLLocation2 with Geo location and automatically ARM my system if my wife and I are not at home. This can also DISARM the alarm when I am seen back at home and open the front door. I also can automatically put the system in "SLEEP" mode at 01:00 if it is not already on and can DISABLE it automatically when I am at home and the sensors pick up my movement close to the exit doors.

5) Modes available are "Armed", "Sleep", "Perimeter" and "Disarmed" modes exactly like dedicated systems.


Basics to configure this are:
1) Add users (These are users of the system. Each user gets their own pin code. The system recognises their PIN when entered and will write to the Activity log)
2) Add Zones (These represent zones of the security system which can be thought of as rooms if you like)
3) Add Devices (These are typically door/window/motion sensors. These should be allocated to one or more zones). When adding a device, you specify a "type/category" such as "Motion" sensors, "Door Sensors", "Window sensors", "Flood sensors", "Gas sensors", "Pressure sensors", "Sound sensors", "Security remotes" . All these devices must already exist as devices in HomeSeer. When adding devices you determine security parameters for the device:
Is it a "perimeter" device?
Is it excluded in "Arm" mode?
Is it excluded in "Sleep" mode?
Is it excluded from Warning for alert status when arming? This allows the device to be ignored when arming but can still be used to trigger. Remember you could trigger on the "Change" of a device rather than a specific state
How to detect the trigger of this device? Should it be triggered by a change in value of the underlying HS device? If so what values determine an "Alert" and what values determine a "Normal state"
Should the device be reversed logic (i.e. alert really means "Normal" and "Normal" really means Alert)
Is there a delay between device triggering and BLSecurity doing anything - this is useful for "Entry/Exit" sensors where you need some time to disable the alarm panel before your sirens go off.
If there is a delay, what should the delay time be?
Is it disabled?
4) Set up options. Things like numebr of seconds to wait before entering arm or perimeter mode (allowing you to get out before it tiggers)

The HS3 version allows to fully customise the alarm panel too - which I did in Javascript and JQuery. I have "juggling" numbers for the panel too so the panel is forever changing the layout. This stops a "guess" by looking at where the finger marks are!


This is only an overview of the functionality but I hope this helps

As you can tell.. I am a fan
/Marcus

[davidcald]

metkhoo WOW! Really nice of you to go to this trouble to provide some insights, much appreciated and is helpful. However, hope you understand my position that there is no substitute for developer authored user documentation, especially on a productized(for money) commercial software. I think this PI has great potential but frankly am hesitant to move forward if these basic requirements are not handled.

[metkhoo]

TBH I think many paid for plug ins suffer the same issue.