Feature Requests for the Mark Sandler Insteon PLM Plug-In

[smithdavee]

A reprogram a device that is failing, or even just reading a device. Also the comms test.

[mnsandler]

Is it possible to cancel a job that the plugin is running. Such as a device that does not respond. It would be nice to cancel it.

what type of job?

[smithdavee]

Is it possible to cancel a job that the plugin is running. Such as a device that does not respond. It would be nice to cancel it.

[joegr]

I'll have to take a look at this. The issues is, the plugin doesn't know about the different types of messages when its sending them.

Like I said, only if it is reasonably easy to do. Otherwise, it's not a big deal.
Thanks

[mnsandler]

I would like to get the simple timeout down to one second, or at least down to two. I would set the complicated one to five seconds, I think. Right now I have the single timeout set to a compromise of three seconds.

I would consider reading values from battery devices (settings, battery level, changing settings after x triggers, ...) as the complicated timeout.

I'll have to take a look at this. The issues is, the plugin doesn't know about the different types of messages when its sending them.

[joegr]

that's an interesting idea. what are your thoughts on the range of values for each timeout setting?

I would like to get the simple timeout down to one second, or at least down to two. I would set the complicated one to five seconds, I think. Right now I have the single timeout set to a compromise of three seconds.

I would consider reading values from battery devices (settings, battery level, changing settings after x triggers, ...) as the complicated timeout.

[mnsandler]

Would it be reasonably possible to have two different response timeout settings? The idea would be to have one for simple responses to on/off/dim/... commands, and another one for link programming and other more complicated tasks.

that's an interesting idea. what are your thoughts on the range of values for each timeout setting?

[joegr]

Would it be reasonably possible to have two different response timeout settings? The idea would be to have one for simple responses to on/off/dim/... commands, and another one for link programming and other more complicated tasks.

[mnsandler]

Of course I don’t know anything about your plugin code, but it seems like you can take what you already have as the plugin’s device settings page and make that what appears in the Insteon tab of the device page. I guess that assumes that the tab is a container or frame that can simply display/contain the page you’re already creating. Is that actually more complex than I’m making it sound?


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its more about the hs3 api. i would have to write two new routines to display and then process the 'post'. Just something i don't want to invest in at this time. i'm trying to keep most of my plugin code hs version independent.

[Jon]

Of course I don’t know anything about your plugin code, but it seems like you can take what you already have as the plugin’s device settings page and make that what appears in the Insteon tab of the device page. I guess that assumes that the tab is a container or frame that can simply display/contain the page you’re already creating. Is that actually more complex than I’m making it sound?


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[mnsandler]

How about embedding the content of the Device Settings page into your Insteon tab. Those are the settings you're more likely to interact with anyhow. Also, this page already contains a section that displays the link table gives you a button to edit the links. I don't know how many people actually edit links manually, but I'd suspect it's a smaller subset than those who edit the device settings. I don't think you need to treat the two pages as if they're at the same level.

Jon, i don't want to invest a lot of time in the HS3 interface at this point

[Jon]

Jon
i can only create One tab (my Insteon tab) on the hs device page. I could link back to the hs edit tabs using something like "deviceutility?ref=123&edit=1", but i don't think i can go to a specific hs tab. what do you think?

How about embedding the content of the Device Settings page into your Insteon tab. Those are the settings you're more likely to interact with anyhow. Also, this page already contains a section that displays the link table gives you a button to edit the links. I don't know how many people actually edit links manually, but I'd suspect it's a smaller subset than those who edit the device settings. I don't think you need to treat the two pages as if they're at the same level.

[mnsandler]

Mark,
I like the new tab on the device page to jump to the plugin settings for that device. It makes it a lot faster to get to the settings from the device page. But jumping back from the insteon settings pages back to the device page isn't there. I can't help but wonder if you couldn't just create two tabs (one for each of the two links, Device Settings, and Links) on the device pages and contain the content of the other page into the tab itself. That would preserve the tab at the top of the page so you can quickly jump back and forth between the Insteon specific and non-insteon tabs.

Jon
i can only create One tab (my Insteon tab) on the hs device page. I could link back to the hs edit tabs using something like "deviceutility?ref=123&edit=1", but i don't think i can go to a specific hs tab. what do you think?

[Jon]

Mark,
I like the new tab on the device page to jump to the plugin settings for that device. It makes it a lot faster to get to the settings from the device page. But jumping back from the insteon settings pages back to the device page isn't there. I can't help but wonder if you couldn't just create two tabs (one for each of the two links, Device Settings, and Links) on the device pages and contain the content of the other page into the tab itself. That would preserve the tab at the top of the page so you can quickly jump back and forth between the Insteon specific and non-insteon tabs.

[mrceolla]

I would like to request an option in Insteon config that will allow the plugin to send an update value to HS so that HS can decide whether or not to update the Last Change date, and also so I can make use of event triggers such as 'Set' even when the value does not change. I know there are workarounds for these things but this seems to be the way the rest of the devices in HS operate so it'd be nice if Insteon devices operated the same way. Aside from that, with some devices such as temperature or light sensors, it is nice to know the value is not stale and communication is working, and updating the Last Change date whenever it reports would help accomplish that.

I realize making this change could cause people events to change, so that is why I suggest it be an option.

Side note: HomeSeer should change the name of that column to "Last Update" since that's covers the scenario when the value doesn't change.

Thanks!