HomeSeer Mobile, integration, problems

[info@kaeseler.dk]

Hi Steve,

I have tried to integrate VSTAT into my setup in the HomeSeer Mobile app. However, I am struggling with a couple of issues:

1. it seems like settings cannot be set for child-devices, e.g. the target temperature - Homeseer returns an error message, "we are having a difficult time talking to Homeseer, An unexpected error has occured. Bad data returned. Error while controlling device 1416."
2. For the other devices, where I can set the temperature, this can only be done in 1 degree Celsius increments, not 0,5 (as the increase/decrease from the CAPI)
3. If increasing beyond 21degrees, the last digit is invisible
4. The controls are not visible on the "widget", instead 6 grey rectangles are shown
5. On the widget, the current temperature is visible but not the current target temperature - would be nice to see both
6. Maybe the default view on the widget could be made nicer, to include most significant data, status, controls, etc..

Thanks for your help Steve :-)

[SteveMSJ]

Hi Steve,

I have tried to integrate VSTAT into my setup in the HomeSeer Mobile app. However, I am struggling with a couple of issues:

1. it seems like settings cannot be set for child-devices, e.g. the target temperature - Homeseer returns an error message, "we are having a difficult time talking to Homeseer, An unexpected error has occured. Bad data returned. Error while controlling device 1416."
2. For the other devices, where I can set the temperature, this can only be done in 1 degree Celsius increments, not 0,5 (as the increase/decrease from the CAPI)
3. If increasing beyond 21degrees, the last digit is invisible
4. The controls are not visible on the "widget", instead 6 grey rectangles are shown
5. On the widget, the current temperature is visible but not the current target temperature - would be nice to see both
6. Maybe the default view on the widget could be made nicer, to include most significant data, status, controls, etc..

Thanks for your help Steve :-)

Hi,

I feel your pain

Whilst I don't use the HomeSeer Mobile App I have done some testing on it and spent some considerable time a year or so back trying to make the VStats appear as close as possible to HomeSeer's definition of a Thermostat device. This wasn't easy, or totally successful, as the documentation is unclear and incomplete.
So, firstly it might depend on which version of SDJ-VStat you were on when you set up the particular VStats. When you update the pi it doesn't update the structure of existing VStats, unless absolutely necessary. You can however, rebuild individual VStats on the config page which will set the Device Types, ControlUses, etc to the latest version. Just make sure you set the global Heating and Cooling Mode names to those used by the particular VStat before rebuilding as it will use the global names in the rebuild. If you use different names for individual VStats just change the globals before you rebuild each one.

That aside the mobile app has many limitations and the representation of a Thermostat, whilst partly usable, is far from ideal for a VStat. Whilst I love HomeSeer I can't believe they have released a mobile app without the ability to backup and copy dashboards! For that reason alone there is no way I would use it, but I am not the target user anyway. I use HSTouch where I can configure my screens in any way I want and therefore have the full functionality of VStats at my fingertips.

Addressing your points in turn:

1. I don't understand I'm afraid. When I set up a VStat on a dashboard in HS Mobile I can control the Target Temperature but only by the up and down arrows, i.e. 1 degree increments. Are you accessing the Target Temperature as a device on its own, i.e. not as a Thermostat? If so any device you can control in HS WebPage should be able to be controlled in HS Mobile. The error you are seeing sounds like an HS bug but it isn't anything I have seen.

2. The one degree increment is down to HomeSeer, it's not something the pi has any control over. I and others have complained over the years about this which is due to the Americanised bias. 1 degree F is probably acceptable but 1 degree C is far too course. SDJ-VStat provides increase and decrease controls which work in 1 degree F or 0.5 degree C steps but HS Mobile doesn't expose them.

3. I've complained directly about the decimal digit disappearing in the Mobile App but it hasn't been addressed. Again presumably it isn't a problem with Fahrenheit where people probably work in whole degrees.

4. Again, people have complained about the controls not being visible on the thermostat widget but no response from HS.

5. and 6. Same again, this is all down to HS. I can't believe that the author of the HS Mobile App actually uses it.

It appears to me that development of the HS Mobile App came to an abrupt halt before it was anything like finished. I can only hope that the intention is that either the HS4 UI is supposed to replace it or attention will return to the Mobile App once HS4 is up and running with the major bugs squashed.

Personally I consider HSTouch is the way to go for tablet and phone integration and I use it extensively. Whilst the Designer can be a hugely frustrating experience you can implement whatever functionality you want, and if you are graphically skilled, something that looks good as well. There are plenty of examples in the forums of some stunning implementations.

I hope this helps,
Steve