Device status aware?

[rrehart]

[attachment=0]All off button.jpgI have my demopad programmed up pretty good now. It is controlling everything as expected, but I have a few 'tweaks' I'd like to make. However, It seems that means that the software has to be aware of the current status of the devices in question. For example;

1. I have configured a gauge to 'slide' my Insteon dimmer (via ISY994i) to a desired lighting dimness. That works great. I also have a couple of buttons for on, off, dim to 35% (TV, gaming), and dim to 6% (movie). However, when I use one of the four buttons (for this example, we'll use 'TV') the gauge does not move to the 35% position - it stays where it was set prior to pushing the TV button. What I would like is for the gauge to move to 35% when I push the TV button, or 6% when I push the Movie button. So the question is, can the gauge 'query' the ISY and 'display' the current status?

2. Example 2: [note: AVR, PS3, and DirecTV boxes are all controlled via Global Cache IP2IR box] I have configured some 'activity' buttons; such that when I push the "TV" button, the lights go on to 35%, the projector comes on, the AVR comes on and sets itself to HDMI1 input, and the DirecTV receiver comes on. Great! Now I push the "Movie" button, where I have told it to turn on the PS3 and turn off the DirecTV box. Works great. Now, if I push the 'All Off' button [image attached] - it actually turns ON the DirecTV box because it was already in an 'Off' state. Is there a way to tell the program to check if the DirecTV box is off? And if so, don't send the command?

Thanks.

[DemoPad]

1. We'd need to see how you set up your gauge to control the ISY, but I'm guessing you used a number variable & custom actions. In which case you have 2 choices: a) when you send the command on the button press to change the lights to 35%, also send a command to change the number variable to 35, which will alter the gauge for you, OR, b) set up a generic feedback routine to request the light level from the ISY and assign the return value to the number, which in turn will update the gauge. The second option is a little more complex, so you'll probably want to email support@demopad.com for assistance.

2. You can use flags to 'remember' whether devices were turned on or not, and send certain commands only if the flag is ON or OFF, however it is usually better to try & obtain the discrete ON/OFF codes for your equipment rather than toggle 'power' codes. You can even go as far as, say, connecting up the video feed from a device to a video sensor, and interrogate that to determine if a piece of equipment is turned on...

[trevorst]

I can' answer all your questions, and you already were given a solution on the Insteon.
On the DirecTV why don't you use IP control, it has on and off commands.

Also how did you configure the gauge to act as a slider.. I would like to do the same.