Direct device control or scene?

[toflaherty]

Question for the INSTEON experts regarding direct device or scene control. This is working fine, but would it be better to make a scene with my living room lamp at 25% and hall light on, then use the program to control the scene on/off instead of the direct device control like I'm doing below? Living room lamp is the insteon LED 8W bulb, hall light is micro on/off module. I have a scene with a remotelinc2 controlling both lights as well, could I use that scene or would it be better to create a new scene with no controller and only the 2 responders? Again, what I currently have works, I'm just wondering what best practices are. I remember reading something about always using scenes in the ISY and never direct device control, but I'm not sure why.

 

If
       On Sun, Mon, Tue, Wed, Thu
       From    Sunset 
       To      11:00:00PM (same day)
    Or On Sat, Thu, Fri
       From    Sunset 
       To      11:59:00PM (same day)

Then
       Set 'Hall Light' On
       Set 'Living Room Lamp' 25%

Else
       Set 'Hall Light' Off
       Set 'Living Room Lamp' Off

 

Thanks for any help! I'd just like to understand the device/scene/program interaction a little better.

[LeeG]

I prefer a Scene to direct device control, particularly in the RemoteLinc2 case. Same ISY Scene for both Program and RemoteLinc2. For the RemoteLinc2 case there is no delay in invoking a Program to then invoke the Scene.

 

ISY Scene xxxx

RemoteLinc2 button - Controller

Hall Light - Responder

Lamp - Responder

 

The existing Time based Program does a

 

Then

Set Scene xxxx On

Else

Set Scene xxxx Off

[toflaherty]

I noticed that with the direct device control in the program, it even correctly updates the scene value for the two lights when the program runs, so there's no issue with the scenes.

 

A lot of people seem to prefer using a scene in a program, but I'm still not sure why. If I were to add a responder to the scene, the program would now do something different. The way I have it now, it will ONLY control the two lights I have listed directly on/off, instead of whatever is in the scene. This might be preferred.

 

Maybe my confusion comes from the possibility that older ISY firmware couldn't control a device directly, if that's true?

 

Regardless, LeeG, I thank you for your reply.

[LeeG]

No change in Direct versus Scene since Insteon was released in 2005.

 

Why would one add a device to Scene xxxx if the Program and RemoteLinc2 were not to control the additional device?. Should the devices being controlled by the Program and RemoteLinc2 become different then two Scenes would be used.

 

It is your choice. Where only two devices are concerned the delay in the Time Program turning on the first device versus the second device is small. A Scene has the two devices turn On or Off together. If you prefer Direct use it that way.

[toflaherty]

A Scene has the two devices turn On or Off together.

 

Ahh.. that's a key point. It would definitely seem weird with more devices turning on in sequence instead of at the same time.

 

Thanks for the explanation.

[EricK]

Hi,

It looks like in your program that you have Thu twice, one on each side of the or. I would use a scene. Some suggest that if you are doing direct commands like you have it to add a short wait, maybe a few seconds in between each direct command so one command does not block the other.

[toflaherty]

Hi,

It looks like in your program that you have Thu twice, one on each side of the or.

 

Good catch, thanks! Fixed.

[dgeffs]

I've only had my ISY for about a week so I'm no expert. However, I've noticed that using a scene with a KPL makes it easy to toggle that scene of and off from the KPL and still allow local control of a switch to toggle the scene as well. This keeps the KPL in sync with control via local activation, KPL activation or in my case Roomie Remote activation. I've only tried this with one light per scene so using multiple lights may provide a different result.

 

My main requirement is that a scene activated via Roomie is reflected on the KPL as well. I was having problems using direct activation and keeping these in sync and scenes appeared to have solved all my issues. I'm converting all my lighting away from Elk (UPB) and moving to ISY (Insteon) and so far I've been able to do everything I need much easier than ElkRP.

[toflaherty]

It makes a lot more sense with a KPL since you have the status lights. I only have the remotelinc2, so there's no light on it or status of any sort to update with a scene. Regardless, I changed my program to control a scene since I decided I do like the idea of the program not having to change when the scene changes. This is all starting to make more sense now. It will also be better to have it this way in the future if I do get a KPL.

[dgeffs]

I'm finding the KPL's a great addition to my setup. I've had other keypads with UPB but I was never able to keep them in sync no matter what I tried. I had the Insteon stuff working within a few hours of opening the box and this includes a few programs and integrating with Roomie Remote. The ISY GUI needs a complete overhaul but the funtionality is there and pretty easy to deal with.