Scheduling by Folder

[jgraziano]

I decided to, instead of scheduling each event for weekdays, weekends, etc., to try setting up each program for every day and then placing them in the appropriate folder: Weekday programs, Weekend/Holiday programs, Everyday programs. Then I can just enable/disable the folders and that would take care of all of the events for that scenario. So if we are all off the week between Christmas and New Years, I just enable the Weekend/Holiday foler and disable the Weekday folder and I know that all of the scheduling will be right (assuming here that our behavior on vacation is the same as on a weekend).

Anyway, long explanation aside, what is the best way to schedule those folders. This is what I have now:

-----------------------------------------------

Folder Conditions for '_Weekday'

Add conditions to limit when programs in this folder are allowed to run.

 

If

On Mon, Tue, Wed, Thu, Fri

Time is 12:01:00AM

 

Then

Allow the programs in this folder to run.

 

------------------------------------------------

Folder Conditions for '_Weekend/Holiday'

Add conditions to limit when programs in this folder are allowed to run.

 

If

On Sat, Sun

Time is 12:01:00AM

 

Then

Allow the programs in this folder to run.

-------------------------------------------------

 

Is this the right way to accomplish this or should I used "From/To"?

On Saturday at 12:01 am does the Weekday folder disable? Likewise on Monday, will the Weekday folder take over and the Weekend disable?

I know I still need to add some code manually control these ie, on a holiday disable the Weekday and enable the Weekend/Holiday, but right now I'm just concentrating on getting the normal scheduling right.

 

Ideas?

 

Thanks!

[d_l]

Jim, I might be wrong on this, but I think as you have it, the folder conditions will only allow the contained programs to run at that specific time. I believe you want to use "From/To" to set Start/Stop boundary time conditions on the folders.

 

I do know that if your Holidays are weekdays, then your '_Weekend/Holiday' folder will not run because you restricted it run on weekends only.

 

Dave

[jgraziano]

I do know that if your Holidays are weekdays, then your '_Weekend/Holiday' folder will not run because you restricted it run on weekends only. Smile

 

Thanks. As I said I know that I have to add some code to create exceptions to these (holiday is during the week), I was just addressing the 'normal' schedule here. I will probably do it via a program I turn on and off as a flag and 'or' it with the normal schedule permissive in the folder conditions.

 

I'm thinking you are probably right in the first part, wondering if anyone has tried this.

 

Thanks.

[jgraziano]

I do have something of a similar scenario and it works fine:

Folder Conditions for 'Morning Lightup'

Add conditions to limit when programs in this folder are allowed to run.

 

If

Time is 4:00:00AM

Or X10 'B3/On (3)' is Received

And Status 'Den Corner Lamp' is Off

 

Then

Allow the programs in this folder to run.

 

 

 

This folder condition enables a program every 4 am that allows a motion sensor to turn on the den lights when motion is detected, but only the first one after 4 am. It won't turn on the lights every time during the day when it detects motion. When 4 am rolls around the next day, it will enable it again. This has worked 100% perfectly since I put it in. Even my wife likes it . The X10 is there just as a manual trigger for testing, etc.

 

It seems like the schedule I have in the original post is pretty similar. Any comments anyone?

 

Thanks.

[Michel Kohanim]

Jim,

 

Hi, my only comment is that you do need the From and To in your first example. Have you given that a try?

 

With kind regards,

Michel

 

I do have something of a similar scenario and it works fine:

Folder Conditions for 'Morning Lightup'

Add conditions to limit when programs in this folder are allowed to run.

 

If

Time is 4:00:00AM

Or X10 'B3/On (3)' is Received

And Status 'Den Corner Lamp' is Off

 

Then

Allow the programs in this folder to run.

 

 

 

This folder condition enables a program every 4 am that allows a motion sensor to turn on the den lights when motion is detected, but only the first one after 4 am. It won't turn on the lights every time during the day when it detects motion. When 4 am rolls around the next day, it will enable it again. This has worked 100% perfectly since I put it in. Even my wife likes it . The X10 is there just as a manual trigger for testing, etc.

 

It seems like the schedule I have in the original post is pretty similar. Any comments anyone?

 

Thanks.

[jgraziano]

Yes, but I haven't tested yet. As I understand it, this should give me two flags, one for weekday and one for weekend:

 

Weekday Flag

If On Mon

From 12:01:00AM

To 11:59:00PM (4 days later)

 

Then

- No Actions - (To add one, press 'Action')

 

Else

- No Actions - (To add one, press 'Action')

 

Weekend Flag

If On Sat

From 12:01:00AM

To 11:59:00PM (next day)

 

Then

- No Actions - (To add one, press 'Action')

 

Else

- No Actions - (To add one, press 'Action')

 

 

 

 

And then I use it for folder control:

Folder Conditions for '_Weekday Programs'

Add conditions to limit when programs in this folder are allowed to run.

 

 

 

If

Program 'Day is WEEKDAY' is True

 

Then

Allow the programs in this folder to run.

 

 

 

Same thing for the 'Weekend' programs folder.

 

What I'm not crazy about is that if anything happens between the 'from' and 'to' and either flag goes low, there is nothing to reset it until its initial start time again. I guess I could do some code: if both flags are low (actually they both will be low during the changeover), that is not a legitimate condition, I could do something with that.

I'm also having a little trouble deciding how to do the manual override, which is the whole point of this. If a holiday occurs on a weekday, I want to enable the 'weekend' folder and disable the 'weekday' folder, ie, run the weekend schedule on the holiday.

I'm sure nobody wants to get sucked into this one. I'm even wondering if it is worth the trouble!

[Michel Kohanim]

Jim,

 

Folder conditions just limit what programs are run within the folder and, based on what I gather, I don't think you want to use Folder Conditions. You are simply looking for a way to reuse the status of a program to constrain another program. So, I think, you would want to create standalone programs to be used as conditions in any other programs. Right?

 

With kind regards,

Michel

 

Yes, but I haven't tested yet. As I understand it, this should give me two flags, one for weekday and one for weekend:

 

Weekday Flag

If On Mon

From 12:01:00AM

To 11:59:00PM (4 days later)

 

Then

- No Actions - (To add one, press 'Action')

 

Else

- No Actions - (To add one, press 'Action')

 

Weekend Flag

If On Sat

From 12:01:00AM

To 11:59:00PM (next day)

 

Then

- No Actions - (To add one, press 'Action')

 

Else

- No Actions - (To add one, press 'Action')

 

 

 

 

And then I use it for folder control:

Folder Conditions for '_Weekday Programs'

Add conditions to limit when programs in this folder are allowed to run.

 

 

 

If

Program 'Day is WEEKDAY' is True

 

Then

Allow the programs in this folder to run.

 

 

 

Same thing for the 'Weekend' programs folder.

 

What I'm not crazy about is that if anything happens between the 'from' and 'to' and either flag goes low, there is nothing to reset it until its initial start time again. I guess I could do some code: if both flags are low (actually they both will be low during the changeover), that is not a legitimate condition, I could do something with that.

I'm also having a little trouble deciding how to do the manual override, which is the whole point of this. If a holiday occurs on a weekday, I want to enable the 'weekend' folder and disable the 'weekday' folder, ie, run the weekend schedule on the holiday.

I'm sure nobody wants to get sucked into this one. I'm even wondering if it is worth the trouble!

[jgraziano]

Hi Michel, thanks for the reply.

No, I am using the folders the way they are intended. Here is basically what I am doing.

 

I have programs intended to run only on weekends, ie, the schedules are appropriate for weekends. Those programs go in the Weekends folder

 

I have programs intended to run only on weekdays, ie, the schedules are appropriate for weekdays. Those programs go in the Weekdays folder

 

So instead of each program having the appropriate days selected, I just turn the folders off and on based whether the current day is a weekday or weekend day. This way if a holiday falls on a weekday, as Christmas did this year, I can switch all of the scheduled programs over to the weekend schedule without having to each program or program 'holds' ahead of time. I can just freely switch back and forth by turning the folders off and on.

 

So the folder conditions would determine if the current day is weekend or weekday and turn that folder on or off as required. But instead of doing it directly in folder conditions, I decided to use a 'flag' program that would determine weekend/weekday status and use that flag in folder conditions. And then I can use that flag program as a manual 'switch' to deviate from the normal schedule, such as a holiday. This is the part that I'm trying to decide the best way to do right now. (besides, I just like using flags in programs)

 

I'm leaning toward doing another flag program called 'holiday' and 'anding' it with the folder enable program conditions; I can just turn it off and on manually (that's where the summary filter would be nice; I can have only the 'switch' program and enable status flags displayed) or even use X10 from my Harmony to turn off the weekday folder and turn on the weekend folder to use the weekend schedule on a holiday.

 

I hope this makes sense. if not, don't worry about it!

[Michel Kohanim]

Jim,

 

Now I totally understand what you are saying ... apologies for the misunderstanding.

 

I am thinking that it would be great if someone decided to spend a few hours to come up with Holidays programs (say for the next 5 years) which everyone can reuse and therefore also simplify what you are trying to accomplish.

 

In any case, you are on the right path. Please do keep us posted with your progress.

 

With kind regards,

Michel

Hi Michel, thanks for the reply.

No, I am using the folders the way they are intended. Here is basically what I am doing.

 

I have programs intended to run only on weekends, ie, the schedules are appropriate for weekends. Those programs go in the Weekends folder

 

I have programs intended to run only on weekdays, ie, the schedules are appropriate for weekdays. Those programs go in the Weekdays folder

 

So instead of each program having the appropriate days selected, I just turn the folders off and on based whether the current day is a weekday or weekend day. This way if a holiday falls on a weekday, as Christmas did this year, I can switch all of the scheduled programs over to the weekend schedule without having to each program or program 'holds' ahead of time. I can just freely switch back and forth by turning the folders off and on.

 

So the folder conditions would determine if the current day is weekend or weekday and turn that folder on or off as required. But instead of doing it directly in folder conditions, I decided to use a 'flag' program that would determine weekend/weekday status and use that flag in folder conditions. And then I can use that flag program as a manual 'switch' to deviate from the normal schedule, such as a holiday. This is the part that I'm trying to decide the best way to do right now. (besides, I just like using flags in programs)

 

I'm leaning toward doing another flag program called 'holiday' and 'anding' it with the folder enable program conditions; I can just turn it off and on manually (that's where the summary filter would be nice; I can have only the 'switch' program and enable status flags displayed) or even use X10 from my Harmony to turn off the weekday folder and turn on the weekend folder to use the weekend schedule on a holiday.

 

I hope this makes sense. if not, don't worry about it!

[jgraziano]

Thanks Michel!