Creating a Scene

[upstatemike]

So I finally got an ISY on Friday and started putting in my devices today. With an entry for each button, I already have 231 device entries and 92 group entries in the tree view. (Scenes were created automatically from existing device to device links)

 

So I decided to test out creating a new scene manually. I created a new scene and gave it a name and it got added to the bottom of the tree - no problem. I then selected a bunch of devices near the top of the tree to add to my new scene and started dragging them to my new scene.... and 45 seconds later I was still dragging as over 300 entries slowly scrolled past...

 

Eventually I got to the bottom of the list and dropped the devices into my new scene, but am I doing something wrong? What is the 'quick" way to add devices to a scene?

[Michel Kohanim]

upstatemike,

 

First of all, congratulations!

 

Here's the quick way:

1. Click and hold the CTRL button on your keyboard

2. Click on each and every device you want to add to the scene (multiple nodes will be highlighted)

3. Right mouse click on the highlighted selection and then choose Add to Scene ...

 

With kind regards,

Michel

 

So I finally got an ISY on Friday and started putting in my devices today. With an entry for each button, I already have 231 device entries and 92 group entries in the tree view. (Scenes were created automatically from existing device to device links)

 

So I decided to test out creating a new scene manually. I created a new scene and gave it a name and it got added to the bottom of the tree - no problem. I then selected a bunch of devices near the top of the tree to add to my new scene and started dragging them to my new scene.... and 45 seconds later I was still dragging as over 300 entries slowly scrolled past...

 

Eventually I got to the bottom of the list and dropped the devices into my new scene, but am I doing something wrong? What is the 'quick" way to add devices to a scene?

[Algorithm]

So I finally got an ISY on Friday...

 

Congrats, Upstate! Which model did you get?

[upstatemike]

upstatemike,

 

First of all, congratulations!

 

Here's the quick way:

1. Click and hold the CTRL button on your keyboard

2. Click on each and every device you want to add to the scene (multiple nodes will be highlighted)

3. Right mouse click on the highlighted selection and then choose Add to Scene ...

 

With kind regards,

Michel

 

Right in front of me, Thanks! I have successfully tested some programs using scenes and X10 translation, and will now go back to entering the rest of my devices.

[upstatemike]

So I finally got an ISY on Friday...

 

Congrats, Upstate! Which model did you get?

 

99i/IR PRO

[Algorithm]

So I finally got an ISY on Friday...

 

Congrats, Upstate! Which model did you get?

 

99i/IR PRO

 

Good for you! With that and the 2000-link PLM, there should be little chance of running out of resources!

[upstatemike]

I'm making good progress but have a couple of questions (that I will probably find answers to in the wiki when I get caught up with my reading).

 

1- When I add a device I see the local level and ramp rate are discovered OK but I don't see the local X10 address. How do you verify/set the local X10 address on a switch?

 

2- I see that when I make a scene for an area that includes a KeypadLinc and set the scene to OFF, that not all of the KeypadLinc LEDs update properly. (I assume this is a shortcoming of the KeypadLinc?) So instead of making one large scene for the area I just have the program turn off the scenes that already exist for each KeypadLinc button in sequence:

 

If

Control 'Bsmt Central Lights' is switched Off

Then

Set Scene 'Bsmt Keypad Grp 1' Off

Set Scene 'Bsmt Keypad Grp A' Off

Set Scene 'Bsmt Keypad Grp B' Off

Set Scene 'Bsmt Keypad Grp C' Off

Set Scene 'Bsmt Keypad Grp D' Off

Else

-No Actions-

 

This method seems to update the KeypadLinc LEDs correctly, however turning off a single large scene that included all of the KeypadLinc buttons usually resulted in 1 or 2 of them remaining on. Is this the best way to handle situations where you are controlling multiple buttons on the same KeypadLinc at once?

[Michel Kohanim]

upstatemike,

 

1. You can't currently

2. For older KPLs, there's a specific order that you need to put the buttons in the scene for that to work

a. First put your sub buttons

b. Last put your load button

c. You do not need a program for that just follow the above two steps to put your buttons in the scene

 

With kind regards,

Michel

 

I'm making good progress but have a couple of questions (that I will probably find answers to in the wiki when I get caught up with my reading).

 

1- When I add a device I see the local level and ramp rate are discovered OK but I don't see the local X10 address. How do you verify/set the local X10 address on a switch?

 

2- I see that when I make a scene for an area that includes a KeypadLinc and set the scene to OFF, that not all of the KeypadLinc LEDs update properly. (I assume this is a shortcoming of the KeypadLinc?) So instead of making one large scene for the area I just have the program turn off the scenes that already exist for each KeypadLinc button in sequence:

 

If

Control 'Bsmt Central Lights' is switched Off

Then

Set Scene 'Bsmt Keypad Grp 1' Off

Set Scene 'Bsmt Keypad Grp A' Off

Set Scene 'Bsmt Keypad Grp B' Off

Set Scene 'Bsmt Keypad Grp C' Off

Set Scene 'Bsmt Keypad Grp D' Off

Else

-No Actions-

 

This method seems to update the KeypadLinc LEDs correctly, however turning off a single large scene that included all of the KeypadLinc buttons usually resulted in 1 or 2 of them remaining on. Is this the best way to handle situations where you are controlling multiple buttons on the same KeypadLinc at once?

[upstatemike]

Yes that fixed it. Thanks again!

[blartyo]

I believe Chris from UDI posted somewhere that if you did put the buttons in the scene in the "wrong" order, restoring the device in question would "fix" it so that they were arranged in the right order.

[Michel Kohanim]

blartyo,

 

Yes, you are correct!

 

With kind regards,

Michel

 

I believe Chris from UDI posted somewhere that if you did put the buttons in the scene in the "wrong" order, restoring the device in question would "fix" it so that they were arranged in the right order.

[upstatemike]

Does a restore overwrite the device link table with the data from the ISY? Does it also clear out garbage links in the device link table that do not match the ISY database? (including stuff past the last valid entry that might be sitting out there?)

[Michel Kohanim]

upstatemike,

 

Yes if and only if you had not imported those links (using the third option on the link management).

 

With kind regards,

Michel

 

Does a restore overwrite the device link table with the data from the ISY? Does it also clear out garbage links in the device link table that do not match the ISY database? (including stuff past the last valid entry that might be sitting out there?)

[upstatemike]

upstatemike,

 

Yes if and only if you had not imported those links (using the third option on the link management).

 

With kind regards,

Michel

 

Does a restore overwrite the device link table with the data from the ISY? Does it also clear out garbage links in the device link table that do not match the ISY database? (including stuff past the last valid entry that might be sitting out there?)

 

Unfortunately I did use the third option for most of my devices because there were just too many to enter everything manually. (Even doing this it took 2 full days to get everything loaded and labeled!)

 

So now that I have everything organized, how can I start cleaning up the link tables in my devices? Do I need to delete and re-add them using option 1 and then put them back into the scenes again?

[Chris Jahn]

Unfortunately I did use the third option for most of my devices because there were just too many to enter everything manually. (Even doing this it took 2 full days to get everything loaded and labeled!)

 

So now that I have everything organized, how can I start cleaning up the link tables in my devices? Do I need to delete and re-add them using option 1 and then put them back into the scenes again?

 

Using the third option was fine, restore device will still do all of the following with your devices:

 

- 'Restore Device' removes links to unknown devices

- 'Restore Device' removes duplicate links

- 'Restore Device' moves keypad led links to front of link database

- 'Restore Device' ensures link to PLM for responder only devices

 

Restore Device also 'defragments' the link database, removing links that are marked deleted.

[upstatemike]

Using the third option was fine, restore device will still do all of the following with your devices:

 

- 'Restore Device' removes links to unknown devices

- 'Restore Device' removes duplicate links

- 'Restore Device' moves keypad led links to front of link database

- 'Restore Device' ensures link to PLM for responder only devices

 

Restore Device also 'defragments' the link database, removing links that are marked deleted.

 

Thanks Chris. That is how I thought it worked although I did have an odd situation earlier today. Button 1 on each of two ContoLincs in one bedroom were operating a link in another room. (This was not an old leftover link... these ControLincs had never been linked to this light before).

 

I reviewed the scenes in my ISY and it did show the incorrect links. I deleted the incorrect links and added links to the correct light but the buttons still operated the other light (in addition to the correct one.)

 

I did a restore devices on the incorrect light to clear any leftover responder links and also did a restore device on button 1 of each ControLinc, but pressing button 1 on the ContrLincs still operated the incorrect light.

 

Finally I added the incorrect light back into the scene for each ControLinc (to ensure the ISY was in control of it) and then deleted the links again. This finally solved it.

 

My question is why the restore devices function was not able to clear this bad entry?

 

Thanks,

 

-Mike

[Chris Jahn]

I would have to see the exact details to determine why they were not deleted originally, but it looks as though ISY did not recognize the link between the ControlLinc and your LampLinc.

 

Finally I added the incorrect light back into the scene for each ControLinc (to ensure the ISY was in control of it) and then deleted the links again. This finally solved it.

 

This is the correct way to solve this type of problem.