Party Time Lock Down

[Guest]

I have one button (Party Time) that controls all the mood lighting, exterior lighting, ceiling fans, cooling misters and so on. When that button is pressed, I want the scene to be in lock down and those items not controllable from any locations.

 

In addition, I do not want the timer (schedule) to have access to the items in the Party Time function when that button is pressed.

 

Reason being…. so party Guests cannot change any of the settings, and items that normally dim @ 9pm will not dim (or turn off) during the party.

[Michel Kohanim]

HAS,

 

This is a wonderful and very useful requirements some of which we can help you with (triggers/schedules to be locked down) and others which have to be directed to SmartLabs:

 

ISY does not control the traffic between devices so, if your Party Time devices are controlled by other controllers besides your Party Time button, then there's practically not much we can do to stop them communicating amongst each other (or locally any of the lights are connected to the load).

 

I do welcome any suggestions technical or otherwise on how to achieve these requirements.

 

Thanks so very much for your feedback,

With kind regards,

Michel

 

I have one button (Party Time) that controls all the mood lighting, exterior lighting, ceiling fans, cooling misters and so on. When that button is pressed, I want the scene to be in lock down and those items not controllable from any locations.

 

In addition, I do not want the timer (schedule) to have access to the items in the Party Time function when that button is pressed.

 

Reason being…. so party Guests cannot change any of the settings, and items that normally dim @ 9pm will not dim (or turn off) during the party.

[evarsanyi]

I If you could have an attribute on a scene that means the scene is inactive (treat it as a 'comment') which when set or cleared restored all devices associated with the scene -- then allow setting/clearing that attribute using a trigger or timer -- you could mostly do this.

 

The only missing bit would be local load control. For 8 button KPL's you could set Load/A button into non toggle mode and program it with the 'locked' scenes level, so that would at least take care of the KPL's loads but I can't think of a way to suppress switchlincs other than using an inlinelinc or the like for the actual load.

 

I actually asked SHL's insteon PM about breaking the implicit tie between the load and the paddle on a switchlinc (and button on the KPL's) so the load would just look like an additional responder not associated with any button (almost 2 years ago now). The answer I got back was not encouraging: "why would anyone want to do that?"; I came up with a couple of scenarios where the paddle and the load didn't make sense tied together but he just didn't get it. This party lock down mode is yet another good reason to do this.

 

Its frustrating they hardcoded these weird limitations, I wish they had been willing to 'burn' their first prototype (just the s/w, the h/w isn't bad) and make a production version from the ground up after they learned all they could from the prototype -- but it appears we got the prototype in production.

[Guest]

HAS,

 

This is a wonderful and very useful requirements some of which we can help you with (triggers/schedules to be locked down) and others which have to be directed to SmartLabs:

 

ISY does not control the traffic between devices so, if your Party Time devices are controlled by other controllers besides your Party Time button, then there's practically not much we can do to stop them communicating amongst each other (or locally any of the lights are connected to the load).

 

I do welcome any suggestions technical or otherwise on how to achieve these requirements.

 

Thanks so very much for your feedback,

With kind regards,

Michel

 

 

 

All devices are INSTEON. ISY should have a lock down function in the "trigger" section IE: If 7 DB 30 A is on : Lock all

 

Not trying to be a "party pooper", but nobody wants the lights going off in the middle of a party

[Michel Kohanim]

HAS,

 

I totally understand. The issue is not the triggers ... the issue is the existing links between switches and lights which ISY has NO control over.

 

Here's the main question:

All devices in your party scene, are they controlled only by your Party Mode button? If not, then ISY cannot control the communications between other controllers that also control the same and/or sub/set of devices as in your Party Scene.

 

Do I make sense?

With kind regards,

Michel

 

HAS,

 

This is a wonderful and very useful requirements some of which we can help you with (triggers/schedules to be locked down) and others which have to be directed to SmartLabs:

 

ISY does not control the traffic between devices so, if your Party Time devices are controlled by other controllers besides your Party Time button, then there's practically not much we can do to stop them communicating amongst each other (or locally any of the lights are connected to the load).

 

I do welcome any suggestions technical or otherwise on how to achieve these requirements.

 

Thanks so very much for your feedback,

With kind regards,

Michel

 

 

 

All devices are INSTEON. ISY should have a lock down function in the "trigger" section IE: If 7 DB 30 A is on : Lock all

 

Not trying to be a "party pooper", but nobody wants the lights going off in the middle of a party

[Guest]

Good point.

 

Just lock out the scheduler, and I'll be a happy camper

 

 

 

HAS,

 

I totally understand. The issue is not the triggers ... the issue is the existing links between switches and lights which ISY has NO control over.

 

Here's the main question:

All devices in your party scene, are they controlled only by your Party Mode button? If not, then ISY cannot control the communications between other controllers that also control the same and/or sub/set of devices as in your Party Scene.

 

Do I make sense?

With kind regards,

Michel

 

HAS,

 

This is a wonderful and very useful requirements some of which we can help you with (triggers/schedules to be locked down) and others which have to be directed to SmartLabs:

 

ISY does not control the traffic between devices so, if your Party Time devices are controlled by other controllers besides your Party Time button, then there's practically not much we can do to stop them communicating amongst each other (or locally any of the lights are connected to the load).

 

I do welcome any suggestions technical or otherwise on how to achieve these requirements.

 

Thanks so very much for your feedback,

With kind regards,

Michel

 

 

 

All devices are INSTEON. ISY should have a lock down function in the "trigger" section IE: If 7 DB 30 A is on : Lock all

 

Not trying to be a "party pooper", but nobody wants the lights going off in the middle of a party

[evarsanyi]

Here's another idea not as severe as reprogramming the link databases: If scene change speed is not a hard requirement (time from pressing the scene button to implementation) then another possibility would be to simply indirect scene control through the ISY in party sensitive areas:

- Set up a scene with no controllers

- Use triggers to implement a scene when a button is pressed on the ISY

(I've tried this after a fashion, the iSY is IMO plenty fast enough to make this work with a good end user experience)

- In party mode disable the appropriate triggers

 

To do this:

- The trigger facility in the ISY would have to be able to trigger on non-toggle buttons (I believe that's a pending feature for the 'advanced trigger' release)

- The trigger facility would have to allow for conditions based on a state of a controller (or other input)

 

Local load control on Switchlincs and 6 button (ie: unable to set non-toggle mode on load button) KPL's would still be an issue.

[Guest]

I can always unplug the PLM to prevent my daily dimming tasks from interfering with the festivities.

 

I actually forgot various dimmers/relays are linked without the use of a processor (ISY)

[Sub-Routine]

I have one button (Party Time) that controls all the mood lighting, exterior lighting, ceiling fans, cooling misters and so on. When that button is pressed, I want the scene to be in lock down and those items not controllable from any locations.

 

In addition, I do not want the timer (schedule) to have access to the items in the Party Time function when that button is pressed.

 

Reason being…. so party Guests cannot change any of the settings, and items that normally dim @ 9pm will not dim (or turn off) during the party.

 

A bit contrary to your thought, but, in fact, I rely on the scheduler to dim the lights when the party should end.

 

I use the longest ramp rate available and the change is very subtle. I call it a Midnight Scene, the lamps dim to a very low level, only enough light to allow one to navigate. It's a pretty good hint that people should at least quiet down if they are not yet ready to crash

 

Since we can pretty much party any night here I have it scheduled for earlier times on weekdays and later times on the weekends.

 

It reads as if this is what your 9PM scene is like, so all you really want to do is change that to a later time when you party. I have to believe the upcoming triggers will allow you to press a button to do this.

 

As of now, calling the Party Scene again if the lights begin too dim to early (9PM) for you should keep them on until your Morning Scene is called. If you use long ramp rates you may be the only person to notice the 9PM dimming in time to hit the Party Scene again.

 

I would suggest that you call your 9PM scene twice every night, once at 9PM, and if you override that (or not) again at the end of Party Time, which will make absolutely no difference if it was already implemented at 9PM.

 

Rand

[Michel Kohanim]

Rand,

 

As usual, you have outdone the whole UDI team all by yourself. Thank you so very much.

 

HAS,

 

You can "hold" schedules for a any given date and you will have, at the least, the desired effect for that date. Simply, create a "Hold" schedule and make the date/time the date/time for your party (or interval).

 

With kind regards,

Michel

 

I have one button (Party Time) that controls all the mood lighting, exterior lighting, ceiling fans, cooling misters and so on. When that button is pressed, I want the scene to be in lock down and those items not controllable from any locations.

 

In addition, I do not want the timer (schedule) to have access to the items in the Party Time function when that button is pressed.

 

Reason being…. so party Guests cannot change any of the settings, and items that normally dim @ 9pm will not dim (or turn off) during the party.

 

A bit contrary to your thought, but, in fact, I rely on the scheduler to dim the lights when the party should end.

 

I use the longest ramp rate available and the change is very subtle. I call it a Midnight Scene, the lamps dim to a very low level, only enough light to allow one to navigate. It's a pretty good hint that people should at least quiet down if they are not yet ready to crash

 

Since we can pretty much party any night here I have it scheduled for earlier times on weekdays and later times on the weekends.

 

It reads as if this is what your 9PM scene is like, so all you really want to do is change that to a later time when you party. I have to believe the upcoming triggers will allow you to press a button to do this.

 

As of now, calling the Party Scene again if the lights begin too dim to early (9PM) for you should keep them on until your Morning Scene is called. If you use long ramp rates you may be the only person to notice the 9PM dimming in time to hit the Party Scene again.

 

I would suggest that you call your 9PM scene twice every night, once at 9PM, and if you override that (or not) again at the end of Party Time, which will make absolutely no difference if it was already implemented at 9PM.

 

Rand