HouseBot

Well, this will be my first HouseBot anything.



Goal: to control all htpc software/hardware & AV Gear thru HB Server



"Hardware/Software involved"



ATI remote wonder (RF)

HTPC with IR receiver(on-off)

USB-UIRT

HDTV

AV Receiver



Software: Meedio Essentials, TheaterTek, JRiver Media Center, Misc

(All software has keyboard conytols or plugins for software.)

Total Home Remote to program Remote buttons to keyboard shrtcuts

(or just use HouseBot?)

HouseBot with USB-UIRT plugin & softremote.



(A couple of x-10 lights / controls to learn)



"The Plan"



Program STB remote ir codes & discreet codes using HB plugin thru UIRT.



Program keyboards shortcuts for all programs into THR (or just into HB)



Program HB wth IR strngs & keyboard commands (individual commands for future changes/expansion).



Create Tasks and Modes (Macros) in HB, build strings.



Direct commands from HB to USB-UIRT emitter & HTPC

(over IP to 3rd pc for UIRT emitter, over IP to HTPC for software).



Design SoftRemote for PDA.



Machines:



HouseBot will be on server.



HTPC software will be on HTPC with Monitor and AV Receiver close.



USB-UIRT will be attached to third machine for directional purposes

(or eventually attached to HTPC with emitters).



Software Remote on PDA using same commands as above, screens as needed for whole house audio control, plus HTPC screens as needed.



Is my thought process correct?
Will this work this way?
Suggestions for a better way to go about this?



Please let me know your thoughts and/or opinions!



Mucho Thanks



Jeff

Jeff,



I think you should be able to get most of the way there. I'm not sure why you have the USB-UIRT on a separate machine, or how you plan on communicating with the USB-UIRT on the separate machine. HouseBot can control (and be controlled) it if it's attached to the same PC. If you put it on another machine, HouseBot won't be able to control it.



HouseBot has a Windows Message Device, but it takes a fair amount of configuration to get it to work with some apps. It's not as sophisticated as Girder, so you may run into issues with trying to control apps via keyboard shortcuts (or you may not).



Other than that, I think you have loads of fun ahead of you. :)

Ok Im confused, gonna need some specific info here!



My HTPC is in one location with:



AV receiver/cablebox/htpc w-htpc software/Meedio



I was going to put the USB-UIRT on a third machine, to have it pointing at the htpc area, to control hdtv, av receiver and cable box, (but could get an ir learning remote instead of the ati remote wonder, to avoid this), and run all rf remote commands thru housebot server to htpc or where ever for centralized control. (and use girder?)



My Media/HA Server is in another location with:



HA interconnects to security/hvac/x-10/etc.& rf remote receiver & housebot



(eventually I want wholehouse cablebox, tv tuners and 8 lineout soundcard for whole house audio on server, controlled thru softremotes and essentials(and tvware to all AV locations)





Isnt Housebot a client/server app? (ala Mainlobby/Sage)? or will be with 2 way coming soon plugin?



How should this be setup?



Is my conception of HouseBot with Meedio Integration wrong?



Just need someone to tell me what to do! To get this rolling in the rght direction then I'll learn it all by doing.



Isnt the way Im wanting to set up machines/clients/serversoftware a pretty normal setup?



Do I need gc-100? a different remote? or just pointed in a different direction? Make HTPC Housebot server too, Have 2 housebot servers, 1 for HTPC and 1 for HA



I'll wait for the 2 way if needed.



(or should I just get a clapper for lighting control and a tivo again) :twisted:



somebody step up to plate please!



Thanks Jeff

wordgasm wrote:I was going to put the USB-UIRT on a third machine, to have it pointing at the htpc area, to control hdtv, av receiver and cable box, (but could get an ir learning remote instead of the ati remote wonder, to avoid this), and run all rf remote commands thru housebot server to htpc or where ever for centralized control. (and use girder?)

I'd attach the USB-UIRT to the machine that you are going to control it with and then plug an IR emitter/blaster into the USB-UIRT to get it closer to the equipment.

Isnt Housebot a client/server app? (ala Mainlobby/Sage)? or will be with 2 way coming soon plugin?

I've never used Mainlobby or Sage to compare. HouseBot is client server in the fact that it can have Software Remotes that act as clients to the main automation server. The only thing the Software Remotes do is to control the system through the UI that communicates (2-way) to the server. You can't control equipment directly from the Software Remotes through a physical connection (like a USB port).

HouseBot also has a way to replicate Devices between multiple machines using the Device Replicator. I'd suggest not going that path unless you have to as it requires two copies of Housebot.

How should this be setup?

If you want to control the USB-UIRT from Housebot, you should put it on the same machine.

Isnt the way Im wanting to set up machines/clients/serversoftware a pretty normal setup?

I think so. My only confusion is how the USB-UIRT is being controlled when it's just plugged into a third machine. What software is controlling it?

Do I need gc-100? a different remote? or just pointed in a different direction? Make HTPC Housebot server too, Have 2 housebot servers, 1 for HTPC and 1 for HA

Lots of options, aren't there? I'd stick with your original plan and just put the USB-UIRT on the HB machine. If the location of the emitter is the issue, you could using something like a GC-100 (great device, but more difficult to program IR codes).

OK Scott, Sorry to be a pain, but I think I understand now and just want to confirm.



I DONT HAVE A CHOICE; (do to prewire & space)



my MAIN HTPC equipment will be connected to one pc.



and my home automation hardware interfaces and whole house A/V will be connected to another pc (server).



SO I HAVE TO:



Run 2 instances of HouseBot, one on each.



For a software remote, I have to point the command (2way services) to the pc the the hardware interface is connected too. (ie: dvd control to htpc, hvac control to home automation server)



If I want to go thru software on one machine to control software/hardware on another machine, I have to use "Device Replication" between machines (ie: JRiver Media Center software on HTPC to control audio zones sound card on HA server "or some other "different" configuration, just as an example, even if this example wont work)



I know with girder and/or a GC-100 could do this also for remote hardware (correct?), but in the setup above (in a general sense) so will HouseBot since my remote hardware is next to the second machine, server.(correct?)



If I've go the above correct, then I'm ready to rock!



Thanks for your Help and Time!



Jeff

I hope I'm not confusing you because of something I'm misunderstanding...

wordgasm wrote:Run 2 instances of HouseBot, one on each.

If you only want to control/Monitor Essentials using HouseBot you won't need to install 2 instances of HB. Using the future plugins, HouseBot will communicate directly with Essentials (even over the net), so you don't need 2 HBs.

For a software remote, I have to point the command (2way services) to the pc the the hardware interface is connected too. (ie: dvd control to htpc, hvac control to home automation server)

Software Remotes only connect to HouseBot, not to Essentials, so all communications between the SW Remotes will be to HB. However, with the future Essentials plugins, you will be able to control/monitor Essentials on a SW Remote via HB through the Plugin interface. I know it sounds confusing as it jumps through some hoops, but the integration is what makes this cool.

If I want to go thru software on one machine to control software/hardware on another machine, I have to use "Device Replication" between machines (ie: JRiver Media Center software on HTPC to control audio zones sound card on HA server "or some other "different" configuration, just as an example, even if this example wont work)

HouseBot can only control the software that it either has a plugin to control, or that it can control using Windows Messages. If the controllable software is running on a separate machine, you could use the Device Replicator and another instance of HB to control it. If you want to throw Girder into the mix, HB can also control Girder on another machine. It's not as tight of an integration as 2 HB's, but Girder may have support for some applications that HB doesn't.

I know with girder and/or a GC-100 could do this also for remote hardware (correct?), but in the setup above (in a general sense) so will HouseBot since my remote hardware is next to the second machine, server.(correct?)

I may have confused things before when I said that the equipment that HB is going to control has to be connected to the machine. There are cases, like the GC-100 and Girder, where the hardware/software can be running on a remote machine without having another instance of HB running. This is because the GC-100 and Girder were designed to be controlled remotely (whereas the USB-UIRT has to be controlled through a USB port on the local machine).



I know you're trying to get a sense of direction and understanding of whether it will all be possible. It's a big step to digest the configuration of a new system using new software that isn't completely understood yet. My best advice would be to just start piecing it together one step at a time. There will probably be dead-ends, but there's usually a workaround.

ScottBot wrote: HouseBot has a Windows Message Device, but it takes a fair amount of configuration to get it to work with some apps.

Where do I find this Windows Message device?



Thanks,

Scott J

The Windows Message Device is included in the setup package and selected by default. You probably have it, but don't realize it due to the odd nature in how it defines devices. The Windows Message Device allows you to create device definitions that match the functionallity of the software you are controlling. You then create a new device from the definiition.



For info on how to set it up, select Help/Plugin Help... from the main menu. Then doubleclick the Win DVD Device from the list (The WinDVD Device is a Windows Message Device). This will display the help and describe how to setup your own device.

Ok, I found the Windows Message device. It seems to only send "keyboard messages". In other words it mimics someone typing on the keyboard. Do I got that right? If so, it won't help me. The application I want to 'talk' to uses numbers between 1 and 100. The docs from the app say to use the SendMessage Windows API. I do have a utility that wraps this api and handles sending the message to apps. I will have to fall back to that and see if I can get that to work thru the Execute Program device.



Thanks,

Scott J

If you want to send numbers you can use the 0-9 keys as they keys. You may need to send multiple keys/property value change if you need numbers larger than 9. If it expects true numeric data (and not it's ascii equivalent), you may be able to just use it's ascii value, but I think this will be problematic with the existing Device.