HouseBot

I have a USBUIRT for IR control. I defined the Hardware Interface and then added remote names and code names for the hundreds of buttons that are on all my components. Testing the codes works fine. Now in order to build a software remote which can control the devices, I am stuck. I would THINK that I'd define a soft button that would activate one of the remote codes I put in (usbuirt -> amplifier -> poweron). However, it seems like I have to add a device (amplifier), then add a property to that (power), then add the possible values of that (on/off), then map an IR code to each of those values. Can this be right!!!? If so, it'll take me a year to define all the possible remote codes for all my components. Otherwise, what am I seeing wrong?

You're right about having to create a Device and then associate the various property values with the IR codes you created in the hardware interface. I agree that it's a bit of a pain, but it's important to bring everything into Devices and Properties so they fit into the entire system.

One of the benefits of assigning the IR codes to the property values is that you can chain together and reuse codes in a series. Also if you ever change out your usbuirt with another IR interface, you can just re-configure the Device associations and all of your tasks, scripts, themes, etc can stay the same.

Please pardon me if I misread your post, but after reading it several times I get the feeling that if you installed a word processor on you computer, you would expect to hammer in a couple ideas on the keyboard, hit return, and get a novel.

That said... Yes, you are correct. It takes all that you wrote to make a remote. There is a learning curve, but I learned it, and if I can learn it anyone can.

HouseBot is a wonderful home automation program. I'm sure you won't regret taking the time to build your remote. It makes a very dependable, adaptable, and capable system. I've used mine for a long time and it's has gone through many changes as components keep being upgraded. Once you learn it, it takes no time at all to keep it in sync with your system. It is a tweakers dream. On top of that you have access to a great forum with many helpful people. All of whom have gone through the same learning curve.

In case you can't tell, I really love HouseBot. I hope you will too.

Don't get me wrong, I'm not bagging on HB nor the fact that the product was literally saved from the clutches of Meedio. I find that any great product will usually have a solid user community on its forums - just like this one.

Back to my main point though. As an example, let's say I have a VCR which I can control with my usbuirt. I setup the usbuirt, and then define/learn all the VCR buttons (poweron, poweroff, play, stop, rew, ff). Now when I create my software remote, I'd probably want to put six buttons on the screen that would allow me to operate the VCR. I'd think that now the server knows my VCR is available only through the usbuirt and that if I click a button labeled "Play", it merely has to fire the IR string associated with that VCR remote. The software remote button could just have a command associated to it like "VCR->PLAY".

Maybe HB could have a feature that, once a remote was defined, it would offer to create a device based upon that remote? In fact, I think I'll just go into the MDB and copy the data myself. I'm very interested in getting this all to work, but having to pay $69 AND still doing extensive setup may be scaring a lot of people away. Once I get it up and running, I'd be more than happy to write up a tutorial on adding IR devices. I think newbies would really appreciate it.

I thought just like you when I first setup my remote. I pulled my hair out trying to figure out what the heck I was doing.

There are situations where you want that one button on the remote to send out several commands in a row. For example, if you were setting up a channel macro , like channel number 9641. You can associate one button with those four individual commands 9,6,4,and,1.

Dazed and confused wrote:...There are situations where you want that one button on the remote to send out several commands in a row. For example, if you were setting up a channel macro , like channel number 9641. You can associate one button with those four individual commands 9,6,4,and,1.

And actually for numeric IR codes, you can just use the new(ish) Numeric Pass-Through value to have it automatically combine and produce the appropriate numeric IR codes.

Damn, back to the learning curve...