Visual Home CommanderTM
Visual Home Commander is an easy to use interface for use with the X10 FireCracker device. The FireCracker can be purchased from www.x10.com. Visual Home Commander combines Groups & Macros along with standard controls to help you in your everyday use of the FireCracker device (refer to installation directions that came with your FireCracker for further information.)
Choose a topic below for menu
Main Form Window
Communication Port Setup
Record
Group
Record
Macro
Timers
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Main Form Window (General)
All Lights On
All Lights Off
All Off
Expand
Timers
Help
Macros
Setup
Exit
ON and OFF
Labels
Bright and Dim
House Code
Shift "1/8 - 9/16"
Group ON and OFF
Group Labels
TOP ...........................................................................
Record Group (General)
How to Record a Group
TOP Use the "Back" button to return Record Macro (General)
How to Record a Macro
TOP Use the "Back" button to return Timers (General)
How to Setup Timers
Setup a Loop Timer
TOP Use the "Back" button to return
Visual Home Commander is designed to
be easy to work with. Most of the button functions are easy to learn and easy to
work with. The main form window is made to resemble a remote control. Once you
have set up the communication port to work with your FireCracker, you may simply set the
house code to one you are using and click on the command buttons that correspond with the
devices in your home.
All
Lights On RETURN
The "All Lights On" button
will turn ON all Lamp modules set to the same house code that the program is set to.
Appliance modules are not affected by this command.
All
Lights Off
RETURN
This command turns OFF all Lamp modules
and some appliance modules set to the program's house code.
Higher quality Appliance modules and Transceiver modules are not affected by this command.
All Off
RETURN
This is the All Units Off
command. All modules set to the program's house code are turned off.
Expand RETURN
This button expands the main form
window to show the groups and allows their use. The command buttons to setup groups
and macros are also in this expanded area.
Timers RETURN
Select this button to enable the timers
that you have set up. Un-select it to disable the timers. When the
timers are on, the button will display "Timers (on)", when the timers
are off, the button will display "Timers (off)". More information can
be obtained from the Timer Setup window.
Macros RETURN
Pressing this button opens a small menu
window that holds all the Macros you have created. To Run your macro, double
click on its name. The menu may be closed by right clicking its window.
Help RETURN
Opens this help document
Setup RETURN
Clicking this button opens a popup menu
of setup options. The menu
has links to open the "Setup Group", "Setup Macro", "Setup Timer",
"Setup Quick (Panic) Button", "Preferences", and "Communication
Port". If you have the macro editor
installed, you will also have the option "Macro Editor".
Exit RETURN
Clicking this button will close the
Visual Home Commander program.
ON
and OFF
RETURN
These buttons turn the modules ON or
OFF according to the label number of the set used.
Labels RETURN
The labels (numbered and located to the
right of the ON and OFF buttons) are where you can name the modules set to that
number. To change a label:
1) Double click on the label
2) Type in the desired name
3) Press the "ENTER"
key to save the label. If the "ENTER" key is not pressed, the label will
not be updated!
Bright
and Dim RETURN
These buttons do not have a name on
them. They are the light blue buttons directly below the ON and OFF buttons.
The button with the UP arrow will send a "Bright" command to the last module
(house code and unit code) used. The button with the DOWN arrow will send a
"Dim" command to the last module used. If a group button, all lights
button, or the all off button was used last, these commands have no effect.
To Dim a light, click the command to
turn it on first, and then click the Dim button. To Brighten it, click the Bright
button.
House
Code RETURN
Here is where you select the House Code
that the units in your home are set to. Visual Home Commander will work with any of
the 16 house codes as long as you have a transceiver for that code. The House Code
may be set by simply typing the correct letter while the drop down box is selected, OR you
can scroll to the desired code.
Shift
"1/8 - 9/16" RETURN
The Shift is a selector switch located
under the labels. Only 8 of the 16 units are displayed at any given time, and the
Shift will change the displayed units from 1 through 8 to 9 through 16 or vice versa.
Group
ON and OFF RETURN
These buttons are used to turn ON or
OFF the group of units that you have saved as a Group.
Group
Labels
RETURN
This is where the names created by the user
are stored. The labels can only be changed from the "Setup Groups "
window. You can view this window by pressing the "Setup Groups" button on
the expanded main window.
Setup
Quick (Panic) Button
RETURN
Clicking this button opens a window
that allows you to set your preferences on how the Quick (Panic) button operates and
appears. The panic button will turn on the "group" of your choice for a
length of time that you specify in this window.
Preferences
RETURN
This option allows you to turn the
"Tool Tips" on or off, show the "Quick (Panic) Button" and show the
"Group Auto Off Delay Buttons". The "Group Auto off Delay
Buttons" allow you to turn a group on, and have it turn off automatically after a
"delay time" that you set when the button is pressed.
There is also a "Minimize
sends to Tray" option, "Minimize on Start" option and an "Associate
Macro Files" option that will allow you to run a macro by simply double
clicking on it's icon in any regular window.
Communication Port Setup RETURN TOP
To set the communication port (com
port), click on the Setup button on the main form window. If you know what com port your
FireCracker is installed on, select the port by clicking your mouse on the port # in the
Setup window. If you are unsure of which port you are using, you may try them
all. Start by selecting Com Port 1. Next, click on apply and then click a
button on the main window that you know is setup in your home (be sure you have the house
code set correctly). Continue with Com Port 2 and 3 and so on, until you find the
correct port. Then click ok and the setup window will close.
Macros are used to send commands at user selected time intervals. A macro may contain any of the commands from the main window, but may NOT contain any group commands. Each command in a macro may be delayed by as much as 999 seconds, or as little as .30 second. When recording a macro, keep in mind that when you set the delay, you are setting the delay AFTER the button pressed (you are setting the delay BEFORE the next command will take place). You should plan how you want your macro to run before you begin.
Please note: If using less than .75 seconds in a macro, you should carefully test the macro to make sure that pause time will work in your location. In many houses, short pause times will work.
To Record a Macro:
1) Click on the "Expand" button on the main form to expand the window.
2) Click on the "Setup Macro" button on the lower right-hand part of the main form window. This will open a new window called "Setup Macros". This window is divided into 2 sections, one for testing your macro, and the other to record your macro. You should move the "Setup Macro" and main windows so that you can easily see both on the screen.
3) Click on the "Rec." button. The "Rec." button will stay pressed and becomes a "Stop" button. You are now ready to start recording your macro.
4) Press the command button on the main window that you want to start first. A small window will pop up asking you to enter the time (pause time) before the next command is to start. Keep in mind that the time you enter has nothing to do with the command button you just pressed, but instead is the time before the next command will start.
5) Continue pressing the desired command buttons on the main window and entering pause times until you have your macro setup the way you want it. If you make a mistake,you can back up one command at a time by using the "Back" button or you can start over by clicking the "Start Over" button.
6) Press the "Save" button on the "Setup Macros" window. A "Save Macro As" dialog box will open. Give the macro a name that makes sense for the contents and press "Save" on the dialog box. You may now test the macro 'without' the time delays (pause time) by clicking the macro name and then the "Test" button , or do a full test with the pause times included by double clicking the macro name.
7) You may now record another macro
or quit. To exit the macro recorder, Press the "Exit" button. Now
you can fully test the macro (with timed delays) by clicking the "Macro" button
on the left side of the main window. A small window will open, double click on the
macro name to start macro. The small window will close when the macro has finished,
however, you can close the window anytime by right clicking on it, and the macro will
continue to run.
Groups are used to control multiple devices with one click. Visual Home Commander gives you six group sets. A Group can hold any number of unit codes and has On and Off buttons and a user defined label for each.
1) Click on the "Expand" button on the main form window. This will enlarge the form giving you access to the Group functions.
2) Click on the "Setup Groups" button on the lower right side of the form. This will open the "Setup Groups" window.
3) Select the "Group #" that you wish to create or edit on the "Setup Groups" window, and then type in a name for that group in the text box below (the text box will hold up to 30 characters).
4) Make sure the record button is pressed and then click the "ON" button for each device to include in this group. You may use any house code and any device you wish. "Off" commands are ignored by the Group recorder and so is the "All Lights On" command.
5) When you have entered all the commands that you wish to include in the group, press the "Save Group" button.
6) Repeat steps 1 - 5 for as many groups as you wish. When finished, click the "Exit" button to close the "Setup Groups" window.
The command counter at the lower right-hand side of the "Setup Groups" window will help you keep up with the number of commands you have entered into the group.
You may also change a label by selecting the desired
"Group #", then type the correct label and click the "Update
Label" button.
Visual Home Commander gives you 6 separate macro timers and 1 macro loop. The timers are used to start any of the macros that you have created, at the time you select. The timers are not designed to overlap. Overlapping 2 timers will cause the first one to pause while the second one runs and completes. After the second timer has completed, the first one will complete.
The macro loop is designed to repeat a macro continuously
until the check box is un-checked. This was created with the XCam2's in mind.
You can create a macro with an On command for each camera you wish to loop, including the
pause time between switches. The loop will not allow less than 5 seconds between
commands. If your macro was set up with less than 5 seconds between commands, the
loop will pause for 5 seconds.
To Setup a Timer:
Open the Timers window by clicking on the "Setup Timers" button on the main form window (expand button pressed). You will then see the macros that you have previously created.
1) Select the macro that you wish to start with a timer by clicking your mouse on the file name.
2) Set the time you want the macro to start by using the scrolling buttons next to the hours, minutes, and seconds. Next select the AM, or PM accordingly. If your computer is running in military time, you will need to make sure both the AM and PM are un-checked.
3) Next, click the "(#)--->" button next to the timer you wish to create.
4) Repeat the steps 1 thru 3 until you have set up all the timers you want.
5) Click the check box under "Select to Activate" next to each timer you wish to run. The timers are now set up to run at the time you have selected any time the "Timers" button is selected.
6) To activate all selected timers you must make sure the "Timers" button on the main form is pushed in. You can do this from this window by using the "Enable Selected Timers" button or from the main form. Button will show "Timers (ON)" when selected or "Timers (OFF) when not selected.
7) If you want your timer to run on either week days or week ends only, check the appropriate box on the right side of the timer. Un-check both boxes to run everyday.
8) Click "Close and Save" to close this window and save the configuration of the timers.
Information can be cleared from a timer at anytime by clicking the "Clr" button next to the timer you wish to clear.
To Setup a Loop Timer: RETURN TOP
The loop timer is a little different from regular timers
as it will continue to re-play the macro continuously. The loop timer is not
affected by the position of the "Timers" or "Enable Selected Timers"
buttons. It will run any time the check box next to the macro name is
selected. This timer is set up in the same way as the regular
timers, except you will not need to set a time.