Enhancement / Wish Lists

[cgiltrow]

Hey Julian,

I am well thanks.

I did build a service to manage multiple connections to Comfort some back.  It is functional and operational, but needs a bit of cleaning up.  I still also want to add functionality to it to manage the logging so that logging gets done once centrally and not on each client and to kick off emails (with a portion of the log in the email) and sms\' based on events in Comfort.  I had a few other plans for it written down somewhere.  I will have to dig them up.

It does run as a windows service, so can also run while the computer is \"logged off\".

I\'ll find the code, tidy it up a bit and post it.  I am also just really busy for the next few weeks, so please be patient.

Keep well.

Clinton. 

[Ingo]

All,

Here is my wish list for ComfortClient. I know Julian has a lot more ideas but this is just to spark some discussion on what people might want in terms of new functionality or even existing feature enhancements.

Ingo.

1.       Transparent backgrounds for objects.  [size=2]Targeted for 1.22.1.x![/size]

2.       Zoom function in the Floor plan Editor.

3.       Support for Reminders

4.       Possible snap to grid for Floor plan editor Done!

5.       Send Comfort 'sync' commands BEFORE the Counter query commands. Wait for Z? and Y? etc. commands to respond before the Counter queries are sent out.

*Chiu[/b] maybe to respond to what is best practice not to overload the UCM buffers with too many queries at once.

6.       Scroll-lock checkbox to the Monitor window if possible.

7.       Add a ‘Test Response‘ button on the Object Properties page for quick testing of a Click Response.

8.       Multiple/Rubber band select options to do actions like copy/paste on lots of objects simultaneously.

9.       Limit Log file creation to X amount of user settable days.

10.   Monitor-Only Mode. Allow the screen to be 'Locked' so that casual passersby cannot execute anything but still have a view of the floor plan. Done!

11.   Make 'UCM Log On' the default button when enter is pressed only when Connected. On Disconnected make the Connect button the default. Done!

12.   Add X:Y locations in object properties to be settable. Done!

13.   Add a \"Monitor this Object\" for floor plan tabs. Default should be ON. Keepalives and temperature changes fill  up everything.

14.   Click Response protection. Popup message if a protected response is activated like a garage door Open/Close response. Popup keypad to enter code, if timeout, return to normal.

15.   Possible plug-in to action any kind of program/event on a trigger. EG instead of just sound, something else like SMS or eMail.

16.   Copy and Paste between floor plans. Keep clipboard contents when closing one floor plan and opening another.

17.   Add user optional address bar on a browser floor plan, like Google.

18.   This one is already mentioned, the Gateway Service to allow multiple Clients to connect to one Comfort system. Useful if you have multiple ComfortClient installations on touch screen's around the house. See Clintons ComfortServer product!

19.   And lastly my own personal pet project (as soon as my hardware arrives), ModBus support to bring extra functionality into Comfort via ComfortClient. Done!
 

[cgiltrow]

Hi,

Regarding point 18. above, I have published ComfortServer - a gateway to connect multiple ComfortClients through a single UCM ethernet under ComfortServer thread in the Comfort Client Software thread.

Clinton.

[mrtae]

Hi Juwi,
it\'s good to have ComfortClient build in with speech recognition example something like Bill\'s Voice Commander (control X-10)
http://www.wgjohns.com/bvc.htm
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=apZF77tsZlI

Just wander can that kind of feature intergrate into comfortclient as well?

[juwi_uk]

Hey mrtae

Thanks for adding to the wishlist.

Anything is possible.   Speech recognition sounds interesting;  probably I\'d use the Microsoft SAPI SDK to add to floorplans and link at the floorplan (ie speech enabled \"ClickResponses\" as I call them) and at the system level too (ie say Tab 2 to switch views say).

For the next release I\'ve fixed a few issues so far and also added some new features so far including configurable positioning of Window Tabs; want them Top, Bottom, left or right of the main panel etc.

Currently I\'m developing something called \"Condition Manager\" for the Client for the next release which is a big piece of work.  The Condition Editor is 95% complete and I\'m now going to start putting in hooks for where you can use (and more of these will be added over the subsequent releases if people or myself want).  Conditions will be definable at Floorplan and System level with one overriding the other if the named condition appears in both.  Havent quite decided yet which\'ll take precedence but siding on the Floorplan one.

Examples where I see conditions could be applied:

(1) Filtering what is displayed in monitor window. Poor Ingo with his regular polling counter which fills up the window with lots of records.  Being able to say dont display if \"Counter XX is true\" for example.

(2) Only playing sounds during certain periods;  ie if condition is currentTime (now) > x < Y.  Or if say comfort Flag N = false.  So for example being able to diosable sounds during nighttime.

(3) Setting floorplan objects visible/hidden depending on criteria.  So have say images and show them depending on the attached condition;  0 -   10 shows Image 1, 11 - 50 shows Image 2 and 51 - 255 shows Image 3.  So you can create ramp effects, gauges, traffic light effects etc.  Initially we\'ll do with multiple objects but eventually try to create a composite object which has multiple image definitions linked to conditions.

Obviously lots more possibilities.  The aim is not to duplicate what Comfort Responses do but to utilise them more creatively in the Client and to add new ones that arent possible in Comfort itself.

Relational operators will include:  =, != , >, <, <=, >=

Logical operators include: AND, OR

Initial release will support Comfort Counters and Flags as the source.  Later I\'ll add \"internal\" (system) ones specific to the client like \"DateTime\", \"LoggedOnUser\" etc etc. So for each fancy changing the UI look and feel when a user logs on?

The possibilities are endless if I can get it to work as I envisage.

Regards

Julian

 

 

 

 

 

[juwi_uk]

[ This is an original posting from MrTae on 1st Sept 2010 moved from the ComfortClient Overview thread by JUWI_UK as that thread should be locked]

Hi Juwi,
 

I am not sure this is a good ideal :? or too much

But I just put in so that together we can review on the request. if it's not necessary, then just forget about it.

 

As you also aware, nowadays the big LCD monitor & big LCD TV can support up to 1920x1080 resolution (High Definition)which is plenty space. So it’s kind of useful if we could put in more stuff in a single view rather than have to click on the tab to choose for Floorplan, Explorer, Gauge page, & etc. why not put it into a Single View or able to choose base on current ComfortClient?

 

Also,

 

CCTV Tab

We could have CCTV view & turn on base on the need (Customizable on how many camera you want & each with simple button connect and disconnect, also able to key in the ip address or link to be connect to or able offline setting)

 

Floorplan Tab

Have the function such as when your mouse point to area in the floorplan which having CCTV, then you CCTV camera which locate at CCTV tab will indicate camera at that area (maybe frame blinking or red highlight on particular camera).

 

Control Tab

This control tab is like a customizable button to control turn ON/OFF the light & etc.

 

Bottom Indicator Tab

This tab is more or less showing the connectivity between computer with Comfort, Logon user, Zwave connectivity, Modbus connectivity & etc.

 

Modbus Tab

This tab will base on the plugin example, if you’re using PM9C, connect using Powerlogic EGX Ethernet Gateway. Then from there you can monitor your voltage & current base on no. of phase require to monitor as per your link.

http://www.comfortforums.com/forum65/1886.html

 

I think ComfortClient kind of having everything, but it’s just a matter of how to put it in a Single View & turn ON the frame require to be show.

 

Thanks,

 
Tae

[Rui_Segurant]

Hi

I am currently working with comfort client and i was wondering if you could give me a little help.  

I am doing buttons on photoshop with transparent background to aplly on the floorplant editor but when i insert them they allways stay with the white background. I seem to be doing things right in photoshop. Could that have something to do with the picture box properties?   

Regards

Rui

PS.: Congratulations for the good work.

[juwi_uk]

Hi Rui,

You\'re doing nothing wrong;  it\'s a known \"feature\" of the client at the moment.  In fact it\'s to do with PictureBox objects that overlay eachother and a Microsoft limitation.  What in fact happens is that transparency is working but it\'s actually showing the colour of the base panel (floorplan) instead of the background colour of the picturebox you are placed on top of.  If you want to see this then change the background colour of your floorplan and see what I mean.

Apart from Microsoft fixing this limitation (search the internet for Transparent picturebox and you\'ll see the people ranting about this) the only solution I can do to fix is to move to GDI+ drawing; I am actively considering this for a future release.

Regards

Julian

 

 

[Rui_Segurant]

I see.. Well in my view you really should do that.. It\'s a feature that could help me a lot..

Thanks for your time..

Regards

Rui 

[juwi_uk]

Hi Rui

Just to let you know that the next version of the ComfortClient will support transparency and opacity etc as I have been rewriting the ComfortClient rendering engine using GDI+.

It\'s looking good so far in the latest build.

Regards

Julian