Internet access to Comfort

[juwi_uk]

Hi Clinton

That looks like you are busy then.  As I said before it was your code that got me interested in playing with a client in the first place so many thanks.

I\'d like to find a safe way to work over the Internet that doesnt require a PC left running back at the home.  If I have to leave a server on then I might as well just run my existing client on that and remote desktop (RDP) to that instead.  I guess the CWM is the true solution here as an appliance but I cant justify £600 for it as a dedicated thing and so I\'m looking at leaving a server switched on and remoting to it or perhaps looking at changing to a client-server model like you.

I wish Cytech could come up with a more secure login method ie rotating user codes;  something like using a secureID fob where I could logon remotely using a onetime code.  Then I\'d feel using over the internet (mobile or PC based) would be more secure because even if someone could use a Sniffer (packet analyser) to look at the other commands (big deal) they\'d see the logon too but by the time they would have realised what it was it would have changed for anyone other than the currently connected socket.  

Julian

[juwi_uk]

[user=1]slychiu[/user] wrote:

For those who develop software and applications with or for Comfort, we would like to offer our support by providing some equipment for free to help in the development,eg UCMs  and other modules,  upgrades of frimware, or even a Comfort depending on what is being developed

Presumably you mean commercial software rather than the open source stuff we are doing?

If not yes please !

[admin]

Certainly, send a PM or email to give more info about the application and what may be useful to help in the development

[juwi_uk]

Hi

I\'ve now created 1.0.2.0 with the following changes:

[font=\"Courier New\"]Changes are:[/font]
 

Bug Fixes

1.       Correct info output to log file for  Comfort “RA” response

2.       Corrected error when Comfort IP address blank (FastStart scenario)

3.       Improve  IP Address matching logic of MakeConn routine

4.       More code refactoring to simplify it down further (easier to follow)

New Features

1.       Add initial support for Z? , z? , Y? and y? commands (bitwise driven status reports)

2.       Add GetHexBytes and Check IP Address functions

3.       Automatically get Smartfit UCM ID from CCLX file & set Smartfit Tab accordingly

4.       Comfigurator CCLX filename field moved to Connections tab (for FastStart) and clarity

5.       Comfort IP Address and IP Port now read from CCLX file if available. WAN Override checkbox to override this if required (ie using External IP/domain name and port)

6.       Replace basic CCLX file and sound folder selection with browse dialogs and validation.

7.       Message box when the application first run to explain “FastStart” process

8.       X10 Tab now shows all X10 related responses from CCLX file.   Bespoke X10 (light bulb)  icon functionality moved to main floor plan panel; this is done to make control panel tabs now 100% generic so should work in any Comfort configuration (so long as you use CCLX based Configs.)

9.       Now reads FileSystem type from CCLX file to set Event Log Read Size

Regards

Julian

 

 

[admin]

the zip files can be downloaded at <link removed by JUWI_UK>

[juwi_uk]

I\'m working on the next version.

It\'ll hopefully be the first version where you\'ll be able to run without doing any coding (famous last words).

I\'m in the middle of building a Floorplan Editor for it right now which allows you to drop pictureboxes (images) onto the form,  moving them around and pin (lock) them down etc to create the floorplan design.  As you pin an item you also capture some additional linking info that iD\'s the picture (or pictures) to events in Comfort (ie Zones, Inputs, Sensors etc).  The resulting config file is stored in XML format and it\'ll reference a folder of images etc.  I\'m not planning to create a picture editor though so the images themselves (GIF/BMP/JPG) will need to be created externally (paint, paintshop, visio eetc; whichever one \"floats your boat\"

The XML config will build the floorplan on the fly when you start the app. (hopefully!!).

Going to try to Support PictureBox and Label controls in the first version of the designer as this\'ll cope with the visible/hidden type animations it has in the current setup and also basic static text labels and counters.

J

 

[John W]

I\'m stunned by what you guys are turning out, it looks excellent, so well done !
I\'m a freelance programmer, so know what this sort of stuff takes to do.

You guys mention leaving a pc on all the time as a web server.
Have you looked at \'fitpc\' small form factor pcs ?
I have one of these at home, and it works a treat. Very small and low power. Not exactly high performance, but plenty for this sort of application.
I note that they are on special offer for the version 1.0 at present too:
http://www.fit-pc.com/new/international-ordering.html

Just thought I\'d mention it incase you guys are interested

Cheers,
John.

[juwi_uk]

Ok everyone

Appearing shortly here should be a download link for version 1.0.4.0 which in the first version to be totally non-bespoke. So no need for VB/Visual Studio coding then. as it has all required files and installation instructions.

This is achieved via the new \"Floorplan Editor\" which allows you to build configurations from the ground up.  Even without a Floorplan active you can still used all of the other features on the right-hand-side panel from first opening.

This \"preview\" release is for you to have an initial play and I\'d welcome any feedback; positive or negative on what else to put in there.

The FloorPlan Editor is still a work-in-progress so lots more functionality still to put in there. From my perspective the list is currently:

·  Background and Foreground colours for labels

·  Labels showing Sensor Values

·  PictureBoxes and Labels showing Outputs (will be similar to \"Zones\")

·  Same with SCS/RIO and RIO?  (I dont use these yet but hoepfully soon)

·  Adding handles to objects so you can click on an object and launch a Comfort Response (that you’will have chosen on the properties form)

·  Add prefix and postfix option for labels; at the moment the counters are raw numbers and I don’t want to hardcode in the App but want things like \"*C\" \"*F\" etc

·  Provide some sort of inetrface to Comfort Parameters, Ie Nighttime, Sunrise/Sunset time etc

·  Be able to multi-select objects and drag/move or delete etc 

·  Have different sized FloorPlans; currently I’ve locked to size to that of current App.

Once I\'ve tied down the code a bit more (fixed some holes and normalised further) then I\'ll also post the source.  Don’t want you all to laugh at my coding do I !! :?

Please send me any feedback positive or negative; either post here or send me a PM.

Regards

Julian


p.s try dragging multiple image files onto the FloorPlan Editor window as it supports drag and drop  (particularly pleased to crack this one via examples on the net!)
 


 

[juwi_uk]

Oh OK I forgot 3 things:

1) If you want to have another Floorplan design (other than creating your own of course) then there\'s one called \"Test Harness.xml\" in the folder\";  rename this to \"ComfortClient.xml\" (after you\'ve renamed the one already there) and restart the Application as you should see my test setup as per screenshot below.  Whilst at the moment the client is hard-coded to look for the \"comfortclient.xml\" file (ie same name as application) in the near future I\'ll change this so that you can open any named config (you can already do SAVE AS... from within the editor).  I want to make this change when I also move the filenames (CCLX and WAV file)  from the Connections tab to a \"Configuration > Settings > Connection\" item on the main menu.

2) Dont use the \"FutureHome Example.xml\" file in the ZIP file as I\'ve noticed it\'s an old version when I was using full pathnames. It\'s basically just a copy of the original comfortClient.xml file anyway! If you wanted too you\'d need to edit it and do a replave for file path to \"images<file>\"  format (ie relative path).

3) The \"Form Object Name\" and the \"Instance #\" fields need to be treated with caution in this version.  \"Form Object Name\" is the picturebox/label name and as with when you are creating in visual studio they can\'t be duplicated. I\'m not trapping that in this version yet so be careful to give a unique name each time.  In the  next version these will be system generated so and this field will just be the \"pretty name\" which can be duplicated.  \"Instance #\" allows you to assign more than a single object (you can have as many as you want) to a Comfort Event, so if for example you want \"Zone 7 ON\" to fire 3 pictureboxes and 5 labels then you can ; you\'d increment instance # for each of the Form Object Names respectively.  At the moment you have to know to set this yourselves but I will change so that the system automatically does this for you for each\"Comfort Type\" & \"Comfort State\" pairing.

Remember too if the running Floorplan isnt what you want then go back into the editor click on an item; drag it, scale it, add/edit more properties, delete it.

That\'s it....have fun!

We should start a competition for best looking Floorplan hey?



Regards

Julian

[juwi_uk]

If anyone wants to download 1.0.5.0 from my NAS I\'ll post it here until Chiu posts it on the Cytech FTP server.

<link removed by JUWI_UK>

Don\'t all come at once though or it\'ll catch fire from the overload!


Regards

Julian