Advanced Lighting Controls

[JimmyGosling]

after working with DDamron this last week I'm very excited to have my new Insteon controlled lights up and running.  I do feel like there is some functionality that could be added though, and that is will the speed the lights dim and the level they return to when the event ends.

For example: It would be nice to have the lights blink before a movie starts (like  real theater) but then dim slowly rather than simply flipping off.  When the movie is over, my eyes are not ready for a full on bright light.  It would be nice to bring the lights up to 50% or just really  brighten slowly rather then quickly flipping on.

Again, just a feature request.

[MANDINGO]

My lights dim slowly and i use the Ha22 with intermatic Z-wave switch dimmers all i did was to create a respond to the events and thats it !!!

[Zaerc]

I think you can already do just that with scenarios.

[1audio]

Not all lighting modules have control over their dim rates, especially over the network. And the ZWave modules have different features sets and some aren't supported by all modules.

I peeked inside the ZWave command classes and there is no explicit required support for dim rates so it would be vendor specific. I do remember something in the X-10 stuuf that could do it but thats old fuzzy memory.

It would be possible to write a macro that sends repeated changes in level however you then run into the latency and bandwidth issues if the networks.

[PeteK]

Dan and I have discussed the dimming issue as it applies to Insteon lights.  These lights are a little tricky in that they apply ramp rates to a group command, rather than an individual command.  That is to say, there is no way to tell a single device (of the current generation) to say, dim to 50% over x seconds.  However, when a command group is created, a device can know, when it receives a command targeted to a group of which it is a member, it should dim to x% over x seconds.  Right now, LMCE isn't set up to handle Insteon group commands, only individual commands.  It's going to take some work to modify the lighting module to support this.

[JimmyGosling]

good to hear that it's something we're thinking about then.

@Zaerc: the senario does allow me to set a dim percentage, but it does not allow me to control the speed of dimming as PeteK stated.  Again, this might be insteon specific.

[ddamron]

after working with DDamron this last week I'm very excited to have my new Insteon controlled lights up and running.  I do feel like there is some functionality that could be added though, and that is will the speed the lights dim and the level they return to when the event ends.

For example: It would be nice to have the lights blink before a movie starts (like  real theater) but then dim slowly rather than simply flipping off.  When the movie is over, my eyes are not ready for a full on bright light.  It would be nice to bring the lights up to 50% or just really  brighten slowly rather then quickly flipping on.

Again, just a feature request.

Jimmy,

I've noticed that default ramp rates are different for different devices.  LampLincs have a slow ramp rate, while switchlincs and keypadlincs have instant (very fast) ramp rates.
now, what you can do, if you want a specific light to be a slow ramp rate, program the ramp rate in that device as per the instructions.
the nice thing about slow ramp rates, is that it also tends to 'hide' the 'ladder' effect.

I'm also currently working on another device template defined as an Insteon Group.  When that device (it has it's own device) is changed, it will utilize Insteon's Group functionality, and change all lights at the same time.

As far as blinking the light, I'm not sure, but I'd think you could chain a few lighting commands to the scenario... worth a shot.

Dan

[PeteK]

Dan--

After spending some time on the Insteon forums and playing around at home, I don't think setting a device's local ramp rate necessarily changes the ramp rate of the light when it is controlled remotely.  According to Insteon documentation, it's supposed to use the first ramp rate found in the database, but users seem to be seeing it use the last programmed ramp rate in the database.  It's good to see that you're working the group angle.  That's going to be the key to uniform lighting control.

-pete

[JimmyGosling]

Pete-
to answer your question, I've just implemented ddamron's suggestions successfully.  I set the ramp rate manually on the device (a dimmable switch) and then turned the lights on and off with my md.  They did adhere to my slowed ramp setting.

As for the command chaining.  I found that chaining perhaps too many changes together (lights off/on/off/10% and text to speech) caused my movies to kick out when initially run (the setting was applied to the scene set for movies to start)
After removing some of those commands the movies played as they had initially.

[PeteK]

Pete-
to answer your question, I've just implemented ddamron's suggestions successfully.  I set the ramp rate manually on the device (a dimmable switch) and then turned the lights on and off with my md.  They did adhere to my slowed ramp setting.

Jimmy--

I think this will work until you pair your lights to a different switch with a different ramp rate.  Then you'll see the lights go to the new ramp rate.  Of course, most people won't want different ramp rates for the same light, but to be correct, that case won't work.

[JimmyGosling]

I see, thanks for the clarification

[JimmyGosling]

Guys - I've created this walk-through for the setup.  Please let me know if it passes the test, what additional data I have left out perhaps.
http://wiki.linuxmce.org/index.php/Advanced_Lighting_Settings

[PeteK]

I love it when it's Sexy Time!

[JimmyGosling]

  I swear, that's not mine!

...Must have been auto-generated...


...alright, it's mine...but the ladies love it.