X-10 Control

[jenna]

I understand that there may be a script out there somewhere to have Hal control X10 devices.  Quixote and Spydaz seems to have accomplished this.  Is it posible to share your scripts?  I've been tring to write a VB script for this X10 control, but so far haven't been able to make one work.
I have the CM11A and the Firecracker for interfaces to the PC.
Any help or direction would be a great help.
Thanks
Jenna[]

[Quixote]

Hi Jenna. I have not accomplished what you would like to do, but Spydaz is quite advanced. Maybe he could help you with that.
I can, however, recommend a program that I plan to use in conjunction with Ultra-HAL. This I will accomplish within the next 6 months, but my setup is going to be quite elaborate. If you'd like to come along for the ride your welcome to. []
The program is called Girder, and is the best program for automation on the PC in existance. You can download a free 30-day trial at www.promixis.com, and at $20 USD, you can't go wrong. There is an X10 plugin for the CM11a that you can install. If you need any further help, just ask me and I can guide you.
I have not yet purchased a copy of HAL, but plan on doing so in the next couple of weeks. Then I will get my hands dirty. For now, I am trying to decide if I will have HAL control Girder, or Girder control HAL, as HAL has an activex control. Also, I need to do quite a bit of research to get this done.
Let me know what you think.

[jenna]

Thanks Quixote for the quick response. I'll take a look at Girder to see what it is all about.  I am running ActiveHome and Firecracker at present, so I was hoping something was available with these.  Maybe Spydaz can add some light.
Jenna[]

[Quixote]

I tried using active home and found it very inferior to Girder. I have asked about scripting in another thread. Once I get a response I should be able to help you better.

[Quixote]

Jenna, Have you checked out Girder yet?
With the help of Vonsmith, and some other kind people from the Girder forum, I NAILED IT! This is so cool. Let me know when you have downloaded Girder and installed it. It's free to try and only $20 to buy. A very worthy purchase (otherwise I never would have bought it).
Talk to you soon.

[jenna]

Quixote, I have install the free version of Girder, but haven't done much with it yet.  If you can share some auto scripts, that would be great. Haven't heard anything from Spydaz as to the X10 Firecracker control using Hal.
Jenna[]

[Quixote]

Ok, first thing you want to do is download the X10 CM11a plugin from the downloads section. Unzip it, place it in your plugin directory under girder and start up girder. go into settings and plugins and check the box beside the plugin name, change the settings (see if you can figure it out - if not I will lokk at mine when I get home and talk you through it). Once you've done all of that you should see that it says the plugin is loaded in memory, and it will be highlighted in green. Once you have done all of that post here and we will move to the next step.

[jenna]

Quixote,  Well I installed Girder program, downloaded the CM11a plug-in, put the .dll into the Girder plugin directory.  I was able to see the .dll in the settings of Girder so I selected it, then pressed "OK" , everthing seemed to be OK, it highlighted green, but I was not able to open the settings on the plug-in window. so I closed Girder and re-booted my computer.  Then problems started, The computer would not alow me to login back into my computer, it said that my local login profile was missing it would give me a temp profile but wouldn't save it when I logoff.  So I have lost most of my desktop and mail, favorites etc. from my computer.  I don't beleive that installing "Girder" had anything to do with this, but never-the-less it will take me a little time to get back and try the Girder again.  I have ordered a new hard drive, because I think that maybe this could be part of my problem.  I'll let you konw what happens what I get "hal" back up and running.  If you would to give me the next steps in Girder, I'll have them when I get going again.
Later Jenna[]

[crunch]

jenna

 did you try booting in safe mode and then using you last restore point befor that time in ystem restore? if nothing else that should restore your onld files eddy book favorites, ect. so you can back them up on CDR befor installing a new drive , if that is the problem.
 I hope this works for you

[crunch]

sorry for the typo that was system restore

[vonsmith]

jenna,
On some Microsoft networks, especially when you are using a laptop that is disconnected often it is possible for your login profile to get trashed. I don't know if Microsoft ever solved this problem. I don't even know if they admitted it existed. My Win 2000 machine did that to me once and also to a few other people at work. A network expert can sometimes boot in under a default profile, create a new profile, and then manually copy your original profile over the new profile. The procedure is simple in principle, but only an expert can do it easily. I think they can recover your original profile about 75% of the time.

I wish I could tell you how to do it or whom to ask. As it is that is the best info I have.

Good luck,


=vonsmith=


P.S. - Oh yeah, Bill Gates is evil.

[Quixote]

Oh buy. That's really bad. I have never heard of that before, but I seriously doubt that Girder had anything to do with it. I'm sorry to hear that. []
What OS are you using?
The next step would be to "add command" then on the top right choose Girder command then hit "learn command" Type in a name for the command such as "light 1" without the quotes. Then at the bottom right choose the plug-in tab and select cm11 driver, then you hit settings and type in the house code, the unit code and on or off. example: A 1 ON. you can also use dim and bright commands. Take a look at the readme file. Let's start with that.
I hope you resolve your computer trouble. Please let me know when you have fixed it.

[Quixote]

Jenna? Are you still around?
Can you let me know if your computer is alright?
I kinda feel partially responsible.

[jenna]

I'm still here.  Just received a new hard drive yesterday, will start to retrive files, programs etc. from old one if possible soon. I do have another computer, but "Hal" is running on the one with a problem.  Quixote, don't think any of this was a fault of yours, this drive has been acking a little funny, and I guess it just "BROKE".I tried system restore and other things but was unable to solve the login problem.  My trail time on Girder was getting close to running out so I purchased it and will install it again on the new drive.  I was able to get Girder to work with the CM11A interface, now all I need to do is get "Hal" to trigger the event, maybe you can help with this. We'll keep it touch when the computer is up and running again.  
Jenna[]

[Quixote]

*Whew* I'm glad that everything is cool with your computer (I mean sort of) I had a hard drive go corupt on me, and it's really no fun.
I think you made a good decision in purchasing Girder. It's a "killer app". We have been discussing the implementation of Girder commands near the bottom of this thread and the following page if you'd like to take a look at it for now:
http://www.zabaware.com/forum/topic.asp?TOPIC_ID=996&whichpage=1
Let me know when you are ready to start and we can go step by step.
So far with Ultra-HAL and Girder and a lot of help from VonSmith I have managed to set up voice commands to turn on and off my lights, turn on and off my TV, Mute/Unmute my TV, open and close my vertical blinds and do my laundry and cook my dinner.
just kidding about the laundry and dinner. []
Talk to you soon.