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Author Topic: Can a Macro do This?  (Read 6792 times)

sas

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Can a Macro do This?
« on: April 30, 2006, 09:34:06 PM »

I have several timer modules set to turn lights off daily at midnight. There are times, however, that I would NOT want these lights to go off. I would like to manually turn them off at a later time.

Q. Is it possible to create a macro that would keep these modules from activating at midnight whenever the macro was triggered eariler in the evening?
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steven r

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Re: Can a Macro do This?
« Reply #1 on: May 01, 2006, 01:34:44 AM »

If you don't want to remove your existing timer then you'll need to add a conditional macro timed to turn the lights back on at 12:01 am. Set it only be executed if a flag was set.
A better approach would be to skip the unit timers and use a conditional timer macro to control everything. One macro could switch any number appliances. Another macro would basically act as the override switch.  It would go something like this.

Macro (M1 ON)    This macro would have a timer set to execute for 12:00 but would only execute if flag 1 was clear.
12:00 am?
Flag 1 clear?
[Lights off]

Macro (M2 ON)    Set the flag for the timer macro above.
Set flag 1

Macro (M2 OFF)   Clears the flag for the timer macro above.
Clear flag 1
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roger1818

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Re: Can a Macro do This?
« Reply #2 on: May 01, 2006, 04:14:38 PM »

I have something similar to what steven r describes in my setup and it works really well.  In my case I have a timer run a macro to clear the flag at 7:00pm and have a bunch of the macros I commonly use set the flag.  That way if I am home, the lights won't turn off before I go to bed (unless for some reason I don't run any of the appropriate macros).  I then have a "goodnight" macro which I can run from my bedside table that will turn off all of the lights downstairs, outside and in the bedroom.  Also, just to be safe, I have another macro-timer which will turn off all the downstairs and outside lights at 3:00am.

Eventually I want to use a motion sensor to more reliably detect if someone is home.
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Tuicemen

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Re: Can a Macro do This?
« Reply #3 on: May 01, 2006, 04:31:53 PM »

As Steve r stated using a flag will alow all kinds of extra options.
I have a macro triggered by a motion sensor that if triggered at a time in the morring(when I get up for day shift it sets a flag)
I have a timer reset that flag each night.
Now I have other macros check for that flag and if on then it knows to fire or not.  ;)
Wife works straight days so someone is always home at night! ;)
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sas

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Re: Can a Macro do This?
« Reply #4 on: May 01, 2006, 11:55:57 PM »

Thanks to all for your responses. 
I like Steven r's idea of replacing the unit timers with a conditional timer macro to control everything.  However, I have 9 individual unit timers that go on at somewhat different times and at different light brightness. 

Q.  Do I have to create 9 different 'ON' macros or is there a way to create only one conditional 'ON' macro that will adjust each of the units brightness separately?

Steve
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roger1818

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Re: Can a Macro do This?
« Reply #5 on: May 02, 2006, 09:25:24 AM »

Q.  Do I have to create 9 different 'ON' macros or is there a way to create only one conditional 'ON' macro that will adjust each of the units brightness separately?

You can create one conditional 'ON' macro that will adjust each of the units brightness separately.  You can even put in delays to have the lights turn on at different times.  Unfortunately you can't randomize the amount of delay between the lights turning on, nor can you have them come on in a random order to emulate the behaviour of the "security" check box.

Also, if you don't need to have conditions on the lights turning on, you can have a module timer turn the lights on and a conditional macro timer turn the lights off if you want.
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