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[BobInIndy]

OK, I am a newbie, but also a geek, so this should be simple...it might with good documentation.

Here is what I want to do:
- As I leave the house (day or night), I set the alarm, and I want to push an X10 On button remote that will turn on/off lights in the evening/after dusk/at night to make it appear I am home.  When I come home, I deactivate the alarm and push the X10 off button to kill all the lights.  Here is the problem - to get features like after dusk/at night, you have to create a timer.  Once you create a time, the X10 On button turns everything on and ignores the start time of the time.  So, if I am leaving at 2 in the after noon, the lights will be on (for no reason) during the day - a waste.  If I just let the Macro run based on its timer settings (i.e. no pushing of X10 On button), then the lights will be one when I am home - again a waste.

a) is there a way to do this?  Push an X10 On button to turn on a macro, but the macro does not start turning on/off lights until after dusk/at night?
b) if it cannot be done with the standard AHP, does the $50 Smart Macros add in allow it to be done?


Thanks!
Bob

[Tuicemen]

There are a couple of ways to do this although not exactly the way you describe!
You will need the smart macros as it allows ifs and Else's as well as supplies flags which you can use as conditions for your macros.
Macros run until the last command is sent or for 4 & 1/2 hours which ever comes first.
You'll need to plot the times which you will be leaving the house as timers may be needed to be used with the smart macros
Here is one way there are others:
.

[li]You can create a macro which turns on your lights if a flag is set( in this macro you'll want to also set the same flag again)[/li]
[li]You need to create another macro which sets this flag ( use a phantom module on as the trigger)[/li]
[li]you need to create another which clears this flag(use the same phantom module Off as the trigger)[/li]
[li]You need one more to turn off all your lights depending how you have them controlled and turns the phantom module off clearing the flag[/li]
[li]You create a timer which starts the first macro daily at dusk[/li]
[li]You create another timer which turns off all lights at dawn[/li]
[/list][/color]
Now when you leave press the x10 On that sets the flag the lights won't come on until dusk.
If you leave after dusk you'll need to press two buttons one to turn on the phantom and one to activate the lights on macro. Or create another timer which runs later which turns on the all on macro
When you come home simply press the off macro for the lights.

This can be expanded on to get real complicated but as I stated before you need to plot some times and conditions.
Macros can't contain a condition or else part way through, the conditions can only be one which if met the macro starts
Hope this gets you started on the right track!
If you don't know what a flag  or phantom module is check my post Topic: Having ActiveHome Pro Problems? Please Read This First!  (Read 17804 times)