Software problems v3.204

[Tuicemen]

I just got arround to looking at this update as it came out while I was on holidays I had time to install but not realy look at it so I've not found much except this one.
as reported in AHP & MyHouse update to v3.204 Available
Ã,« Reply #12 on: August 29, 2006, 05:13:58 PM Ã,»     

BUG:  This took me a while to notice as I've been on holidays and when not I was not paying close attention to my flags!
I noticed my macros that trigger a phantom switch which in turn triggers another macro to set a flag no longer works! Today  I did a little digging to see if I'd mistakenly added another macro which switches this off  ( I sometimes do strange things trying to help others) . Thats not the case. If I select the phantom switch to turn on /off the flag it works. I've worded the problem macro so it directly sets the flag to see if that fixes my flag problem! I'm not sure if all my macros can be edited to do this.now we'll wait until tomorrow to see if everything fires off as intended!    Was this intetional in order to fix something else?

Futher testing led to this post:

Well seems my modification worked? my question now is: Has anyone else noticed that their macros fired from another macro no longer work? Or is it just if flags are involved?
Originaly X10Pro stated "macros were not designed to trigger other macros " So we users came up with the Phantom module work arround to allow this! Now this work arround no longer works (for me).

I'm going out of town again so I still won't have the time to dig much deeper into the program to see if I have any other issues but my wife isn't screaming!"You stupid #$%^ get rid of that X10 "[/b] so WAF is still high
also:

• Timeline Viewer isn't working Just noticed this as pointed out by bronco in Timeline Viewer
• Macro Library doesn't work did it ever? can't recall if this was here before this update as well!

Anyone found any other issues?

[X10 Pro]

Seems to work fine here.

Created phantom appliance module - A3
Created macro A1
  Set Flag 1
  Turn module A3 on.

Created macro A3 on
  Set Flag 3 & 4

Download to Interface

Run Status report - all flags cleared.

Trigger Macro A1
- See phantom appliance module come on.
- See Macro A3 trigger

Run Status report - Flags 1,3,4 are set.

Is there something else I'm missing?

The TimeLine viewer and Macro Library are works in progress and should not have been displayed in this release.

Regards,

X10Pro

[Tuicemen]

Nope other than only one macro had a flag trigger in it and a little more info in the other!

eg:
F2(phantom) on triggers flag 2 on

macro C1 (also a phantom module)off triggers F2 on
table lamp A4 on
night light A16 off
delay 41 min
table lamp A16 off
C1 is triggered from a motion sensor everything works but checking status shows no flag set

One other bug I found but maybe a leftover one:
When in Hardware Configuration if you click on update interface it only closes the configuration screen you still have to click another place to update the interface. I know this worked at one point! now it just closes the window.

[Tuicemen]

OK seems there is a bug with the e-mail notification!
I posted a test and my results, your results may vary ! "E-mail Bug found!"
This seems to affect those with the new version included with the OnAlert Plugin as well

[Chopper5]

I've found that v3.204 stops the Windows screen saver from coming on if the ActiveHome window has focus.  Turning off animated icons made no difference.  This is a problem because it can reduce the life of my LCD monitor and cause screen burn-in (yes, this happens with LCD monitors but can usually be reversed).

[Tuicemen]

Chopper5:   good catch!
I usualy turn mine off but did notice if AHP is left in full screen my auto off doesn't work either! Even leaving the screen on even with a screen saver reduces the life of the  LCD screen (light)

[David Mark]

Somebody mentioned that this software was much improved since my initial review panned it in 2004.  Let's see...

• 1.) First impression is that miserable door (twice) at the top.  What a waste of screen space.  So lets see if we can get rid of that...
  
  
• 2.) Oh Christ, Tools | Preferences (Options is standard, but that is a minor quibble) dialog has no cancel button (just a lone close button.)  Idiots.  Okay, carefully reset the "Use Animated Icons" checkbox.  Click the ambiguous Close button and voila!  Hahahahahahahahahaha!  That's a good one.  It stopped the animated GIF (or AVI or whatever) in its tracks.  Great demo app!  Oh wait...  This is a release?!
  
  
• 3.) To get some screen space open, I want to maximize the window, so double-click the (odd looking) titelbar and $#@!.  I think we are all familiar with that one at this point.  First announced as a shortcoming in 2004.
  
  
• 4.) Don't like the big yellow Spam button exhorting me to "buy online!"  More wasted space.
  
  
• 5.) Look around the window at the controls.  Menus, treeview, buttons, dialog controls, etc.  All screwed up.  Try using the keyboard to do anything in this app.  Focus (can't really) the faux tree and press the up and down arrows.  The app is an idiot.  It just sits there impassively with its half-finished animations.
  
  
• 6.) Okay, lets get some real work done with this thing done.  Edit | Add Module (ellipsis is missing, a tell-tale sign.)  Oh no.  First off, nothing is focused.  Okay, hit tab.  You have got to be kidding.  Nothing.  Shift-tab.  Nothing.  Okay, they must have some sort of mnemonics defined.  Nope.  They can't even decide which words are supposed to be capitalized in the labels.  "Name of the new module", "Type of Module", etc.  And how about the "organization" of the module types (ie Retail, Pro Modules, etc.)  And the "synchronization" of the module type and photo.  Ever moved the mouse over this dialog and had it change like it was a magic wand?  I have.  It sucks.  And we are only on the first dialog!
  
  
• 7.) Forget that one until you have to use it a hundred times in a row.  Yes, you can alternatively drag and drop from their catalog, but then you have to try to rename and re-address the module from the main window.  That can be excruciating and occasionally crashes the whole program.  It is easier to use the dialog (as impossible as that may sound.)
  
  
• 8.) Look at those pictures.  Keep in mind you will see the same stupid images forever as you can't change them.  They aren't particularly bad pictures, but who really wants a picture of a wall switch for virtually everything?
  
  
• 9.) You can't sort the room names in the folder list.
  
  
• 10.) Dead ends (Open macro library?)
  
  
• 11.) Reports?  What the hell is that?  Belches out three of the worst static Web pages in the history of HTML.  Even free programs have built-in Web servers these days.  This thing saves three files (in the application root no less.)
  
  
• 12.) Speaking of reports: why the hell does the File menu disappear when you click this menu item?  I see where they made the popup come up instantaneously, but you wouldn't think clicking the parent menu would close both. (?!)  Another example of them trying to rewrite standard Windows interfaces and failing miserably.  It isn't as if they added anything to the menus.  They just broke them for no reason.
  
  
• 13.) "My Images" (need I say more?)  I will mention that these paths are in the aforementioned AHX file, not the registry as I saw posted recently.  There is a tab (another badly rewritten control) on the Tools | Preferences dialog that has a textbox to change the image paths.  That being said, don't change them.  I did once and the whole Video plugin went nuts.  I have heard of others with the same problem.  The video plugin is not ready for prime time.
  
  
• 14.) As mentioned before, no support for scenes or even for sending the older preset dim commands.  They just want you to buy X10 products and there is no support for X10's version of scenes (groups.)  So don't hold your breath on that one.
  
  
• 15.) Time to close this miserable thing.  Yes I want to exit (annoying that it asks every time.)
  

The software is a bust as an automation tool.  The hardware works pretty well when the software is closed.  As somebody very helpfully pointed out, they won't sell you the $50 wall wart unless you allow them to send you the software.  Pretty well meaningless as you definitely need the software to program the hardware (download the timers and macros.)  After that, you close it and forget it and move on with your life.  For those who wish to add more "Jetsons appeal" to their house, there is other software out there that can do the trick.  This is not the one.  This is an electronic catalog with blinking graphics like some sort of bastard cousin of a slot machine, exhorting you to insert more money, create more icons, etc.  Think about it.  I did back in 2004 and only now gave this thing a second shot.  Second shot blown, there won't be a third chance.  I will never use this for anything more than a macro "downloader."  All of that extra "glitz" of theirs is for naught.

How is it they can sell this to professional installers and resellers?  My guess is that they can't.  No branding, no support, no brains, no thank you!


[TTA Edit: Formatted for improved readability.]

[davmar]

Triggering a multi-step macro in AHP results in partial completion of sequence and then the application stops responding (O/S is Win XP).  AHP has never completed running a macro without failing, requiring using the Task Manager to kill the (non-responding) application.  Is it possible to successfully execute a macro without crashing AHP?  If so how?

[Tuicemen]

davmar:
Many users have multi step macros that run with out a hitch, perhaps if you start a thread and post your troubling macro a long time user may spot the problem.
It is probably just one condition or sequence that is causing the crash and that may be where X10 needs to focus some attention!
Also decribe your setup in detail explaining what modules you have in your set up and any plugins you may have.

[waterstom]

Another bug found...
Before I start, on the main page of this website, it indicates this is where to let X10 know when we find a bug...
I don't see a specific Bug Report sticky or anything, so I just added to this laundry list.
Hopefully if I'm in the wrong place, a Moderator will move it for me.

So, if you go into Timers with the intention of viewing the details or edit one of your timers, the FIRST time you enter Timers all works fine.  After you view or edit a timer, and close Timers, if you return to Timers, the EDIT button is greyey out/not accessible.  You must CLOSE AHP and restart it to be able to edit/view details of Timers again.

Not a huge deal, but there it is.

Tom