Blind Automation

[Neurorad]

I would say pick a shade manufacturer, e.g. Somfy, and read how they do it. Takes a lot of time, but you need to become an expert or hire one.

Some online Somfy distributors may offer some assistance, for specific questions. Distributors are often the most knowledgeable people.

 

[Mr Spock]

Since your wanting your blinds to work with HAI/Leviton I suggest you read Relleum's post from August 20 2012.  He had a great write up on how to do Somfy shades with HAI using the RS485 interface.  I used his advice to do my shades.  I'm a fan of Somfy since their stuff works good and seems to be one of the most supported products on the market.  They do cost a bit more than other brands.  There is always a trade off between quality and well supported vs. price.
 
As far as the shades and motors go, if you want to save money then you will need to buy the motors and shades separately.  You must be sure the blinds you buy are specifically designed for the motors you choose.  Then you assembly them yourself, install them, and connect them.  Not for the timid.  I bought my motors from Florida Automated Shades, but there are several sources.

 

[ano]

Thanks Mr. Spock, that was very helpful.  I checked those previous posts and that was very helpful too.  I'm going the wireless RTS path, because this is existing construction, so maybe this will be a bit easier, maybe not. I also like the ability to use a remote if I want to override the panel controlled settings.
 
I'm still investigating buying the blinds and motor separate or together. Motorized blinds seem to be getting more popular, so I'm seeing some pretty good prices with blinds and motors together. For example Home Depot now carries Bali and Hunter Douglas blinds with RTS motors built-in.  The price is around $200 higher per blind plus an extra $25 to install them.  That doesn't seem too much more than if I added the motor myself, but I'm still investigating. 
 
So lets say I go to Home Depot and buy a Bali cellular blind but NON-motorized, is it easy to add the motor assuming I buy a model that can be motorized?