CQC versus HAL 2000

[Dean Roddey]

It looks like in 1.7 we are going to hit 100 devices natively supported. That's not a huge number but it seems huge when I think that only a couple years ago it was more like 10. And some of them are quite manly devices that required a lot of work to get under control. Seems like only yesterday there was one device <sniff...> They grow up so fast.

In 1.7, we'll really be providing a heap-o functionality in one package with all the new media stuff, significant improvements in the amount of logic you can do without writing CML macros, and also in the power of the graphical interfaces.

 

[damage]

Is anybody using HAL with a Stargate? Anybody know how much Stargate functionality is actually supported in HAL 2000? I looked through the HAL manual (over 1000 pages!) but couldn't get a feel for what all HAL could use of the Stargates hardware resources. Definitely X-10 and some of the digital inputs, but beyond that????

i am using hal deluxe w/ my tc+ in a limited/indirect fashion. voice commands trigger scripts that cause starCOM to issue commands to my tc+. i have not upgraded to the activex scripting versions they have, but if i did, i would be able to write HAL scripts to have 2 way communication w/ sC.

 

[mdesmarais]

In 1.7, we'll really be providing a heap-o functionality in one package with all the new media stuff, significant improvements in the amount of logic you can do without writing CML macros, and also in the power of the graphical interfaces.

Dean, is there an approximate target date for 1.7?

 

[upstatemike]

I was curious about the support offered by HAL directly. without starCOM. I'm sure I could do most anything using sC once I got past the learning curve and I'm still planning to try it sometime this summer; after I play with HomeRunner and master serial communications with PowerHome, and poke around in MainLobby a bit and...

 

[Ripper99]

It looks like in 1.7 we are going to hit 100 devices natively supported. That's not a huge number but it seems huge when I think that only a couple years ago it was more like 10.

Actually thats a HUGE amount of devices especially when people realize all CQC drivers are FREE(unless custom), Others charge for plugins/drivers that you offer for free and that's another reason I switched over to CQC.

 

[Dean Roddey]

Dean, is there an approximate target date for 1.7?

Well, we got set back when it turned out that the company were were planning on getting media metadata from wanted way more bucks than we can afford, so we had to shop around for something else, and I just started working on another big feature in the meantime, that hadn't originally been planned for 1.7. So we are stretching it out a bit more than it was going to be. So I would imagine that we are looking at something like a month for the 1.7 betas to start being seen. It could be less than that, but I wouldn't want to be overly optimistic, which is way too common in the software world.

 

[upstatemike]

FWIW, I've got a developer buddy who's going to look into creating a VR driver for CQC once he gets his CQC setup. It'll be nothing short of dumb luck if that is done & ready for usage by the end of the year though as we've both got a ton of work on our plate, so that should *not* be part of your buying decision.

Is he going to use the generic Microsoft VR engine or will it be based on something like Dragon Naturally Speaking or HAL?

 

[IVB]

FWIW, I've got a developer buddy who's going to look into creating a VR driver for CQC once he gets his CQC setup. It'll be nothing short of dumb luck if that is done & ready for usage by the end of the year though as we've both got a ton of work on our plate, so that should *not* be part of your buying decision.

Is he going to use the generic Microsoft VR engine or will it be based on something like Dragon Naturally Speaking or HAL?

I haven't done enough research to answer this as I've got too many unfinished projects on my plate, but whatever I get needs to be robust and reliable. I'd rather not do something than do it on the cheap & unreliable.

 

[damage]

I was curious about the support offered by HAL directly. without starCOM. I'm sure I could do most anything using sC once I got past the learning curve and I'm still planning to try it sometime this summer; after I play with HomeRunner and master serial communications with PowerHome, and poke around in MainLobby a bit and...

if you go to http://www.automatedliving.com and search their forums, you'll get an idea of how good their stargate support is/isn't. from what i've seen it doesn't appear very complete.

sC has the ability to talk to serial ports as well <_< i use it to interface to my wgl800 so i can integrate all the x10 wireless stuff w/ my tc+