Sneak peek at Smarthome's Interactive Flash Demo

Lwong

New Member
Hello everyone!

The latest flash demo is up for your critique.

http://www.smarthome.com/flash/Smarthome_Flash_Demo.swf

As always, please let us know how we can improve the Interactive Demo. Let us know if the demo is intuitive, what other things you want to see in the Interactive Demo Home, etc. So far we have received a lot of great ideas and we will work hard to incorporate all the feedback in the project.

Thank you in advance for your help!
 
Looks good. I actually tried to click on the lights in the ceiling, but I guess they are controlled by the switch.
 
Demo works fine for me.

It might be an idea to sort of highlite what can be moused over ( I missed the blinds and only found them by accident).

Neil
 
Worked great on my Mac with Safari but with Firefox the switches did not activate the lights and the blinds also did not operate like they did in Safari and the keypad did not appear in the side bar. Maybe my Plug-in is old in Firefox.

The side lights on the V2 timer in the bathroom were active but not for the Dimmer in the Living Room in either browser.

I also could not access the Kitchen or Bedroom in either browser, but I assume those aren't done yet?

Nice demo overall.
 
I could only get the Bathroom and Livingroom to work on a PC using either IE or Firefox. In the bathroom, you have a motion detector controlling a fan, but you don't show HOW the fan is actually power controlled. I also think its a bit strange to control a bathroom light with a timer switch. Maybe a fan, but I wouldn't think the light.
 
Win XP SP2, Firefox 1.5.latest (haven't yet upgraded to 2).

Living Room:

Turning on TV, spots fade to off but room lights go instant off; they could also fade off. Turning on TV could also close blinds.

No obvious way to control lamps. KeypadLinc Lights On appears to turn on some out-of-view light source (ceiling?), but lamps do not appear to be on, they just look like an external light source is reflecting on portions of their shades.

Pressing Blinds button while blinds are in motion, could halt motion so blinds could be half up/down. Also, I have many Venetian Blinds. All that I know of require/recommend tilting to open before raising/lowering, or risk damaging. Do the Somfy blinds not need tilting? Does the controller even allow tilting? I often like to have blinds lowered and tilted to allow diffuse light but block direct sunlight to help stay cool.

SwitchLinc level indicator leds don't function.


Bathroom:

SwitchLinc Timer level indicators work, but can't get lights to fade. I don't have a Timer, so don't know: is it a relay rather than a dimmer?


Others:

None of the other rooms/home do anything--assuming they're not yet done?
 
Fun.

Seems like a list of stuff involved might be as useful as the "roll over to see what you find" approach. I addition, of course.

Insteon on my fireplace... <shudder> more than a few bits missing to make that happen, aren't there?

Perhaps a "controls" and "controlled by" list per device? and an overall similar list?

Blinds, TV and fireplace KeypadLinc buttons should be lit/unlit with on/off.


Oh... you DIDN'T put an X10 Hawkeye in the bathroom, did you? :D
Then that device should list an X10 interface or a WGL RF interface to a controller or something to make it a bit clearer how that relates to anything since it's pretty useless by itself.

The bathroom exhaust fan that's activated by the Hawkeye isn't shown as automated. Presumably an Insteon switch, but not shown as such.

Perhaps separate light switch for the mirror lights than the overhead? Then either multiple switches or a KPL for unified and/or separate control?
For comparison, I have three switches in one bathroom for lights: one for overhead, one for mirrors/sinks, one for tub/loo. The overhead turns on the other two but the two work individually if desired. Outside KPLs shut them all off (or on) from the hall or downstairs since the kids leave them on all the time. Other rooms use the Elk-attached alarm-system motion detectors to activate Insteon lights. It's all purchased from SH, so... you've got all the parts in your list. :unsure:

Fun stuff. Thanks for sharing. :D
 
The mini-cam in the bathroom air vent is not highlighting either. Which room is the DVR recording its footage anyways? :)

Vaughn
 
ver0776 said:
The mini-cam in the bathroom air vent is not highlighting either. Which room is the DVR recording its footage anyways? :)

Vaughn
I know whos house I am not visiting this year!
 
Squintz said:
I know whos house I am not visiting this year!

:) I know you are not talking about my house. It is because of my purity in this topic I can so easily joke about it. Our privacy is in danger. Every computer has a microphone, everyone has cameras and voice recorders in their pockets. Our ability to speak and act freely is disappearing. My house however is a sanctuary from such things.

The house is surrounded by 7 cameras and 1 on a yard patrol RC car though, so don't go sunbathing naked in the yard! You were warned :eek:

Vaughn
vCrib
 
Couple of suggestions.

1 - Are you serious about wanting to automate a gas fireplace???? Some things with combustable gasses really should not be automated and if you avertise that, you'll probably get sued by someone who installs it incorrectly.

2 - the switchlinc should have the LEDs working

3 - Livingroom - when you hit the all lights off button on the keypadlinc, the lights over the fireplace don't go off.

4 - Kitchen - when you hit a scene, the LED on the scene button doesn't stay on indicating which scene you are in.

5 - Bedroom - didn't seem to work for me
 
I have thought about automating a gas fire place but only to turn it off. For example gas fire place is on and house is armed away. It would be nice to turn it off... I'm not sure if there is a clean way to do this but it seems to make sense.

Chuck
 
Hello everyone!

The latest flash demo is up for your critique. With the bedroom as the latest room, there are a total of four rooms in this Smarthome.

http://www.smarthome.com/flash/Smarthome_Flash_Demo.swf

As always, please let us know how we can improve the Interactive Demo. Let us know if the demo is intuitive, what other things you want to see in the Interactive Demo Home, etc. So far we have received a lot of great ideas and we will work hard to incorporate all the feedback in the project.

Thank you in advance for your help!
 
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