| ECS-L Home Automation and Security Archives |
| Subject: From: Date: | Re: [ECS] ECS Web Interface Mark Gilmore Thu, 18 May 2000 16:19:07 -0400 |
Resize horizontally, not vertically -- Mark Gilmore Omnipotence (ECS home automation software) http://www.usit.com/omnip 423-745-0026 Hours: Mon-Sat, 9AM-8PM/EST Martin Terry wrote: > > Mark, > > Maybe I can explain better. :) > > I did add the icon for testing purposes. Then I resized the item in the > group window until just the state drop down box was shown. At this point in > windows, I have an item that is very narrow, and only the state is shown > with a windows gadget to drop down a menu. When I look at it in a web page, > it resizes to the same size as the item in the windows group window, but > instead of only showing the state it splits the size directly in half top to > bottom and shows the name in the top half and state in the bottom half; > however neither half is large enough to show the full text so the text is > chopped off at the top and bottom. I can still click on each half and get > either a listing of states or a listing of items. > > -----Original Message----- > From: Mark Gilmore [mailto:omnip@usit.net] > Sent: Thursday, May 18, 2000 12:03 PM > To: ecs-list@netbloc.com > Subject: Re: [ECS] ECS Web Interface > > I guess I'm lost, as I can't re-create any problem > (with either NS or IE): > If you resize the window, such that the name/state/icon > is hidden, everything works fine (I just get an icon). > If your window does not have an Icon, you will need to > redefine it such that it does. > -- > Mark Gilmore > Omnipotence (ECS home automation software) > http://www.usit.com/omnip > 423-745-0026 > Hours: Mon-Sat, 9AM-8PM/EST > > Martin Terry wrote: > > > > Mark, I can't really make the suggestion below work for me. Most of my > group > > items are set NOT to have icons. I turned one on to test. > > > > If I resize the item in the group window to hide the name, the > corresponding > > "applet" shrinks in the web page, but splits the control and still shows > the > > name and state, just clipped at the top and bottom (you have to look at > this > > to see what I mean) > > This also skews the icon so it's unrecognizable. For a test, I made the > item > > "control" very large on the group screen, and the web applet got very > large > > as well, but in the windows group the item control had the same text size > as > > before, just with a large grey space below it. In the web page, the text > > resizes to fill the whole control size until it's very large. > > > > I performed this test on ECS 4.4.002. > > > > Thanks. > > > > -----Original Message----- > > From: Mark Gilmore [mailto:omnip@usit.net] > > Sent: Wednesday, May 17, 2000 5:20 AM > > To: ecs-list@netbloc.com > > Subject: Re: [ECS] ECS Web Interface > > > > No problem - See the CLICK Item Type: > > When you click the Item's Icon (in either ECS or web-page), > > your Event can take any desired action(s). > > And you can hide the name/state/icon fields > > by resizing that Item's window (in the Group). > > -- > > Mark Gilmore > > Omnipotence (ECS home automation software) > > http://www.usit.com/omnip > > 423-745-0026 > > Hours: Mon-Sat, 9AM-8PM/EST > > > > Martin Terry wrote: > > > > > > Hi Mark, > > > > > > I agree that ECS is certainly superior in reference to the page updates > > and > > > so forth. > > > > > > As for the Group Screen, I guess what I am talking about is the just the > > > Group Windows in ECS itself. Here is an example. (All of these refer to > > the > > > ECS Windows Interface) The Item for messages I have is called > > SYS:PhoneMsg. > > > This name makes it easy for me to reference it in the code, but is not > the > > > best name to present to the rest of the family. Also, in the Group > Screen > > I > > > can right click the drop down menu next to the item name and select any > > > other item, which I don't want to be available for the rest of the > family, > > > it will just confuse them if they click it accidentally. Next there is a > > > drop down menu for the states, listing every possible state for an item. > I > > > only want the "speak" state to be available when the family uses the > > > interface, again to limit confusion. > > > > > > This goes back to the statement I made in the second paragraph below > that > > > confused you. The current web pages that are generated by ECS use an > > applet > > > that gives the item name and state, and clicking on the item or state > > gives > > > you other options. I actually want something like this: > > > > > > (excuse my crude ascii drawings) > > > > > > > > > ---------------------------------------------------------------------------- > > > ------------------- > > > _________ > > > There are new phone messages | Play | > > > ----------------- > > > > > > ---------------------------------------------------------------------------- > > > ------------------- > > > > > > or a page that says: > > > > > > > > > ---------------------------------------------------------------------------- > > > ------------------ > > > There are no phone messages. > > > > > > > > > ---------------------------------------------------------------------------- > > > ------------------- > > > > > > based on the state of the item SYS:PhoneMsg > > > > > > I don't want to see the name of the item, or see any other states, other > > > than the ability to trigger "play" with a button. > > > > > > The current java applet in the group screen produces something like > this: > > > > > > -------------------------------------- > > > | SYS:PhoneMsg | > > > |------------------------------------| > > > | 2 | > > > -------------------------------------- > > > > > > When I click on the item name I get a list of all item names. When I > click > > > on "2" I get a list of possible states. (Very neatly done in a frame to > > the > > > right I may add). > > > > > > But I don't want that. I DON'T want to be able to click on the item and > > see > > > other items, and I DON'T want to be able to select any state, I just > want > > to > > > build a page with a button that says "Play" and when I press that button > > the > > > messages are played. > > > > > > Let's say I have a light item called Lgt:Bedroom. Can I create a html > page > > > using the new interface that looks like this: > > > > > > ----------------------------------------------------------------- > > > > > > The bedroom light is On. > > > > > > ---------------- > > > | Turn Off | > > > ---------------- > > > > > > ------------------------------------------------------------------ > > > > > > The "is On" should be based on the current state of the light. Is this > > > possible? What would the code look like? > > > > > > -----Original Message----- > > > From: Mark Gilmore [mailto:omnip@usit.net] > > > Sent: Tuesday, May 16, 2000 9:26 AM > > > To: ecs-list@netbloc.com > > > Subject: Re: [ECS] ECS Web Interface > > > > > > Hi Martin, > > > While his pages ARE well-organized, they require a > > > REFRESH to get state updates (BAD!). And the user can > > > always organize his Groups in a similar fashion. > > > In fact, I don't see much difference btw his and ours > > > (buy maybe I'm missing something). > > > > > > Regarding the "weakness" of the ECS Group Screen, > > > I always welcome criticisms, but they are of little > > > use without specifics. And are we talking the Group > > > windows or the Group pages ? How are they weak ? > > > > > > The 1st sentence of your 2nd paragraph (below) also confuses me. > > > You can create custom pages, uses the ECS-generated web pages > > > as working examples. Granted, we DO need to find an HTML "editor" > > > (possibly "Front-Page" ?) to assist users in creating these pages > > > (who don't know HTML). > > > -- > > > Mark Gilmore > > > Omnipotence (ECS home automation software) > > > http://www.usit.com/omnip > > > 423-745-0026 > > > Hours: Mon-Sat, 9AM-8PM/EST > > > > > > Martin Terry wrote: > > > > > > > > Mark, > > > > > > > > Take a look at the link http://house.protowrxs.com/ I think this is > the > > > > future of what ECS could be, an interface that is infinitely > > customizable > > > by > > > > the end user. Do you think we will be able to achive this kind of > > > interface > > > > with ECS? > > > > > > > > I much prefer the ability to get and change the status of items within > a > > > > custom web page than to duplicate the group screens of ECS, in fact > > > (please > > > > don't take this personally) I think the group screens are the weakest > > > > feature of ECS. > > > > > > > > You've made tremendous strides with an already great program in the > past > > > > year. If you look at the work that Steve Nolan put in to achive the > site > > > > I've pointed out above, you can see that ECS could do all this, > > including > > > > the things he hasn't yet implemented, in one system, with much less > > effort > > > > than he had to put into it. > > > > > > > > This kind of change would also open up the possibility for you to > > generate > > > > revenue by creating these custom interfaces for people that can't do > the > > > > html coding on their own. I think it's a great opportunity.