| ECS-L Home Automation and Security Archives |
| Subject: From: Date: | RE: [ECS] ECS Web Interface Martin Terry Thu, 18 May 2000 13:57:21 -0700 |
Mark, Horizontal meaning top to bottom? That is what I am doing. I take the top edge of the item and drag it down until the item name disappears and leaves only the state. However when I look at the web page, even though the size of the applet matches the size of the item, it splits the area in half top to bottom and tries to display the name and state. It draws a line through the middle and puts the item name on top and the state name under it. Since the space isn't large enough for the font, both are chopped off. -----Original Message----- From: Mark Gilmore [mailto:omnip@usit.net] Sent: Thursday, May 18, 2000 1:19 PM To: ecs-list@netbloc.com Subject: Re: [ECS] ECS Web Interface 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.