Macros

andrew wrote:

I've just tried with a Samsung BluRay player and Sky satellite box (pretending it's cable TV) and neither of them have created an activate-source macro.

Of course it's quite possible I'm not following the required steps exactly - I'm looking forward to the new CableTV driver documentation that should explain everything.

Andrew

I'm afraid this is going to be a slightly moaning post...

So I look at myServer this morning and see there are updates to myServer core, the cable tv driver and the generic IR driver. I install the updates. I then try again what I tried yesterday, creating a new device for my Sky box (pretending it's cable TV) and my Samsung BluRay player. This time the Sky device (pretend cable TV) gets an activate source macro automatically created for it and also gets a new source created that I can then add/remove from a room. Neither of those things happened yesterday. The Samsung BluRay player still doesn't get a macro or a source, same as yesterday. Coincidence, or was this fixed in the myServer/cableTV driver/IR driver update since yesterday? Apparently we're not supposed to know or care what's in the software updates but this shows exactly why we do need to know and care. I and several others couldn't get something to work, and didn't know whether it was us or the software. I now suspect it was the software - but I can't know for certain. Could you (Allonis) be a bit more open about what all these updates are? We know it's still in development (although being told earlier on that it's mature software, it's just the documentation and SmartRemote related stuff that's being worked on was I feel a bit misleading).

Andrew

I was pretty sure it was more than just documentation.  That's why I asked if they were also going to update the BluRay driver while they were at it.  It's good to know that the CableTV driver now works as expected.

Try to stay patient, and not get too frustrated.  I'm impressed with how quickly Allonis replies to forum questions, and all the improvements that have happened in the last few weeks.  Don't these guys ever sleep?

The challenge for me is that when the system doesn't behave as I expect, is it a bug, did I do it wrong, or are my expectations wrong.  Sorting that out requires good documentation, and good documentation takes time.  "Follow these steps, and don't skip any steps" is a fragile way to give directions.  Understanding requires answering the question "Why?".  A glossary of terms and an outline of the system architecture would be helpful. 
 

The challenge for me is that when the system doesn't behave as I expect, is it a bug, did I do it wrong, or are my expectations wrong.  Sorting that out requires good documentation, and good documentation takes time.  "Follow these steps, and don't skip any steps" is a fragile way to give directions.  Understanding requires answering the question "Why?".  A glossary of terms and an outline of the system architecture would be helpful.  

100% agree, and have asked for still not sure what a few things are for "presets?" and with so many commands "CreateNamingMacro" what does it do? when should i run it?
And updates should come with a simple change log, fixed this issue, added this feature. So we can report back if the fix caused other issues or if a new feature works.

thanks

andrew wrote:

andrew wrote:

I've just tried with a Samsung BluRay player and Sky satellite box (pretending it's cable TV) and neither of them have created an activate-source macro.

Of course it's quite possible I'm not following the required steps exactly - I'm looking forward to the new CableTV driver documentation that should explain everything.

Andrew

I'm afraid this is going to be a slightly moaning post...

So I look at myServer this morning and see there are updates to myServer core, the cable tv driver and the generic IR driver. I install the updates. I then try again what I tried yesterday, creating a new device for my Sky box (pretending it's cable TV) and my Samsung BluRay player. This time the Sky device (pretend cable TV) gets an activate source macro automatically created for it and also gets a new source created that I can then add/remove from a room. Neither of those things happened yesterday. The Samsung BluRay player still doesn't get a macro or a source, same as yesterday. Coincidence, or was this fixed in the myServer/cableTV driver/IR driver update since yesterday? Apparently we're not supposed to know or care what's in the software updates but this shows exactly why we do need to know and care. I and several others couldn't get something to work, and didn't know whether it was us or the software. I now suspect it was the software - but I can't know for certain. Could you (Allonis) be a bit more open about what all these updates are? We know it's still in development (although being told earlier on that it's mature software, it's just the documentation and SmartRemote related stuff that's being worked on was I feel a bit misleading).

Andrew

allonis.com/support/documentation?view=category&id=221
Yes, that was added and documentation added last night.
To continue the evolution towards an easier "out of the box" experience that all of you ideally had day one.
But that's why this is part of a "Kickstarter".
The software is very mature.  We use it in larger scale commercial projects (and now residential projects) daily.  There is 25 years of evolution going on here.
The "out of the box" is what was missing for DIY implementations.  That is what we are working on daily.

So, you should be backing up your system regularly and ideally not adding stuff / modding stuff that isn't backed up first.

And our concentration is on getting the DIY mods to the software out soon as possible so all next customers don't go through what the Kickstarter group is going through.
And yes, documentation is next priority.  Followed by version control.

The largest issue (by FAR) has been NOT following the existing documentation....

cjisble wrote:

I was pretty sure it was more than just documentation.  That's why I asked if they were also going to update the BluRay driver while they were at it.  It's good to know that the CableTV driver now works as expected.

Try to stay patient, and not get too frustrated.  I'm impressed with how quickly Allonis replies to forum questions, and all the improvements that have happened in the last few weeks.  Don't these guys ever sleep?

The challenge for me is that when the system doesn't behave as I expect, is it a bug, did I do it wrong, or are my expectations wrong.  Sorting that out requires good documentation, and good documentation takes time.  "Follow these steps, and don't skip any steps" is a fragile way to give directions.  Understanding requires answering the question "Why?".  A glossary of terms and an outline of the system architecture would be helpful. 


 

Yup, BluRay and TV IR drivers will be modded just like CableTV to catch up with the "SmartRemote" Out of the Box changes.  Might be today if our paid for work goes well today too.

Yes, please all stay patient.  We are working as fast as possible.   You can also put it all aside waiting for more evolution.  But that has been going on for a LONG time...so hard to say when the time is right to jump back in...For SmartRemote / media usage, I would say most of the foundational things (like the CableBox IR update) will be another month of progress.  You could say we shipped too quick (I do).  But we were hell bent on delivering our promises in a Kickstarter since SO MANY (all?)  have not.

And the BluRay and TV IR drivers (and documentation) are now updated in latest releases of the drivers.
we are adding XBox and Playstation as "BluRay" players next release.