Re: Time event xap msg generation

[Kevin Hawkins <lists@xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx>]

Hi Shane, take another peek at the latest floorplan, it has a 'timers'
tab that allows things to happen at a particular time of day.  Planned
in later versions I believe there will be even more timer options eg day
of week or periodic events, but even now it does just what you need.
There is also no restriction to only handling BSC devices - you just use
the  'raw xap' option, as this allows access to any xAP message schema
for processing.   :-)

re Desktop - this is really as flexible as you wish but is more script
based - you can detect any 'event' to cause an action - it isn't
restricted to button presses or mouseovers or physical things like that
- you can react to any incoming xAP message and do whatever you want -
this is how for example the TV listings and CallerID work-  they watch
for the approriate incoming xAP message schema and their action is to
fade up/down the window and display the data.

xAP Desktop is capable of almost anything but takes a bit more
learning/effort as it is so powerful - the main key differences with
Desktop vs Floorplan is that Floorplans' display is via a web page
(Desktop is localised/realtime) . Floorplan also has some neat ways of
placing indicator graphics on a background (eg a floorplan with your
lights on it) - which makes it much easier to get things setup quickly.
The scripting in Desktop is very much straight into VB whereas Floorplan
can also do this but has some basic frontending to allow
triggers/responses in xAP - eg a capable BSC mapper is inbuilt (and
doesn't require any VB code to be written)

Kevin


but Shane Harrison wrote:

>Hi there,
>
>Just wondering what folks do to generate xAP (BSC in my case) messages
as a
>result of a certain time of day being reached.
>
>I notice there are some time of day xAP applications (send time
messages)
>but I don't know any application that can processes them and generate
other
>xAP messages - seemed to be used for displays I think.
>
>I looked at floorplan scripting but it only allows scripts to run on
BSC
>events being received.
>
>Looked at desktop and it seems to run scripts based on display buttons
being
>pushed etc.
>
>
>In my case I want to switch towel rails, hot water cylinders off and on
>based on time or perhaps as a result of other non BSC xAP messages.  I
>realise I could build this into my controller xAP helper application
ie.
>listen to the broadcasts of time of day and react etc.  This might
align
>with the "broadcast" philosophy of xAP but probably only
works well for
>static arrangements.  Where I want it to be dynamic and configurable
via
>some GUI this isn't going to work.
>
>Interested in philosophies and what people are doing in practice.
>
>Cheers and thanks
>Shane
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>Yahoo! Groups Links
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