[UPDATED] - Message Central - Make your home speak

@DeveloperDavidB
David,
Before getting the data the app executes a ā€˜pollā€™ (which the weewx driver I was using to test can do)
This ensures that the data is updated just before adding it to the message.
Iā€™ll have a look at making the poll switchable so if the weather driver doesnā€™t have it, then the poll can be disabled.
I noticed that you are using my current wu driver which does have the poll command so Iā€™m not sure what is happening until I investigate.
What version of MC are you using?

Andy

Thanks Andy! Maybe I should look into switching to weewx instead since Weather Underground is going to start charging. I don't have my own weather station at this time.

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David
If you want to edit the code you can do a search (ctrl +f) in the code for:

weather1.poll

And just comment it out by putting // in front of it
i.e

// weather1.poll

It should be around line 3077 according to the error log you posted.
If you do this then save the app again it should work and get rid of the error
(I just canā€™t guarantee you will have the latest weather data)

Unfortunately, I cannot release an updated version yet as my code is very much different from yours as Iā€™m working on MC at the moment

If you do the mod please let me know how you get on.

Andy

1 Like

Thanks, I will try it now!

Most of this is far from being a small request.

MC can currently tell you about open or closed contacts
However,
To add Lights, Locks or anything else would mean the app would have to subscribe to EVERY device and keep a note of each deviceā€™s status.
This would also involve a significant amount of code and time to achieve.

I would need to know that a lot of people would want and use this ā€˜featureā€™ before even considering commiting the time to do this.

Andy

It worked! Successfully spoke temp. Thanks for your quick help on this. Now that you mentioned your code much different than the released version, I am looking forward to seeing what changes you make! Have a great weekend.

David

Itā€™s nothing too exciting.. mostly serious bug fixes
Playing Mp3ā€™s from a trigger now works correctly and so does triggering on a lock.
But the new feature is being able to pause any child app with an inbuilt switch.
This doesnā€™t sound a lot, but getting this right has been a pain.
If HE released their app code I could just copy that.. unfortunately they donā€™t

This is what it might look like (on a different test app)

Andy

1 Like

Cheers Andy, I was having the same issue today. This is great!

Cheers
Roy

1 Like

@DeveloperDavidB @Royski
Guys,
I will probably remove this action, rather than making it switchable
This only polls the driver just before getting the weather data .
If this does not happen, then it will just rely on the data last received (which was probably only 5 minutes ago anyway)

Iā€™ll think about this one for a while and decide what to do before the next release.

Andy

3 Likes

Yeah mines set to 5 mins anyway. Not sure why as the weather station closest isnā€™t all that reliable.

Cheers Andy!

Roy

1 Like

Ok.
I think Iā€™ve worked out a way for me to fulfill @cuboy29ā€™s request of having a ā€˜status reportā€™ by using variables like %openlocks%, %lightson% and using the existing %opencontacts%

How about a quick poll?

  • I would use this feature
  • I donā€™t think I would have a use for it

0 voters

If you vote FOR the feature, perhaps you can suggest any other devices that you would like in the report?

Andy

I would think this would probably work the same way as opencontacts does now
You would build up the message using the required variables.
With an input for each device type

Still a significant body of work for me but doable (hopefully)

Andy

1 Like

:wink: I do like the thought. I have created a lazy family. When they leave the house, I find hours later, the little one left all his lights on. Iā€™ve combated this in many of the areas, but it would be nice to include in their leaving in case I missed something. Not much of a control freak then hey :joy:

Contacts would also be quite useful.
Although I think you have that covered with Open Contacts?

Cheers
Roy

1 Like

Open contact you have already :wink:

I have a button near the front door that I click before leaving to get a list of open windows/doors
(Including the shed, which I keep forgetting)

1 Like

Ok. So itā€™s not only my family Iā€™m making lazy :joy: it can be done via RM anyway, but it is nice to have things organised and in the same place. Donā€™t shoot me :+1:

2 Likes

Iā€™ll be interested to see how many people vote for this :slight_smile:

1 Like

@Cobra

Hoping the weather alert trigger can happen. I will happily install any weather WU or other online device. This is a request from the wifey btw. Which I did love in Bigtalker2 but doesnā€™t seem to be porting over anymore.

@aaron
The ā€˜Alertsā€™ trigger is almost complete and will be released soon.
Iā€™ve had to complete quite a bit of coding to get this to work as a new ā€˜triggerā€™ without it announcing everytime the weather device reports.
It's difficult to test the code when you live in the UK!
We get lots of ā€˜weatherā€™ (i.e. RAIN) but our weather is generally just that, nothing too severe.
I had to create a ā€˜fakeā€™ weather device for testing :slight_smile:
The alert should now only trigger when the weather device sends a change to the previous report.
This will mean that you will get a report like ā€˜there are no alertsā€™ for the first time it is installed.
After that it should only report if the weather device reports a change.

Iā€™m not sure why @rayzurbock seems to have stopped developing BT2, maybe he just doesnā€™t have the time (I know real life get in the way sometimes)
I believe the issue for weather reporting in BT2 is that it used to use the getWeather() method in ST and that doesnā€™t exist in HE.

Itā€™s funny, Message Central was created because I didnā€™t use half of the features of BT2 so decided to create something simpler, more tailored to my own needs.
Now it seems MC is as big as BT2 and has a similar range of features :slight_smile:

Well, back to coding...

Andy

1 Like

That figures. One day after I get weather switch set up with all of the virtual switches and triggered rules necessary to announce weather alerts, you go and do this. :smiley:
Andy, you rock!

1 Like

Lol @bjcowles
I try to... :slight_smile:
I never realised that people would want this before now.
Now it seems a few people want it..

Andy

1 Like