Subject: XTension Discussion Digest - 08/12/00 Date: Sat, 12 Aug 2000 23:00:01 -0700 From: "XTension Discussion List" To: "XTension Discussion List" XTension Discussion Digest - Saturday, August 12, 2000 Re: Sunset problem by "michael" Re: Removing events by "Steve Fyfe" Re: Sunset problem by "Steve Fyfe" Re: Delay in Xtension by "Steve Fyfe" Re: Delay in Xtension by "michael" Carnival Booth by "Chip Guthrie" Re: Removing events by "Christian Boyce" Re: Carnival Booth by "michael" To the wheather station experts... by "Jean Laroche" Re: Sunset problem by "Jerry" ---------------------------------------------------------------------- Subject: Re: Sunset problem From: "michael" Date: Sat, 12 Aug 2000 09:51:13 -0400 Jerry wrote: > I'm currently running version 2.05 of XTension and when I use the > command "Adjust sunset by -15" it actually adjust the sunset by sometimes, > double that amount. Is it a preference file or something that's screwed up > and have you ever seen that before? I tried to adjust back the other way > by +10 and it adjusted it +30. Really weird... Hello Jerry, And what pray-tell are you doing running that 2 year old version of XTension...? I believe that these problems are fixed with later versions... And here I thought that you were one of the more advanced users... :-) But no, I never saw that one. I just tried it here and it seems to be ok in the later versions. PS: The Adjustment is a fixed value, not relative to what that adjustment value was previously. IE: not Additive. adjust sunset by -15 : makes sunset occur 15 minutes earlier than calc'd adjust sunset by 0 : resets back to the calculated values (no adjust) michael ---------------------------------------------------------------------- Subject: Re: Removing events From: "Steve Fyfe" Date: Sat, 12 Aug 2000 09:49:38 -0400 Tom Sobut said on 8/11/2000 11:21 PM >NOTE: For anyone else out there, I get a strange AppleScript compile error >if I try to put the target machine name into a variable and use the >reference. It's fine on the first reference, but the ScriptEditor won't >compile the second or third reference. I believe this has to do with the fact that the application must be known at compile time so the verbs inside the tell...end tell block can be compiled correctly. When the application name is in a variable, it is difficult (some say impossible) for the compiler to know what value the variable will have when the script is run, so it does not know how to do the compile. Also, you might think you could change the variable to another application name while the script is running, but this would never work because the script is only compiled for one application. I have gotten around this by declaring a property like this property theApp : application "XTension" of machine "x-server" then use tell theApp ... end tell This way, the compiler knows everything it needs to know, and you get to define the stuff once at the top of the script. > turnoff unitName in 60 * 30 -- 30 minutes this can also be written as turnoff unitName in 30 * minutes because applescript include predefined constants for minutes (= 60) and hours (= 60*60). Steve _____________________________________________________________ Steve Fyfe Windward Services Group (978) 386-7260 PO Box 340 (978) 386-7322 Fax Ashby, Massachusetts 01431-0340 Information Technology that Works for Your Business ---------------------------------------------------------------------- Subject: Re: Sunset problem From: "Steve Fyfe" Date: Sat, 12 Aug 2000 09:49:43 -0400 Jerry said on 8/11/2000 11:39 PM >when I use the >command "Adjust sunset by -15" it actually adjust the sunset by sometimes, >double that amount. Is it a preference file or something that's screwed up Your XTension prefs may be corrupted. Steve _____________________________________________________________ Steve Fyfe Windward Services Group (978) 386-7260 PO Box 340 (978) 386-7322 Fax Ashby, Massachusetts 01431-0340 Information Technology that Works for Your Business ---------------------------------------------------------------------- Subject: Re: Delay in Xtension From: "Steve Fyfe" Date: Sat, 12 Aug 2000 09:49:47 -0400 Hai Ng said on 8/12/2000 1:24 AM >>Like what kind of things have happened on this Mac >>that are coincident with the appearance of the slow-down? > >Hmmmm, the Mac, nothing. No new installs or what so ever. Does this delay happen when a script is supposed to run? You may have a corrupted database, so XTension is getting the text scripts from your Scripts folder and then it has to compile them each time they run. It might be worthwhile to get the DBAudit program from the Sand Hill web site and use it to check your database. Pay close attention to the number of scripts DBAudit says you have, and make sure what it says is correct. Sometimes corruption does not show any errors, it just cannot find some scripts that should be in the database. HTH Steve _____________________________________________________________ Steve Fyfe Windward Services Group (978) 386-7260 PO Box 340 (978) 386-7322 Fax Ashby, Massachusetts 01431-0340 Information Technology that Works for Your Business ---------------------------------------------------------------------- Subject: Re: Delay in Xtension From: "michael" Date: Sat, 12 Aug 2000 09:56:37 -0400 Hai Ng wrote: > This did happen about the same time my high-capacity module died with > that burn. I wonder if the CM-11a got toasted a little? It could be that the CM11 is screwed, but I doubt that it happened because of the failure of any other X-10 module. You might try doing the CM11 Voodoo on it just to be sure that it hasn't picked up any bad habits. Have you tried this on any other Mac ? Since you say that the command does finally get sent, I can only imagine that there is some software that is causing the problem. I hate to suggest it, but there have been many weird problems that were cured by refreshing the MacOS... michael ---------------------------------------------------------------------- Subject: Carnival Booth From: "Chip Guthrie" Date: Sat, 12 Aug 2000 13:50:39 +0000 I want to set up a "Carnival Booth" for my son's 8th birthday in one month. I am new to Home Automation and Xtension. I would like to do the following : Design a "Water Pistol" Booth. Goal is to be the first to fill the bottle with water by a water pistol. There will be 4 stations. I want to know how to set up the stations so that the first to fill the bottle will automatically ring a buzzer and/or light a light bulb to announce the winner. It should also make sure that the other stations do not set off an alarm. I'm thinking that I would need some kind of normally closed switch (not sure what kind - I read the tutorial on mercury switches and the magnetic reed switch). This would connect to an X10 device (maybe powerflash). Then my signalling (the light or the buzzer) would be connected. I would like Xtension to control this. Thanks in advance for your help. Chip Guthrie ---------------------------------------------------------------------- Subject: Re: Removing events From: "Christian Boyce" Date: Sat, 12 Aug 2000 16:06:59 -0700 >This is just an aside to your email. I too have a LaserWriter controlled by >an appliance module. This may or may not be useful to you or someone else >out there. I wrote a simple little AppleScript program that I've saved as >an applet and put on the desktops of all the Macs in the house, right next >to the desktop printer icon. (I love this stuff because my wife always left >the printer on after using it. This setup removes one little stress out of >my life.) Very nice. I set up applets on each Mac to toggle the printers but didn't get as far as you did. The problem with my script is there's no indication of whether it's on or off when you do the toggle. Your way of checking the status gives me some ideas. Thanks. Christian Boyce http://www.christianboyce.com Now with the 24-hour LivingRoomCam. ---------------------------------------------------------------------- Subject: Re: Carnival Booth From: "michael" Date: Sat, 12 Aug 2000 20:24:00 -0400 Hi Chip, My first thoughts were to the 'variables' rather than to the XTension end of it, and to the 'fuss' of operation. Like how large are the bottles, and how much water can the pistols deliver per unit time....? PowerFlash modules will signal quickly when the switch is triggered, but you will want to make sure that turbulence in the bottle cannot false-trigger the switches. With XTension, you can have a script for each of the PowerFlash units. Each script would first 'block' the other three units, and then turn on the lights and alarms. (Of course you want to have a light for each player, and flash it for that certain gratifying 'Gotcha !!' ... For the switches, you should experiment with simple wires which become immersed with the water level. It might be that if the contacts are placed close enough together, the water might be enough to complete the circuit? Or maybe you have to add salt or something ? The benefit would be that it would be the a very easy system to calibrate. If the water itself doesn't work, then maybe a thin piece of styrofoam with a layer of foil on the top, would float up to the bare wires...(put foil on both sides in case the float flips..) I'm not sure what you envision as the 'bottles'. Like the old 'Coke' bottle might be a bit difficult, but maybe a two-quart plastic bottle would be too large to allow for fast-play and changing players frequently enough. Or maybe I underestimate the water pistols you have :-) Then there's the problem of emptying the bottles at the end of each round. How about the two-quart plastic bottle, upside-down, with the top either open or a hole punched in it so that the water runs out at a rate that is somewhat slower than the possible pistol delivery volume? You could easily cut a hole in the side of the bottles gaining access to the inside where you mount some sort of 'float switch'. Of course they all have to be calibrated in some way... so that the water drains from them at a common and useful rate. And then, to add some interest, maybe some sort of 'flap' over the opening in the side of the bottles, defeating the player who just sits there and squirts in the same spot. The fact that the bottles are draining, give it some anxiety, and the disturbance of the flap may tend to keep one kid from monopolizing the game. Another interesting and doable thing might be the idea of using the melting of ice as some element of the play. Like maybe when enough of an ice cube suspended at the end of a length of string is melted by the pistol water, then a weight on the other end falls and triggers some switch. The ice cube of course bounces with the water stream, so maybe you have to limit the length and limit the excursion of the ice cube. But don't let it get 'pinned'. Hmmm, I wonder if you couldn't use a single Big ice cube, and a variable number of weights on the other end of each pully/string ? Easier to set up for each round ? Another element is that maybe you could have a setup that allowed dynamic modifications. Like maybe if just a few of the younger tykes wanted to battle together. Or maybe even allow for 'team' play ? Games that reward collaboration are fun too. I'll bet that the combined grey-matter on this list could come up with solutions to any real-world problem, and that there is a sufficient number of 'children' to come up with just the perfect 'game'... :-) Oh, you are going to capture the video and offer prints ? And maybe pipe audio from the XTension Mac to the game kiosk for 'in-play' and 'Winner!' sounds ...? michael ---------------------------------------------------------------------- Subject: To the wheather station experts... From: "Jean Laroche" Date: Sat, 12 Aug 2000 21:28:31 -0400 I'd like to get an opinion from the experts about the wheather stations from Vaisala (www.vaisala.com). I scanned their website quickly, but being not an expert myself I couldn't evaluate their offering very well. One thing that got my attention was a station that transmits its data over TCP/IP. They also offer a graphical package, but unfortunately only for PCs. Any comments or comparison with other manufacturers' products would be appreciated. Thanks, Jean ---------------------------------------------------------------------- Subject: Re: Sunset problem From: "Jerry" Date: Sat, 12 Aug 2000 20:43:50 -0500 Heheh.. Well.. Since you posted the new version, I was going to download that but.. I'm glad you told me about the adjust sunset by 0. That's a good one to have just in case I get to playing too much! Advanced, no.. experienced, well maybe.. hehe Do I have to go to the XTension corner now? ------ Jerry -------------------------------------- Debbie & Jerry's Pond Page St. Louis, Missouri ­ U.S.A. http://www.jerryspond.com -------------------------------------- Home of the World Champion St. Louis Rams!!! > > Hello Jerry, > > And what pray-tell are you doing running that 2 year old version > of XTension...? I believe that these problems are fixed with > later versions... And here I thought that you were one of the > more advanced users... :-) > > But no, I never saw that one. I just tried it here and it seems > to be ok in the later versions. > > PS: The Adjustment is a fixed value, not relative to what that > adjustment value was previously. IE: not Additive. > > adjust sunset by -15 : makes sunset occur 15 minutes earlier than > calc'd > adjust sunset by 0 : resets back to the calculated values (no > adjust) > > michael ---------------------------------------------------------------------- End of XTension Discussion Digest _____________________________________________________________________ This message brought to you with the BeeHive List Server Subscription changes: < http://www.bzzzzzz.com/lists/ >