HC ease of use - block scenes

[Dannyboy 12]

I have used the HC2 for a couple of years now. I consider myself being an average user. I like to automate my house and over time the system has grown to control more things than I can easily recall. But I am not a programmer and without intention or time to become one. I know a lot (most?) of you reading this loves to nerd into complex LUA code, work-arounds and so on. But users like me will use block scenes for most everything as they are far easier to understand although still able to create rather complex functionality.

 

Here are a few things I really miss that would make block scenes and HC so much easier and better in my opinion:

 

• Fibaro: do realize that most people are not programmers but still wants an effective system for automation. This is where the huge market is. Focus on ease in producing complex scenes and sales will take off.
• Increase your development focus on block scene programming. You built a good basic system but it has hardly developed at all over the last couple of years.
• Create separate subforums here for LUA and block programming questions, suggestions, solutions etc. And tags for blocks in the Knowledge base.
• Fix the most obvious flaws with the current block programming:
  1. Create the ability to move/drag'n drop block lines within the scene to make the scenes better organized and easier to handle.
  2. Make it possible to send notifications from within a blockline, without the need to go to Panels/Notifications list.
  3. Add If--then-else. This would immensely improve the capability of block scenes!
  4. Add possibility to display scenes started/stopped in Event history. This would make fult seeking so much easier!
  5. Fix the error since years in choosing a group of actors. The current behaviour is strange to say the least, with rooms or actors randomly disappearing from the list after choosing one or another.
  6. Add ability to sort the Panels/Notification list
  7. Fix the strange behaviour with a slowly but ever increasing list of devices showing up in Configuration/Access control.
  8. Improve how hidden/disabled scenes are handled. Disabled scenes should stand out clearly in the scenes list. When hidden scenes or all scenes are displayed, they too should be clearly marked, and continue to be displayed also when returning from within a scene without the need to chose "Show all" every time.
  9. While at it: add possibility for longer descriptions of backups, and language support, that can't be that hard. With many scenes and units, description of changes gets more complex.
  10. Add a search (and replace?) function capable of searching for a string in all block scripts. Would be very useful, eg when replacing a faulty device or finding scripts that affects a device.

 

 

 

[10der 830]

HC2 block scenes that poor excuse for a NODE-RED  

[cag014 628]

@Dannyboy

You're absolutely correct and this is the reason that I wrote

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to support complex operation without any SW / Lua knowledge.

  I would like very much to have your opinion on All-in-One Scene concept... thanks in advance.

[petergebruers 1,261]

I have some good news, and some bad news.

 

The good news, Fibaro has listened to you and has "revamped" Block Scenes on HC3... A few screen shots here...

 

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The bad news, that is probably not going to run on HC2...

 

I am a Lua person myself and cannot tell anything about block scenes, so I cannot tell in any way how much better it is. But for sure, the focus is on new users that don't know or want Lua. Which brings me to an interesting question nobody has asked so far... Will there be a "Home Center 3 Lite" without Lua?

 

This is not a buying advice, I merely point out that Fibaro has listened and believes many HC3 users will use Block Scene + Mobile App + Voice Control.

[jgab 1,954]

10 minutes ago, petergebruers said:

I have some good news, and some bad news.

 

The good news, Fibaro has listened to you and has "revamped" Block Scenes on HC3... A few screen shots here...

 

Please login or register to see this link.

 

The bad news, that is probably not going to run on HC2...

 

I am a Lua person myself and cannot tell anything about block scenes, so I cannot tell in any way how much better it is. But for sure, the focus is on new users that don't know or want Lua. Which brings me to an interesting question nobody has asked so far... Will there be a "Home Center 3 Lite" without Lua?

 

This is not a buying advice, I merely point out that Fibaro has listened and believes many HC3 users will use Block Scene + Mobile App + Voice Control.

 

So Magic scenes disappeared?

I'm not a block person either, but my impression is that they went from something that looked like a cut down version of Scratch programming (no 'else' etc) to a new block model that is even more limited - just <condition> -> <action>. It looks half-baked (you can construct expression you can't save for they are not valid etc), so I hope they will improve it.

Best use for block scenes now is to construct condition tests and convert to Lua  

[petergebruers 1,261]

@jgab not a clue, I am a Lua-only person and I let the "Block Scene Only" people decide if HC3 is good or not. Like you... I say "block scenes now is to construct condition tests and convert to Lua"  - AFAIK many beta testers are skilled "Lua People" so maybe that is why we don't have much info on blocks.

 

I guess next week first HC3 will arrive so we can get feedback from many different users and thus different skill level and perspective. Then we'll know if the block scenes are appreciated or not.

[jakub.jezek 350]

I'm using block scenes on FIBARO training as some people do not want to do Lua programming and many customers using block scenes, so I do some toying with them.

 

Now I must say, that I can do conditions in conditions properly on HC3. But last thing I miss there is delay in conditions. @A.Socha, can you check delays in conditions? Primary use-case is for night lights and garden lights. There is need to check if motion sensor is not breached for some time.

I can do it in Lua, but I need to do it in Blocks too. It is possible with HC2 and HCL. From what I can tell, it's last thing I'm missing there as user and "installer".

 

Actions in blocks are good. For what I tested it with, I do not miss anything in blocks.