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Ancient History
3/28/05 -
Sorry for the lack of activity lately, although I have been
busy. There have been very few problems reported lately, so
I decided it's probably about time to end the beta and try to get
some money rolling in. That doesn't mean that development
will stop. In fact it should increase now that I don't have
to spend my time figuring out the e-commerce stuff. I
probably won't be changing the release build as often however, but
anyone is welcome to try the beta or alpha versions that are
available on the download
page. There's always a chance that bugs could crop up
with new features, so just check the release notes to see if what
is added is worth that risk. You can always go back to the
release version if there are problems, however.
I have just a few more ducks to get in a row
before I release the program. When that's done, the buy now
page will actually let you purchase the program, rather than
telling you to buy later. You'll be able to pick and choose
individual features, or choose a heavily discounted package and
add features to that. It should allow you to get exactly what you
want and you only pay for the features you need.
2/23/05 -
There was a problem with activity triggers. Build 133 now
solves this. A copy button was also added to macro list
window, so now you can copy and change another macro that's
similar rather than starting from scratch. The copy will
have "Copy of " followed by the original macro name, and
it will make sure that the copy is disabled so you don't get a lot
of duplicate activity happening. You'll need to remember to
enable it again after you make your changes. I had some
problems with my processes that rotate through the builds, so now
the release, beta and alpha versions are all at build 133.
It should a fairly stable build however since all changes from the
previous builds were relatively minor.
2/13/05 -
Build 130 was upgraded to the release version, build 131 upgraded
to beta, and the alpha version is now build 132. Check the
release notes for build 130. The release notes for build 131
and 132 are at the bottom of the download
page.
2/6/05 -
Upgraded build 130 to beta and added build 131 as an alpha
version. Check the bottom of the download
page for more information about what's changed.
2/2/05 - The download
page can now also be used to get the latest beta or alpha
version of the program, and build 130 is now available as
alpha. Alpha means that the program hasn't undergone much
testing, so while some bugs will be fixed or features added, new
bugs may also have been introduced. Beta means that the
program has been tested and we're reasonably sure that it's better
than the current release version, but it is fairly new, and there
may be unknown problems yet. The release version could have
problems too, but generally they are not severe.
1/26/05 - Build
129 is now available for the masses. Several things were fixed
in build 129. There is code to retry in case there is an error
communicating with the CM11A, although it was possible it could get
stuck. The retry code wasn't working as intended. It seems to be
working properly now. There was another problem that looked just
like this one. If you clicked the Send X10 Code button, this
wouldn't work at all and would forever retry. That's fixed now
too.
There was another problem where it wouldn't work to send All
Lights On, All Lights Off or All Units Off when the unit code was
set to All On/Off. The problem has been corrected, but you'll need
to delete the CM11A device and re-add it to fix this one. Don't
forget to save your control file after you do this, or you'll have
to repeat this process the next time you load it. Deleting the CM11A
device and readding it won't affect any of the sensors or switches
you have in your control file as long as you name the device the
same (probably Device 1 unless you renamed it).
I also fixed a problem where it was possible some files with
names like {0BAA2180-8E5A-44BD-8449-3E48165952DA}.txt could
accumulate. That's fixed as well.
And finally, I updated the help for editing the sensor and switch
settings. There's still a fair amount of help left to be done
(especially for Device Setup), but it's coming!
1/22/05 -
Another note about build 128: It turns out that the auto update will
not work for updating build 127 and below to build 128. So
make sure to install it from the download
page. The auto update should work again for updating from
build 128 to future versions.
1/22/05 - The
long awaited build 128 is finally available!!! This build has
a lot of bug fixes, but the main reason it took so long to get it
out the door was because there was a bit of a redesign internally.
When Home Domination (TM) was first being
created, it was never intended to be for sale, and it was made to
use the CM11A. Since then, the CM11A has become obsolete, and
there are numerous hardware devices out there that could be used
instead. However, the way the CM11A was supported by HD, it
wasn't an option to do without it. Starting with build 128,
the CM11A is just another device and you can choose to use it or
something else. Currently, your only choice for X10 control is
the CM11A, however, work will being on the CM15A shortly.
For all of you who are patiently waiting for the
CM15A support, I want to apologize if I made it seem like this would
be coming really soon (back in the beginning of December). I
really didn't expect this phase of the process to take so long.
This change really needed to be done first though. I do plan
on working on the CM15A support in earnest now, however if any
serious bugs are found, they will be the top priority.
Theoretically, at least, this change should also make it much easier
to add support for any interface. I'm sure it will prove to be
not that easy anyway, since everything else that I thought would be
fairly easy has proven me wrong. That seems to be the nature
of programming. Everything always takes longer than you think
it will.
When you first run build 128, it will ask you to set
up an interface device. Since it defaults to the CM11A, you
can just hit OK and it should start working for you. You will
need to save your control file before you exit the program though or
it will display the same window the next time you start up.
Feel free to mess around with this window even though all you have
to do is hit OK. The online help has not been updated yet,
however, so hopefully you can figure it out without it. Please
email
if you need any help. As always, please report all bugs you
find, even if you think someone else surely must have reported it.
It's fairly often that a serious bug will only be reported by one
person, probably because everyone else assumes that someone else
will report it.
I've changed the auto update, especially for alpha
and beta testers, so you can choose the version you want to install.
Previously, whether you were a beta tester or not, you got the same
version if you did an auto update. Now, if you are an alpha
tester, you will be able to choose between an alpha version, beta
version or the release version. Beta testers will be able to
choose between the beta version and the release version.
People who are not signed up as an alpha or beta tester won't have a
choice, they'll just get the release version. This will allow
me to put the more risky available as an alpha version first.
Once I'm reasonably sure that it's safe, I'll move it over to the
beta version. When I'm quite sure that's more stable than the
previous release version, I'll move that to the release version.
If you install the beta version, and it's not stable enough for you,
you can just do the auto update again and choose the release
version. It's possible you may see some builds being skipped
since any unstable builds will not show up anymore. The log
file will still show the details of each build, however.
Currently, the alpha, beta and release builds are all the same.
Once you save your control file with build 128, the
control file will no longer be compatible with build 127 and below,
however it will automatically save a backup copy of your file with
the same name as the original except with an extension of .127.
If any of you used the U401/U421 devices prior to
build 128, you will need to delete the device and then re-add it
because of some changes I've made. You may also need to change
any sensors and switches that use these to make sure they are using
the correct device. Then save your control file.
The changes made between 127 and 128 were very
large, however I've done a lot of testing with this, and I feel
pretty confident about it. There's always a possibility
something could go wrong though, so if you do run into any problems,
please email.
If you install from the web, make sure you let it create a backup
copy for you, just in case. If you use the auto update
feature, it will backup your files in the "Backup"
directory automatically.
1/08/05 -
NOTE: There are two potentially really annoying problems in
Build 127 that you should be aware of. One of them is that if
you change the program and exit without saving, it will ask you if
you want to save, but then it will ignore you. A work around
is to click Save from the Setup dialog. This is fixed in Build
128, although it's not ready to release yet (lots of internal
changes to test yet). Another problem is that if you have a
macro set up to turn a light off 5 minutes after trigger inactivity,
it turns it off after 5 minutes regardless of how much trigger
activity there was. This is also fixed in build 128.
Sorry for the inconvenience. I'm itching to get build 128 out
the door too, but there's a lot of potential errors if I rush it out
the door. So wait patiently and try to avoid these problems if
you can!
By the way, there was a problem with the buttons on
the web site when using certain browsers, and that should be fixed
now. Please email
if you notice any problems yet, and please let me know what type of
web browser you're using.
12/14/04 - I
fixed several minor problems in this build, and I'm finally about
to mess up my code, possibly making it difficult to do another
build for a while, so I figured I'd better push out another
release. I also changed the auto update feature so it now
only downloads the files that changed. Before that, it was
downloading everything. So it should download a little
faster now. If you notice any problems with the latest
build, let me know right away before I screw things up too badly
to make another build!
12/10/04 - It
turns out the last version did have some compensation for
collisions yet, however I think with build 126, this works much
better. It seems quite reliable now. If there is a
collision because of a sensor sending a code when Home Domination
is sending a code, there will be an extra delay, but it does seem
to get through pretty reliably now. Besides this change,
I've also added some more graphics to the program, so it has a
little friendlier face now. If you click on a Home
Domination logo, it will bring up this web site too. The
install has been changed so now you can choose to start up Home
Domination immediately after the install completes. I also
solved a problem with the network client install so now it will
put it in the startup group if you want it to.
12/04/04 -
The last version I put out had a fix to improve the reliability,
but unfortunately, it seemed to have the opposite effect.
The switching was more reliable, however many of the incoming
codes were getting missed. I fixed the problem with the
incoming codes, but then it wasn't sending codes at all. For
now, in the interest of getting everyone running reliably, I've
backed out my changes. It's not as tolerant against
collisions as I had hoped to make it, however at least it works
fairly reliably. I'll fix this and put out another version
soon.
11/30/04 -
Since the last release, the demo dialog was changed so it doesn't
show the code field unless it's needed, but there's a button that
will show it anyway. Also, some icons were added to the
selection window for triggers and actions (for macros). And
I fixed a problem with command emails where depending on how an
email was sent, it may not have sent a reply email. But the
really big thing fixed in this build is a reliability issue.
Previously, if an X10 command was on the wire at the time an X10
command was sent, it would collide and there would be a
communication problem. However, now that situation is
detected, a warning message is added to the log, and it will put
the switching action back in the queue to be tried again about 5 -
7 seconds later (or longer if there are multiple switching actions
in the queue). As a result, there should be very few missed
switching actions now. It's still possible, but not nearly
as likely.
11/24/04 -
Numerous fixes were made in build 123. Most of them were
quite minor, but a few could have been rather annoying.
Check the release notes for details.
11/19/04 -
Fixed a few minor problems, two of which were caused by the recent
log file changes. The filter check box stopped working after
the log file changes, and when an email command is received, it
incorrectly logged it as an error. I also fixed a problem
with email commands where just the X10 code is used in the command
(for example: Set A9 on.) There was also problem with
the network client install that was fixed where it wouldn't put
the program in the startup group if requested.
I just received my new CM15A (the module for the
new ActiveHome Pro software) and downloaded the SDK, so I have
officially begun work on adding the CM15A support to Home
Domination. This may take a while though because I need to
change the way I support the CM11A as part of this change.
Hopefully it will go more quickly than expected, but generally
everything usually takes about 4 times longer than expected.
Stay tuned for updates . . .
11/16/04 -
Several changes were made to the new icons to improve the look and
usefulness of them. For log messages for sensors and
switches, the icons now also reflect whether an on or off code was
sent. Many new log messages were added as well. In the
near future, you will be able to prevent certain types of messages
from appearing in the log.
11/14/04 -
Getting a little graphical now! Icons were added to the
sensor and switch list, and the activity log. The activity
log was changed to be more streamlined as well. That was a
bigger project than anticipated, and it's possible that there may
be some problems with some of the more obscure log messages.
If you notice any problems with it, please email
right away. So far though it looks like it's working just
fine. Another nifty feature was added where it will log
temperature changes. You can set how often it logs changes
by setting the number of degrees that it must change before it is
logged.
11/02/04 -
There was a problem with the auto update feature, so you should
probably go to the download page and
run the install. After upgrading to build 119, the auto
update should work better than ever. A lot of little
problems related to temperature sensors were solved too.
10/25/04 -
The support for USBmicro devices is now quite stable. There
are still several usability issues yet, but it's functional
now. It also supports two types of temperature sensors:
DS18S20 and DS18B20. This are very nice compact sensors that
work very well.
The help for the U401/U421 and the temperature
sensors is not done yet, but if anyone is interested in either one
of these, please email.
I'd be more than happy to fill you in on all the details or help
you get it working.
10/15/04 -
There was a problem with the IO Device that would cause the
USBmicro devices to not function. That's been corrected
along with numerous problems that could cause the program to
crash. The IO Device is still in an alpha state since there
is still a potential crash that can happen when adding sensors
when editing bits, but it is MUCH better than what it was.
The state of the tree view stays relatively constant as you change
items, so it's far less annoying now too.
10/05/04 -
USBmicro's U401 and U421 devices are now supported. This is
still in an "alpha" state however, which means that the
user interface isn't quite what I have planned yet, and there are
some known bugs with it yet. But it is functional. If
you want to use this, check out www.usbmicro.com,
or order it from www.dontronics.com.
It also supports the DS18S20 temperature sensor with the U401 or
U421. You can currently support up to 16 temperature sensors
on a U401 or U421 device.
9/15/04 -
Sorry for the lack of news lately, but I have been hard at work
improving the IO board setup and including support for the
USBmicro U401/U421 devices. It's taking much longer than I'd
hoped, but I do believe it will be a very nice addition.
This should also make it so support can be added to Home
Domination for a temperature sensor from Dallas
Semiconductor. The temperature sensor can be attached to one
of the pins of the U401 or U421 device. Otherwise, not much
has changed with the product lately, but thank you for your
patience! Don't worry, I'll get back to pumping out releases
fast and furiously once I get past this big change.
8/23/04 -
Video snapshots can now be stored in separate directories by day,
week, month and year. Also, snapshots can be copied to a
limited number static filenames where the first static filename
will store the most recent snapshot. This will make it so
you can easily create a web page that shows off your most recent
snapshots. It doesn't automatically transfer those pictures
to your web site, but stay tuned...
8/21/04 - If
all goes well, there will soon be support for the U401/421 USB I/O
Interface from USBmicro.
8/15/04 - A
nasty problem with the video was fixed where once it took about 3200
pictures, the program would crash and would sometimes take the rest
of the computer with it. I'm happy to say now it's fixed, and
I've tested to make sure it can handle 10,000 pictures without a
problem. The remote network client works properly too.
8/6/04 - There
was a problem with installing from the web that is corrected.
I'm writing a program to make updates more automatic and should
prevent this from happening again.
8/5/04 - Now
time triggers can not only recur hourly, weekly, etc., but they can
now recur every n seconds, minutes, or whatever. This
is handy for macros that you want to have repeated frequently.
8/3/04 -
Maybe you've been wondering if we would ever set a price for the
product. Now your curiosity can be partially
satisfied. On the newly revamped Buy
Now page, there is now a non-functional order form that can
give you a rough idea what kind of prices we're thinking
about. These prices may change depending on the responses we
receive, however. But at least you now have an idea what
we're shooting for. A lot of other pages were changed as
well, so you may want to have another look around if you haven't
in a long time.
8/1/04 - It's
BETA!! Yes, I have now declared it to be an official
beta. It was already pretty much there before, but I've
tidied up the last few things that made me think I should wait on
the Beta status. There are a few known bugs yet and a few
features I would like to add in before release, but you if you run
into anything that doesn't appear to be finished, it's not
currently something I know about.
7/29/04 -
Changes were made for X10 video devices for when multiple X10
cameras use the same USB video capture device. The latest
change makes sure that the camera is on before snapping a picture
from a macro. So it should work great now!
7/24/04 -
Sorry!
I discovered that one of the things I did a little while ago cause
it to blow up if you didn't already have a control file set up. If
this ever happens in the future, please let me know right away
because I don't get those errors! (7/26/04)
I hope I've got it right this time! Build 109 worked but wouldn't
let you set up anything. That doesn't do you a lot of good! Build
110 fixes this and I've added a step to my procedure for building
new files so now I will check the program every time to make sure
you can run the program if you've never ran it before. Sorry for
the hassle if you were one of those affected!
7/23/04 - Yikes!
I had a problem with my registration system and it reared its ugly
head when downloads started happening more frequently. As a
result, I lost most of the registration info that I've been
collecting. If you've downloaded the demo or are a beta
tester, please download the latest version and then go under click
the Version Info button on the main screen, then click the
Registration button, double check your information and then click
the Register button. Don't be concerned about putting real info
there; I won't bother you too much and your info will remain
private.
7/08/04 - The online help is
completed! So now you should be able to hit F1 from anywhere in the
program and get help. If you see anything that's not so hot,
please email.
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