SunTracker - with moving ghost

[thedude]

BR Walter

1) So I only need to configure that action once, then I can delete it?




Should I abort the "Suntracker" I made that appears in plugin configs as well? Sorry for the silly question, it's just you tell me delete the action(SunTracker: "SunTracker") then tell me to configure a settings ('Morning ON' settings) that is only found in that action in the same message. If I'm deleting it, why configure anything at all?



Btw are those 'Morning ON'/ "Night OFF" settings meant to represent offset delays for the sunrise/sunset time? So say my sunset is normally 7:00pm, but I'd rather have the sunset event triggered two hours later relative to sunset at 9pm. Would I input 2:00 in Night OFF setting to get sunset triggered two hours later? Sorry again for basic questions.

2) Works, you are a legend!

3)Got it!

4) Geez, that's a clever one. Will play with it some.

Thanks again

[krambriw]

Okay, I was maybe not clear enough:

If you are only interested in having sunset/sunrise events, you should only need to have the plugin running with the check-box "Create events at sunset and sunrise" ticked (the same is valid for weather condition events)

If you also have the need to control devices like lamps etc with additional specific time settings, you create as many actions as you need. Those actions with their settings will run independently, means you have the flexibility to control various devices with different times & other settings. To make an action work, you have to insert at least one time setting for each day-type (in my earlier example 1100, this is a shortcoming of my coding...). If you do only that, you will get those action specific events also at sunrise & sunset. You can then modify this further by adding time settings, offsets and other conditions.

Let's assume we have an indoor lamp you would like to control in the following way:
- turn on every weekday morning and turn off 30 minutes after sunrise
- turn on 30 minutes before sunset and turn off at 23:00 on weekdays (or days before you have to go to work, normally sundays will unfortunately be such a day)
- have different settings for Fridays, Saturdays, vacation and away mode
- you like to weather compensate with maximum 30 minutes (means during bad weather it turns on/off 60 minutes before sunset and after sunrise)

The configuration for such an action could look like this:

[thedude]

Skärmklipp.JPG

Alright, I think I have a better understanding now, thanks very much. Adding a separate action is used for custom schedules at specific times irrespective of actual sunset/sunrise. Plugin check-box is strictly for setting weather.com's sunset/sunrise time based triggers.

Only thing I'm still a bit fuzzy on is the "turn off 30 minutes after sunrise and turn on 30 minutes before sunset, turn off at 23:00 on weekdays" bit because of the single option for offset ("Set offset for this control: -30"). -30min to me is "30 minutes before" and because there is only one toggle for offset, wouldn't it affect all the scheduled times you have? So it would turn off 30 minutes before the sunrise (0530), not after. And 30min before 2300 on weekdays, not on the dot. What part of the config is allowing for different offsets for different day-types?

It's a shame you can't use offsets with weather.com's sunset/sunrise times from the plugin check-box or do the fields in the separate action schedule use weather.com's time for sunrise/sunset if you put "1100" just in the 'Morning ON' day type as you described ?

The real problem for n00bs is not knowing what part of your example matches up with the settings field, I made this is quick diagram with Sharex(great tool as well) for the 1st post if you like: https://i.imgur.com/fuQ9D4i.png

[krambriw]

-30min to me is "30 minutes before" and because there is only one toggle for offset, wouldn't it affect all the scheduled times you have?

As it is implemented it will work the way I described. In this example with -30 it will turn on 30 minutes before sunrise and 30 minutes after sunset. For an indoor lamp this makes sense if you think about it. Setting +30 minutes works the opposite way and could be useful for outdoor lamps

What part of the config is allowing for different offsets for different day-types?

You can't do that in a single action. Only way is to add additional actions with individual settings. If you are controlling the same device from two (or more) different actions you need to be careful to avoid conflicts (i.e. have one action for specific day-types or using other EG methods like the disable/enable macro action)

It's a shame you can't use offsets with weather.com's sunset/sunrise times from the plugin check-box or do the fields in the separate action schedule use weather.com's time for sunrise/sunset if you put "1100" just in the 'Morning ON' day type as you described ?

All actions are using the plugins variables for weather and sunset/sunrise. In the actions you are just adding additional conditions

The real problem for n00bs is not knowing what part of your example matches up with the settings field

Yes, the whole plugin is a bit complex and has grown to that during the years (first version is dated back in April 2008). I think best is to think that the plugin provides generic settings, actions are adding specifics on top only valid for the action itself.

[CypherMK]

I have installed suntracker as a plugin and every 5 minutes it will get me events like these:
Main.Weather Condition: 'Partly Cloudy'
Main.Weather Condition: 'Mostly Cloudy'

But when I want to trigger an event with: Main.Weather Condition: 'Mostly Cloudy', nothing will happen. When I use: Main.Weather Condition:, it will trigger, but it will trigger on any event from suntracker.

What am I missing?

Oh, and is there a list with all events that suntracker outputs?

Thanks

[krambriw]

Hi,
The actual "known" weather conditions are listed in the separate file weather_conditions.py. Earlier it happened that "unknown" conditions was received (long time since this happened) and then the above file needed to be updated.

Regarding the event it is designed in such away that you get the actual condition in the payload. This means that you need to extract it using a python script and create a new event that you use to trigger your macro. Such a script can also be more or less advanced, like having additional filtering, all depending on what you would like to do. I think there was an example of such somewhere in this forum. I will look into my archive as well

[krambriw]

I think the following script will do:

Code: Select all

str = eg.event.payload
eg.TriggerEvent(
    str,
    prefix = 'WeatherCondition'
)
del str

1) Create a macro where you put the above script
2) Put the event "Main.Weather Condition:" inside the macro

You will then get unique events for each weather condition that you can use in dedicated macros

[CypherMK]

I think the following script will do:

Code: Select all

str = eg.event.payload
eg.TriggerEvent(
    str,
    prefix = 'WeatherCondition'
)
del str

1) Create a macro where you put the above script
2) Put the event "Main.Weather Condition:" inside the macro

You will then get unique events for each weather condition that you can use in dedicated macros

Thank you, it works!

[tjabas]

Hi!

today im using a nexa dusk relay (skymningsrelä) with a tellstick duo, and the relay doesnt always work, so i have just started to look at the suntracker.

I just want the suntracker to start my lamps when the sun goes down, and the lights to go of when the sun comes up, is this possible with the suntracker?

I have looked through the forum thread, but i cant understand how i should configure this task.

could you give me an easy way of how to config it the way i want.

thank you !

[krambriw]

I just want the suntracker to start my lamps when the sun goes down, and the lights to go of when the sun comes up, is this possible with the suntracker?

Yes

Configuration as simple as possible to do exactly that:

1) Install and configure the SunTracker and TellStickDuo plugin

2) find and insert your lat/lon coordinates

3) create macros to control your devices with the TellStickDuo plugin actions

Skärmklipp1.JPG (19.62 KiB) Viewed 6812 times

[tjabas]

thank you.

but i have a strange problem, i cant get to the bottom of the suntracker settings, the onlything i can see at the bottom are summer ends with....

i cant seem to scroll down more then that.

What i mean is that i cant see the field: create events at sunset and sunrise, i have tried several screen resolutions and stuff to get to see the lower part of the settings menu, but i cant, is there another way to edit the settings?

any suggestions?

[krambriw]

a) Recommended solution: Invest in a new monitor with higher resolution

b) Last resort solution: open the SunTracker plugin dialog without clicking anywhere in the view, use the keyboard and press the TAB button 17 times, press SPACE button once, then press TAB button 3 times, then press ENTER button once

[tjabas]

a) Recommended solution: Invest in a new monitor with higher resolution

b) Last resort solution: open the SunTracker plugin dialog without clicking anywhere in the view, use the keyboard and press the TAB button 17 times, press SPACE button once, then press TAB button 3 times, then press ENTER button once

Thank you for the answer.

i use teamviewer to remote control my win xp computer that uses eventghost, i managed to change the resolution in teamviewer and voila, i could suddenly see the bottom of the suntracker settings, thanks for the advice.

i have done settings exactly as you showed me in the settings dump, exept the location then

and i have added a event by rightclick and add an event, and name the event exactly as you showed me, can i test it somehow?

or do i need to wait for tomorrow for the sunrise?

[krambriw]

Unfortunately there is no easy way to test those events except waiting until conditions are met (means you have to wait for sunrise/sunset to happen). There is however one way where you could force the events to happen and that is to figure out a suitable setting for lat/lon so that you will experience the event in a "short while". Like where will sunset happen in the next five minutes and then configure and wait, then the event should happen. And then do the same for sunrise....

Thinking about it, it might not be enough, you may most likely also change your time zone settings.....so I would say, you should just wait

You can however check that your settings are correct by using one of the available actions in a python script:

Code: Select all

print eg.plugins.Suntracker.GetTimeFor_SunSet_SunRise()

When I run it I get the following that is correct for my location

23:37:09 ('Up|0345', 'Down|2144')

[tjabas]

This works great with sunrise and sunset, but how reliable is this suntracker? can i throw my dusk relay (skymningsrelä) away?

i also have other devices that needs the sunrise and sunset commands, and they need to work , thats why i ask how reliable this suntracker is.

where does the suntracker gets the data from?