Owner's Manual (Complete)
The Home Control Assistant 1
Chapter 9
Groups
Now that you’ve created devices you may be interested in setting up groups for the control of the
devices. Groups are a convenient way of having several devices act together in response to the
same command, and still maintain individual control over each device. For example, if you have
set up groups in HCA, you could turn on five living room lights (as a group), and turn off one of
them independently. Rather like having your cake, and eating it, too!
This chapter discusses groups, provides an example, and walks you through creating a group.
Sections in this chapter include:
About groups
- An example
Planning your groups
Creating a group
Modifying an existing group
- Deleting a group
Groups and Switch Stored Scenes
About Groups
Groups are very useful concepts in some circumstances. The best way to describe what a group is,
and why you would want one, is by an example, which follows. However, it might help to have
some of the facts about groups up front.
You can control a group, and also control separately the devices in a group.
The devices collected in a group are called the members of that group.
The members of a group can be devices or programs, but not another group. Groups can
contain X10, UPB, and Insteon devices.
Groups can have icons that appear on displays—but they don’t have to.
You can create schedule entries that control the group (and each of its members) at any date
and time you need.
Not all devices can be added to a group. IR and thermostat devices can’t be added to a group.
Also, Lightolier switches and keypads can’t be added to groups.
As with devices, groups can have icons (that are placed on displays), restart options, and so on.
You can inspect or change the properties for a group using the same methods as for devices.
There are two reasons to use groups. The first is just to control a set of devices more conveniently
than just device by device. You can schedule the group or use Visual Programmer elements rather
than work with each device independently.
The other reason is more complex and has to do with providing a trigger for the group that sends
commands out to each group member when the trigger is received. This is best show by an
example.