What is ACE? (was: [ACE] Video capture card support)

["Dan Hoehnen" <dhoehnen@xxxxxxx>]

I'll try to answer this, since I am the author of ACE.  ACE is home
automation software comprised of various programs (modules).  ACE is not
designed to be your only home automation software.  Instead, ACE is
designed
to work along side your existing software and/or hardware in order to add
functionality.  One of the biggest features ACE adds is the ability to
monitor and control your existing ha system from other pc's, either in your
house or on the Internet.  ACE does this by providing a documented set of
commands (API) that you can use to control ACE.  ACE can receive these
commands via serial port, tcp/ip, DDE, COM, or ascii file.

The heart of ACE is the ACE Server.  This module runs on your main ha pc
and
connects to hardware such as HomeVision and/or Comfort and/or others via a
serial port.  ACE has support for caller id, winamp control, text to
speech,
sending email, sending data out a serial port, scripting capability (much
like HomeSeer), dynamic IP updating, getting data from the Internet (via a
script), and more.

Since each module can be connected via tcp/ip to the ACE Server, these
functions do not all have to reside on the ACE Server pc.  For example,
caller id could come from a different pc.  You could play a wav file or
speak text-to-speech on any pc.  Winamp could be on any pc and you could
still control it.  You could send data out a serial port on any pc on the
network.  And so on.

There is an ACE Client module that displays pages of 30 buttons each.  Each
button can be setup to perform 1 or more actions.  The buttons are
typically
large enough so they can be used on a touchscreen.  But, a mouse works fine
too.

ACE Server is the heart of the Comfort Web InterfACE (CWI).  ACE talks to
Comfort via a serial conection to a UCM.  And, ACE talks to PWS or IIS in
order to provide the web interface.

ACE Server now has its own generic web interface, called AWI, which is what
the copied message below is referring to.

ACE has built-in support for HomeVision and Comfort and ECS and Omni.  But,
due to ACE's many interface options and documented API, almost any ha
system
can work with ACE.  You can have ACE execute any 1 or more API commands in
response to any HomeVision or Comfort or Omni event.  For example, send an
email when the security system is disarmed.  HomeVision can use ACE to
speak
the value of any variable.  I use this feature to speak the current outside
temperature.  These are just a few examples of many.

I've gone on longer than I wanted to, so go to this url to read more and to
download ACE if you want to try it out.  The demo verison of ACE is fully
functional, but only runs for about 4 hours at a time.  You can restart as
many times as you like.  This allows you to fully try all the ACE features
before buying.  There is an ACE mailing list if you would like to get
comments from other users.  There are also a few users on this list.  I'm
also happy to answer questions here, just make sure the subject has
"ACE" in
it since I typically only scan this group for Comfort and ACE posts.

http://ace.honesoftware.com

Dan

> Mark,
>
> This has been bugging me - what is ACE?
>
> K.
>
>  -----Original Message-----
> From: 	Mark McCall [mailto:mark@xxxxxxx]
> Sent:	13 May 2001 12:58
> To:	ukha_d@xxxxxxx
> Subject:	[ukha_d] Fw: [ACE] Video capture card support
>
> Some of you might be interested in this from the ACE mailing list...
>
> ----- Original Message -----
> From: Dan Hoehnen <dhoehnen@xxxxxxx>
> To: Ace List <ace-l@xxxxxxx>
> Sent: Sunday, May 13, 2001 12:41 PM
> Subject: [ACE] Video capture card support
>
>
> > Anyone trying out AWI will see the video (webcam) pages.  These
really
> work
> > quite well, especially on an intranet or other fast connection.
>  I have 2
> > video sources I use for testing here.  One is a Logitech
> Quickcam Pro 3000
> > with a USB connector.  The other is a Hauppauge WinTV Go video
capture
> card
> > (PCI).  The wintv card came with an ActiveX control to allow the
card to
> be
> > controlled from another program.
> >
> > I have not tried it yet, but myself and another ACE user are
> going to try
> > and write a small VB program that can be used to control the
wintv card.
> If
> > successful, I will add api commands to ACE Server to allow the
> card to be
> > controlled.  I see this as being a BIG thing since all of us with
> modulated
> > channels can now use HV, for example, to detect motion and then
> change to
> > the appropriate channel for video capture or whatever.  Even with
only a
> > composite input, I'm hoping I will be able to do captures
> (still and full
> > motion).
> >
> > The WinTV Go is inexpensive at $40 and comes with the activex
> control, so
> it
> > seems a good choice for hobbiest video work.  I just thought I
would let
> you
> > all know about this in case you are considering buying a vide
capture
> card.
> > I also have this card working on 2000 and XP, although the
> drivers are not
> > yet "2000 approved".
> >
> > Dan
> >
> >
> > --
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> >
>
>
>
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