Re: Re: cbus zone/scene confusion

[Kevin Hawkins <yahoogroupskh@xxxxxxxxxxxxxx>]

Just to mention... you wont be able to place a specific C-Bus 'group'
in
an 'area' .    A physical output unit like an 8 channel dimmer or a 12
channel relay can be assigned an area but not each channel independently
.    If all your kitchen lights were on channels off one such unit then
this would be usable for say 'kitchen' .   I think this was an early
feature of C-Bus that has remained but is not longer encouraged.

Scenes are definitely the way to go and work very well ,  They're clever
in that you can divide scenes across several units (which helps if you
hit memory issues) and the indicators on buttons that set scenes light
up when the scene is 'valid' ie all groups are at the correct level.

A scene is 'activated' when a specific C-Bus group is set to a specific
level and this can either be a lighting group or a trigger group.
Trigger groups are just a way of separating the 'trigger'  functionality
onto a different and specific C-Bus application , which improves clarity
and is sometimes necessary when you interact with other C-Bus
applications aside from lighting.

Thinking of 'zones' might add to confusion in how you visualise things
on C-Bus as this doesn't really exist within the lighting application ,
but does exist in the HVAC (heating) application.     I think from how
your using the term zones  that  they are really scenes on C-Bus.

K

On 07/02/2011 11:28, ben_mccormack2000 wrote:
> Starting to get there.
>
> So currently I have 10 zones in the kitchen. All wired into separate
cbus channels. So I have the individual control if and when needed.
> I also seem to be able to 'group' those zones into further groups,
that can be controlled as one.
>
> Using scenes seems to use lots of memory as well. I am trying to
ensure I dont run into issues later down the line.
>
> I will also take a look at areas.
>
> I have found this. Will be reading tonight - http://www.cbusforums.com/forums/showthread.php?t=439
>
> Ben
>
>
> --- In ukha_d@xxxxxxx, Paul Gordon<paul_gordon@...>  wrote:
>> I'm no expert... I too struggle to understand trigger group
functionality (I
>> *think* I understand the concept at a high-level!)
>>
>> I would summarise groups as the lowest level of "controllable
unit" in CBUS,
>> - i.e. what you actually switch on&  off to control loads as a
single
>> entity.... so you *could* put all 10 of your kitchen loads into
the same
>> single group if you wanted to, - so long as you understand that
you would
>> then only ever be able to control all 10 loads as a single
switchable
>> entity... - all 10 on, or all 10 off etc... - there would be no
possibility
>> of individually switching (say) half of those loads separately...
- I'm
>> guessing that probably isn't what you want, if, like in my case,
you have
>> separate sets of lights such as ceiling downlighters,
under-cupboard lights,
>> accent lights, pantry lights, cooker hood lights and so on... I
want to
>> retain the ability to control those sets of loads individually,
and so they
>> are configured as separate CBUS groups.
>>
>> Scenes are (IMHO) the "proper" way to then control all
those separate groups
>> as a single entity if&  when you need to... think of it like a
macro... So
>> as you have done, a scene is then an ideal way to implement an all
off
>> "macro" - note that there is another level at which you
*could* achieve the
>> same functionality, - there's also the concept of an
"area" in CBUS, - which
>> comes above the level of the group... If you put all 10 of your
separate
>> channels in a single area (say called "Kitchen") you
could then address the
>> area as a whole to send commands to all channels that fall within
it.. -
>> it's a bit like a "supergroup" if you like - or if that
just makes you think
>> of ABBA, then perhaps a nested group might be a better analogy...
>>
>> Helpful?
>>
>> Paul G.
>>
>> -----Original Message-----
>> From: ukha_d@xxxxxxx [mailto:ukha_d@xxxxxxx] On Behalf Of
>> Paul Gale
>> Sent: 07 February 2011 09:14
>> To: ukha_d@xxxxxxx
>> Subject: RE: [ukha_d] cbus zone/scene confusion
>>
>> I've never understood trigger groups really! Would be good to know
how they
>> can be used.
>>
>> (56 channels so far)
>>
>> Paul.
>>
>> -----Original Message-----
>> From: ukha_d@xxxxxxx [mailto:ukha_d@xxxxxxx] On Behalf Of
>> Peter Church
>> Sent: 07 February 2011 08:38
>> To: ukha_d@xxxxxxx
>> Subject: RE: [ukha_d] cbus zone/scene confusion
>>
>> Hear, hear!
>>
>>
>>
>> Pete
>>
>> (40 zones and still struggling!)
>>
>>
>>
>>    _____
>>
>> From: ukha_d@xxxxxxx [mailto:ukha_d@xxxxxxx] On Behalf Of
>> Ben McCormack
>> Sent: 06 February 2011 22:27
>> To: UKHA Mailinglist
>> Subject: [ukha_d] cbus zone/scene confusion
>>
>>
>>
>>
>>
>> All
>>
>> I am now upto 30 zones on cbus and all is working quite well.
>>
>> There is still something I cannot get my head around. I have
things working
>> but sure I have fudged it. I am totally confused about scenes,
groups,
>> trigger groups.
>>
>> I have about 10 zones in the kitchen. At the moment I create a
scene with
>> all zones at zero % in order to issue an 'all off' command. Should
I put all
>> kitchen zones into a single group and turn all off that way.
>>
>> Can anyone also simply explain how scenes etc work?
>>
>> Thanks for any pointers
>>
>> Ben
>>
>>
>>
>>
>>
>> [Non-text portions of this message have been removed]
>>
>>
>>
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