I’d be interested to know what Vera owners, or potential Vera buyers would like Micasaverde to work on next - since full working compatibility with existing zwave devices like the Mertens 506004 or horstmann hrt-zw (the ONLY available European thermostat), doesn’t seem to be a priority?
I’d like them to work on opening up the system. Make the UI skinnable, provide hooks into the system so that we (or equipment manufacturers) can write our own drivers, UI elements, plugins, etc that work with all layers of the application stack.
There are plenty of users with the wherewithal and time to research compatibility issues and develop a solution, just look at the thread on the Danfoss radiator thermostats. Problem is that Vera in its current forum does not really support user-developed drivers for equipment, not can the UI be customised.
A good example of a flexible, open system is Mediawiki, the software that Wikipedia runs on. You can make that platform do anything, without ever having to touch the core code. Instead, you can write extensions that plug in to the software through hooks / callbacks.
Screw simple logic give me the whole Boolean table, it can’t be that hard.
No more stupid UI changes! Who cares what it looks like if it doesn’t work.
We NEED some diagnostic functions so we can actually get our Z-wave network running instead of praying the “heal” will actually do something. I still have devices that are clearly in direct range of Vera, can be controlled, but don’t respond back (transmit failed: 1) because the routing table is wrong somewhere on the return-path. I’m not bothering rebuilding my network from scratch for the 100th time until we have some diagnostic control over individual nodes.
I recognize that some or all of the blame is on Sigma, but Vera is our only gateway to talk to the Z-wave network, so we have to rely on it to fix anything. That is something apparently Homeseer has, although it isn’t without its own problems so I’m not jumping ship yet.
Clearly home automation with Z-wave is far from “easy as 1-2-3” as can be seen by these forums, so let’s not pretend an new UI will make anything work better or more easily. I agree with intveltr; just make the API a little friendlier and provide some more docs and the community will make tons of different, better UIs for MCV.
I would love to have Insteon support for all factions without having to do the alteon change… Fanlinc (light and fan control)… Having a switch that is linked to a light and if I go in the browser and turn on the light or code does the wall switch realizes and updates itself…
Sign me up for the simple logic.
I’m new to Vera (1 month) and this aspect has been the biggest disappointment. Many say that the PLEG plugin is easy and I’m sure it is once you understand LUA. Personally, I have very little desire to learn it. For now Vera is just a timer, a nice one but still a timer.
Even X10 had basic IF/THEN situations.
Does anyone realize that this very flawed poll is form 2011? Do you realize that Micasaverde has already stated that they will release UI7 for Vera in the not too distant future, possibly Q1 2014?
[quote=“Ironzey, post:6, topic:169888”]Sign me up for the simple logic.
I’m new to Vera (1 month) and this aspect has been the biggest disappointment. Many say that the PLEG plugin is easy and I’m sure it is once you understand LUA. Personally, I have very little desire to learn it. For now Vera is just a timer, a nice one but still a timer.
Even X10 had basic IF/THEN situations.[/quote]
Vera already has simple logic. Every Vera Scene is an IF / THEN situation. For example:
IF DoorSensor, THEN LightOn.
IF ScheduledTime THEN LightOff.
IF Motion OR DoorSensor THEN Siren.
PLEG adds the further ability to IF This AND That THEN Action. It adds a lot more too. I won’t say that it is easy to wrap your head around, but it definitely does not require learning LUA. The not requiring LUA was part of the point of PLEG.
I want MCV to do what they need to do to be a very successful company …
The details of their particular release is secondary …
If they are not successful … it does not matter what features they add in the next release!
If they are successful … I get to continue to evaluate them as a platform to meet my objectives.
What is important to me may or may not be of interest to you.
At this point in time I do not see any viable alternatives … Lots of great looking marketing stuff …
Z-waver,where can I find info on what might be coming to the next release?
Do you know any psychics? ;D
And if you do … ask them when as well!
Please let us all know if you find such a source. It would be like hitting a gold mine!
- Garrett
No one knows for sure. Based on this post I presume/hope that Micasaverde might release a UI7 derivative to us in the next quarter. UI7 is the current MiOS interface that MiOS(the Micasaverde/Vera parent company) recently released to OEM partners that license their home automation platform.
Q1 2014 is also the most recent delayed-release-date for the new Vera hardware platforms that were announced at CEDIA in January of 2013, with the implication that release would be Q3 or Q4 or 2013.
Everybody wants something. Nobody knows anything. We wait and hope.
well somethings seem to happen …
just noticed Voscam update for UI6+
What is voscam? Did you mean foscam the app?
sorry i meant “VistaCam SD, PT & HD for UI6” 
I think there are a lot of good points here, but from different perspectives.
For the people wanting to do more sophisticated things then an API or better yet a developer toolkit would seem to be the way to satisfy that need. For others that may want to delve into the depths of the automation then the user interface would be more important. But maybe the most insightful comment I see here is the one about the company Vera surviving. I really like beta over vhs when it came out but the industry went the other way with and inferior product. So whether this company survives and prospers will have more to do with what we use in the near future. I’m hooked on the whole automation and security thing and have been for years but I’m a tech guy and not everyone will want to tinker like I will. But I think the main selling points for me on the Vera product is that it’s extensible in a custom fashion and also has NO MONTHLY FEES. For many I have spoken to, especially the people in retirement communities want to avoid any new monthly fees and most of the commonly marketed systems out there from Lowes, Staples, etc - will have monthly charges of anywhere from $9.95 - $59.95