12-14-2018, 12:26 PM
Hi Skwerl77, well first it's never too late to ask and I've been giving this some thought as a couple other people have mentioned something similar.
After more thinking I've decided the best is tying this into the custom rules as I want that to be go to for advance settings and it keeps the basic settings basic. Doing this would give unlimited tiers and more flexibility because the other custom rule options can be used.
Yesterday I did make some changes to the custom rules, I put the alert options back on and added 2 small features. One might not be of much use but is "only allow rule to run during feed schedule" and the second more useful "only allow rule to run during maintenance mode", more on these later.
Now this is what I've come up with and will approve upon down the road.
The feed schedule will remain the same, you'll be able to set an outlet or DC accessory to on, off or no action. When the schedule ends any equipment changed for the schedule will resume back (on a side note the maintenance mode will have this option as well). There will also be a timer so the feeder won't run for X minutes into the feed and there will be a button to setup a custom rule/s to run when the feed schedule STARTS.
First lets think about the custom rules as they are. These are all based off different sensors and switches and the two extra options just added basically split the custom rules. This allows certain rules to run only during feed or maintenance, only run when feed or maintenance is not running or run at any time. For example, if an open float is used to turn an outlet on only during maintenance but maintenance wasn't running that open float would be ignored until maintenance started. Now if a timer was set on this custom rule so it didn't run for 10 minutes after maintenance starts it would take that long before the open float turned the outlet on. Basically the float needs to be open and the maintenance mode needs to have run 10 minutes.
In the image below on the bottom right side, "Scroll Through Feeder and Maintenance Options", has 3 options, the one showing counts. Same settings for feed and maintenance.
![[Image: Settings_Custom_Rules3.jpg]](https://www.robo-tank.ca//image/catalog/slideshow_V5/Settings_Custom_Rules3.jpg)
Now for the addition, I'm going to have the custom rules not based on any sensors or switches, instead these will run only once during or after each feed schedule or maintenance.
When you add a new custom rule you get presented with buttons for all the sensors and switches connected, for now I will add a button bottom left corner to add a rule based on feed or maintenance. There will also be a button on the feed and maintenance settings page.
When the custom rules options page opens the screen below is what you'll get.
This one is based on the feed and as you can see some options that don't apply has been removed. All the timers are available except "Run Custom Rule X Minutes After Maintenance Starts" as this is only for feed. If it was a maintenance custom rule you only get the maintenance timer plus the other two.
![[Image: Settings_Custom_Rules4.jpg]](https://www.robo-tank.ca//image/catalog/slideshow_V5/Settings_Custom_Rules4.jpg)
The important setting is the interval to trigger the rule after the selected schedule starts. If you setup multiple rules you could have some equipment resume 2 minutes after and some 10 minutes after, etc... Because you have all the options in custom rules you could even run a dosing pump X minutes into a feed, instead of turkey baster add a small hose and feed corals automatically. :) This should give complete control as you can use any many custom rules during a feed or maintenance as you want.
After more thinking I've decided the best is tying this into the custom rules as I want that to be go to for advance settings and it keeps the basic settings basic. Doing this would give unlimited tiers and more flexibility because the other custom rule options can be used.
Yesterday I did make some changes to the custom rules, I put the alert options back on and added 2 small features. One might not be of much use but is "only allow rule to run during feed schedule" and the second more useful "only allow rule to run during maintenance mode", more on these later.
Now this is what I've come up with and will approve upon down the road.
The feed schedule will remain the same, you'll be able to set an outlet or DC accessory to on, off or no action. When the schedule ends any equipment changed for the schedule will resume back (on a side note the maintenance mode will have this option as well). There will also be a timer so the feeder won't run for X minutes into the feed and there will be a button to setup a custom rule/s to run when the feed schedule STARTS.
First lets think about the custom rules as they are. These are all based off different sensors and switches and the two extra options just added basically split the custom rules. This allows certain rules to run only during feed or maintenance, only run when feed or maintenance is not running or run at any time. For example, if an open float is used to turn an outlet on only during maintenance but maintenance wasn't running that open float would be ignored until maintenance started. Now if a timer was set on this custom rule so it didn't run for 10 minutes after maintenance starts it would take that long before the open float turned the outlet on. Basically the float needs to be open and the maintenance mode needs to have run 10 minutes.
In the image below on the bottom right side, "Scroll Through Feeder and Maintenance Options", has 3 options, the one showing counts. Same settings for feed and maintenance.
- Feed Schedule Has No Effect on Rule
- Disable Rule During Feed Schedule
- Only Allow Rule to Run Feed Maintenance
- Run Custom Rule X Minutes After Feed Schedule Starts (max 255 minutes)
- Run Custom Rule X Minutes After Maintenance Starts (max 255 minutes)
- Stop Dosing Pump from Running for X Hours After Custom Rule Runs (max 24 hours)
- Allow Sensor to Stabilize for X Seconds Before Custom Rule Runs (max 255 seconds)
Now for the addition, I'm going to have the custom rules not based on any sensors or switches, instead these will run only once during or after each feed schedule or maintenance.
When you add a new custom rule you get presented with buttons for all the sensors and switches connected, for now I will add a button bottom left corner to add a rule based on feed or maintenance. There will also be a button on the feed and maintenance settings page.
When the custom rules options page opens the screen below is what you'll get.
This one is based on the feed and as you can see some options that don't apply has been removed. All the timers are available except "Run Custom Rule X Minutes After Maintenance Starts" as this is only for feed. If it was a maintenance custom rule you only get the maintenance timer plus the other two.
The important setting is the interval to trigger the rule after the selected schedule starts. If you setup multiple rules you could have some equipment resume 2 minutes after and some 10 minutes after, etc... Because you have all the options in custom rules you could even run a dosing pump X minutes into a feed, instead of turkey baster add a small hose and feed corals automatically. :) This should give complete control as you can use any many custom rules during a feed or maintenance as you want.
