What scenarios are created automatically?

This page was written by Pluto and imported with their permission when LinuxMCE branched off in February, 2007. In general any information should apply to LinuxMCE. However, this page should be edited to reflect changes to LinuxMCE and remove old references to Pluto.

Scenarios, or activities, are the buttons that appear on the main menu of every controller, such as Web pads, PDAs, mobile phones, and the media directors display on the television. Scenarios are tied to rooms. A scenario can affect any device anywhere in the house, the room that it is tied to just determines what room it appears in. This way when you are in a room you'll only see the scenarios you're likely to want to use within that room. Generally with mobile phones your current room is detected automatically, so the menu on the mobile phone will show just the scenarios for whatever room you are in. Other controllers are not able to detect the location automatically, so there will be a room button you used to tell the controller what room it is in, so we can show you the scenarios appropriate for that room. Of course you can choose any room in the house no matter where you are, so you can choose any scenario from any room at any time.

Pluto automatically creates several scenarios to get you started. Naturally every home is different and you will likely want to change the scenarios, but most users find it easier to modify existing scenarios, then to start from scratch. Once you make a modification to one of the default scenarios, then Pluto will no longer modify that scenario. However until you start to make your own modifications, Pluto will create the following scenarios:

Lighting:</b></p> <p></p> <p>ON/OFF - in any room with lights, there will be on and off scenarios it turns all those lights on or off.</p> <p>Showtime - in any room with a television, though be a Showtime scenario which sets all ceiling lights at 10%, accent and picture lights at 30%, and turns off all other lights in the room,and closes any blines or draperies.</p> <p>Sleep - in all bedrooms this will turn off all lights, close all blind and draperies in that room, stop any media that is playing in the room, and change the users mode to sleeping, which affects how phone calls are routed.</p> <p>Wakeup -in all bedrooms this will open the blinds and turn on all lights to 30% and change the users mode to 'at home'.</p> <p>House to sleep mode - the scenario is created in the master bedroom only. It executes the normal sleep scenario for that room, and also turns off all interior lights in public rooms (ie non-Bedrooms), and stops any media in public rooms. It also changes the house mode to sleeping which affects which security sensors are armed.</p> <p>Leave home/Return Home - in all rooms defind as foyers or entrances, 'Leave home' will turn off all interior lights, stop all media in all rooms, and set the house mode to 'armed away'. Returh home sets the house mode to 'disarmed'. This affects the security sensors. If you choose this scenario from any controller other than your own personal mobile phone, you will be asked to enter your pin number.</p> <p></p> <p><b>Media:</b></p> <p>Movies/Music/Pictures/Documents/Playlists - these scenarios are automatically created in any room with a media director to play media on that media director. Rooms with a network audio player only, will only have the music and play list scenarios.</p> <p>TV - this scenario is in any room with a media director that has PVR capabilities</p> <p>Play/eject disk - this scenario is in any room with a media director that has a disk drive for playing CDs or DVDs. Use this button to eject the disk, or restart playing whatever disk is currently in the drive.</p> <p>Other media sources - a scenario will automatically be created for all media sources within that room. Some devices have multiple media sources built-in. For example if you have a VCR/DVD/TV combo unit, then three separate scenarios will be created automatically to use and control those three sources. Some devices do not have any media source, for example amplifiers and projectors. In this case no scenarios will be created for these devices, because those devices will automatically be controlled when you start whenever media source is connected to them.</p> <p></p> <p><b>Climate:</b></p> <p></p> <p>ON/OFF - in any room with a thermostat, this will turn the thermostat on to automatic or off.</p> <p>Pool/Jacuzzi/Sprinklers - a scenario will automatically be created to control these types of devices in the master bedroom and all public living rooms.</p> <p></p> <p><b>Telecom:</b></p> <p></p> <p>Phone - this scenario is automatically created in every room of the house, and is used to make phone calls.</p> <p>Voicemail/user status indicators - this scenario shows you what your current users status is, which affects how your calls are routed, and shows any voicemail. By default in every room there is an indicator for every user. You can remove users' indicators from rooms where those users are not likely to be.</p> <p></p> <p><b>Security:</b></p> <p>Security - this button is created by default in every room and is used to change the house mode, which determines what security sensors are armed and how to respond to them.</p> <p>Single Camera Views - and if you have four or fewer surveillance cameras in the house, a shortcut button for each camera will be created in every room.</p> <p>Quad Camera Views - if you have more than four surveillance cameras, scenarios will be created to view for cameras at a time. By default the system will try to group the cameras together by rooms.</p>