Show plugin device state and properties in UI

Hi,

How can I expose my plugin's custom device information to the user via the UI? I appreciate that I can select one of the states to be displayed in the column next to the device in the device panel by specifying the <UiDisplayStateId> element in Devices.xml. But how can the user see more detailed information in the UI (short of printing it out in the log)?

As a concrete example, I am working on a plugin for my GE Concord Alarm system (connecting via a superbus 2000 automation module). My plugin has a 'Panel' device, and when it starts up queries the panel interface for various info, including the panel type, hw/sw revisions, and serial number. I've created panel device states to hold those bits of information, but would like to be able to display that info in the UI, e.g. in the 'device details' panel (see screenshot).

I don't really think of the serial number or panel type as 'states'. Similarly I have created a 'zone' device, and these can have a 'zone type' (e.g. wireless, wired, etc.) which is also not really a state, but is useful for the user to know.

thanks,

Doug

ps Thanks to the creators of the other existing alarm panel plugins such as DSC/Caddx/Cynical Honey/AD2USB ... very useful to get me up to speed on this kind of integration very quickly. I don't suppose anyone has thought of a shared framework for all of these different types of alarms, that would have support for the different types of alarm hardware?

[jay (support)]

The Custom States tile is below the one in your image - the whole control area scrolls to show that tile or you can make the control area larger to show all tiles (use the split page grip between the list and the control area to resize). It's somewhat hidden give that Mac OS X can now hide scroll bars if you aren't actually trying to scroll.

Thank you! I thought I had seen that at some point and couldn't figure out where it went... Now I feel like a dummy.

What kinds of info gets selected by Indigo to be put into the 'Device Details' pane? Is it possible for Plugins to set that stuff?

[jay (support)]

Device Details shows select information from built-in device types. Custom States shows any plugin-defined states (regardless of whether they are a built-in device type or a custom device).

Following this thread closely since our new house will have the Concord security system. We won't be taking title to the house and moving in until probably January, but once we get things sorted out I'll be very interested in a plugin for the system.