How Much Time Does it Take You? - Part One

Sensiva

Me and my boss in a debate about how much time should be spent in programming, so I started this thread to see how much it might take others and compare it to my time.

SO...
How much time it might take you to program a system of single room that has the following:

Lighting : RS232 - simple protocol (straight ASCII commands)
Curtains : RS232 - simple protocol

Plasma : IR
DVD Player : IR
Amplifier : RS232 - complex protocol (HEX strings, checksum routines, status should be polled every while to confirm changes).
A/V Switcher (to switch among a stack of DSSes): RS232 - very simple protocol.
AppleTV : IR

Note : The client needs some events to be triggered upon sunrise and sunset like opening curtains at sunrise and turning on the light cove at sunset.
Daylight saving is not standard and should be recalculated. (iTimeManager is not included in quota)

System design : MVP-8400i, NI-3200

Thanks for not going off topic

jjames

Well - looks like I'll be the first to answer . . .

2-3 days, which would include a day of checking the system out. So - as far as hours go . . . maybe 15-20 hours. This of course would mean everything in the project I'm dealing with is completely new to me and need to create new routines per new device. If it's stuff that I deal with on every single job, time would be cut down quite a bit. This time would also include using GUI that is "standard" for me and would require few changes. New GUI would add to the hours.

Not to take this off topic but if time is an issue, and quality isn't - I'd be sure to explain to my boss that "even though it may take me a few hours more than what you want or quoted, the job is in perfect shape."

Sensiva

fine...

and how much time does it take you to design a fully customized eye candy tp4 template for this project???

GSLogic

The big question is... what if you already have 90% of this in your bag of tricks?

It would take me around 4-6 hours including TP4 design, using GSL custom locked modules.
We would charge between 40-60 hours @ 125.00 hour, which includes 6 hours max on site.
Guaranteed it to work without ANY issues or problems.

There would have to be a comprehensive drawings or the price goes up.
Drawing should be another topic that we should discuss!

true

I concur with 4-6 hours for programming, as long as the touchpanel wasn't one of a kind. Keep in mind you'll have testing time and, depending on the job, graphics time to add to this.

And I hope I don't ever have to work with your "locked" modules (our company includes source with any system we program - the way it should be), GSLogic

Tworhythms

If I were using TP4 templates from previous jobs and had to come up with the programming from scratch then I would estimate between 10-15 Hours. There are many factors when asking how long it would take someone to program a job; everything from typing speed, method of programming, built in fail-safes (i.e. volume control when a panel falls offline) and the use of their own feedback modules. Many programmers I have met don't go to that extent when programming so they can accomplish the same end result much quicker, but for me I would rather include a few extra hours to ensure that the system is as "bullet proof" from a programming standpoint as I can make it....just a thought

vining

true wrote:

And I hope I don't ever have to work with your "locked" modules (our company includes source with any system we program - the way it should be), GSLogic

So that means if some one ever takes over one of your systems they get for free all the code that is job specific as well as any modules you write for device specific equipment. Depending on the size of the project and the type of equipment modules you actually write that could equal tens of thousands of hours of work over x period of time that you just gave away to your replacement.

Why not protect your investment and intellectual property and just hand over the source for code written specifically for the job and the rest of the module as tko files which is in effect locked.

jjames

I agree with ya vining, but also should say: if someone is taking over a previous AMX job, in my experience it is because the original code didn't work, though I know there are times when a company can no longer take care of it due to contractual reasons, etc.; So if your code is being taken over because it doesn't work - I'd bet no one will want the TKOs or source code anyway. Shame on the person who uses existing code from which they are to replace.

Thomas Hayes

I would say 12-15 hrs including tweaking with a standard TP design. If you want a custom panel thats a different case. I've spent as long as 2 weeks working on a custom panel from the ground up with all custom built icons and graphics. Does your boss want speed or quality because I tell my staff to do it right the first time so they don't have to go back a second time free.

GSLogic

true wrote: »

And I hope I don't ever have to work with your "locked" modules (our company includes source with any system we program - the way it should be), GSLogic

If you ever get a library of your own custom modules that have features which bring in new customers, you will change your tune. Our Casino and Resi projects are not only locked modules, they are locked to the NI's master serial number. The reason for this is, the programming is designed to be very flexible with many parameters that can be changed by the user and easily adapted to a new project. Think of it like AMX Home on steroids.