home-information/docs/GettingStarted.md

<img src="../src/hi/static/img/hi-logo-w-tagline-197x96.png" alt="Home Information Logo" width="128">

# Getting Started

Once successfully running (see the [Installation Page](Installation.md)), you will be greeted with:

<img src="img/getting-started/start-page-1024x768.png" alt="Home Information Start Page" width="400"> 

Choose which home type you want to use. If you choose "Single Story", you will see this initial screen with some common household items pre-populated.

<img src="img/getting-started/initial-view-1024x768.png" alt="initial-view-1024x768" width="400" />

These provide defaults to get started quickly. You can modify and customize as much as you want after this.

## Adding Information

To core feature of Home Information is managing information about your home and the things in it.  To add information, tap on any of the items and you will see the main information view/edit dialog. Initially, it looks like this:

<img src="img/getting-started/item-edit-modal-empty-1024x768.png" alt="item-edit-modal-empty-1024x768" width="400" />

Use the "Add Info" button to add some information about the item. Or use the "Add File" button to upload a document:

<img src="img/getting-started/item-edit-add-info-1024x768.png" alt="item-edit-add-info-1024x768" width="350" /> &nbsp; <img src="img/getting-started/item-edit-add-file-1024x768.png" alt="item-edit-add-file-1024x768" width="350" />

Some information may not be associated with an individual item, but the home overall. For that, use the top-right button to add the information to the home itself.

<img src="img/getting-started/location-info-button.png" alt="location-edit-modal-1024x768" width="200" />

<img src="img/getting-started/location-edit-modal-1024x768.png" alt="location-edit-modal-1024x768" width="400" />

## Multiple Spaces

If you have a multi-story house, basement, attic or even another vacation home or second property, you can create a different "space" for that.  Here we have an extra space defined for the attic.

<img src="img/getting-started/spaces-dropdown-1024x768.png" alt="spaces-dropdown-1024x768" width="250" /> &nbsp; <img src="img/getting-started/view-second-space-1024x768.png" alt="view-second-space-1024x768" width="300" />

## Collections

Not everything in your home has a well defined location, so use the "collections" bottom buttons for those items and you can choose whether you prefer a list of grid layout.

<img src="img/getting-started/collections-buttons.png" alt="collections-buttons" width="200" />

<img src="img/getting-started/collections-grid-1024x768.png" alt="collections-grid-1024x768" width="350" /> & nbsp; <img src="img/getting-started/collections-list-1024x768.png" alt="collections-list-1024x768" width="350" />

## Weather

There are some default weather integrations which also provide weather alerts. Tap on the weather information to see more details.

<img src="img/getting-started/weather-details-1024x768.png" alt="weather-details-1024x768" width="400" /> &nbsp; <img src="img/getting-started/weather-forecast-1024x768.png" alt="weather-forecast-1024x768" width="400" />

Seen sunrise times, sunset, moon phase, weather history and more.

<img src="img/getting-started/astronomical-details-1024x768.png" alt="astronomical-details-1024x768" width="400" /> &nbsp; <img src="img/getting-started/weather-history-1024x768.png" alt="weather-history-1024x768" width="400" />

## Controls and Settings

Control alert sounds, screen brightness and lock your screen. The alerts and display keep running so you do not miss anything.

<img src="img/getting-started/bottom-right-buttons-1024x768.png" alt="bottom-right-buttons-1024x768" width="400" />

For accurate weather and time, be sure to set your timezone and geographic location in the configuration pages.

<img src="img/getting-started/console-settings-page-1024x768.png" alt="console-settings-page-1024x768" width="400" />


## Layout Editing

You have full control of the layout of your items and the background image. These are all managed by choosing "EDIT" and entering "Editing Mode".

<img src="img/getting-started/edit-button.png" alt="edit-button" width="250" />

<img src="img/getting-started/edit-mode-1024x768.png" alt="edit-mode-1024x768" width="400" />

The [Editing Page](Editing.md) has many details on how to use the editor.

## Integrations

For smart home device automation, go to the configuration area to enable one of the current integrations (e.g., Home Assistant).

<img src="img/getting-started/integrations-page-empty-1024x768.png" alt="integrations-page-empty-1024x768" width="400" /> &nbsp; <img src="img/getting-started/integrations-enable-modal-1024x768.png" alt="integrations-enable-modal-1024x768" width="400" />

After enabled, you can import all the items to add them to your views and collections.

<img src="img/getting-started/integrations-page-view-1024x768.png" alt="integrations-page-view-1024x768" width="400" /> <img src="img/getting-started/integrations-sync-result-1024x768.png" alt="integrations-sync-result-1024x768" width="400" />

See the [Integrations Page](Integrations.md) for more details.
 
### Cameras

If the integation provides cameras with video feeds (e.g., ZoneMinder), the cameras will appear in the side bar for easy access to their streams and for browsing the video stream history from past motion events.

<img src="img/getting-started/video-stream-live-1024x768.png" alt="video-stream-live-1024x768.png" width="400" /> &nbsp; <img src="img/getting-started/video-stream-history-1024x768.png" alt="video-stream-history-1024x768.png" width="400" />

### Alert Triggering Rules and Security Modes

By default, if you have motion sensors, open/close sensors, camera motion, etc. the integration item import automatically creates alert triggering rules.  You can view, refine and manage these in the configuration pages.

<img src="img/getting-started/trigger-rules-1024x768.png" alt="trigger-rules-1024x768" width="400" />

The triggering rules allows you to target different "security modes" for better control of what alerts and when. 

<img src="img/getting-started/security-modes.png" alt="security-modes" width="250" />

### Alert Areas

In the editor, you can define areas and associate it with a device, like a camera.  Then, if the camera detects motion, both the camera and the area will be highlighted.

<img src="img/getting-started/camera-area-idle-1024x768.png" alt="camera-area-idle-1024x768.png" width="400" /> &nbsp; <img src="img/getting-started/camera-area-active-1024x768.png" alt="camera-area-active-1024x768.png" width="400" />

The highlighting will change color over time so you can see what is currently alarming, recently alarmed or what was active in the near past.

<img src="img/getting-started/camera-area-recent-1024x768.png" alt="camera-area-recent-1024x768.png" width="400" /> &nbsp; <img src="img/getting-started/camera-area-past-1024x768.png" alt="camera-area-past-1024x768.png" width="400" />


## Additional Details

### Custom Background Images

In the editor, you can swap out the default property/house images for your own custom images.  See the [Custom Background Image Page](CustomBackgrounds.md) for more details.

### Alert Sounds

For features that use sounds (e.g., alerts), this allows toggling to mute and unmute.  The alert sounds are considered "auto-play" by browsers, so you may need to allow this in the browser in order to hear the alert sounds.  If you see "blocked' on this button, click it to see more info about fixing it.

### Locking Feature

When visitors are in your house, be they friends, acquaintances, service or maintenance people, you may want to temporarily lock the screen so they cannot access the information you've stored. To unlock, it uses a password you set the first time you lock the screen.  This is is just a light security convenience against casual snooping. Locking the device itself is better protection.