cnicholson

One of my regrets is going with Lutron panelized/centralized lighting.  It "works" awesome, but I have found that the only way to get refined simultaneous ramps up/down in scenes with lots of loads is to do the programming on the Lutron side which is a huge pain since, as end user, I can't fiddle with the Lutron programming-- and the need to bulk upload the whole project to make even small changes in annoying and inefficient.  I should have stuck with C4.  

Indeed.
Constant tinkering is a CHOICE. Nothing wrong with wanting to tweak things to a high degree, and yes that will take effort or money (to have someone to do it for you).
 
Also I strongly disagree that 'the bulk of the programming is locked away'. Adding/removing devices: yes, so is changing conections, but that is NOT the 'bulk' of programming on a system. The 'bulk' ARE those personal tweaks and the vast majority of that is 'pure' programming which is not locked but fully available in ComposerHE.
 

Curious, how do you copy the programming out formatted in that way? Or did you write it pseudo code style?

More than one road to the same endpoint on that one.
Easiest is to just use basic IF statements.
If you're talking one or two lights, you cna program it directly under the 'sunset' schedule, however it's easier to tack change and adapt if you use different Macros for each option (you can always copy and paste any lighting that doesn't change in to each macro)
 
WHEN scheduled event sunset occurs IF current month = february IF current day of the month = 14 Execute Macro Valentine lighting STOP IF month is November or December {<---yes you can select more than one moth, this seems to not be noticed by many} Execute Macro Xmas lighting STOP IF day of the week is Saturday Execute Macro Party night Lighting STOP {insert as many as you want in here then END with:} Execute Macro Standard lighting All those date commands are available in the standard scheduler in C4.
the STOP commands will ensure that when any one (or any string of) IF statements is 'true' it will execute that macro then stop reading the rest of the script. and by keeping the default at the bottom, if NONE of the IF statements are true, that last line will occur.
 
The biggest downside is that it's not possible to choose things like 'easter' or other holidays that are not calendar/date based. There's also no easy way of choosing, say, the first Monday in a month (yes it's possible but very annoying to do)

Holiday state variable
several scheduled events set and unset Holiday variable

I must say… there has been some phenomenal recommendations in this topic.
I installed C4 in my main residence 11 years ago and have grown the system significantly since then snow control just about anything.  I have never looked back.
I then installed C4 in my beach house (controlling pretty much everything from day 1).  What I must add is that (as many have said), having the right dealer is of paramount importance.  I had numerous options of local dealers for my beach house and ultimately used the same dealer as I use for main residence (despite the 600 km - 1 hour flight - from the dealers offices which are near my main residence).
Do C4 right and use a good dealer and you won’t regret going with C4

One of my regrets is going with Lutron panelized/centralized lighting.  It "works" awesome, but I have found that the only way to get refined simultaneous ramps up/down in scenes with lots of loads is to do the programming on the Lutron side which is a huge pain since, as end user, I can't fiddle with the Lutron programming-- and the need to bulk upload the whole project to make even small changes in annoying and inefficient.  I should have stuck with C4.  

to add to @cdcllc and @ChzBurger, I would suggest using the CA-10 as the backbone for a large residential project. 

I have now added the ability to turn Discovery to Manual in latest version of my driver - so now you can target a particular Envoy IP address for your multiple Envoy setup... you will need to add multiple instances of the driver in your project if you wish to track them all.

Control4 can work very well. As others have stated, dealers play a very important role. They can make or break a project. Dealers get paid based on both time and margin on hardware. If you live in a larger area get multiple bids. Look at both competence and price. Remember you are ultimately in charge of the scope & specs of the project. 
The main selling points for C4 are UI ease of use, comprehensiveness, reliability, and support. Functionally all these control/automation systems, from a $150 DIY controller to the C4 controllers, work basically the same. They are all event based. A button is pushed, a light comes on. Time becomes sunset, a light goes on. The additional technical functions that C4 offers over DIY systems mostly relate to AV control/automation. There aren't many technical reasons to choose a different dealer system over C4.
My #1 piece of advice is to make your design as controller agnostic/independent as possible. Control4 makes some nice C4 branded stuff, but most of it requires a C4 controller. The home automation market is in a competitive phase. Lots of companies are entering the automation market. And C4 is a public company that is going through some business model changes that are adding yearly licensing fees. What happens if you find a reason to make a change of controller?

@Windthrow Given your use case, I would suggest 10 areas of focus:
access control the DoorStations (the 2N devices) have a nice finish and permit keyless entry, event logging and efficient key management for staff and guests integration with the C4 programming is seamless security C4 integrates with a conventional security panel (consider IQ Pro) you can use Luna X20 cameras to trigger events in the C4 programming (line cross, motion detection) and extend you security perimeter well beyond the exterior walls of your house set push notifications to be activated whenever a fenced portion of the yard is breached this gives piece of mind when traveling check out Pulsor from Sure Action for precise interior monitoring HVAC you did not mention in what geography your property is located reduces risk of pipe freeze or damage due to high humidity general comfort Lighting whole house, panelized lighting (either C4 or Lutron) C4 KCB keypads for back-of-house or Black Nova for front-of-house reduces wall clutter hands-free lighting, scenes etc. Water monitoring / flood prevention reduce chances of water damage by mounting water monitors near toilets, hot water heater, irrigation system components, slop sinks, etc. we have prevented at least 4 incidents in the last 10 years that would have caused $25k+ of damage and inconvenience whole house water turn-off / on to automate flood prevention Irrigation Hunter Commercial line of irrigation controllers integrates well with C4 Key accessory integration exterior: pool, boat lift, dock, etc... interior: sauna, hot tub, etc. mission critical: generator (Generac tie-in) driveway gates landscape lighting Power management Shelly makes a Pro version of its PM (power management) line great for refrigerator, main power line, power line supported by the generator dishwasher, washer / dryer, floor heat, pool pump, sauna, hot tub, air handlers, etc. goal here is not so much to measure consumption but to make certain that devices are on when they should be and off when not equipment usage by hour for preventative maintenance Whole house audio We use a Autonomic MMS system (fully integrates with C4) this is likely the most visible (pun intended) feature to guests.  Having music in each room from a centralized source is fantastic Remote controls for TV lastly, the Halo (Neeo) remotes and the more recent additions to the line-up are very convenient and a nice upgrade from those supplied by the cable company One consideration:  C4 permits you, the homeowner, the option of directly accessing and adding / modifying the programming yourself using Composer HE.  Although Composer HE is somewhat rudimentary, the functionality permits you to make changes and experiment directly -- no waiting for a dealer or contractor.  This ability is a huge advantage over other competing systems.  Use your dealer of record to add equipment (bindings) and spend a moment getting YOUR system to perform exactly the way YOU want.
I hope the above provides a useful starting point.  Good luck with your build.

I faced the same question four years ago and ended up with Control4.  I would do it again today.  Your list is pretty comprehensive, especially if by "AV" you mean a whole-house audio system.  When we built a previous house, I did everything DIY, and had some fun doing it, but I wanted a "grown up" system to be, as you said, one system to "rule them all."  I think of the house as a series of subsystems, that roll-up in Control4, and one screen to control *everything*.  Control4 can do that for you, in spades.

I would ignore your architect's comments and instead talk to a few dealers that are local to you.   As others have noted, these things are likely outside their area of expertise, no matter how great of an architect they are.  Your doctor has probably heard stories of people being unhappy after buying a boat.

One thing I would say, regarding expectations:  it can be expensive.  Depending on the budget/scope of your project, that may or may not be significant to you.  Relatedly, be prepared to pay a multiple of the price for a lot of components versus the "consumer" versions.   It is what it is.  There are often ways to save money around the edges, but I would recommend you stick with solutions your dealer recommends and will support.

No trolling.
In my current house and vacation property I have bits and pieces of home automation that work well; thermostats, bits and pieces of "smart lighting", smart door locks and sound system for example.  Plus parts that dont work at well at all; home theatre being the prime example of that. Would love one system that "rules them all" that work reliably and allow us to manage the homes systems quickly and easily.
Have not got to the point of figure out exactly how I would configure the system, but expectation is that it will manage: lighting (interior and exterior), blinds, AV, security and HVAC as a start, That said I realize I probably dont know what I dont know yet,
 
 

What do you need and what do you want from any home automation. Forget vendor for the moment.
To me your post is trolling a bit. Not sure you are really telling the truth, but if you are and you are here trying to talk about Control4 you should absolutely be able to rattle off what you need and want.

Driver has been updated with automatic email and push notifications (note 4sight is required).
Supports email and push notifications for
Garage Door Close Garage Door Open Garage Door Left Open (with a definable time period)

We chosen not to have the app be available until we we are able to test compatibility and the experience. You can expect the app to become available once the review and testing process has been completed.  This is the same approach that was taken for supporting iPadOS apps on MacOS with Apple Silicon chips (M1, etc).

Overview
Vestaboard brings the best of digital and analog together into a beautiful piece of split-flap display hardware. Control the board from anywhere using the Control4 driver, and have your messages appear in a satisfying mechanical performance, making your home or office feel more personal and interactive.
To learn more about Vestaboard and its features, check out vestaboard.com
Features
Allows you to update the board's text from anywhere with the Control4 webview The webview will automatically update when the board's message has been changed, even if it was changed by other interfaces Create events that trigger upon the board's message being changed Three different icon styles to personalize the Control4 interface. There is the Vestaboard logo, and black or white Vestaboard displays

Hopefully the additional cost will help to cover licensing fees that Control4 may need to pay for things like future Apple Music/Spotify/etc integration!

OMG, backups on 3.4.1 are insanely fast, at least on CA-10.  My prior testing of backup times was 2 mins an 2 seconds on Core 5, 1:39 on CA-10.  Now CA-10 is 26 seconds.   

oh you have 4 Enphase Gateways! lol never seen such a big system.. I only built the driver for 1 Enphase gateway.. I'll have to look at adding in an option to select which envoy from a list of discovered ones, this will likely fix the issue as it is probably confusing the driver with the multiple devices being discovered.
I'm currently on vacation so won't be able to look at it for a few weeks.
 
As for the Error on line 492, that looks to be a quick fix, I will issue a new version shortly to fix that.
 
*UPDATE*
I just uploaded Version 17, please see if it helps with the Error Line 492.  It will not help with your multiple Envoy gateways, I will work on that in the next few weeks.

Sorry, I would need more information about your error, mines been running nonstop without errors since November.  What Enphase firmware are you running? What kind of network do you have, the driver uses mDNS to locate the enphase gateway IP, and if you are on v7 or newer firmware it requires your Enphase login credentials to get tokens for accessing the data on the gateway.

No

If it ain't broke, it can be improved!
 

I agree with everything you said but, sadly, in a couple of weeks it will just seem "normal."   😉 

This plus you will become tempted to make your project bigger and better and at some stage things slow down again and you want even more power (I am, sadly, at that stage). Maybe T5s and a CA11 would make me really happy in 2024 😂