Topic: OneRemote (Read 25487 times)

JimH · « **Reply #50 on:** September 16, 2015, 09:25:07 am »

Another work in progress. Click for a larger image.

blgentry · « **Reply #51 on:** September 16, 2015, 09:38:41 am »

I've been reading this since it started and didn't have much to add. The previous one page descriptions and ad copy were difficult to follow and didn't really make someone want to learn more, or be interested in the product.

This latest ad copy/description is an enormous improvement in that direction!

Brian.

JimH · « **Reply #52 on:** September 16, 2015, 01:35:55 pm »

Here's a little bit of the Android menu:

Press and hold to edit a button's name or photo. Press the settings icon in the lower right corner to get the following screen:

On that screen, you can add buttons (categories) to the home screen menu or you can add a device to control or start another program.

RoderickGI · « **Reply #53 on:** September 16, 2015, 06:29:55 pm »

Quote from: JimH on September 16, 2015, 09:25:07 am

Another work in progress. Click for a larger image.

Shouldn't you be spelling those BoT and DoT?

After all, you are writing them with a lower case "o" in "of". It would be more consistent with IoT, and more recognisable.

This description is more readily understandable than the earlier one.

JimH · « **Reply #54 on:** September 16, 2015, 08:48:18 pm »

Quote from: RoderickGI on September 16, 2015, 06:29:55 pm

Shouldn't you be spelling those BoT and DoT? After all, you are writing them with a lower case "o" in "of". It would be more consistent with IoT, and more recognisable.

Good suggestion. Thanks.

JimH · « **Reply #55 on:** September 17, 2015, 06:35:40 pm »

With some more tweaks: Click for a larger image.

fitbrit · « **Reply #56 on:** September 17, 2015, 09:04:32 pm »

I like this last version the best. I'm not completely gripped by the traffic light thing. It make the promo seem like a 90s in-flight magazine car or watch ad. But the information is good.
I like "It's easy being green", but that will imply "environmentally-friendly" to most people, which is not a bad thing per se.
I also like "Gives you the green light" in that slogan's place.

fitbrit · « **Reply #57 on:** September 18, 2015, 12:40:44 pm »

This post in AVS might be of interest:
http://www.avsforum.com/forum/26-home-theater-computers/2133066-video-home-automation-voice-control-kodi-xbmc-using-moto-360-amazon-echo.html

The main video is showcasing voice control, but the more relevant bit might be Premise:

http://cocoontech.com/forums/page/home-automation-software/_/premise-r3

This was made by Motorola, but they made it free to anyone. Kinda sounds like a Broker.

JimH · « **Reply #58 on:** October 15, 2015, 06:53:34 pm »

We had a minor breakthrough today. The app can now add categories in multiple levels, in order to make a tree of choices. Here are the first two levels:

It can also add an Action (another app to launch, for example) and it almost works.

jmone · « **Reply #59 on:** October 17, 2015, 06:30:56 am »

Looks good. I've even now created a script to control the Belkin WeMo Switch from Windows on the local NW (no need for their "Cloud" based app). So far I can check it's status and turn it on and off. Plan is to build some logic for Scheduling etc which will be easy. Still working on discovery however so you don't have to manually enter the address/port.

What worries me about these devices is they are UPnP discoverable and controllable without any authentication. I'm using one to control my pool equipment, and if you have access to my network you could cycle it on/off till something failed!

Hilton · « **Reply #60 on:** October 17, 2015, 08:01:26 am »

Quote from: JimH on October 15, 2015, 06:53:34 pm

We had a minor breakthrough today. The app can now add categories in multiple levels, in order to make a tree of choices. Here are the first two levels:

It can also add an Action (another app to launch, for example) and it almost works.

Nice one Jim.

Looking forward to see what I can do with this.

JimH · « **Reply #61 on:** October 24, 2015, 12:59:11 pm »

Nathan and Hilton,
I just sent you the apk file.

Fitbit,
I tried to send it to you at your forum address, but I received an email saying your mailbox was full.

It's not finished, but I'm interested in how hard it is to use and where you think it should go.

Thanks,

Jim

fitbrit · « **Reply #62 on:** October 24, 2015, 02:41:26 pm »

Thanks, Jim. I must have finally hit my limit. I just emptied my deleted mail, so there should be space now. You can always cc fitbrit at gmail.

Cheers!

jmone · « **Reply #63 on:** October 24, 2015, 04:03:38 pm »

Got it - Initial Impressions are pretty good!

- Install : fine
- Initial Customisation: You have to add stuff in "order". I initially tried to add a Device but could not save it as there was not yet a Category
- I presumed that "Device" would equal stuff like "Wemo" so I manually added on. When I went to Action I found it pre populated with "Devices". I would have thought that the "order" in setting up would be a almost the other way around, in where One Remote would take you though:
   * Select Devices = Physical Things (like Wemo)
   * Apply Actions = The "Rules" to apply to what devices at what time and in what order etc
   * Assign a Categories = How to group them logically
- Tap/Hold : Works well to edit but when you are finished you end up back at the main screen not where you were
- Config Icon: Since you can Tap/Hold to edit items, this button could just be a Plus Button and you don't need a selection option in it, it should just create the item in the view that it is already in.

....and it found my Wemo App and ran it!

- Bugs: One Remote crashes if I try to Add Photo --> Choose from Library but is fine if I use "Take a Photo"

Looks good so far!

Thanks
Nathan

No items were sent as a part of this review

jmone · « **Reply #64 on:** October 24, 2015, 04:10:01 pm »

Couple more things

On adding Photos:
- Take then in Landscape and the look good.
- Take them in Portrait and the look bad (scaled to fit horizontally)

No Autorotate on the App (Portrait only)

It may be nice if the preloaded devices already have "coverart" as part of the app

jmone · « **Reply #65 on:** October 24, 2015, 04:11:55 pm »

Ahhh - I see. The "Actions" are actually a list of all the apps on your device. If that is the case then as a default can you use their Icon?

JimH · « **Reply #66 on:** October 25, 2015, 02:37:21 am »

Quote from: jmone on October 24, 2015, 04:03:38 pm

No items were sent as a part of this review

Thanks for a good laugh.

Quote

It may be nice if the preloaded devices already have "coverart" as part of the app

It will definitely include a few images.

There are still a lot of problems, as you have seen. I'm most interested in feedback on uses and general design. The obvious problems will get fixed.

The goal is to build a menu program that can be used for many purposes, that can include almost anything you might want to do, and can be "packaged", so that it is portable among devices or stored on servers.

JimH · « **Reply #67 on:** October 25, 2015, 02:47:22 am »

One of the things I'm trying to get changed is the distinction among the function types. I think you should be able to build a page that has all three types and that tabs should not be used. This is similar to how files and folders are used in Explorer. At any level you can add a new file or a new folder. The folders are the equivalent of OneRemote's categories. They can be used for navigating through the tree. But it's valid to have a folder that has only folders, one that has only files, or a mix of the two types.

If you look at the files on the Android, you'll see that each category has a corresponding folder. My goal is to make the folder structure also build the menu, so that a complete OneRemote menu can be saved, shipped, and reconstituted on another device. So far, this is only partially implemented.

Are the function types named correctly? Categories, Devices, and Actions? Is that clear enough?

Devices are the most difficult. It may be that they just require special pages for each and that we build them from html or xml.

Thanks for your help.

JimH · « **Reply #68 on:** October 25, 2015, 02:50:27 am »

Quote from: fitbrit on October 24, 2015, 02:41:26 pm

Thanks, Jim. I must have finally hit my limit. I just emptied my deleted mail, so there should be space now. You can always cc fitbrit at gmail.

Cheers!

Just sent to your gmail address.

jmone · « **Reply #69 on:** October 25, 2015, 05:51:52 am »

Quote

Are the function types named correctly? Categories, Devices, and Actions? Is that clear enough?

So from what I see:

Devices = Support for items that actually do "stuff", eg a Wemo power switch, Aircon etc. This is where you need to have the protocols for each supported device. OneRemote will live or die by what it can control

Actions = The "smarts" to create rules blending the control of all of the devices in abstracted style IFTTT recipes that you can then export, import, between users

Categories = Just a way to group things if you have many Actions so there is not a big long list. To me this is the least important part as to start with I'm not sure that many users will have dozens of "actions" but I could be underestimating.

I'm sort of seeing how Logitech do the RC. You add your devices, that exposes what they can do, from which you build an Action.

jmone · « **Reply #70 on:** October 25, 2015, 05:56:38 am »

For example, I've built my own code (for now) for my Wemo Insight that their current SW can not do. I have my Pool equipment on an off peak power supply that is controlled by the Power Company. All I needed was the ability for:
- When Wemo comes on line (as the power circuit is energised)
- Run for 6Hrs
- Turn off

The Wemo App fails to do this as all you can do is std stuff like, turn on at 1am, turn off at 7am. Problem is that the my power company controls when the supply turns on or off, so if they trigger it at 1.01am the std Wemo App will never turn it on. Or if they Turn it on at 10pm and off at 4am, it will only run for 5 hours.

jmone · « **Reply #71 on:** October 25, 2015, 06:12:17 am »

Here is an example of what Logitech does:
- H1.png: Add Devices
- H2.png: Configure Activities (what you want the devices to do)
- Categories: Just how to group them

jmone · « **Reply #72 on:** October 25, 2015, 06:13:48 am »

Where Logitech Excels:
- Huge Range of Devices Supported

Where Logitech Struggles:
- Poor UI!

Hilton · « **Reply #73 on:** October 26, 2015, 03:29:37 am »

Thanks Jim I got it installed and launching a couple Apps which was pretty straight forward.

I can see an opportunity to create mcws shortcut commands as buttons which would be helpful.
I can also see the possibility to run some scripts on the Pi but I'm not sure what else needs to be installed for that to work until I have bit more of a play.

Agree with everything Nathan has said so far.

I like the concept of largish tiles for images and buttons in different size grids, much like windows phone or the windows 8.1 metro screen.

PS. Bidirectional and real-time feedback / screen updates would be useful for apps or commands that give a response to a command.

Hilton · « **Reply #74 on:** October 26, 2015, 04:08:19 am »

I've used lots of Remotes and Apps over the years, here's a list hardware and remote apps to consider.

Logitech Harmony Hub / Remote - I love this once it's set up but it's a right pain to configure.

FLPR - Old IOS App with hardware IR dongle - Concept worked very well - a lot of good ideas in this app - ultimately flawed because it depends on IR.

L5 Remote - Another old IOS app with hardware IR dongle - Also works very well, easy to build remotes layouts with templates on the remote - cloud based (what isn't these days!) - again flawed because of IR.

Cinemar - Had everything going for it and then got ridiculously expensive - This had the server concept with heaps of integrations and was the most versatile. Use to control my multiple 400 disc CD changers with slink-e, touch screens with x-10 device control for everything, lights, curtains, power etc. The slink-e was a wonderful hardware gateway device, a more modern version of this would be critical to the success of oneremote. (was using homeseer too)
http://www.nirvis.com/slink-e.htm

I'd encourage you to look at all these and compare the features and weaknesses. (this has all been done before)

JimH · « **Reply #75 on:** October 26, 2015, 05:31:53 am »

Hilton,
Thanks very much for the feedback.

Thanks also for the suggestions. I'm aware of all but the iOS remotes. Slink-e !! That's been a while.

I think the future will probably be IP, not IR or Bluetooth or proprietary radio.

I agree about bi-directional. There is no need to limit anything if you have IP available, though a well defined protocol and flexible protocol is needed...

In the U.S. at least, we have new "hubs" like SmartThings and Wink to take the place of the old convertors like Slink-e. I think we will try to support one or more of these early on, then think about what to do next.

Thanks again for looking at it.

Jim

JimH · « **Reply #76 on:** November 25, 2015, 01:24:09 pm »

Here's a new build of OneRemote:

http://files.jriver.com.s3.amazonaws.com/other/OneRemote.apk

You can now add a Device that will open a web link. I used it to add a link to the Presentation Page on an Id and a link to a thermometer at home.

It's starting to be useful.

JimH · « **Reply #77 on:** December 07, 2015, 10:09:21 am »

Link to play Play Doctor, using "Monk" as the seed:

http://localhost:52199/MCWS/v1/Playback/PlayDoctor?Zone=-1&ZoneType=ID&Seed=Abba

jmone · « **Reply #78 on:** January 27, 2016, 02:50:02 am »

Today I installed a EcoBee3 smart wifi thermostat. How's OneRemote going?

JimH · « **Reply #79 on:** January 27, 2016, 04:00:57 am »

It looks like an Apple Homekit product. They mention Android somewhere, but it's not clear what protocol(s) it supports or if it's only Apple.

Found this:
http://developer.ecobee.com/api/topics/ecobee_smart_thermostat_communication_capabilities

We're working on Z-Wave first.

jmone · « **Reply #80 on:** January 27, 2016, 04:11:05 am »

Yes I think it is Homekit compatible but I can also control it from their web browser and also an andriod app (which I guess speaks to their web site)

JimH · « **Reply #81 on:** January 27, 2016, 04:13:53 am »

I edited my last post to add a link to an ecobee forum post.

JimH · « **Reply #82 on:** April 23, 2016, 05:55:02 am »

Public builds of OneRemote are now posted as threads on this board.

INTERACT FORUM

Author Topic: OneRemote (Read 25487 times)