Topic: Metadata to homeseer (Read 3504 times)

jackpod · « **on:** February 12, 2013, 07:44:39 pm »

I would sure like to find out if anyone has figured out how to export playing now metadata to Homeseer. I have a couple Betabrite signs around the house and in prior versions (like MC12) this was possible as there was a Cinemar plugin that I could send the metadata from Cinemar to Homeseer. Even if the export was not directly tied to Homeseer, say to a text file. I could then write a script that say scanned and compared the strings every 15 seconds or so to know when the text file changes. It would be nice to be automatically triggered, but at this point I would be willing to accept a 15-20 delay in the metadata update. I have a whole house audio system and don't stream so there usually is not a monitor close by to display the playing now information

DoubtingThomas · « **Reply #1 on:** February 13, 2013, 04:44:38 pm »

I use the "PlayingNow" plugin... to create the file below whenever a track change occurs. My home automation system (HomeVision and lots of custom C++/Java code) reads the file and formats video screens for display on my TV and monitors around the house.

I'm not sure if you can even buy the "PlayingNow" plugin anymore though.. .but maybe someone here would sell you their license if they don't use it anymore.

Quote

[PLAYING_NOW]
DURATION="4:38"
TRACK="1"
ARTIST="Pope, Cooley"
ALBUM="2007 Detroit Attitude"
SONG="Strut"
PLAYCOUNT="11"
GENRE="Blues"
GENRE_ALL=" Blues "
YEAR="2007"
NEXT_ARTIST=" Pope, Cooley "
NEXT_ALBUM=" 2007 Detroit Attitude "
NEXT_SONG=" Detroit Attitude "
NEXT_RATING=" 3 "
RATING="4"
LASTPLAYED="9/10/2012 8:42 AM"
DATEIMPORTED=" 1/3/2008 11:35 PM "
[END]

You can also use the MediaCenter webservices to get info about the currently playing track.

http://localhost:52199/MCWS/v1/Playback/Info?Zone=-1

Try this in your browser (I think the MC MediaServer must be running).

If that XML output would work for you , there are command line utilities to let you run it from a DOS command line and redirect the output to a file.

Check out wget and/or curl.

Quote

d:\>wget -q -O - http://localhost:52199/MCWS/v1/Playback/Info?Zone=-1
<?xml version="1.0" encoding="UTF-8" standalone="yes" ?>
<Response Status="OK">
<Item Name="State">2</Item>
<Item Name="FileKey">11916015</Item>
<Item Name="NextFileKey">11916006</Item>
<Item Name="PositionMS">205465</Item>
<Item Name="DurationMS">220160</Item>
<Item Name="ElapsedTimeDisplay">3:25</Item>
<Item Name="RemainingTimeDisplay">-0:15</Item>
<Item Name="TotalTimeDisplay">3:40</Item>
<Item Name="PositionDisplay">3:25 / 3:40</Item>
<Item Name="PlayingNowPosition">2</Item>
<Item Name="PlayingNowTracks">1455</Item>
<Item Name="PlayingNowPositionDisplay">3 of 1455</Item>
<Item Name="PlayingNowChangeCounter">6</Item>
<Item Name="Bitrate">256</Item>
<Item Name="SampleRate">44100</Item>
<Item Name="Channels">2</Item>
<Item Name="Chapter">0</Item>
<Item Name="Volume">-1</Item>
<Item Name="VolumeDisplay">N/A</Item>
<Item Name="ImageURL">MCWS/v1/File/GetImage?File=11916015</Item>
<Item Name="Artist">Pope, Cooley</Item>
<Item Name="Album">2007 Detroit Attitude</Item>
<Item Name="Name">Can't Hurt Me No Longer</Item>
<Item Name="Rating">3</Item>
<Item Name="Status">Playing</Item>
</Response>

jackpod · « **Reply #2 on:** February 13, 2013, 04:48:11 pm »

Wow, ok so where can I get this plugin?

That looks like exactly what I need and does it work with latest MC 18?

DoubtingThomas · « **Reply #3 on:** February 13, 2013, 04:51:33 pm »

Quote from: jackpod on February 13, 2013, 04:48:11 pm

Wow, ok so where can I get this plugin?

That looks like exactly what I need and does it work with latest MC 18?

Check out the additional info I posted above about the MediaCenter webservices.

Here is the url for PlayingNow...

http://www.theganghut.co.uk/pn/index.php

again now sure if he's even selling it anymore, but worth a try to contact him.

Yes it works fine with MC18.

jackpod · « **Reply #4 on:** February 13, 2013, 04:57:49 pm »

Ok I will check that out. I am running the medianetwork since I am using the web remote and web gizmo to display the info to several thin clients around the house. It took a long time for the wife to accept the Betabrites and now that they aren't working, well you know

DoubtingThomas · « **Reply #5 on:** February 13, 2013, 05:14:32 pm »

Pix of my kitchen countertop monitor...

The data comes from the PlayingNow plugin and various sensors around my house. The dotted lines have characters that also tell me about stuff going on in my house.

jackpod · « **Reply #6 on:** February 13, 2013, 05:29:04 pm »

Nice... I do the somewhat the same thing. I use Cinemar Mainlobby as my frontend to Homeseer (there are also a few automation tasks performed by Cinemar). I have numerous Sunray thin clients and monitors throughout the house. I use the J River webremote embedded in the weblobby client.

Thanks for all your ideas, now to work on getting the betabrites displaying playing now data

DoubtingThomas · « **Reply #7 on:** February 13, 2013, 08:19:29 pm »

Quote from: jackpod on February 13, 2013, 05:29:04 pm

Nice... I do the somewhat the same thing. I use Cinemar Mainlobby as my frontend to Homeseer (there are also a few automation tasks performed by Cinemar). I have numerous Sunray thin clients and monitors throughout the house. I use the J River webremote embedded in the weblobby client.

Cinemar Mainlobby looks pretty cool. How does it interface with Homeseer? What triggers it to do a screen update?

jackpod · « **Reply #8 on:** February 13, 2013, 08:31:16 pm »

There is a plugin that communicates between the two. Variable changes are immediate in both directions. Mainlobby is nice, all flash based. If you know flash you can create your own objects, otherwise they have a pretty good selection of libraries. They support a wide variety of devices. For example I use the Cinemar Nuvo whole house audio plugin, but yet I can update variables to homeseer and use that in triggers that in turn control the nuvo from a homeseer event (example when the phone rings the nuvo is muted)

DoubtingThomas · « **Reply #9 on:** February 13, 2013, 08:35:41 pm »

I wish there was a HomeVision plugin... I didn't see one.

I have my HomeVision write it's entire status every minute to a file, could that file update act as a trigger for MainLobby to read and update it's screens? (all flags/variables/portStates/temperatureValues)

I've love a graphic interface instead of the text interface I use now. HomeVision reads the files I create using C++/Java and generates the screens I use for display now. I have 9 screens of data that I can scroll through using my remote controls all over the house.

jackpod · « **Reply #10 on:** February 13, 2013, 08:41:55 pm »

Mainlobby I believe is a closed API. I am not a programmer per se, So I don't know what is entailed

DoubtingThomas · « **Reply #11 on:** February 13, 2013, 08:43:36 pm »

I might email them about triggers. If I can get MainLobby to trigger on a file update, then I could do the graphical interface the offer. It looks pretty easy to use.

jackpod · « **Reply #12 on:** February 13, 2013, 08:44:37 pm »

contact dave at cinemaronline or mario at cinemaronline

DoubtingThomas · « **Reply #13 on:** February 13, 2013, 08:45:12 pm »

Thanks !

jackpod · « **Reply #14 on:** February 13, 2013, 08:50:28 pm »

They both know me, I use the same forum name on their board

DoubtingThomas · « **Reply #15 on:** February 13, 2013, 09:02:08 pm »

When I retired last April.. I worked as a C++/Java backend data processing programmer... I was never good at, or all that interested in gui development. Web code is total spaghetti to me... I've done many web projects, but never ever liked it...

I really like my Homevision system, but the developer stopped working on the system due to lack of sales... can't blame him. So I worry about the future... I do have a spare board, and all the chips are in sockets.

The programming "environment" that HomeVision offers is crude compared to C++/Java, but it works quite well and I've overcome what it can't do by writing external programs in C++/Java and sending the info to HomeVision.

But I'm hooked... I can't imagine my house like all the "commoners" live with... I can't imagine having to get up to change my thermostat or to turn on/off stuff or to see the house status or to see around my house with external cameras. It's like a disease...

jackpod · « **Reply #16 on:** February 13, 2013, 09:17:26 pm »

You think?

I will be retiring in about 4 years and can't wait. I have been heavily into automation for about 13 years, have dabbled in it since BSR came out with their first X10 devices in what the late 70's? I have a large install and an even bigger media library (audio and video). Both my wife and i work from our home office. Music plays from 6am to 9pm daily.

DoubtingThomas · « **Reply #17 on:** February 13, 2013, 09:23:05 pm »

I love retirement !!! I retired at 54 last April for many reasons... I moved to rural Montrose CO and while I had a great work-from-home gig.. once here, I lost all interest in working for corporate America anymore ... the "bell system" was so very good for me... but it was time to exit... I had saved hard..

Best to you and your wife. I wake up when I feel like it now.. and one of the first things I do is press the remote buttons to power up my whole house audio system and start MediaCenter... I used to start it automatically at 0630.. but I'm retired now...

jackpod · « **Reply #18 on:** February 13, 2013, 09:26:39 pm »

we are in Flagstaff, AZ... just down the road

DoubtingThomas · « **Reply #19 on:** February 13, 2013, 09:28:17 pm »

Wow.. I seriously considered Flagstaff for my retirement. Great little town, with lots of great rural property around and Phoenix is close enough if needed.

jackpod · « **Reply #20 on:** February 13, 2013, 09:30:23 pm »

Yea we are about 8 miles east of Flag, have a little 2.5 acre ranch and lots of animals, left California about 8 years ago

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Author Topic: Metadata to homeseer (Read 3504 times)