INTERACT FORUM

More => Old Versions => JRiver Media Center 20 for Windows => Topic started by: flac.rules on August 03, 2015, 12:39:41 pm

Title: Use MC to control the lighting?
Post by: flac.rules on August 03, 2015, 12:39:41 pm
I have some LED-lights (controlled by DMX), I wanted to try to control via MC, I want the light to turn on and off the same times of the beats in the music. I have a server who controls the lights, so I guess i can find I way to send signals to this server, but first i need to get signals to send. Is there a way to get MC somehow to send a signal every time the the music peaks over a given level for instance?
Title: Re: Use MC to control the lighting?
Post by: HTPC4ME on August 03, 2015, 01:19:51 pm
i'd really be interested in this as well
I have a bunch of X10's and RGBW LED & Bulbs "Milights"

The apps exist for both, so incorporating into theaterview/jremote would be stellar.

Elvis have you seen these before? (I've yet to try) i remember when i was a young pup i use to hook up led's in my car straight to the subs for car shows... was a cool effect.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=wQqicmR2Kpc I've yet to purchase, i'm still trying to wrap my head around how i could control the lights if i go this route being my lights now are wifi. I'm not sure if i could install the wireless controller inline with the music controller.

These guys have some cool led products/ideas - http://www.elektric-junkys.com/
Title: Re: Use MC to control the lighting?
Post by: JimH on August 03, 2015, 06:46:16 pm
I've been thinking about this, too.

http://yabb.jriver.com/interact/index.php?topic=99054.0

What kind of control systems are people using?
Title: Re: Use MC to control the lighting?
Post by: Boltron on August 03, 2015, 07:02:47 pm
I use Girder for control of Insteon and JRiver and a few other things. I run it on a separate PC that is always on and it handles all automation. I can control everything from my Harmony remote or PC. It's awesome but it does require some programming knowledge, it uses LUA and Javascript. Promixis sells both Girder and IR transceivers. For example I have configured my calendar app on the PC to send me a Text message, flash the room lights and pause JRiver for important calendar events. It's very cool.
Title: Re: Use MC to control the lighting?
Post by: flac.rules on August 04, 2015, 01:31:42 am
I've been thinking about this, too.

http://yabb.jriver.com/interact/index.php?topic=99054.0

What kind of control systems are people using?

Personally i use KNX mainly, It is a reasonably popular system in europe, supported by most of the main manfuctureres here in europe, and it is open, however its mainly made for a cabled bus, so it is not as good for retrofits. Secondarly i use ENocean (wireless, but withut batteries, I don't like the hasse of changing batteries in switches), and DMX for the RGB LED-lighting (which is more or less an industry standard?). All is controlled by a loxone miniserver.

The miniserver can get web-commands, so i guess that is the most flexible way to communicate if it is fast enough, most setups should handle that, almost no matter what. Implmenting some kind of "beat-sensing" in MC should be pretty easy i would guess? Several visualisations seem to have it already. Can it be done as simply as just sending a signal every time the amplitude is over a given threshold?
Title: Re: Use MC to control the lighting?
Post by: flac.rules on August 07, 2015, 01:32:23 am
So any tips on this? Is not exactly a feature request per se, as of today. More a question on how (if possible) one can extract this information?

Is it possible to somehow get MC to relase a signal everytime the amplitude is above a given level, or extract something from the vizualization or similar?
Title: Re: Use MC to control the lighting?
Post by: audunth on August 08, 2015, 02:52:22 am
I use Philips HUE lights, and they can be controlled through the HUE hub or directly by any device that supports ZigBee.

XBMC has a plugin that make the lights blink to the music, and also turn on/off upon pressing play/pause/stop. So it should be doable in MC too.

Here's the documentation: http://www.developers.meethue.com/