iRule - Page 171

I'd love to be able to add this to my system. Would you be able post a 'step-by-step' explanation for a relative 'newby'?

Brian

I'm assuming you already have 1 or more computers running XBMC version 10.1 (Dharma) available here: http://xbmc.org/download/

1. From the home page choose Settings and then go to the Network tab
2. Ensure 'Allow control of XBMC via HTTP' is checked
3. Click on the 'Web Interface' line and click 'Get More...'
4. Install the wTouch interface and select it as your interface
5. Make note of the port number (and UN/PW if you set one)
6. Find out the IP address of your computer (For this to work reliably you should assign it a static IP outside the range of your router's DHCP)
7. Create a landscape 1x1 page in the iRule builder and add a URL to it that points to your computer and port # (ex. http://192.168.1.250:80)
-The only reason I recommend that you use landscape is that a full page website with gestures can be annoying to 'swype' out of the way. You have to be sure you're on the title bar. This way you just turn the phone to switch between touch and button control.
8. Now when you turn your iPhone on its side on your XBMC page it will switch to a landscape gesture pad with a Keyboard, Browse and Help! button. Read the help page to learn all the available gestures and hit browse to look through your library and start playing things. 'Currently Playing' artwork and a play timer will appear on the gesture pad.

I just tried out the Default interface and while it is a nice way to browse your movies by poster, you can ONLY see movies and music, and it doesn't have the full control of wTouch.

Current limitations that I can find:
I have some movies in 'Sets' and i can't open the set (I imagine it's sending a Play command which wouldn't work)
Artwork is very slow to load. Apparently the phone has to download all artwork fullsize and then resize it. This is a problem with big movie libraries and high resolution artwork. Hopefully in the future it can look for a thumbnail file instead or something.

This is another interface with some promise http://forum.xbmc.org/showthread.php?t=89229&page=2

Hopefully you get it all working

I have question that might seem stupid. But is it possible to use irule to turn on/off my computer (Windows 7)? Usually when I 'm done watching a movie on xbmc...I would like to have one power button that does it all - exits xbmc, then switches my computer off and then shuts down equipment(projector, dvd etc..etc..). I know how to do most of it just not how to have irule control the power on/off of my PC. Any suggestions?

thanks

Also forgot to add....

I don't want to shutdown the PC using XBMC's shutdown feature. because I would like the option to just quit XBMC and not shutdown if I felt like doing something else on the PC.

A standalone installation of XBMC should shut the computer when you exit. If yours is installed on a Windows computer I think you'd have to use Eventghost or some other program to execute commands on the PC.

I'm not near my computer now, so I can't say for sure, but I think this is a shut down option in XBMC. You can wirher exit XBMC or have it shut down. You can exit XBMC by using an exit command in MCE Controller. And there are other ways to do this with MCE Controller, which includes various shut-down commands.

Sorry guys...it looks like you replied before I finished editing my post. I didn't want to use the shutdown feature in XBMC..was wondering if there was a way to have irule directly control my PC and shut it down.

Well it does have both an Exit and a Shutdown option i believe. Otherwise you'll want to use MCE controller or similar like Steve suggested

I'll look into the MCE controller. Thanks!

I have run out of IR outputs in my system, and instead of buying another iTach, I would like to use IP to control my Sony BluRay. Has anyone had success with this? I have tried, but cannot seem to get it. Also in Sony's documentation, they don't list the port, and I am not sure if it is 80 or something totally different.

I found this at Remote Central, but have no idea on how to translate it...

http://files.remotecentral.com/view/...sc_player.html

Thanks,

Mike

I added some more zwave leviton lights last night. I figured it was a good time to play with the 2way feedback again.

I'm having problems with some lights not providing feedback. One way everything is great. But if I query one light at a time some reaping and a few don't. I made sure the leviton serial controller was updated with all nodes (devices). And it was fine.

Anyone out there able to help a bit with zwave experience or other lighting out there? Also anyone have problems with responses back from lights if there are alot of lights being queried? Seems like as I query more and more lights things really bog down?

Thx Jim !!

That seems to be a problem with the Z-Wave protocol. The more devices you add, the longer it takes to get responses. I have been playing around with Open Z-Wave and have found exactly that.

This is one of the reasons I moved to using Insteon. I still have a few Z-Wave devices but everything works much smoother now.

I have heard good things about Vera as a central controller rather than my Z-Stick so that may be an option to look at. There is, at least, one person on this forum that has a Vera. Hopefully they can jump in with more info here.

Thanks for the reply. I figured whatever the central control is that the traffic would still be an issue? Vera is in my head now. That was next. Will I be able to control that over irule? I didn't go think stick cause it's windows based only. I need Mac.

I'm at the point of no return with zwave. As a network it's rock solid I feel when up but control for third party is its problem.

Jimi

Vera is basically an isy-99 for Z-Wave. As I understand it, it constantly monitors the Z-Wave network and keeps everything in a local database so that when you query you get an instantaneous response. Vera is expensive but seeing as it's a commercial product you can get support. It is easily controllable from iRule with its HTTP API.

I have a Mac (An iMac 27 that is on 24/7) and use a thinkstick with OZW and my own C++ Unix program. Open Z-Wave is still a work in progress and my own program is not ready for prime time (And won't be for many years). It kinda works (When it's not Seg Faulting). I use MAMP as my HTTP interface with a PHP script that receives commands from iRule. PHP then uses shell_exec to execute my C++ application to send/receive data from the Z-Wave network.

MisterHouse (An open source home automation application written in perl that works with all OS's including Mac OS X) may be another option to check into. There has been some development work with Z-Wave stuff. Here are some links if you'd like to take a look...

http://misterhouse.wikispaces.com/Z-Wave
http://misterhouse.wikispaces.com/Insteon
http://www.gordonmeyer.com/2006/01/another_zwave_p.html
http://objectmix.com/home-automation...ting-note.html

I still think Insteon is the way to go and plan to migrate my Z-Wave devices to Insteon as I can afford to.

Thanks for the response again. I'm going to look into Vera. And some of the other links u provided. Some of this is totally over my head but I'll try to fuddle through the link! Lol

Thanks!
Jimi

I had two questions...

1) Is there a way to have the Irule app be full screen so I don't see the "Panels" and "Back button that is default to the ipad?"

2) Is there a way to blackout the screen completely like turning it off but not really put it into sleep mode? I made a black page in irule that I swipe to but it is still bright since I see the ipad panel with it's default labels on the top as well as the fact the screen still emits light even on a black screen and even this is distracting in a completely dark theater. BTW I'm on Ipad 2 (IOS5.0)

There's no way to remove the bar at the top that holds the panels button, it's permanent. What you might be interested in is an app called "ScreenDimmer". It's made by Cydia and does require a jailbroken device. It blacks out the screen automatically when the device hasn't moved after a predetermined amount of time. Simply pick the device up and the motion sensor turns the screen back on without having to wait for gateways to connect.

At this moment iPad 2 or iPhone 4s cannot be jailbroken so no dice on the screendimmer on iPad 2.


Alex

...better said, "not anymore" or maybe "not yet again".

That's I have not upgraded my iPad2 from 4.3.3, when it was possible to jailbreak. Now I am enjoying my screensaver .

I am still hoping that Apple eventually come to senses and add such essential feature like a screensaver to the OS.
____
Axel

While googling for a way to control iTunes from iRule, I came across this:
http://ytrack.dewasmes.net/?page_id=50

YTrack is an open source iTunes remote. Anyone know the details of what it means that "yTrack gets integrated in iRule"?

Bret

I e-mailed iRule tech support yesterday to ask about Android support. They replied that their goal is to have a an Android version that supports all Android devices by the end of the year. I have to say, I'm quite pleased to hear that and sense Demopad told me they don't plan to support Android it makes the decision quite easy for me.

I'm going to start working on mine this week. I picked up a used iPod Touch to get me started. I can pretty much do everything by RS232 or TCP, so I'm pretty well set, shouldn't even need to buy any hardware for that.

One problem is my TV, so far as I can tell it's IR only, even though it has network access. Apparently HDMI control doesn't actually allow other devices to turn the TV on. That's very annoying. Apparently my Denon 4810 might be usable as an IR gateway, anyone know how I'd go about setting that up? I'm planning to control the 4810 via RS232 because of issues with multiple connections, but can I use it as an IR gateway via TCP but actually control the receiver via RS232? The only thing I need to do to the TV is turn it on and off and perhaps change 3D modes if I ever go that route.

I'm trying to establish a connection between my linux PC and either Denon receiver or Opp player via a serial connection so I can try and make them work with iRule. Has anyone ever tried this? Can someone provide me with the exact syntax of an echo command? I've got 4 serial ports but so nothing I've tried sending through them with echo has had any effect. I need to figure out which serial port is which so I can set up that Java app to handle the TCP to RS232 conversion. I want to verify from the command line that I can connect before I bother throwing that in the mix.

I guess it isn't my business but I just bought a digiport for like $50 on ebay and it works beautifully. You might want to consider this rather than have your computer having to always be on (and even if it does) this seems like a cleaner solution. As for your question I don't know im sure you can google this and somewhere it will tell you...

+1 on the digiport, best $50.00 I spent on my irule setup. I tried tcp2serial, it can work but not reliably and also not well with two way feedback. After some up time the tcp2 serial would stop responding and it did not work most the time after waking the computer from sleep. With the digi it just works all the time.

Well my PC is up all the time as it is. It's my file server and I am also planning to have it run XBMC. So I'll see how it goes. If tcp2serial craps out on me I'll probably go the digiport route. I did get communication established and have verified which port is which and managed to make a connection with tcp2serial also. I've not started with irule yet, I'll just have to see how that goes.

I've been trying to set up my Marantz SR5006, which can be controlled over network.

Unfortunately, I can't find any network codes for Volume up/down or mute in devices.

Am I missing something?

Try the SR7005 Network Codes. Works fine on my SR6006.

The complete set of Network Codes is available for download on the Marantz Site.

Basically no. The receiver would have to keep a database of all infra red codes that are out there and then provide commands to output those IR codes. I know of no receiver that has this functionality and I believe it's extremely unlikely any manufacturer would create one (The demand is just not there).

I think an iTach is in your future.

OK, I was looking at the devices listed on their website that are ethernet gateways and I thought that they could be used as gateways to other devices also. I just misinterpreted that. I was hoping there was a mechanism for iRule to pass the IR commands via the receiver's ethernet port out one of the receiver's IR outputs. Well it looks like I'll have to get at least one iTach then.

Hi all,

New version of the app and changes to the builder are out.


Alex