iPHone App - "TCP/IP" works pretty well with AMX

ericmedley

I just set up this app and it works quite well.

It's pretty quick and integrates nicely.

I'm going to try and research making iPhone apps and see if I can make something that looks and feels more like an AMX thing. 2-way comm. etc...

We'll see.

vining

You could also look at this thread if you haven't already:

http://amxforums.com/showthread.php?t=5329

bcirrisi posted a module for mobile devices and it you're familar with HTML you can easily create an interface and connect to it by point a url to an html file on a master.

What does this TCP/IP app actually do? I've been wanting to buy an iPhone or Blackberry so I can play too but with the ecomony the way it is I feel like I need to be frugal until I can at least see a light at the end of the tunnel. Here in the N.E. metro area that means Wall Street needs to rebound and that requires bonuses.

ericmedley

vining wrote: »

You could also look at this thread if you haven't already:

http://amxforums.com/showthread.php?t=5329

bcirrisi posted a module for mobile devices and it you're familar with HTML you can easily create an interface and connect to it by point a url to an html file on a master.

What does this TCP/IP app actually do? I've been wanting to buy an iPhone or Blackberry so I can play too but with the ecomony the way it is I feel like I need to be frugal until I can at least see a light at the end of the tunnel. Here in the N.E. metro area that means Wall Street needs to rebound and that requires bonuses.

I downloaded all the apps that listed AMX. What I liked about this particular app is that it was simple. It's just a set of buttons that you can put in a text to be sent TCP. So, I just put in simple btn:1 btn:2 btn:3 etc...

Then set up the Netlinx master and a port and went from there.

I honestly would rather create an iPhone app that communicated with the AMX system without a lot of parsing of HTML. However, I'd like to see if I can create a way to store graphics on the Netlinx master so the programmer can do a lot more customization of the buttons and look.

vining

ericmedley wrote:

I honestly would rather create an iPhone app that communicated with the AMX system without a lot of parsing of HTML. However,

With bcirrisi's module the master serves the html and button pushes on the iPhone send get commands to the master and all you do is parse the "get". Bascially GET/ btn_1 or GET/ btn_2..... So you're not really parsing html you're writing html on the master to serve to the iPhone or blackberry or PC. You can write an html script for any size or type of web client you want. Changing variables in response to button pushes (received get command) changes the way the html is written and subsequently how the html is drawn giving you feedback.

This is actually the opposite of what we normally do to control HTTP devices since it's now the iPhone controlling the master.

ericmedley

vining wrote: »

With bcirrisi's module the master serves the html and button pushes on the iPhone send get commands to the master and all you do is parse the "get". Bascially GET/ btn_1 or GET/ btn_2..... So you're not really parsing html you're writing html on the master to serve to the iPhone or blackberry or PC. You can write an html script for any size or type of web client you want. Changing variables in response to button pushes (received get command) changes the way the html is written and subsequently how the html is drawn giving you feedback.

This is actually the opposite of what we normally do to control HTTP devices since it's now the iPhone controlling the master.

I've seen this method on a couple of devices. One being the PowerPlay controlled power center. You make web requests with a wink and nod, and the power controller just does something. the return is a simple ACK.

I'll check out the iPhone app.

I'm downloading the iPhone developer kit right now. I'll probably still doe something anyway since I'd really like to learn the iPhone.

Thanks!
e

TurnipTruck

Communication doesn't get much simpler than the TCP/IP ap. It lacks feedback though.

iMasterControl has feedback and works well, but it has a predetermined, complex UI flow that makes its use difficult in most systems.

vining

I haven't really looked that close at bcrissi module but when you push a button on the iPone it sends a "GET" request to the master which hosts the web page/pages. The master does what it needs to do in response to the received "GET" request and modifies variables in the html script and the iPhone does a refresh to redraw the page which is now drawn as modified by the changed variables which is how you get feedback. You can change buttons from on to off, change variable text, show images, link to any else you want. It all depends on your abilities of scripting html just like any website.

bcirrisi

I haven't done much more with that HTML module because I really didn't get an overwhelming response to it. But I did figure out a way to add images and use the CSS Buttons, which is capable with iPhones, Blackberry, and all HTML browsers.

I was avoiding developing an iPhone app, because Blackberries are still outselling iPhones, and I wanted what every I developed to be capable with all the smart-phones (iPhone, Blackberry, Androind, Windows Mobile). That way, we develop one app that a client can use from any PC, MAC, or smarthphone... I just hate managing multiple pieces of software, applications, and installation processes, etc.... Embrace the Cloud!

mpullin

ericmedley wrote: »

I'm going to try and research making iPhone apps and see if I can make something that looks and feels more like an AMX thing. 2-way comm. etc...

Yo, I'm doing the same thing now actually. Trying to learn that iPhone... this is going to take some practice... I'm reading "Beginning iPhone Development: Exploring the iPhone SDK" by Dave Mark & Jeff LaMarche and I can recommend it so far.

vining

bcirrisi wrote:

I haven't done much more with that HTML module because I really didn't get an overwhelming response to it.

I don't think most people realize its potential. I can't wait until I get some time to work with this approach. It never dawned on me that it would be this simple.

bcirrisi wrote:

was avoiding developing an iPhone app, because Blackberries are still outselling iPhones, and I wanted what every I developed to be capable with all the smart-phones

I agree and think that's a better approach than developing specific apps. I've never worked things from this direction so do these modile devices send resolution or ID parameters in their header when opening a connection to the master that can be parsed and used to determine which html form to use. That would allow us to include a specific section of html code that will draws a web page for that specific device.

PhreaK

vining wrote: »

I agree and think that's a better approach than developing specific apps. I've never worked things from this direction so do these modile devices send resolution or ID parameters in their header when opening a connection to the master that can be parsed and used to determine which html form to use. That would allow us to include a specific section of html code that will draws a web page for that specific device.

They don't send a resolution but you can grab the browser from the header info and form there figure out if it's a iPhone etc. I've finally got my hands on an iPhone so have been starting to look at app development for that. One of the most appealing features is that it gives you a very nice bit of touch hardware that can be held in one hand and can also give haptic feedback (via vibration). Albiet basic it is there and with access to that in addition to much nicer gestural support you can create interfaces that don't require you to be looking at the screen to operate it. By utilizing gestural based input to create non 'point and click' interfaces (such as Dennis Middeke's fantastic interface concept - http://www.sapdesignguild.org/community/readers/reader_gesture_nav.asp) it becomes a lot more confortable to use touch screen control for areas where you're visual attention is likely to be elsewhere, such as within home theatres etc.

Auser

vining wrote: »

You could also look at this thread if you haven't already:

http://amxforums.com/showthread.php?t=5329

bcirrisi posted a module for mobile devices and it you're familar with HTML you can easily create an interface and connect to it by point a url to an html file on a master.

[...]

Hmmm, I can't get to this thread. Is it in the ACE area? Could someone please repost Brian's module so I can have a look at what it's doing?

yuri

try this, probably doesn't work:

http://amxforums.com/attachment.php?attachmentid=1144&d=1237991443

vining

You might have more fun w/ this one!

http://www.amxforums.com/attachment.php?attachmentid=1491&d=1248384710

And the thread it came from has some pictures and possibly other useful info, well maybe not but it does have pictures.

http://www.amxforums.com/showthread.php?t=5329&highlight=Mobile+web

Auser

Thanks guys but no go. I can only assume that these threads are in the ACE area as I get a message telling me I'm denied access when I follow any of the links...

bcirrisi

Here is the version I posted, and my notes;


I created a module for controlling AMX stuff from a mobile device via a HTTP page. I've been using it for several months now at my house, and would like see it furthered developed. Since I don't have time for that, I am giving it away in hopes that all of you will add on/tweak/optimize it and keep posting it in back in the forums.

- This module has been tested on BlackBerry and iPhones.
- Provides up to 50 Button presses.
- You can change the title, labels, and buttons to say anything.
- There are no web-pages, it send the HTML data directly to the web-browser.
- It's password protection is not encrypted, so it isn't the most secure thing.
- I recommend using port 80, since that is the only port that most cell phone carriers allow. If you do us port 80, you must change the NI web port to something other then 80 (ex. port 83)
- Will work on a computer based web-browser (ex Firefox, Internet Explorer).
- The control is broken into sets. Each set has a title and at least one button, refer to the documents included.
- The pages must be refreshed to get any data updates on it.

Good Luck!

vining

Here's some pics to go along with the code to show what the html will look like.

I keep forgetting the ACE restrictions and since I'll be blind soon enough I'll have to stop posting in the exclusion zone.

Auser

Thanks gents, much obliged. I'll be looking at this with great interest this afternoon.