Topic: Easiest way to get Infocast to control lighting, etc through Vera UPNP

Just wondering where I should start and any help is appreciated.

I have a VEra from micasaverde.com controlling my house and I would love to use the Infocast as another control point.  All of the devices in Vera (lights, thermostats, locks, etc) are available and exposed via UPNP commands.  Should I be using flash-lite to write a chumby app or...?   again I am new so any help is appreciated.

Re: Easiest way to get Infocast to control lighting, etc through Vera UPNP

Shady wrote:

Just wondering where I should start and any help is appreciated.

I have a VEra from micasaverde.com controlling my house and I would love to use the Infocast as another control point.  All of the devices in Vera (lights, thermostats, locks, etc) are available and exposed via UPNP commands.  Should I be using flash-lite to write a chumby app or...?   again I am new so any help is appreciated.

I don't know anything about Z Wave devices but the micasaverde description of Vera looks very interesting.  You may have brought them a new customer :-)

My first approach would be to run a web browser (see wiki.chumby.com) on my Chumby/Infocast and access the built-in web server on the Vera. At a guess, the Vera web pages are too busy for our small screens, but I still think this is a good place to start if only to show that the systems talk to each other.

Once I understood how the Vera exposes functions through its web server, I'd start thinking about what I would want my flash applets to do.

I don't think I'd want to start accessing devices directly via UPNP. That's too low-level for my blood. I'd have to know too much about how each device worked, where it is, etc., and the Vera has already got that intelligence built in.

As always, your mileage may vary.

Regards,
Kent

Re: Easiest way to get Infocast to control lighting, etc through Vera UPNP

Thanks for the reply.  I did run the browser method that is stickied here and it worked pretty good, the only real issue being the vert scroll bar was too narrow for finger operation.  I was using a stylus for a while and it worked quite well.  I just had to reboot infocast with the thumb drive and usb keyboard attached each time I wanted to access the home automation page.

You can operate stuff through http commands too, so that might be easier to integrate into a flash app.  Infocast would be the perfect bedside control point if there was  an app for this, I'd wake up to monitor real temp readings in the house, operate the heater scene just to knock the chill off the air, check google calendar/traffic/weather/ip cameras, etc.  Jump up and get ready for work.  Once my wife saw something like that she would want one too.  Mi Casa Verde is currently working on a flash lite app for internet based TV's, so it shouldn't be much of a stretch for them to port it over to Infocast, or better yet make an Infocast specific version (but they are too busy at the moment).

If I was to try and make a simple control page would it be easy for me to upload to my Infocast account, or do I have to go through Chumby approval?  Some of the apps look pretty lean, so I assume the review process is pretty lenient.

Re: Easiest way to get Infocast to control lighting, etc through Vera UPNP

Anyone can upload a widget - the only approval process is if you want the widget to be "public".

There's no approval required for "private" widgets, which are available only to you and any "friend" (née "chum") you "send" the widget to.

The best way to implement a normal widget is by making HTTP requests from Flash.

Re: Easiest way to get Infocast to control lighting, etc through Vera UPNP

Thank you Duane,

It has been a while since I developed in Flash, but I am anxious to jump back in.

Re: Easiest way to get Infocast to control lighting, etc through Vera UPNP

Any update on this?

Re: Easiest way to get Infocast to control lighting, etc through Vera UPNP

No update from me.  I haven't had a chance to look at it yet.  It should be very easy for someone who is versed in Flash Lite.  Vera exposes all of your "devices" in the home and makes them available through HTTP commands.  The only issue on Chumby/Infocast is screen size, so I thought it should be a simple interface with 4 button that correspond to 4 scenes in Vera.  Then in set-up you can just put in your scene numbers for each button and maybe a scene name.   Simplicity is the key, unfortunately I am still swamped and haven't had an opprotunity to try this.  Let me know if anyone else is game.

Re: Easiest way to get Infocast to control lighting, etc through Vera UPNP

UPDATE:  I have written a simple test widget that fires off scenes in Vera.  It has four buttons that are currently hard coded to 4 scenes.  It runs fine and works well everywhere but in the Chumby/Infocast.

Any suggestions are welcome.

Re: Easiest way to get Infocast to control lighting, etc through Vera UPNP

I gotten the thing to work with a vera.    It's more convoluted than it has to be, since it isn't obvious to me how to get crossdomain.xml file served from the vera.   But, with the Panel Builder App on the chumby, a local webserver, and the Basic Mobile Web Interface plugin on the vera, you can construct something to fire off events.   Send me email if you need more detailed info.

10 (edited by jpitts 2011-11-20 17:40:26)

Re: Easiest way to get Infocast to control lighting, etc through Vera UPNP

Can you share your code, I'm trying to get this working as well.

Re: Easiest way to get Infocast to control lighting, etc through Vera UPNP

I did something similiar though running an application in Linux or same application via RDP to a W2003 box.  Basically chrooted the Chumby such that it boots into X windows.  From here installed Mono and SDL for the application to run via Linux.  I also installed RDP such that I could run the application off the RDP server.  Works well.  This application is a touch screen front end for Home Automation controlling X10, UDP, Z-Wave and Insteon.  I have posted pictures of the configurations here somewhere.