Android App ... need some feedback!

Guys,

I have released a new app for controlling C-Bus networks as I found the existing one too restrictive.

My app (myCB - my C-Bus) .. can communicate with CNI and C-Gate interfaces and can send commands to any device on any application on any network.

The free version (only one currently published) is restricted in the amount of units you can control, but should otherwise be fully functional.

The app can also import projects directly from a Toolkit XML file - to drastically reduce the amount of data entry requirement!

I am currently at version 1.2 that should be "mostly" bug free ... but there are a few things you can do to crash it (particularly where I have not completed all user entry checking!) ...

Feel free to have a look and pass comment back as you see fit ...

I am also working on an ongoing list of fixes and enhancements and will try to get an update out every couple of days until I am happy with the product and can drop to a less frequent release rate.

 

Where do I get the App?

 

Play Store

Hi Ingo, its on the Android Play Store ... just search for myCBfree ...

 

Can anyone else download this App? I can't find it on the Android Market. Perhaps it's bound to a specific region.

 

i had a look couldn't find it

like you say Ingo maybe it is bound to a specific region

 

found it

Easy to find using Google, here
not tried it yet
Dave

https://play.google.com/store/apps/details?id=au.id.harwoodfamily.myCBfree

 

Android version ...

Sorry guys, at this stage the minimum OS is v3.0 (API 11) ...

Are there many devices on client sites lower than this?

Adding support for devices before this restricts the ability for theming and tablets.

 

Hi,

I got the app just fine from the Play store, but I am truly battling to get it working.
Entered IP of a CNI, which I can access via PC o.k., but times out with the app. (I have disconnected with PC). It's difficult to get back to initial settings. Menu doesn't come up with anything.
Can't say this is an intuitive app, and see no help. Probably missing something(s).

Also, this free version allows only 2 locations and 2 groups. Seeing that there is no other version, this is certainly more restrictive than any other app.

At this point I don't see the point.

 

Is your android device on the same network as your CNI, or only on the mobile data network (or need to enable VPN, etc) ?

I hear your comment about navigation .. app is currently designed to meet Google's design criteria of using the back button and not having one on the screen like on the iPhones ... there are no menus in the entire app, all is driven by on screen buttons or the back button.

Navigation is ... opening the app will present you with a welcome if your configuration is blank - this will give you the option to add demo data or nothing.

The first screen to open is the "Location" screen ... if you have a location set to default, this will immediately be replaced by the "Areas" screen ... saving the general user a key click ... once I get the tablet updates working, this will be the central screen for all activity.

For the screens "Location" and "Area" selecting on the name of the item will take you to it - selecting on an icon will edit or delete as requested.

You can use the back button to go back from the controls to the areas and back again to the locations ...

on the locations screen, you can hit the edit tag button to edit the location, etc.

What is the point ??? there are no current offerings that are flexible for my needs ... ie they are restricted to the lighting app and very little else or require other specific hardware ... this one is developing a full understanding of all apps and can communicate with them via either a CNI or C-Gate (or maybe something else being developed in the background too!).

The restrictions you mention .. yes, they are there to develop a taste/allow beta testing and may be removed in a future commercial app that may or may not be released ... as it stands, the app can control 6 groups in 2 areas, if they are triggers to scenes, then more capacity.

 

Hi MadMal,

I connect my device via WiFi to my router, which in turn has the CNI plugged into it.
As mentioned, I tested access to the C-Bus network via Toolkit and that works fine. Then closed TK, and tried the app, but get no success.

Let me ask some questions, maybe I set up some things incorrectly:

Your app asks for the network name. I made that the same as the network name in TK.
It also asks for the project name. Again, made it as in TK.
Are those entries case sensitive, and must they match exactly TK case?In your app, one can tick "Default Location". What does that mean? I left it un-ticked.

If I go from Locations to Areas I land up in Controls. It then times out. Once I acknowledge that, I get the + sign to add a Control, which opens a C-Bus group field. There is nothing to add though.

 

Hi Mal,

It's a pity I can't run your app at the moment but here is a suggestion you can try if you want.

A while ago I helped another forum developer with one of his Web Access programs. My main focus was to get the Security Application working as well as the Enable Control, Trigger Control etc.

One of the areas I suggested an improvement was to load the actual XML file and from there get (almost) all the required setup information except IP I think. Everyone has Toolkit right? So if you have CGate then use that file, it has all your groups and names in there. See below, I just copied from his source:

$tagsfile = "C:\Clipsal\C-Gate2\\tag\\HOME.xml";

If the user doesn't have CGate then ask him all the questions like IP, Network etc.

The next step was to upload the Comfort/Minder Pro security config file. From here you could also get all the Groups used by the Security Application - no need for manual setup.

I hope it gives you a few ideas.

Oh, one more thing, see if you can 'Export/Import' your configuration. We 'techies' rebuild our phones regularly and there is nothing more frustrating than manually configuring all your objects over and over again.

Ingo

 

Toolkit import

Thanks Ingo, yes, it already has a feature for the XML import - Thomas, this may help you.

Thomas - as far as the project settings go, for the CNI they may no difference at all and could easily be just a "." character, for a connection to C-Gate, the project name must be the same as a project file on your C-Gate server.

Thomas - have you completed the network settings and entered IP address of your CNI, etc?

Sounds like I may have to finish off the Wizard I started to help the non-installers ...

Ingo - yes, the export function is high on my list of things to do - just getting more of the application communication and understanding coded in the app at the moment so it can give meaningful response back to the user as well as improve the XML importer (for example any group in the trigger application should be set to a momentary action .. bit harder in the Lighting app where a group could have any action and there is nowhere in the XML to define it as a group could be configured in one input device as an on/off and another as a dimmer!) ...

 

Hi MadMal,

Yep, all data were entered, and show up fine.
I have now imported my project (XML) and can comment as follows:
If you put it into root, it doesn't show. Maybe look at that as well.
So I placed it into a temp folder, then it shows.
However, since importing the XML file, the software stops the moment you go to an Area.
I thought it may be because my project is a 2-network project, and that the restrictions of the software cause it to stumble over that. So I loaded a single network project of one of my customers, but unfortunately the result remains the same.
Also made sure that I changed the connection properties in TK to match the CNI I use for this, and while it shows correct in your software, the result is the same.
Maybe restrictions? I don't have small projects which will fall within these limits. If that is the factor, I'll make one up later, but for now I'm out of time.

Last point: I read that your sw works for Android 3 and up. I am on 4.04, so this is not the issue, right?

 

There should be no issues with Android v4 .. all my testing is initially done with a v3 emulator and then on two v4 devices ...

When you do a toolkit import, the system will delete all configuration on areas and controls as it does a full replace of the project details - hence any previous configuration is outdated.

You should be able to go into Areas and add a new area and then into the controls and add respective controls.

There should be no problems with multi network toolkit files .. myCB should filter them out and just leave the local (254) network ... this is both a feature limitation and also technical limitation as I don't currently have a bridge to test remote comms before including it in released software!

 

Guys & Gals,

I have just released another update .. aside from many other updates, this one should now come close to meeting Compliance Level 4 for serial comms .... and aside from a little more application specific debugging, wont increase any further.

That means that it should now keep the screen updated for changes in CBUS group levels in you network on CNI connections

I have also increased the number of group tags from 3 -> 5.

I am still working on the C-Gate comms!

If you have any test configuration, it may be worth deleting it to have a look at the new intro screens .. more to come!

 

Another update!

If anyone is interested ... apart from playing with some nice 300t robots over the past couple of weeks, I have also just published to the Android Store a pretty well completely written application that now supports large format devices such as the Samsung Tab and bigger like the Asus Transformer, etc.

I am also reasonably happy with the two-way communication with CNI interfaces and this should now be fully updating the Android screen for any changes in lighting, enable and irrigation applications.

There may also be a full version of the app available on the store!

I have started work on the CGate integration and should have it out shortly.

Porting to IOS has also begun, so keep up the testing and feedback please.

 

Many changes ..

Guys/Gals ...

Not sure how many people here this affects, but there have been quite a few changes made that I would like tested, especially in complex environments!

I notice a lot of installs are still at release 2, 3, 4, 5 .. the current version is 2.1.2 .. release 14 and well worth an update and revisit!

Still looking for feedback, ideas and issues!

Mal.

 

hi all, sorry for re-igniting an old thread.. I've installed your app on my android MadMal and it works great.

Is there functionality in this app to triger scenes stored in my Cbus colour touch screen? I've tried to use Action Pulse (Trigger/Momentary Action), however I'm not sure about the addressing the app is asking for.

Each scene in my colour touch has a trigger control setup with a group address and action selector.

for example to turn all lights off I have trigger control 1 action selector 76.

Can your app trigger this action?

 

Hi Polerz ... I am pleased you did there has been quite a bit of activity behind the scenes, but no discussion!

The basic functionality is there, but there currently released version does not allow you to enter the action selector detail.

I am just in the middle of some major rewrite to finalise the ability to be able to manage multiple devices and make it easier to get the config file to mobile devices - this was due out last month, but I got side tracked and now I have to learn the "best" way to program a few eDLT's for a job that needs to go to site next month ...

I will bring this feature up the priority list and see if I can get it out in the next week or so - I might PM you before as a beta tester if that is ok as I will be on the road and wont have a CBUS system to test it with ..

 

MadMal, I'd be more than happy to complete any Beta testing you require. This is a great app and I can see alot of hard work has been put into it by yourself (and not to mention it's free!).

It'd be doubly awesome if you could incorporate the action selector detail. This would complete the app, in that it will be able to control every function in the domestic world through the CNI.