Additional action of sendhttp with programs

[bdlhome]

This would be especially useful for me but I'm sure it would be useful for other who also want the ISY to be able to communicate with external programs.

 

My request would be for the ISY to have the ability to send an http url as an action within programs. In my case it is for integration with programs I have written myself but I’m sure it would have multiple uses. In the example below it would move a Pan Tilt Zoom camera to preset 01 ( see http://www.bdlcam.com )

 

Example:

 

If

     …

Then

     Sendhttp  ‘http://bdlhome.dyndns.org/cmd=pres01’

Else

     No Actions – (To add one, press ‘Action’)

 

Any thoughts/chance of this being considered?

 

thanks

Brian

[Michel Kohanim]

bdlhome,

 

Yes, absolutely and in 2.8 (Triggers 2.0).

 

Does your application run on a PC?

 

With kind regards,

Michel

 

This would be especially useful for me but I'm sure it would be useful for other who also want the ISY to be able to communicate with external programs.

 

My request would be for the ISY to have the ability to send an http url as an action within programs. In my case it is for integration with programs I have written myself but I’m sure it would have multiple uses. In the example below it would move a Pan Tilt Zoom camera to preset 01 ( see http://www.bdlcam.com )

 

Example:

 

If

     …

Then

     Sendhttp  ‘http://bdlhome.dyndns.org/cmd=pres01’

Else

     No Actions – (To add one, press ‘Action’)

 

Any thoughts/chance of this being considered?

 

thanks

Brian

[bdlhome]

 

Yes, absolutely and in 2.8 (Triggers 2.0).

 

 

Great, look forward to playing with that.

 

Does your application run on a PC?

 

Yes it runs on windows based PCs and allows remote control of various serial base devices. It started with PTZ cameras (and hence the name http://www.bdlcam.com/ ) but now also includes LED signs, video switches, X10 devices, onscreen video overlay devices and Rain8 x10 sprinkler control. I had started to play with supporting Insteon but the ISY99 is a much better solution.

 

kind regards,

Brian

[Michel Kohanim]

Hi Brian,

 

Very nice! I wonder what it would take to port your application into an embedded platform! I am specifically very interested in hot spot/motion detection and transcoding (to different client types).

 

With kind regards,

Michel

 

 

Yes, absolutely and in 2.8 (Triggers 2.0).

 

 

Great, look forward to playing with that.

 

Does your application run on a PC?

 

Yes it runs on windows based PCs and allows remote control of various serial base devices. It started with PTZ cameras (and hence the name http://www.bdlcam.com/ ) but now also includes LED signs, video switches, X10 devices, onscreen video overlay devices and Rain8 x10 sprinkler control. I had started to play with supporting Insteon but the ISY99 is a much better solution.

 

kind regards,

Brian

[aLf]

Sign aLf up too. I'd be willing to beta if you have something to work with. I have several Panasonic cam's and the idea of my lighting and the cam's interacting are phoenomenal! Post an email link when you have something.

 

aLf

[bdlhome]

Very nice! I wonder what it would take to port your application into an embedded platform! I am specifically very interested in hot spot/motion detection and transcoding (to different client types).

 

I don't know what it would take but happy to have a chat about it. The motion detection is fairly basic but works well. It works by storing RGB values of a grid (configurable for every 1-30 pixels) and then compares to the next frame looking for a change above a certain tolerance. A couple of initial concerns with porting would be the processor intensity of the reading and comparing and also because I'm using calls to existing MS APIs (like DirectX etc) for some of the graphic manipulation.

 

I've never really played with embedded hardware, a few years back I was looking for an excuse to play with the Basic Stamps but never really came up with a project.

 

Best regards,

Brian

[aLf]

Brian:

 

Do you own the bdlcam software? I went to the site and unfortunately it shows that Panasonic cams (531 & 581)are not supported . Any plans for them? Also if you do, would it be possible to have the cam move on a schedule? Currently the Panasonic cam software will not do any tilt-pan movements via a schedule. That would be very cool for FTP'ing and picture storage for security!

 

Thanks for showing us this software. I await your integration of Insteon, That will be really a neat addition to trigger lights on with movement . Nosey neighbors no more with this technology.

 

Regards,

 

aLf

[bdlhome]

 

Do you own the bdlcam software?

 

 

Yes I'm the author of bdlcam

 

I went to the site and unfortunately it shows that Panasonic cams (531 & 581)are not supported . Any plans for them?

 

If I understand which cameras you have up until this point there has been little need to support those devices because they were already network enabled devices. What my software does is really take a video conference camera which can be obtained really cheaply on ebay and turns it in to something very similar to the Panasonic cameras you have. I could take a look at the spec and see if I could create some form of gateway to the Panasonic network enabled cameras.

 

Also if you do, would it be possible to have the cam move on a schedule? Currently the Panasonic cam software will not do any tilt-pan movements via a schedule. That would be very cool for FTP'ing and picture storage for security!

 

Bdlcam already has some macro and scheduling capabilities but with suggestion of the ASY being able to trigger BDLCAM and vice versa the possibilities are virtually endless. The AYS could turn on some lights and call a macro on BDLCAM that would move through a set of presets taking jpg stills and then trigger ASY to turn the lights off (etc) and send a txt message.

 

As soon as Triggers 2.0 is available I will get a demo up showing some of the possibilities.

 

best regards

Brian

[Michel Kohanim]

Brian,

 

Thanks so very much for the information. I am not an expert in image processing but it makes an extremely compelling case to have network enabled video server which is

a. Inexpensive

b. Works with inexpensive cameras

c. Has motion detection capabilities (with web services apis)

d. Is standalone

 

I would be delighted to talk with you and see what we can do to help. If interested, please send an email to tech@universal-devices.com and we'll setup a call to discuss further.

 

With kind regards,

Michel

 

Very nice! I wonder what it would take to port your application into an embedded platform! I am specifically very interested in hot spot/motion detection and transcoding (to different client types).

 

I don't know what it would take but happy to have a chat about it. The motion detection is fairly basic but works well. It works by storing RGB values of a grid (configurable for every 1-30 pixels) and then compares to the next frame looking for a change above a certain tolerance. A couple of initial concerns with porting would be the processor intensity of the reading and comparing and also because I'm using calls to existing MS APIs (like DirectX etc) for some of the graphic manipulation.

 

I've never really played with embedded hardware, a few years back I was looking for an excuse to play with the Basic Stamps but never really came up with a project.

 

Best regards,

Brian

[d_l]

Michel,

 

Would this new capability to send http links in Triggers 2.0 also have the capability of sending/replying/responding with IDs and passwords? Sort of a built-in cURL-like (libcurl?) capability in the ISY?

 

The ability to send http links within my network to allow the ISY to communicate with and command my other networked devices would be fantastic, but as most of them require ID/password authentication before any useful commands can be sent, just sending http links will be less useful if ID/passwords can't be sent before the commands.

 

Thanks for any info about this.

[Michel Kohanim]

Hi Dave,

 

I don't think we'll do anything with form based authentication mostly due to the complexity. On the other hand, there's a very good chance that we'd support Basic HTTP Authentication (header).

 

Thanks and with kind regards,

Michel

 

Michel,

 

Would this new capability to send http links in Triggers 2.0 also have the capability of sending/replying/responding with IDs and passwords? Sort of a built-in cURL-like (libcurl?) capability in the ISY?

 

The ability to send http links within my network to allow the ISY to communicate with and command my other networked devices would be fantastic, but as most of them require ID/password authentication before any useful commands can be sent, just sending http links will be less useful if ID/passwords can't be sent before the commands.

 

Thanks for any info about this.

[aLf]

I'm only chiming in on this because, outside of my ISY, my next love is webcams. I know that my Panasonics have excellent software which enables veiwing. My hope would be that somehow a trigger from ISY could communicate a command to the camera, possibly zoom or pan the cam then initiate pictures. IN the other direction, a command (say motion) on the camera could send and order to ISY to turn on lights in parts of the house. This would be a HUGE step forward in the security level of my home. Any thoughts from either Michel or BDLHOME?

 

Thanks,

 

aLf

[Michel Kohanim]

Hi aLf,

 

Yes, precisely. The only issue is that for motion detection we would need a solution sort of like that of BDLHome's ... I am hoping I could discuss this further with him and see where we go from here.

 

With kind regards,

Michel

 

I'm only chiming in on this because, outside of my ISY, my next love is webcams. I know that my Panasonics have excellent software which enables veiwing. My hope would be that somehow a trigger from ISY could communicate a command to the camera, possibly zoom or pan the cam then initiate pictures. IN the other direction, a command (say motion) on the camera could send and order to ISY to turn on lights in parts of the house. This would be a HUGE step forward in the security level of my home. Any thoughts from either Michel or BDLHOME?

 

Thanks,

 

aLf

[aLf]

Michel & BDL:

 

I will (anxiously) await the outcome of your programing expertise! I know I'm in good hands. If there is a will, there will be a way. As always, I'm a great guinea pig for beta help.

 

Warm Regards (at least for a couple Wisconsin months),

 

aLf

[Michel Kohanim]

Hello aLf,

 

Thanks so very much for your vote of confidence. Still waiting to hear back from bdlhome.

 

With kind regards,

Michel

 

Michel & BDL:

 

I will (anxiously) await the outcome of your programing expertise! I know I'm in good hands. If there is a will, there will be a way. As always, I'm a great guinea pig for beta help.

 

Warm Regards (at least for a couple Wisconsin months),

 

aLf

[bdlhome]

 

Thanks so very much for your vote of confidence. Still waiting to hear back from bdlhome.

 

With kind regards,

Michel

 

 

Michel: I have just sent you an email so hopefully we can find time to talk.

 

To anyone interested: I don’t know if I’m going to have the time or expertise to develop (or help develop) an embedded platform but I’m certainly willing to explore the option. What I am committed to at least doing is making the PC based version of BDLCAM play nicely with the AYS with the introduction of Triggers 2.0. For those that already have standalone webcams (such as the Panasonic network cameras) if communicating directly from the AYS to those camera via Triggers 2.0 becomes challenging (based on authentication or other potential issues) then I am also committed to making BDLCAM a gateway to those devices. So the AYS could communicate with BDLCAM and then BDLCAM can take care of the camera controls. One advantage of the gateway approach is that BDLCAM already supports multiple cameras of different types and the communication to the BDLCAM is consistent regardless of camera type (as long as the camera supports a particular function).

 

Best regards,

Brian