Programming using a Node Server Value not exposed in IDE

[landolfi]

 

The Blink node server has this variable:

${sys.node.n001_frontwalk.GV5}

whose value I would like to check in a program.

But even though the node server reports the value of GV5 in the AC, GV5 and other variables in the AC are not exposed in the node list that the IoX programming interface shows for that node server. Is there any way to check and react to this SYSNODE value from a program?  I think not but thought I'd ask anyway. The reason I thought it might be possible is the discussion below about using such values in email notifications.

 

 

[bpwwer]

GV5 is short for General purpose Value #5.   Not real descriptive.  So node servers will typically provide a human meaningful name that gets displayed instead.

If everything is done right in the node server, it's that alternate name that should show up in the programming interface.

Depending on how that value is being used in the node server, it may show up when selecting 'Status' or 'Control' in the programming interface.

Looking at the Blink node server code, it looks like it's a status value called "Motion Detected" with 3 possible values.  So in the programming interface, you should be able to do something like:

if status frontwalk Motion Detected is Motion Detected

I don't have the node server installed so can't provide a real example.  But the programming interface will use the "names" vs the internal variable.  The internal variable is only used in the various types of notifications.

Recent versions of node servers can now display the mapping between the variable and the name in PG3 under the node servers details "Nodes" tab.  I don't know if Blink takes advantage of this feature or not.

[landolfi]

On 10/22/2023 at 12:04 PM, bpwwer said:

If everything is done right in the node server, it's that alternate name that should show up in the programming interface.

I think this answers my question. I am trying to work around the fact that the GV5 variable does appear in AC as Motion Detected but the name does not appear in the programming interface and is thus unavailable as a program trigger. What I'd like to be able to do is use the motion detected status of the Blink cameras and I was hoping to do that with a direct reference to GV5.

[bpwwer]

It should show up.  The fact that it's not indicates something may be wrong with the node server.  The author @Panda88 I think, would need to take a look at it.

[Panda88]

On 10/23/2023 at 2:53 PM, landolfi said:

I think this answers my question. I am trying to work around the fact that the GV5 variable does appear in AC as Motion Detected but the name does not appear in the programming interface and is thus unavailable as a program trigger. What I'd like to be able to do is use the motion detected status of the Blink cameras and I was hoping to do that with a direct reference to GV5.

The issue is the motion detect is not representing if motion was detected - but rather it is the ability to enable or disable motion detection on the device.  I would love to add the ability to show motion detection, but there is no API for this - likely there is a call back as IFTT supports something like this, but I do not know how to implement this - remember the API used it not an official Blik API

[landolfi]

1 hour ago, Panda88 said:

The issue is the motion detect is not representing if motion was detected - but rather it is the ability to enable or disable motion detection on the device.  I would love to add the ability to show motion detection, but there is no API for this - likely there is a call back as IFTT supports something like this, but I do not know how to implement this - remember the API used it not an official Blik API

My mistake, I thought since the Blink app reports motion detected and the AC labels it as Motion Detected, it was truly detecting motion, but I see that it is not. The app reports motion but the AC doesn't, even if I query it.

[Panda88]

I should probably reword it to motion detection

Actually this is also no-longer supported by the API - I guess I should remove GV5 all together

Anyway, I am looking into using the latest API and maybe it will get reintroduced there again.

Using the new API is more work than I initially thought, but I'll keep looking at it when I have time 

Edited October 31, 2023 by Panda88