Haiku HaikuHelper 2.0 adds support for custom web interfaces

HaikuHelper 2.0 is coming very soon, and I just wanted to post about a very powerful new feature that we've added to the new web interface:


The entire automation user interface and experience for a home can now be provided by HaikuHelper using leading web technologies that will give your interfaces a huge edge over any other system.

You can develop your own interfaces and assign them on a per-controller basis. The interface is fully customizable, can be made up using modern technologies such as HTML5, AJAX, JSON or even Flash. Animations, full interactivity, live updates, even renaming of objects all takes place live on the interface and thus any devices connected to it (ie. in-wall touch panels, for example). The interfaces is usable both on local devices such as in-wall touch panels as mentioned, or remote devices. Its up to you how you want to use it, but the flexibility is there to develop full-fledged interfaces with amazing graphics, animations and a full set of features. Its also easy to take the default interface and modify it or brand it for your clients or home. But we urge you to be more creative and create some very unique interfaces. They can even easily be distributed for others to enjoy. This kind of flexibility is very new. You can now use HaikuHelper to run the entire system, both interfaces and logic. Or you can provide these services to your clients. You can even run multiple HaikuHelper installations for larger systems, etc. The entire system is designed to be as flexible as possible while staying easy to use and develop for.

The full API is documented in the usual Scripting Bridge API. The same properties and methods are available for interface design. Live updates are provided by HaikuHelper via a PULL API that is easy to work with.

The interfaces typically load in a fraction fo a second and allows instant use of the system. Updates can be done on the server-side (HaikuHelper) and they easily can take effect throughout all of the connected interfaces.

I know this is terse, but its such an exciting new feature that I wanted to let you guys know about it and hear your feedback. Can't wait to see what kind of interfaces our users come up with!

It all sounds very exciting but its starting to get a little blurry. Can you break this down to the component parts and your vision for how it all ties together? You started with Haiku which is essentially in iOS interface for the OmniPro. Then you added HaikuHelper which is essentially a background app running on OSX which added some additional capability. Now, with HH 2.0 you are adding all this web stuff and using the word 'interfaces'. Are you talking about a web interface running on OSX? You mention touch panels - that grays the line between a 'touch panel' being an iPad running straight Haiku and now a touch panel running this new stuff? What kind of touch panels are these? Are you talking about dumb touch panels like an ELO connected to a mac running Haiku Helper? Are you talking about some windows based panel connected to a mac? Remote desktop to a Haiku Helper machine? I think an overall architecture diagram may help here to see what you are really trying to do with Helper. Are you trying to turn it into a sort of full blown HA tool like CQC or Elve but essentially with only an OmniPro driver? Sorry, I'm just having a hard time trying to understand your vision.

Steve,

Its all about giving you options. You can add additional and very custom interfaces using HaikuHelper, and it can run on a touch panel or even an iPad or iPhone, if you wish. Or you can use the Haiku app on your iDevices. It depends how custom you want to go, that's all. You can use it as just a web interface or you can use it to run all of the interfaces in a home. You can use it to create multiple interfaces easily, one for mobile devices, one for the home's touch screens, one for just web browsers, one for just the living room, one for just the garage, etc. (or you can use the same one for all of these). You can create plan-type interfaces, etc. There is no limit really. Again, its up to you how you want to use it. By default, it includes a web-browser type interface for remote control and a Buttons menu example that is very easy to understand. We'll be adding more sample and useful interfaces in the future. With the technologies we are using, you can dream up and create any interface easily. It will be very useful for those installers who want complete control over the UIs for their systems and want them to look gorgeous.

Yes, any touch panel will work provided it has support for rendering modern web content. In fact, even that depends on what kind of an interface you want to create. Im sure it will scale even to older renderers.

Yes, its a full blown HA system, and yes, only for HAI controllers. The vision is simple, its a power tool for HAI installations -- it pretty much gives you unlimited flexibility in terms of automation logic, integration and interfaces.

Its up to the installer (or DIY user) to figure out what they want to use it for -- but the great thing is that the flexibility is always there to add more functionality as needed.

Look at it this way -- think up what it is you want to do (or ask your customers) and then see if HaikuHelper can do it, likely, yes And of course questions like these are very welcome here on the forums, I'll be glad to assist you.

Will Haiku helper integrate to existing GUI? I will use Bitwise controls GUi template and embed the javascript functions on each buttons that i want to use. Basically, Bitwise talks to Hai thru haiku helper

@Homeboy: Can you provide some more detail on what you want to do? I'm not 100% sure what products you are referring to and how you want to use them. Do you mean you just want to use the graphics from the Bitwise controls GUI templates?

Yes. I want to use the graphics. These graphics talk directly to the bc4 hardware and the bc4 can talk to your haiku helper using java script? Here is a link to bitwise gui http://www.bitwisecontrols.com/touch.php

@Homeboy: As long as the Bitwise Touch app allows HTTPS requests, it will work.

On another thread i asked for Haiku url scheme so i can just launch haiku from within bitwise Gui but that solution is not seamless. What i am thinking now is if it is possible to use bitwise gui templates and communicate to Hai by using haiku helper as a "gateway".

@Homeboy: HaikuHelper definitely can do its part, but it depends on whether Bitwise Touch can send the commands needed via HTTPS. In other-words, I don't know how flexible Bitwise Touch is, is it meant to do this sort of thing?

I just wanted to add that we are working on a "Getting Started with HaikuHelper" document that will cover many of these things as well. But please, post your questions, it will also help us ensure that we include them in the guide for others.

If you are trying to turn Helper into a full blown HA app then what are you doing regarding other major functions such as TTS, drivers for other devices, etc? If somebody is going to consider replacing their HA system like CQC, Elve, Homeseer, etc. there will certainly need to be alot more added to Helper, even if the interface will be left to more generic web technologies. Maybe I am misunderstanding and just need to wait and read the docs and look at it.

Steve,

TTS as well as speech recognition are already available in HaikuHelper, even in the current release. Other devices? We have support for most IP controllable devices, ie. via HTTP as well as serial devices, TED5000, most devices connectable to the HAI controller itself, etc. Of course we'll be adding support for more as users request. But with the flexibility the platform allows many devices are already possible to integrate with.

Remember the scripting and programming portion is not new to HaikuHelper, we're simply extending it further to now allow for interfaces as well.

Here's a shot of an interface that is a WIP -- this one is designed for touch.

[sharedmedia=gallery:images:443]

Has anyone made custom interface GUI for the haiku app? I would love to see examples for iPhone/ipad

The next version of HaikuHelper will allow creation of interfaces using AngularJS. It makes it a lot easier to work with and lets you do pretty much anything you can think of.