Premise minibrowser with support media-devices

[flobik]

Hi everyone!

Who knows, there is minibrowser with support media-devices (reciver, tv etc...)?

 

[123]

Minibrowser is Premise's browser-based user-interface for non-Windows-based devices. It is a simplified, and feature-restricted, version of AutomationBrowser.

Xbrowser is a module written by Rob Brun that is based on Minibrowser but offers far more functionality. You can extend other modules so that they are supported by XBrowser (i.e. I added XBrowser support for the XML Weather module). I believe XBrowser provides some support for media devices. You can download XBrowser from the old support forum and check it out for yourself.

 

[flobik]

No =(
It doesn't support standart media devices. it's a great pity.

 

[chucklyons]

Minibrowser is Premise's browser-based user-interface for non-Windows-based devices. It is a simplified, and feature-restricted, version of AutomationBrowser.

Xbrowser is a module written by Rob Brun that is based on Minibrowser but offers far more functionality. You can extend other modules so that they are supported by XBrowser (i.e. I added XBrowser support for the XML Weather module). I believe XBrowser provides some support for media devices. You can download XBrowser from the old support forum and check it out for yourself.

I don't recall the developers name (but initials are DSR) mod'd Rob's XBrowser (I believe its called custom browser) which enhanced the playing of MP3s by displaying a large view of the cover when an 'album' is selected. Hopefully, the image I've attached will give you some idea of what it looks like. If 123 has a pointer to it, I'll let him add the url; if not, I can upload the .xdo

 

[flobik]

chucklyons, basic minibrowser is support select mp3 for playing too. But, i need control devices roughly so that:

 

[chucklyons]

I have started to do some things with the XBrowser....it's not high on my list...so for instance...

I added the temperature to the Xbrowser (leveraging 123's tip) by extending the xbrowser/globalscripts/g_xb and adding the following..'tStr' picks up the temp from the changes made in the AutomationBrowser/DateTime module.

Output = Output & "</FONT></STRONG></TD><TD align=right border=0>"
 Output = Output & "<FONT color=""white"" face=""Tahoma"" size=""3""><STRONG>" & tStr & "</FONT></STRONG>"

You'll see the temp on the title bar, off to the left side, under the date/time...

I have started doing a little bit on the control side of things, as well. I have kept fairly content driven, so changing channels, mute, volume, etc, I am able to do with the 'key' features of the Xbrowser. You'll see I have the channels as the key buttons (if you will)

As the attached pic will show, I have added 'guide' and 'exit' to the browser interface. Using the custom folder function, I added 'guide' and 'exit', which normally shows up as text. I am starting to work out the location and shape aspects, as you can see on the left side of the pic...

Again, just starting, but take a look at the pic. I'll throw things onto the forums as I make my incremental advances....

I do agree, however, that having that capability would make Premise extremely advanced, and cost effective, for control of home audio and video....

 

[etc6849]

chucklyons, basic minibrowser is support select mp3 for playing too. But, i need control devices roughly so that:

I've tried xbrowser and none of my devices show up? I only see macros and the normal play buttons. Is this because under modules/plug ins I copied original selectors and controls to new controls and selectors folders for all my devices? I ended up doing this so I could change button locations, add new buttons, etc and not affect future receivers, dvd players etc that I add to my system.

Any ideas of what my issue could be or what I need to do?

 

[chucklyons]

If I am following what you are saying...you have loaded xbrowser and you're not seeing media devices like receiver, etc? If so, thats because the way xbrowser/minibrowser etc is done. why, they didnt add device functionality, Im not sure..I have half hearted toyed with it. Again, if you set it up right, it gives you a lot of basic functions (play, stop, skip, volume, etc...for channels (ie, TV), I have the content provider for TV. It then tunes to the channel when I select the image for the channel

You can look at the the light example (sys://Schema/Modules/XBrowser/Classes/xbLightEx)... Then also look in globalscripts g_xb to see that to add a device you need to define it in the function g_xbisValidObjectType(obj)

				if obj.IsOfExplicitType("sys://Schema/Device/Lighting/Lighting") then
					bIsValid = true
				else

This should give you some idea(s)...123 feel free to correct me!


Or I may be all wet

 

[etc6849]

Thanks Chuck,

I definitely did not add any code to xbrowser. I only imported xbrowser. I'll give this code a try. It would be very useful and neat to get all my devices to display on my ppc, phone etc...

Cheers,

Ellery

If I am following what you are saying...you have loaded xbrowser and you're not seeing media devices like receiver, etc? If so, thats because the way xbrowser/minibrowser etc is done...i.e. here is the light example...my comments are underlined, I hope...123 feel free to correct me!


Output = g_xbRenderHeader() this is what creates the bar at the top


Output = Output & "<TABLE width=100%><TR><TD><CENTER>"
Output = Output & "<BR><BR>"
if this.PowerState = true then
strImage = "Power On.gif" This points to the location of the 'Power On.gif' (set in the Globalscript)
else
strImage = "Power Off.gif" This points to the location of the 'Power On.gif' (set in the Globalscript)
end if
Output = Output & g_xbGetAnchor("xbTogglePower", strImage) xbTogglePower is the method under xbLight
Output = Output & "<BR><BR>"

set bright = nothing
on error resume next
set bright = this.FindClassProperty("Brightness")
on error goto 0

if bright is nothing then
Output = Output & "<FONT color= """">"
end if

if not bright is nothing then This is the part that displays the brightness value

Output = Output & "<BR><BR><DIV>"

brightness = CInt(this.Brightness * 100)

Output = Output & "<FONT color=""yellow"" size=""50"">"

Output = Output & brightness

Output = Output & "%</DIV>"

Output = Output & "<BR>"
Output = Output & g_xbGetAnchor("xbDimDown", "ArrowDown.gif") Points to the dim down method and displays the arrow.gif
Output = Output & "&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;"
Output = Output & g_xbGetAnchor("xbDimUp", "ArrowUp.gif") Points to the dim down method and displays the arrow.gif
end if

Output = Output & "</CENTER></TD></TR></TABLE>"

Output = Output & g_xbRenderFooter()

method.xbRenderPage = Output

So if youre trying to display devices, you have to create a new xb_class and define it in the Function g_xbisValidObjectType(obj) under globalscripts/g_xb

				if obj.IsOfExplicitType("sys://Schema/Device/Lighting/Lighting") then
					bIsValid = true
				else

 

[chucklyons]

If you can add a device to the xbrowser, you may become the new leader of the Premise cult

 

[123]

... the new leader of the Premise cult

The "Premised One"!

 

[chucklyons]

For the last hour I've been trying to come up with something clever.

I can't. 123, you win!

 

[etc6849]

I wish I was "the one." Maybe after I die and come back to life, but for now I'm a Premise newbie

I think what confused me was post #5 that has a screen shot of a DVHS device under xbrowser. I don't think the code to make and locate the buttons would be hard if one was really good at object oriented code (they are just gif files and locations are stored under their selector), but I'm not sure about how triggering a button would work. However, given that the media center buttons show up just fine, I think it should be possible. I'd guess the media center buttons use the GUI ID or something like that to trigger things.

For the last hour I've been trying to come up with something clever.

I can't. 123, you win!

 

[123]

Automation Browser uses SysConnector, a proprietary ActiveX object that provides real-time, bi-directional communications between the browser and the Premise Server. SysConnector runs exclusively in Internet Explorer under Windows and some old versions of Win CE.

MiniBrowser and XBrowser (a derivative of MiniBrowser) do not use SysConnector and work on almost any device equipped with a browser. They use simple HTML coding; no ActiveX objects, no JavaScript, no CSS, no XMLHTTP, nothing fancy like what's found in Automation Browser (AB). However, the Premise team never bothered to provide MiniBrowser with all of the functionality found in AB. XBrowser adds more functionality but still falls short of AB. Nothing prevents a determined Premise user from adding the missing functionality provided he/she has knowledge of HTML and an understanding of how XBrowser operates.

 

[flobik]

Automation Browser uses SysConnector, a proprietary ActiveX object that provides real-time, bi-directional communications between the browser and the Premise Server. SysConnector runs exclusively in Internet Explorer under Windows and some old versions of Win CE.

Hi =)

Can we rewrite this ActiveX object on AJAX? I think, it's not so difficult, if we know, what request SysConnector send to server.