Nice looking web interface?

[asteinmetz]

I'm building a new house attached to an old (small) one. I love the idea of touch panels for control of security/lights/music. It seems silly to pay $2k-ish for a touch panel when stuff like the Nokia N800 is around. The Nokia is a cheap ($400) Linux-based WiFi touchscreen internet tablet. Looks good, feels good, too. The browser support Macromedia Flash 7.

A lot of the home control software has web access, a lot has a pretty front end and a lot of it is customizable but getting it all together seems tough.

Mainlobby needs a windows client so that's out.
Maestro works on the web but is not customizable.
Homeseer w/o Maestro is not pretty.
CQS might do it but I can't tell.

Is there a front end/back end solution that might be suitable? I'm not afraid to do a little scripting or HTML coding.

My preliminary thoughts are to go with a professionally installed Elk M1 security system then add on DIY home control with Z-Wave. I could hardwire in the new house but it seems less messy and simpler to put together a Z-Wave network. I already have dozens of cable runs for the network, speakers, cameras, etc.

Thanks for any comments. I've learned tons from this site so far, but, as always, the more you learn the more you learn what you don't know!

 

[electron]

Someone in the CT chatroom is using the remote desktop client on that unit to connect to an XP machine, and run the windows CQC viewer that way. I assume this would work with Mainlobby as well.

 

[Dean Roddey]

I'm building a new house attached to an old (small) one. I love the idea of touch panels for control of security/lights/music. It seems silly to pay $2k-ish for a touch panel when stuff like the Nokia N800 is around. The Nokia is a cheap ($400) Linux-based WiFi touchscreen internet tablet. Looks good, feels good, too. The browser support Macromedia Flash 7.

You do get something for that money though. You get much better graphics, must more intuitive flow of screens and so forth. Though it's theoretically possible to get close with a web browser, it's not going to be very easy. Some of our folks are using those things as an RDP client, which is still a compromise, but a low smaller one.

http://www.charmedquark.com/vb_forum/showthread.php?t=4398

 

[IVB]

It seems silly to pay $2k-ish for a touch panel when stuff like the Nokia N800 is around. The Nokia is a cheap ($400) Linux-based WiFi touchscreen internet tablet. Looks good, feels good, too. The browser support Macromedia Flash 7.

There's actually a few folks using the N800 (and N770 which is cheaper).

CQC Thread #1 with pictures. Make sure you go to at least the next page too.

CQC Thread #2 with pictures

 

[DavidL]

"Mainlobby needs a windows client so that's out."
That used to be totally true but now not. MLServer3 (MainLobby's server) also supports HTML access to Mainlobby Server data and events. The problem is that you would need to code HTML to build a user interface today and there isn't a design interface to help you build that screen. The coding level is basic for a web developer, but not a piece of cake like designing the MainLobby flash client application scenes.

so, if you have some HTML background (some needed) then ML should still be an eligible offering. If you are building for a PocketPC sized device, there is an example that comes with MLServer that can be used as a base model.

EDIT: I see you can do some HTML...give Mainlobby Server3 a 30 day trial and give it a shot!

 

[Aaron]

A lower cost solution might be to use Girder... I'm looking at switching from Homeseer to Girder 5 (currently beta) since it should support all the same stuff I need that Homeseer does plus have a lot more FREE community support, unlike other communities where plug-ins & scripts cost $.

A Windows GUI front-end for Girder and other backends is NetRemote. Very flexible and easy to build & use... plus a lot less $ then other systems discussed here.

I'm not saying that the other systems are not as good or better (I do not know personally)... but they are several times the cost as Girder and/or NetRemote and bing a DIYer I like to save $ at the same time if I get the same functionality I require.

 

[ginigma]

You can use PowerHome. I've just started fooling around and building some web screens, which run on PH's built-in web server. After hearing about (and seeing) the N800, I'm seriously thinking of one of them for the coffee table.