The Joggler hub and the new graphics haven't materialised yet but I'm almost ready to go with beta 4 now, likely this weekend. I stll have a few code bits and quite a lot of documentation updates to do.
I'm slowly getting better at Flash and this new version supports loading custom external multistate button images in either SWF, JPG, GIF or PNG format as well as your own backgrounds, transparency is supported. Using external images does impact the startup time however.
Buttons can be layed out in a grid or at any x.y position you want and can be any size (or shape) .Overlaps are supported to use larger buttons as backrounds etc. Lots of new button modes.
You can also now create multiple pages, each with their own backgrounds and then buttons that navigate between them, these can either replace the existing page or you can popup smaller pages on top of existing ones for use in situations like Caller ID , external PIR activations or a specific lighting set within say the room page 'Kitchen' etc. Mutually exclusive button groups and pages are automatically handled for you by creating 'group' entries in the XML file.
It's getting very capable now - and this should run on any Flash capable device and within a browser too - if you allow the security options. You can do an awful lot of customisation via the XML config file now without having to own Flash. Owning Flash will be most useful for any scripting of device interactions however. The XML config file of necessity is far more involved now but I hope still fairly easy to customise.
At startup synchronisation occurs but any absent devices are periodically polled for a while too ensuring best validity of the state display. You can define your own xAP messages within the XML that are sent on button on/off too - useful for non BSC schema devices. BSC text devices are supported too.
Most of the further work will be around improved graphic images and requested features as it does most of what I need now - actually much more than I originally anticipated it would be able to do . The core functionality is all there and just extra aspects liked popups that display for a fixed time etc to add. but I still need to address the level based devices (dimmers) using a popup slider and a better slider graphic. I shall probably look at supporting the xap-audio schema too - as used by SqueezeCentre etc. Drop down lists or some other selection device have been requested too.
I need to think carefully now about the general layout and operation of the user interface - likely a set of page navigation buttons (rooms) along the bottom and some functionality buttons down the side (heating/lighting/security etc) but screen estate is at a premium on this device.
Unfortunately I haven't sussed the sound gremlin - sounds works for a few hours/days but then go crackly - it may be a memory leak issue or even a Joggler bug... not sure.
Arrgh - it's getting light again ZZzzz
K
Originally Posted by Kevin
