I created a HeaterMeter Android App! You can create one too! Pics inside


 
J

Jason J

TVWBB Fan
So, I would LOVE to have a really nice Android HeaterMeter app that was built specifically for Android. I was thinking of maybe doing it in Adobe Air which would make it cross platform compatible for iOS/Android/Mac/Linux/PC. I am not a coder- I am a project manager and have good ties to outsourcers who can build it. However, I dont want to drop the money alone (if some people are interested in getting this made and want to split cost, let me know) on this so I came up with the next best thing.

Using a service called appsgeyser.com, I created an Android App that wraps my HeaterMeter URL into an Android app. There are a few advantages over this than just doing it in a browser. You get a nifty App icon and can have easy one click access to the HeaterMeter home page. Its dedicated outside the browser, so you dont need to have that open and can multitask and switch between it easier. I set the app to put the orientation automatically in landscape mode as it fits the page better.

Unfortunately, this app is for info purposes. Just like on the Chrome browser for Android, I cannot manipulate anything on the main screen. The touch areas just don't work. I can, however, login to the config and the bottom and do what I need to do there.

If you want to create your own Android app, go to appsgeyser.com and build a free one. Input the URL for your HeaterMeter (I suggest you setup and use the internet address one on the HeaterMeter). Upload an optional icon. I have attached the one I made for the application. Make sure to chose horizontal for the orientation. PLEASE NOTE: Each HeaterMeater app made will be specific to you only as it uses your URL to make the app.

Here are some screenshots and the 72x72 icon.

android1.png


android2.png


android3.png


heatermeter.jpg
 
Pretty cool. I just got my HeaterMeter put together and immediately wanted an Android app, so since I've got some free time I started writing a native one. I'm a C++ programmer so I'm new to Java and Android, but it doesn't seem too hard. I've already got it connecting to the JSON feed and graphing the temperatures, and I'll make sure to share it if I get it to a state where it's usable.
 
Colin Bonstead said:
Pretty cool. I just got my HeaterMeter put together and immediately wanted an Android app, so since I've got some free time I started writing a native one. I'm a C++ programmer so I'm new to Java and Android, but it doesn't seem too hard. I've already got it connecting to the JSON feed and graphing the temperatures, and I'll make sure to share it if I get it to a state where it's usable.
Click to expand...
I would like to try it when your ready to share!
 
Colin Bonstead said:
Pretty cool. I just got my HeaterMeter put together and immediately wanted an Android app, so since I've got some free time I started writing a native one. I'm a C++ programmer so I'm new to Java and Android, but it doesn't seem too hard. I've already got it connecting to the JSON feed and graphing the temperatures, and I'll make sure to share it if I get it to a state where it's usable.
Click to expand...

SO excited for this. You do not understand! Sometimes I wish I went the programmer route instead of becoming a project manager.

One thing I would love to see in an Android app is the ability to sound and alarm if a condition is met. I.e. if the pit temp gets over XYZ temp ect. I have been working with Tasker to sound an alarm if a text message is received from the heatermeter. So far I am having some issues getting Tasker to differentiate between a regular text vs one from the HeaterMeter. It would be much better if this was native to the app.

Another cool feature is if it could take a screenshot of the graph and upload it to box or dropbox so we can share.
 
Jason J said:
Just like on the Chrome browser for Android, I cannot manipulate anything on the main screen. The touch areas just don't work.
Click to expand...
The touch areas only work if you are logged in.
the wiki said:
Active regions indicated in green on the example image are interactable. Anything that changes configuration requires you to be logged in.
Click to expand...

A good way to make sure you're logged in if you want that, is to make your bookmark http://xxx/luci/admin/lm/home/ which will prompt you for a password before the first screen is shown.

Finally, Android will let you place a bookmark as an application shortcut on a home screen if that's all you want. It does not show in your list of Apps and you can't task switch from the browser to it (because it is in the browser already) but for those looking for a light and easy solution, there ya go.
 
Jason J said:
One thing I would love to see in an Android app is the ability to sound and alarm if a condition is met. I.e. if the pit temp gets over XYZ temp ect. I have been working with Tasker to sound an alarm if a text message is received from the heatermeter. So far I am having some issues getting Tasker to differentiate between a regular text vs one from the HeaterMeter. It would be much better if this was native to the app.
Click to expand...

I've been playing around with the Android app Handcent SMS . It has the capability to change ringtones (or even alarm) based upon the text originator. From what I've seen it looks promising.

https://play.google.com/store/apps/details?id=com.handcent.nextsms&hl=en
 
Alan Erickson said:
I've been playing around with the Android app Handcent SMS . It has the capability to change ringtones (or even alarm) based upon the text originator. From what I've seen it looks promising.

https://play.google.com/store/apps/details?id=com.handcent.nextsms&hl=en
Click to expand...

Well the problem with sending a text via ATTs email gateway, is it changes the sender number every time. It is in the format of "1410000027". It auto increments. If you look at the attachment, you will see what a text message looks like. So in the next message, the sender would be 1410000028, ect ,ect. So that messes up setting alerts based on the from.

heatermeter-alert.png
 
I've spent a couple days boning up on Android and Java and I've got something functional. It has a dashboard to show the current temps, and another page that replicates most of the graphing from the web page. There are a ton of cool things I could do with it, but I'm trying to get the basic monitoring working and fairly bug free, then I'll make a dedicated thread for it and put up a beta version.

For now though, check out this icon I mashed up from the Android mascot. It's like he was made to be turned into a BBQ.

ic_launcher.png
 
Colin Bonstead said:
I've spent a couple days boning up on Android and Java and I've got something functional. It has a dashboard to show the current temps, and another page that replicates most of the graphing from the web page. There are a ton of cool things I could do with it, but I'm trying to get the basic monitoring working and fairly bug free, then I'll make a dedicated thread for it and put up a beta version.

For now though, check out this icon I mashed up from the Android mascot. It's like he was made to be turned into a BBQ.

ic_launcher.png
Click to expand...

Cool man! I look forward to helping out with testing. I also like the icon you made up.
 
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