Hey All,
New member here (but long-term lurker) introducing Smart Abode; a simple application for controlling a Vera UI5/UI7 setup via an Android phone and/or Android Wear smartwatch. Smart Abode has no other dependencies needed to leverage Android Wear functionality; everything is self-contained to the mobile application.
REQUIRED: A Vera UI5 or UI7 System and an Android Lollipop (5.0+) Device
Smart Abode’s current features:
Mobile:
- Choose between Local and/or Remote Access
- Retrieve status of light and dimmer switches
- Toggle light switches
- Execute scenes
- System polling to retrieve latest configuration
Watch:
- Retrieve status of light and dimmer switches
- Toggle light/dimmer switches
- Execute scenes
Smart Abode in Google Play store:
If you have any questions, feedback, etc., please feel free to reach out to me.
I second UI7 compatibility. Please! Hopefully Vera will read this thread and perhaps supply you a Ui7 unit for further development of what on looks to be a killer app for those of us with Android wear.
I downloaded the app and installed it on my LG G2 (running Lollypop) and connected LG G (square) watch. Been playing with it for the last 30 minutes and have a big smile on my face. Good thing I’ve been holding off on getting the Amazon echo as I doubt I’ll need that one any more with this app. A simple ‘Ok Google’ and ‘Start Smart Abode’ gets it started and I can control devices and scenes on my UI5 Vera from my watch simply by scrolling through the list and tapping. Since I wear my watch most of the time, it’s the perfect interface. And it keeps connection with my phone all over the house. Although at the farthest reaches, the watch app complains about connection to the phone but still switches the device on or off. Looks like a weak bluetooth link…
IP Camera support would be great! Preferably the Blue Iris plugin (me being selfish as that’s what runs my cameras)
So far the only con I have found is trying to locate the app in the play store with your direct URL. Smart Abode does not find it but Veracontroller luckily does. Also, I have to speak very clearly or Google does not recognize me stating Abode. English not being my first language.
I’m not sure what is going on with the Android Play store. Smart Abode should be searchable from both the regular Play store and the Wear-specific Play store. It may take some time for the app to propagate through their systems (I just uploaded it to their servers less than 12 hrs ago lol.)
In either case, I kind of designed it so that the Wear app is nearly completely autonomous from the mobile UI side of things. With the exception of initial setup, you should be able to use the wear app without needing to open the mobile app at all. If you ever need to update your Vera information (local/remote URL information/preference, credentials, etc.), you will have to do this in the mobile app. These preferences are stored on the mobile side, and leveraged by the Wear app (even when the mobile app is not open.)
Some small info regarding the Wear app:
- Every clickable action, returns the latest state data.
eg. If you select to toggle a light. The app will toggle the light and return the latest information regarding your Vera system.
There is no polling on the Wear side of things.
- To retrieve the latest information without executing an action, click the UI headers (“Lights” or “Scenes”.) This will trigger the Wear app to request this information
Some small info regarding the Mobile app:
- On initial opening, it will push the latest system information to the Wear app via Notification.
Let me know what issues you find. I’ve already found a few that I plan to address tonight. I wrote the mobile portion this past weekend, so there may be some bugs to flush out.
Ahhh yes. I completely forgot about Android 4.4W devices. It is currently set for Lollipop and up (5.0+.) I will update it to allow API 20 (4.4W+) devices this evening. I’ll have to double-check that I’m not using any new Lollipop specific APIs.
Sorry about that.
Hey all,
I made some changes and released a new version of Smart Abode (latest is 1.5.) To install, your device must support Lollipop (5.0+)
Android Mobile Updates:
[ul][li]Updated entire layout to support Google’s Material theme[/li]
[li]Cleaned up UI by adding room dividers for Switches and Scenes[/li][/ul]
Android Wearable Updates:
[ul][li]Some additional error handling and error confirmations[/li]
[li]Added default response time of 10 sec[/li]
[li]Scene view now includes room information[/li][/ul]
Just for reference, both the mobile and wear apps list their items alphabetically. The ordering starts with room, then name, followed by id.
I’ve attached some sample screen captures as well.
Thanks Randmness! I downloaded the app on my phone, and am getting an M360 shortly, so will test with that. I’ve experienced a few crashes, but when it works it is snappy. My biggest issue is that most of my lights are controlled with dimmer switches, and only on/off switches appear for control.
Thanks again, and keep up the good work. Looking forward to trying the Wear version.
Hey rbraun,
Thanks for the info. I am currently grabbing only the BinarySwitches, but will update the app this afternoon to support Dimmables (at least from an on/off perspective.)
I’ll try to update the both the app and watch to support the dimming functionality soon. The real challenge is how to effectively display this on the watch (given the small screen real estate.) I have some ideas though.
On my LG G watch, when the device name is 2 lines, when it is selectable (gets bolded) the bottom of the 2nd line goes over the top few pixels of the room name. Nothing that’s interfering with functionality. Just a heads up on a minor cosmetic appearance.
Now my watch can open and close my garage door. Gotta love it!
The update should be in the Play store. Your Dimmable device types should show up now and that layout issue should be resolved.
I played around with adding a slider to the watch interface, but the screen becomes too cramped to slide it effectively without tapping on something else (or changing the view entirely.) I’ll have to think of some other way to add it to the wearable view.
So I went ahead and updated my Veralite to UI7 last night. It doesn’t seem tooooooo bad (lol), but my ZWave setup is still pretty simple.
Over this weekend, I’m planning to integrate the app with UI7. I was playing around with the remote APIs last night, and I think I just about have them down. At this point, I’m debating on whether to make the UI7 functionality its own separate application, just from a maintenance standpoint.
Does anyone know what the time table is for sunsetting UI5? I imagine with the release of UI7, remote support of UI5 probably wont last forever. If it will be some time (years), I may just merge the two rather than create a separate application. Just not sure.
In either case, I’m planning to pick up zwave camera, and just installed a thermostat, so expect that functionality to hit soon as well.
Judging from the fact that Vera still has remote access for Ui4 users, I’d say UI5 remote access is probably going to be around for a while. You may want to PM Marc Shenker as he would be able to provide you with a more definitive answer.
I had to go back and re-write most of the data handling/communication side of things but I think it was for the better. It gave me a chance to refactor some things so now it should be more extensible for the future. I can understand why some people haven’t integrated with the UI7 APIs yet…it’s a pain lol.
Before posting the latest update, I downgraded my setup to UI5 just to make sure I didn’t break anything (I’m back on UI7 now.) Everything appears to still work on UI5 as it does now on UI7.
I have both a Ui5 and a Ui7 Vera 3. Unfortunately I see no option in the app (on the phone) to add or change a Vera. All I can find is ‘Update Credentials’. I must be missing something as it’s still talking to my Vera UI5.
Interesting. The app doesn’t support multiple systems. The new update should’ve prompted you to pick which one you would want to add. Did it do that? If it didn’t, perhaps double-check that there isn’t a pending update on the Play store. lastly, maybe delete and reinstall.
English not being my first language.