XBMC Cntrlr for iPhone [Under Development]
#1
I am working a remote app for iPhone. It would only support the new JSON API and will not be supporting the HTTP API[which is going to be deprecated anyway]. Currently it supports Movies and TVShows along with a remote. I would be adding music support in the coming week. I plan to upload the app into the store in a couple of weeks from now. I have tried to make the app as user friendly as possible. If you feel something can be done in a better manner, suggestions are welcome. Please note that the app is iPhone only at the moment. I am not allowed to post attachments. Will upload screenshots as soon as I get the permission for the same.

Some screenshots on Flickr.

http://www.flickr.com/photos/anil_smp/se...502571509/
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#2
I look forward to screenshots
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#3
Total rip of XBMC Commander app.
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#4
FSS_Dawid Wrote:Total rip of XBMC Commander app.

Yeah. You are free to call it that.

Infact, I purchased a copy of XBMC commander. I didn't like a lot of things about it. So I am making an app which fixes those issues and try to make things better for myself and few others who want the same. If you don't agree, thats fine and you can stick with XBMC commander. If you think, Bookshelf view was original check iBook app from apple. The wallpaper I have used is a license free photoshop work available online. I am not particularly impressed with the wood look and I might change the wallpaper in the final version. The same goes with the artwork used for the DVD cover. Google for it and you will get them license free from those generous souls who have designed them. I have also used plenty of open source frameworks like ASIHTTPRequest, WEPopoverController as they all make the job easy for me and not reinvent the wheel. Thats the reason I was able to pull this app off in a couple of weeks time. Also, the information you can display along with the movies, TV shows at various levels of UI has to do with the JSON APIs and the way they are structured. I would be lying if I said XBMC commander didn't influence my app.
But then calling it a total ripoff? Really?
But then it doesn't do real time filtering, sorting. Does it? Also, navigating away from your shelf view each time you want to change genre, sort etc was not good. I didn't like the detail view as it didn't display the information I wanted.
I provided a remote with a D-pad and its a rip-off too as XBMC commader has a remote. It doesn't matter if it is a gesture based one.
And XBMC servers have to be configured right? So providing them also is a ripoff since XBMC commander has done it already? Smile

But again, you are fee to have your opinion and call me a ripoff.
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#5
"Found nothing that did it the way i liked, so i did one myself - and hell, maybe someone likes it too, so why not make it available"
Thats exactly how i started off with xbmc commander.
If it means anything to you: You got my blessings.
Welcome aboard! Smile
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#6
grywnn Wrote:"Found nothing that did it the way i liked, so i did one myself - and hell, maybe someone likes it too, so why not make it available"
Thats exactly how i started off with xbmc commander.
If it means anything to you: You got my blessings.
Welcome aboard! Smile

grywnn. Thanks mate.. I really appreciate the effort you have put in the XBMC commander. Its without a doubt one of the best apps I have bought till date. But again, you know how we developers think Smile I am happy that we think alike and your wishes mean a lot. Thanks again. Smile
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#7
I think I like your approach, It's always good to try and take something good and make it better.

I'm actually more interested in the controller itself, I'm not too fond of XBMC's modular interface, been using it for a month and I still get lost.
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#8
Please make the remote configurable, ala XBMC remote. I've been looking for a replacement for XBMC remote for a long time, but the all apps have the remote waaaay too crowded, or tiny and unuseable. Yours looks like its headed in the right (imho) direction (though I'd love to see a context menu button).
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#9
Glave Wrote:Please make the remote configurable, ala XBMC remote. I've been looking for a replacement for XBMC remote for a long time, but the all apps have the remote waaaay too crowded, or tiny and unuseable. Yours looks like its headed in the right (imho) direction (though I'd love to see a context menu button).

Could you elaborate on what customization means? I tired looking up videos. Is it just that you can delete and add buttons at specific pre-defined locations? Or can you also change the location of these buttons? A pointer to a video that shows this would be great. It looks like a good idea and I will see if I can implement it in this app. About the context menu, yeah I will keep it in mind. The remote is still not complete Smile So wait for some more surprises. This is just the beginning.
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#10
anil.smp Wrote:Could you elaborate on what customization means? I tired looking up videos. Is it just that you can delete and add buttons at specific pre-defined locations? Or can you also change the location of these buttons? A pointer to a video that shows this would be great. It looks like a good idea and I will see if I can implement it in this app. About the context menu, yeah I will keep it in mind. The remote is still not complete Smile So wait for some more surprises. This is just the beginning.

You can hit edit, and then you can actually move any of the elements around. You can hit + and a list of all possible elements opens up, select one, and then you can place it on your remote as well. It also support 'pages' for the remote, as in you had your main remote, then you could swipe the screen and it would flow to the next one which may have some lesser used commands available for you.
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#11
Glave Wrote:You can hit edit, and then you can actually move any of the elements around. You can hit + and a list of all possible elements opens up, select one, and then you can place it on your remote as well. It also support 'pages' for the remote, as in you had your main remote, then you could swipe the screen and it would flow to the next one which may have some lesser used commands available for you.

I downloaded that app and checked it out on an older version. It is pretty nifty. I will try and investigate if it is possible to provide this feature in first version. It shouldn't be hard to do. Will definitely be a top priority. It would be quite useful as each can decide whats important for himself and reconfigure the remote. One thing though is that I guess the buttons will all have to be squarish. Otherwise one button may interfere with another's boundaries.
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#12
I agree, this is exactly what is missing from the current crop of available xbmc remotes (I bought all of the ones currently available). The biggest missing feature set from all of them that i really miss is the ability to fully replicate the functionality of using a physical keyboard for controlling xbmc. Especially on the iphone, I don't personally use any of the library features i just want to be able to easily navigate all of xbmc menu's, context menu's etc (like displaying buffer and playback info from pressing "o" on a keyboard) from my phone Smile
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#13
The app now supports Music library through album view. The albums can be sorted by 'Year, Rating, Name, Artist'. The view is consistent with the Movies view. Genre filtering also can be done as in the Movies through the 'Filter' popup menu. Its working quite ok now.

I still haven't implemented the group by artist view. I was thinking about implementing a coverflow in portrait mode. It would work something like this. You see a list of all artists(in pics with titles or just lists). When you click on the artist, a row gets added into the bookshelf or list view with a coverflow view with all the albums. Then you navigate further from there in the usual manner once an album is selected. Any suggestions welcome on this. I look forward to some interesting ideas.
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#14
"Any suggestions welcome on this. I look forward to some interesting ideas."
Take a look at Ipeng, its a squeezebox controller (squeezebox software is free, but the app is about 6 quid). I use this and its a really nice way to browse and control music, especially in a multi room setup, its specifically for squeezebox hardware and their 'virtual player' software. I don't use XBMC for my music, but some implementations / ideas could be borrowed. With Ipeng you can stream to the Iphone, this may be of value to some users if it can be made to happen.
I use XBMC Commander and Constellation for my video and pictures..Both are very, very, good.

Some thoughts, purely personal opinions

D-pad is better than gestures.
A means of launching the XBMC program is missing from both, not a biggie to me, but requested elsewhere.
Picture viewing is basic on both and could be improved.
I'd like some means of showing more than just ratings, I'd really like duration and cert'n flags.
Commander handles box sets in Dharma 10.1, Constellation requires a nightly build for this to happen, not exactly sure why......
WOL button on Commander is pretty obvious, on Commander you have to look for it.

Overall, I prefer the feel of the Constallation app, but Commander has better functional implementation at the moment. I really like both, it has to be said.

Okay, nothing major here, more like some itches to scratch. FWIW if you make a nice app, I'd probably buy it, I've bought Commander and Constellation to show my support, I use them both on phones and a pad.

Good luck Anil, I look forward to seeing what you come up with.
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#15
anil.smp Wrote:I downloaded that app and checked it out on an older version. It is pretty nifty. I will try and investigate if it is possible to provide this feature in first version. It shouldn't be hard to do. Will definitely be a top priority. It would be quite useful as each can decide whats important for himself and reconfigure the remote. One thing though is that I guess the buttons will all have to be squarish. Otherwise one button may interfere with another's boundaries.

I managed to put up a basic prototype of a customizable remote. Resizing and removing/adding buttons on the remote is possible now. I was thinking, Is there a need to allow multiple instances of the same button to added in different pages? XBMC Remote allows that. But, is there a use case? Or one button - add once is enough?
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