Jowi PictureRandom slideshow for HSTouch

[w.vuyk]

In 2009 I posted a script to enable a slide show on HStouch for HS2. The old thread is posted here

[sparkman]

Thanks for posting Wim!

Cheers
Al

[ZoRaC]

Do you know if this works when running HomeSeer on Linux? And HSTouch on Android?

[w.vuyk]

Never tested it on Linux. It might not work as you need the .NET drawing assembly and I am not sure if this available in mono. I guess you could try as vb scripts run on the Linux environment. It should work on Android, but you might need some fiddling on the method of refressing the pictur - it is in the documentation I think. But this all has been really long ago since I checked!



Wim

[ZoRaC]

Ok, thanks.
I thought about two other alternatives:
1. Run the android built in screensaver (with Google photo as source). Could trigger it from HomeSeer with Tasker.
2. I have a web server with PHP running on the HomeSeer-server. I could create a simple webpage that shows a random photo and refreshes with a “meta”-tag every 5 min. This could be displayed with an “isHTML”-element in HSTouch.

I’m unfamiliar with Android and haven’t received the tablet yet, but I think both these options should work as an alternative?

[Guest]

Ok, thanks.
I thought about two other alternatives:
1. Run the android built in screensaver (with Google photo as source). Could trigger it from HomeSeer with Tasker.
2. I have a web server with PHP running on the HomeSeer-server. I could create a simple webpage that shows a random photo and refreshes with a “meta”-tag every 5 min. This could be displayed with an “isHTML”-element in HSTouch.

I’m unfamiliar with Android and haven’t received the tablet yet, but I think both these options should work as an alternative?

You actually do not need Tasker on Android to run the screensaver. Simply run the Android "Day Dream" option. You can set how long the system waits until running the "Day Dream" program. Day Dream can be exited by pressing the back arrow, which would return you to HS Touch (or whatever was running before).

I also set my Tablet to remain on when on AC (you have to enable "Developer Options", a simple one time step).

[ZoRaC]

You actually do not need Tasker on Android to run the screensaver. Simply run the Android "Day Dream" option. You can set how long the system waits until running the "Day Dream" program. Day Dream can be exited by pressing the back arrow, which would return you to HS Touch (or whatever was running before).

I also set my Tablet to remain on when on AC (you have to enable "Developer Options", a simple one time step).

That sounds great!
I'll probably install Tasker anyway, to do other things (and perhaps add a “picture frame”-button in HSTouch too?).

[Guest]

That sounds great!
I'll probably install Tasker anyway, to do other things (and perhaps add a “picture frame”-button in HSTouch too?).

I use a floating digital clock myself, but there is a Day Dream screensaver Slide show app.

I use Tasker to automatically turn off the tablet, then later back on, at night or when no one is home.

[BeePee]

Hi Wim,

Thanks for a really great script, I have been using this for some years now and it has performed virtually flawlessly in that time.

I recently upgraded my HS box to a Intel NUC and was forced into a x64 install due to driver availability. Unfortunately this has broken my beloved Random Picture script. Something has gone pear shaped with the new (x86) addition to the Program Files folder. And my feeble attempts to fix it have not succeeded.

I get the following Warning Error. The foto dir etc is still the same but the error suggests one of the paths is wrong.

Image file does not exist, returning blank image: C:\Program Files (x86)\HomeSeer HS3\html\C:\Program Files\HomeSeer HS3\html\JOWI_PictureRandom\EEtopMain.jpg

Any help appreciated.

Regards

[w.vuyk]

What attempts did you try to fix it? Any lines in the scripts changed, or in the ini file? What is the value of the WebDirectory entry in the ini file? The directory mentioned here, has to exist in the HTML subdirectory of your homeseer installation directory... there is a good change you might have fogotten to recreate the directory after moving?

I have it here also still running, on a intel nuc x64 install. I did not really need to change anything so far.....

[BeePee]

After installing HS3Pro, to get the registry entries etc, everything else was copied over from a backup. All files were left in their original format from the previously working environment. From the ini file WebDirectory=JOWI_PictureRandom this is also what I tried to change to C:\Program Files\HomeSeer HS3\html\JOWI_PictureRandom but it complained about a error. Interested to hear you have it running on a similar setup. Also I can see the picture changing in the directory, but because of the error I think it breaks the event and HStouch doesn't get updated.

[w.vuyk]

The Webdirectory should stay at WebDirectory=JOWI_PictureRandom. It is pointing to the web location of the pictures, not the physical directory on disk. Als with HSTouch, you should point at http:\\[HS IP address]\JOWI_PictureRandom.

There should be no need to use the phyisical directory anywhere? The script takes care of getting the correct directories.

Wim

[BeePee]

Hi Win, thanks for the reply, but it was your original reply saying you were running on similar hardware that proved most useful. It caused me to do some head scratching which led to going through your comprehensive instructions in detail. I subsequently found the error in the Action When Released on the HS Touch side had not been updated to the new path.

All back to normal and working good now thanks.

B

[w.vuyk]

Great to hear! Glad it is resolved and proud it is still useful to others, even after 5 years (7 even with the first version). Still using it here every day.

Wim

[Thedude]

w.vuyk

Jowi PictureRandom stopped working for me after migrating HS4 from Windows 10 to Ubuntu. It doesn't produce any errors in HS4 log. Images are properly located in "Pictures" folder. I'm looking for the image with a browser at http://[hs4 server address]/JOWI provided that in the .ini file I do have this line WebDirectory=JOWI

Is there anything I can do to bring back this wonderful tool that I was using for 10 years.

Thanks