Radio stations display list

[doublejj0305]

I'm trying to view radio display list using HSTouch. I only see the options for artists, albums, playlists, and genres. Is there a way to get this to show up? I would like to create a Pandora button that displays all my Pandora stations. I'm new to homeseer and still have a lot to learn. This plugin has worked perfectly except for this part.

Thanks

[dcorsus]

I'm trying to view radio display list using HSTouch. I only see the options for artists, albums, playlists, and genres. Is there a way to get this to show up? I would like to create a Pandora button that displays all my Pandora stations. I'm new to homeseer and still have a lot to learn. This plugin has worked perfectly except for this part.

Thanks

Because the built in Music Device functions in HSTouch doesn't support the concept of radio stations, I grouped them with the playlists so they will show up with a prefix "Radiostation: " or in case of Pandora it will be "Pandora - ".

If you were only interested in the radio stations and you don't care for that navigating behavior that HSTouch provides with their music listbox, you can drop a listbox onto a screen and populate the listbox calling

Public Function LibGetRadioStationlists() As System.Array

When you select a radio station you would have to call

Public Sub PlayMusic(ByVal Artist As String, Optional ByVal Album As String = "", Optional ByVal PlayList As String = "", Optional ByVal Genre As String = "", Optional ByVal Track As String = "", Optional ByVal URL As String = "", Optional ByVal StartWithArtist As String = "", Optional ByVal StartWithTrack As String = "", Optional ByVal TrackMatch As String = "", Optional ByVal AudioBook As String = "", Optional ByVal PodCast As String = "", Optional ByVal AddTrackToQueue As Boolean = False)

and pass the radio station name in the "Playlist" parameter.

Note: Specifically for Pandora, go to the Config page of the plug-in (Sonos Config button @ top of HS devices/status screen) and select Learn Radio Stations. Don't forget to save, once turned on, each time you visit a Pandora station, the plug-in will add the info to its local data base and then you can select them.

Hope this helps, maybe more complex then you bargained for but welcome to HomeSeer

Dirk

[doublejj0305]

Because the built in Music Device functions in HSTouch doesn't support the concept of radio stations, I grouped them with the playlists so they will show up with a prefix "Radiostation: " or in case of Pandora it will be "Pandora - ".

If you were only interested in the radio stations and you don't care for that navigating behavior that HSTouch provides with their music listbox, you can drop a listbox onto a screen and populate the listbox calling

Public Function LibGetRadioStationlists() As System.Array

When you select a radio station you would have to call

Public Sub PlayMusic(ByVal Artist As String, Optional ByVal Album As String = "", Optional ByVal PlayList As String = "", Optional ByVal Genre As String = "", Optional ByVal Track As String = "", Optional ByVal URL As String = "", Optional ByVal StartWithArtist As String = "", Optional ByVal StartWithTrack As String = "", Optional ByVal TrackMatch As String = "", Optional ByVal AudioBook As String = "", Optional ByVal PodCast As String = "", Optional ByVal AddTrackToQueue As Boolean = False)

and pass the radio station name in the "Playlist" parameter.

Note: Specifically for Pandora, go to the Config page of the plug-in (Sonos Config button @ top of HS devices/status screen) and select Learn Radio Stations. Don't forget to save, once turned on, each time you visit a Pandora station, the plug-in will add the info to its local data base and then you can select them.

Hope this helps, maybe more complex then you bargained for but welcome to HomeSeer

Dirk

Got it working by play list! I'm a little lost when you say "and populate the listbox calling" and "When you select a radio station you would have to call"
Thanks

[dcorsus]

Got it working by play list! I'm a little lost when you say "and populate the listbox calling" and "When you select a radio station you would have to call"
Thanks

The Music template that is provided with HSTouch is a combination of existing elements and some logic built into it, which on one hand makes it easy to use but on the other hand it is limited to the functions that the HS folks built into it.

What I meant is that you can create some of this by using its discrete components. For example, the basic building block is a list box that you load with information. Once loaded you can use filters to shows parts of it, you can use events like select to select something and do something with it (check YouTube videos, there might be some on use of a listbox). So the scripts you would have to create is to call the Plug-in to generate a list of radio stations, have these fed into the listbox, then when the user selects an entry, the radio station name would have to be passed into another call to the plug-in to play the actual selection.

If you are new to HS and not familiar with scripting, you might want to stay with the functions that were provided by HSTouch. As you seem to indicate, you have already figured out how to play a radio station.

Dirk

[ColdZero]

This is exactly what I'd like to do, but I'm a little unclear on the process. When I want to populate the listbox with the radio stations, where do I call that function from? Is that in HSTouch or in homeseer itself?

I'm sure this has been answered before on the forums, but I'm kind of stuck since I don't know exactly what I'm looking to do so I don't know what to look for.

I see stuff in the documentation about running scripts when a selection is made, but I can't find anything about using a script to populate a listbox.

Any help or a direction to look in would be really appreciated.

[dcorsus]

This is exactly what I'd like to do, but I'm a little unclear on the process. When I want to populate the listbox with the radio stations, where do I call that function from? Is that in HSTouch or in homeseer itself?

I'm sure this has been answered before on the forums, but I'm kind of stuck since I don't know exactly what I'm looking to do so I don't know what to look for.

I see stuff in the documentation about running scripts when a selection is made, but I can't find anything about using a script to populate a listbox.

Any help or a direction to look in would be really appreciated.

Hi ColdZero,

I assume you are thinking about building something with HSTouch designer, correct? If not and you are thinking about "regular" webpages, look at the SonosControllerMusicPage.aspx file for guidance. You can find this page in the <hsroot>\html\Sonoscontroller subdirectory.

If it is HSTouch designer; in Designer you would go to the Element's "other" tab and drop a "List Box" on your page. You would then have to populate the list box, I'm no expert on HST Designer but suggest you search on respective forums as to how to populate the radiostation list and how to link an action to a click on a list item. You would have to call the following procedure in the plug-in to get a list of they radio stations (search for it in the .aspx file to see how)

Public Function LibGetRadioStationlists() As System.Array'Returns a list of all RadioStations in the system.

I hope some other can chime in on how they have populated list boxes.

Dirk

[chubafelix]

skipping through stations

Having installed and used this Sonos plugin, i am happy to say it does most of what another (written earlier) Sonos plugin did with one exclusion.

The ability to load a radion station or playlist from the available and then skip through them as if skipping through tracks. Another words a way to play radio stations and playlists which do not require the names of each station or playlist.

reason:
radiostations and playlists change relativly frequently. This is why in Sonos software you can create custom playlists or save favorite radio stations. Given 5 radio stations and 5 playlists, it is very convinient to cycle through them with a very simple UI such as wall button (which does not do any graphics or text).

question:
I understood that you can write a script that builds an array into which i can read in the current list of radion stations and playlists. Then i would have to script a way to FIFO through this array, get radio station name and pass it to your plugin to play. This way i understand. Is there an easier way to cycle through favorite radion stations, simpler then the above script?

Thanks
Felix

[dcorsus]

question:
I understood that you can write a script that builds an array into which i can read in the current list of radion stations and playlists. Then i would have to script a way to FIFO through this array, get radio station name and pass it to your plugin to play. This way i understand. Is there an easier way to cycle through favorite radion stations, simpler then the above script?

Thanks
Felix

Hi Felix I'm going to have to noodle on this one. First question: how do you cycle through radio stations, would you have some event which would stop current radio station and you would start the next? Second question: for the playlists, would you expect some script or plugin function to automatically start playing the next playlist once the current has finished playing?
I'm I correct that you would like to have a "next" / "previous" "button" for radio stations and playlists? Does that mean you would assign specific buttons on your wall panel or would they have double meanings (meaning next song but somehow also next radio station)?

Dirk

[chubafelix]

Dirk, your last comment was correct.
I have numerous Sonos installations and in each installation i have 8 button insteon light switches. In the past i have written some scripts that use these buttons to control specific Sonos zones. So, i don't need to link or unlink zones and i don't need to monitor track names, album art, etc.
THe function of these buttons includes:
Transport: play, pause, stop, next, prev.
Rendering: volume up down
Loading of Zoneplayer local playlist.

In all three cases i use the same two buttons to perform
- track next, prev
- vol up, down
- load next prev.

There three functions are defined by state of other buttons on this switch.

Thus, all of what i need is already available in our plugin, accept the loading of local playlist. My interest is limited to just two types: radio stations and user created playlists. In SONOS both are finite, for example 5 radion stations as favorites and 5 playlists created in Sonos software.
THe idea is to load ANY of the 5 radio stations from this list and when next radio staion is called, zone player is loaded with the next radio station of the 5 favorites. This coudl work up or down, circular.

my users find this to be most convinient way to initiate music without booting up their iPADS, etc.

There is also another ask which I believe is doable as well.

Many of my users have enjoed the function of announcement. For example, while music is playin in Living Room, a phone call comes in. HomeSeer executes a script to announce this call (with caller ID) via speaker client. This speaker client is connected to one of the zoneplayer inputs. my script connects living room to this input and plays the called id message.

the missing functionality in your plugin is as follows:
the music which is in Living room zone player, should pause and stay in the local queue. After i have connected living room for announcment, i would like to resume playing the music in living room queue. THere is no way to do thsi now that i am aware of.

THanks for your great work, very appreciated.
Felix

[dcorsus]

Thus, all of what i need is already available in our plugin, accept the loading of local playlist. My interest is limited to just two types: radio stations and user created playlists.

Felix, how good are your scripting skills? If you look 3 posting up above (http://board.homeseer.com/showpost.p...92&postcount=6), you see the method to be called to get all radiostations, there is a similar one for playlists and you can find all of these in the help file. You would have to call the method on occasion to have the latest list, store the last item you have been playing, then select the next and issue a "play" method to play it. Would be more than happy to help you with it if you are interested.

There is also another ask which I believe is doable as well.
the missing functionality in your plugin is as follows:
the music which is in Living room zone player, should pause and stay in the local queue. After i have connected living room for announcment, i would like to resume playing the music in living room queue. THere is no way to do thsi now that i am aware of.

This is basic behavior so either you uncovered a bug or you may not be using the plugin as designed. Could you describe how you issue announcements? If in doubt, check the help file how to do it or some of the multiple postings that you find on this bulletin board under PI-Sonoscontroller(3P).

Cheers,

Dirk

[chubafelix]

Dirk, thanks very much for your support and especially for a great plugin. I was able to get announcments working. Overall, I very much appreciate the well written plugin you are providing.
Well, since my intentions are to fully integrate your plugin into my existing systems, its time to press on...

couple of issuse:

Every time i do the TTS link as per your example i get this:
11/22/2011 1:47:04 PM Event Running script and waiting: SonosTTSWait.vb11/22/2011 1:47:04 PM Error 1 Running script SonosTTSWait.vb :method not found

Also, how do i set the TTS volume? I believe this is different then ZonePlayer volume, right?


on the radion stations and playlists, i need to spend more time.

Thanks again, very much.
felix

[dcorsus]

couple of issuse:

Every time i do the TTS link as per your example i get this:
11/22/2011 1:47:04 PM Event Running script and waiting: SonosTTSWait.vb11/22/2011 1:47:04 PM Error 1 Running script SonosTTSWait.vb :method not found

Also, how do i set the TTS volume? I believe this is different then ZonePlayer volume, right?

[dcorsus]

on the radion stations and playlists, i need to spend more time.

Thanks again, very much.
felix

Hi Felix, quick question. Did you have two sets of buttons in mind, one for next/prev radio station and another one for prev/next playlists or did you expect the whole list to be a mix of radio stations and playlists?

Dirk

[chubafelix]

reply to radion stations, playlists. yes, these could be separate radion stations and separate playlists buttons.
f

[chubafelix]

another quick question, how do you clear the current queue of zone player?
thx, felix