Sonos HS3 Poll

[dcorsus]

As you may have read by now, HS3 has been made available under NDA to developers.

I'm currently converting the Sonos PI to work under HS3. The good news is that HS3 provides some interesting new capabilities which should allow me to build more dynamic web control pages. The bad news is that I don't really see a way to automatically convert the HS2 settings to HS3, at least not all of it.

I'm confident I'll be able to port over your linkgroup settings, all your other Sonos PI settings, but the events/actions and devices will have to be recreated. It shouldn't be too much of a problem but unfortunately it won't be without some of your assistance.

So given that the user interface in HS3 is somewhat different, it does provide an opportunity to make some changes and not worry about backward compatibility. I wanted to post the question here on what you would like to see different or added. Note, the question is about the interaction of you or your script towards this plug-in. I can't design in new features that Sonos doesn't support like navigating content on paid services.

So use this thread to post things that you like and for sure would like not to see change, or things that you miss or don't like and would like to see change or added. One of the questions I'm mulling over is whether I should create more devices per player or less. Currently there are two per player.

Please add your comments, any comments are appreciated but if possible also state why that is important to you or how that would make your life better.

Cheers and happy new-year!

Dirk

[Mario23]

I have nothing specific to request as I have been very pleased with your plug in from the beginning. It's one of the most stable plug ins I've used.

I would say though that I think if we're able to get more out of it under hs3 then I wouldn't have a problem starting from scratch with the new plug in. I don't particularly think backwards compatibility is that important because to me, setting it up all over again isn't that hard. I've done it a couple of times now just rebuilding my entire hs computer and testing things out.

[upstatemike]

I agree, starting from scratch is no big deal so do whatever you have to to make the plugin better (can't think of what that might be however)

[manxam]

Glad to hear you'll be doing an HS3 plugin Dirk. Your Sonos plugin is one of my favorites and, while I really have a <strong>dislike </strong> for Homeseer these days I suspect I'll upgrade to HS3 in HOPES that they've added in all the little simple little things people requested over the years and fixed all the simple bugs.

As for your plugin, I see nothing that I'd like in terms of enhancements besides the enhanced web control which you say will come anyways.

Actually, perhaps I could ask for a general change in your plugins? Whenever you go into the settings of Sonos or DLNA and save the config it creates a new ini file and saves a backup of the old one. I have dozens and dozens of these old ini files that I keep cleaning up. Could you perhaps limit these as it's somewhat messy? I try to keep my HS folder clean of all old "stuff". In fact I recently pruned it from 400M down to 120M just by deleting old leftovers from plugins, ini files, temp files, etc. Makes it way easier to back up when upgrading (which has been happening a LOT lately with the recent .60 to .75 bug fixes rjh has been working on).

Ok, this has been long winded. Thanks for listening and keep up the good work

[dcorsus]

Actually, perhaps I could ask for a general change in your plugins? Whenever you go into the settings of Sonos or DLNA and save the config it creates a new ini file and saves a backup of the old one. I have dozens and dozens of these old ini files that I keep cleaning up. Could you perhaps limit these as it's somewhat messy? I try to keep my HS folder clean of all old "stuff". In fact I recently pruned it from 400M down to 120M just by deleting old leftovers from plugins, ini files, temp files, etc. Makes it way easier to back up when upgrading (which has been happening a LOT lately with the recent .60 to .75 bug fixes rjh has been working on).

Ok, here's the part where I go, consider it done

Actually the user interface in HS3 is very different, not from a user perspective but from a developer's perspective. The "Save" button actually went away and the whole backup business is a remnant from when I didn't trust my own code to not screw up the .ini file.

So at this point, you can consider that I'm designing out the backup file business.

Dirk

[mbdirtfarmer]

I also am not too worried about rebuilding my events from scratch.

I understand that there are many limitations with the hs2 music api, i can't believe you were able to get it to work as well as you did. Would it be possible to do any of the zone linking and unlinking from control webpages in HS3?

I will keep thinking of ideas but it is kind of tough to visualize where things are going with HS3 and what it will be capable of from a UI perspective.

Glad you are working on the port to HS3.

[jbbtex]

I think it would be handy to have a HS device for each Link Group to link, un-link the group.

[dcorsus]

I think it would be handy to have a HS device for each Link Group to link, un-link the group.

That already exists in today's version, no? Under the UPNP master there are buttons created for each linkgroup that you create.

Dirk

[dcorsus]

I also am not too worried about rebuilding my events from scratch.

I understand that there are many limitations with the hs2 music api, i can't believe you were able to get it to work as well as you did. Would it be possible to do any of the zone linking and unlinking from control webpages in HS3?

I will keep thinking of ideas but it is kind of tough to visualize where things are going with HS3 and what it will be capable of from a UI perspective.

Glad you are working on the port to HS3.

Just to make sure I understand, you would like to do it from own HSTouch created screens (which should be possible using scripts and the published methods) or as part of the HS webpage control?
Thanks for the suggestion
Dirk

[mbdirtfarmer]

Just to make sure I understand, you would like to do it from own HSTouch created screens (which should be possible using scripts and the published methods) or as part of the HS webpage control?
Thanks for the suggestion
Dirk

HS webpage conrol on the same screens as the music selection and control.

[jbbtex]

That already exists in today's version, no? Under the UPNP master there are buttons created for each linkgroup that you create.

Dirk

I should have included, "Toggle." I'm looking for an easy way to incorporate the linking of zones in HSTouch and preferably with just one button element. I know I could do it with scripting, but I'm lazy and it would be easier with individual devices.

[PosterBoy]

I am all for changing the plugin so that it takes advantage of the HS3 features over trying to keep it compatible with existing settings.

Thanks

[dcorsus]

I am all for changing the plugin so that it takes advantage of the HS3 features over trying to keep it compatible with existing settings.

Thanks

Thanks for the feedback.

The musicAPI is pretty much gone in HS3 so the PI is quite different. My current implementation is that there is still a single HS Device per player which shows the art work, track, album, artist and has all the control buttons (play, pause, stop, volup/down, vol left/right, loudness, mute, shuffle, repeat) and than there are many more status HS devices that will hold things like track, next track, album, next album, artist, next artist, albumart, next albumart, volume, balance, loudness state, mute state, repeat state, trackposition and tracklength.

So at this point, you should assume that when going to HS3, you'll have to recreate pretty much everything.

Dirk

[Christian]

I love your plugin in HomeSeer and if a redesign gives more options and a better interface I am more than happy to set it up from scratch.

Probably I will do this anyway with HomeSeer 3, cause at most times an upgrade leaves behind a lot of configurations that in the end will trigger all sort of complications.

Any screenshots or other new information you can share

[PosterBoy]

Any idea when the port might be ready for testing? No pressure or anything, but I wont make a serious attempt to start running HS until your plugin is ready

Thanks