Airplay?

[Rasmus7700]

Hello.
Is it possible to integrate a kind of Airplay in the SmartHome.py visualization? I think that would be awesome together with the XBMC interface

[2ndsky]

What exactly do you mean? You can use shairport on linux to turn your PC into an Airplay receiver. The Airplay sender sends a specific stream to the receiver, the receiver itself can not control what is played. The sender can be everything (every App e.g.). Because of that there won't be any possible implementation in smarthome.py or the smartVISU.

[Rasmus7700]

What exactly do you mean? You can use shairport on linux to turn your PC into an Airplay receiver. The Airplay sender sends a specific stream to the receiver, the receiver itself can not control what is played. The sender can be everything (every App e.g.). Because of that there won't be any possible implementation in smarthome.py or the smartVISU.

I mean something like this:
On a windows PC "AirFoil" manages to receive audio form any source on the PC, and then split it out to multiple Airplay Speakers - it does even support scripting, so it must be possible to make a script that enables/disables different speakers. Then i would like very much, to integrate this into the KNX installation, so either from a pushbutton or the visualization it would be possible to select speakers.

As it is now, it would be possible to start XBMC on another windows machine running airfoil. But then i think it would be very hard to make a script on the windows PC, that the Linux eib connected box, needs to send a signal to windows to execute script.

It seems like there's no good solution for multiroom audio a any KNX software, not based on airplay. There's solutions based on different expensive multiroom controllers.

[2ndsky]

There is an App called Airfoil remote which can control Airfoil but only on Mac, not on Windows. If you can provide an API description, how to control Airfoil on Windows or in general, then it should be an easy task to create a plugin or a logic for that.

[Rasmus7700]

There is an App called Airfoil remote which can control Airfoil but only on Mac, not on Windows. If you can provide an API description, how to control Airfoil on Windows or in general, then it should be an easy task to create a plugin or a logic for that.

Okay, that sounds very great if that would be possible.... I an get some documentation and examples on how the scripting part in Airfoil Windows works - is that what you mean?

[2ndsky]

At least, the Airfoil remote app can control the Airfoil software on Mac without any extra scripts. That means, that there is a way to control Airfoil. Questionable is only, if this interface is public available somewhere so that we can integrate it.

The other possibility would be to use the mentioned scripts. I don't know what is possible with them. They have to listen somehow to a network port or receiving HTTP requests.

[Rasmus7700]

At least, the Airfoil remote app can control the Airfoil software on Mac without any extra scripts. That means, that there is a way to control Airfoil. Questionable is only, if this interface is public available somewhere so that we can integrate it.

The other possibility would be to use the mentioned scripts. I don't know what is possible with them. They have to listen somehow to a network port or receiving HTTP requests.

I will try to find something for you. Thanks a lot so far

[Rasmus7700]

I will try to find something for you. Thanks a lot so far

After been in touch with Rogue Amoeba, i've got the following:

Rogue Amoeba - Under The Microscope » Blog Archive » Scripting Airfoil for Windows 3.4 (And Up)

They say that's what i need to control Airfoil Windows - hopefully that helps you - it would very great if that feature could be implemented

[2ndsky]

I said, that it is possible, not that I or someone else will implement that for you

At least the API is well documented. In my opinion you need to write a service in Windows JScript which acts as proxy. It should listen on a TCP port and translate all incoming data to the specific methods of Airfoil and vice versa. Then you need a sh.py plugin which has the same methods as the Airfoil API provides. This plugin connects to your own JScript service. Each time you call a method of the sh.py plugin it sends the request via TCP to the service, the service calls the method of the Airfoil API and sends the result back to the sh.py plugin.

This should be a good task to start python development
It's really easy, but I have not the time to implement a feature which I don't need for myself. And the lack of a Windows machine running Airfoil doesn't help. Or maybe you're lucky and someone else with the needed knowledge is interested in this and helps you out.

[Rasmus7700]

I said, that it is possible, not that I or someone else will implement that for you

At least the API is well documented. In my opinion you need to write a service in Windows JScript which acts as proxy. It should listen on a TCP port and translate all incoming data to the specific methods of Airfoil and vice versa. Then you need a sh.py plugin which has the same methods as the Airfoil API provides. This plugin connects to your own JScript service. Each time you call a method of the sh.py plugin it sends the request via TCP to the service, the service calls the method of the Airfoil API and sends the result back to the sh.py plugin.

This should be a good task to start python development
It's really easy, but I have not the time to implement a feature which I don't need for myself. And the lack of a Windows machine running Airfoil doesn't help. Or maybe you're lucky and someone else with the needed knowledge is interested in this and helps you out.

No - i didn't expect you to do the work of it - was just corius about if it could be done, and also how....
You gave me some hints to work with, i will try and see what i can do about it.

It was also a "hint" to know if i should start using SmartVISU, if it is possible to do this, it's very nice

[2ndsky]

With a open source software like sh.py and smartVISU, everything is possible

[Rasmus7700]

That's correct.... Just to ask for a clue:
Would a start not be, to make the scripts and check them on a windows machine.
Then after that program the proxy
And finally make some integration in sh.py?

[2ndsky]

First of all I would test the API of Airfoil on Windows and see how it works. Then I would implement them as a proxy. Maybe even with a http interface so that you can test it from every browser. If the proxy works, creating a sh.py plugin is no big deal then.

[Rasmus7700]

First of all I would test the API of Airfoil on Windows and see how it works. Then I would implement them as a proxy. Maybe even with a http interface so that you can test it from every browser. If the proxy works, creating a sh.py plugin is no big deal then.

Thanks a lot - i will start reading/learning