Smartphone App for configuring MagicMirror

[Beh]

Hi,

i don’t know, if this is the right thread for this, but I’ll just write it here:

I just finished my own mirror and I almost finished coding my first module. Yaay! :) (Blog post and forum post with photos will follow soon! ;) )

In the procedure of buildung the mirror, some of my friends and family asked, if I could build other mirrors for them. Since the configuration is quite hacky by writing into a JSON file, I had the idea, that one could create a simple smartphone app, which allows the configuration of the mirror and the modules.

First - for our own convenience (the mirror builders) and second - for the convenience for the not-so-DIY-style people (like our parents and friends for example).

I am willing to write a prototype app for iOS, since I am interested in learning Swift in the long way. But yet I have nearly no experience in coding smartphone apps whatsoever (I participated a 1-day Swift crash course at my university some months ago).
Also, since I’m quite busy with studying and work, I’d see this as a long term project.

I just wanted to know what you guys think about this and if some of you are in the mood to help me with that project. Maybe by helping me code for iOS or writing an equal app for Android or whatever…

What do you think?

[yawns]

If you want to create a SmartPhone app, then go for it. Even if you are the only one using it you gain experience by writing.

There already is a RemoteControl module ( https://forum.magicmirror.builders/topic/735/mmm-remote-control ) which is accessible by any browser. As such the remote control is platform independant.

[Beh]

Yeah, you’re right. It would be a good reason to just start coding and gain knowledge.

The RemoteControl module looks very nice, I’ll look into it. It looks like that it solves the convenience problem quite good. And platform independance is a good point.

I’ll dig into it’s code a bit. It would be nice to have configurable per-module parameters in it as well.

[Jopyth]

I had some plans into that direction, too, but as I experienced for myself something like this is a long term project indeed.

In my imagination, the remote control module could some day be used to download new modules (often a simple git pull plus npm install) create/change the config.js file, to add these new modules, with the parameters being editable in the UI.

If you want, I invite you (and everyone else who wants) to go on this journey, and see where we end up. ;)

[strawberry 3.141]

I’m currently looking for topics for my bachelor thesis and had a hybrid mobile app in my mind. If someone has good ideas for a bachelor thesis which is coupled to magic mirror, let me know via pm. If I’m doing something else i will create an app afterwards in spring.

[Beh]

@Jopyth Yeah, that is pretty much the direction I thought about, too. :)

@strawberry-3-141 Okay. Nice! Please let us know, how you decide. And maybe we can help you in some points?

Or if @strawberry-3-141 does something different, we can start coding and he’ll join us in spring :)

[cowboysdude]

@yawns

There already is a RemoteControl module ( https://forum.magicmirror.builders/topic/735/mmm-remote-control ) which is accessible by any browser. As such the remote control is platform independant.

Yes but this is for IOS 10 which for those of us who have iphones would be super awesome :) The ONLY module we can’t use is the phone notification… because Apple is impossible … :(

[strawberry 3.141]

I just sent my professor an arrangement for my bachelor thesis with the mobile app for magicmirror as my topic. let’s see what his response will be :)

[cowboysdude]

@strawberry-3.141 said in Smartphone App for configuring MagicMirror:

I just sent my professor an arrangement for my bachelor thesis with the mobile app for magicmirror as my topic. let’s see what his response will be :)

Good I hope!! You’ve done some excellent work here!

[PaulB]

@strawberry-3.141 hope you will get an awesome topic :)
Good luck. I ve just finished my bachelor thesis 😄