New component type
Button Group is now available in the Dev Console.
This type of component has been requested few times and it should be a nice addition to the ever growing list of features.
It can be used for things like remote TV controls, components that you want to have pre-set states like a fan with speed settings, heating, ovens, toasters...etc
It should be quite obvious how to use but just in case I will give a brief overview of the functionality.
Dev Console setup
You will find the Button Group in the list of pre-set components. It enables you to attach a set of up to 10 "command" buttons for a single component. Basically, each button acts as a pre-set command that when pressed sends that command to the device.
Usage rules- The
name of the button is the actual
command that will be sent
- Currently there are no additional labels or icons that can be used
- You can have up to 10 buttons and any field left blank will be ignored and will not show a button in the ChipChop App (don't worry you will not end up with blank gaps if you leave some fields blank)
- You can use a maximum of 10 characters for the name - had to limit that as anything more simply wouldn't fit nicely on a phone screen
- The component is automatically considered "interactive" so changing the mode to "View Only" has no effect
ChipChop App view
I have tried to cover both the functionality in widget view and in the device details view.
- In widget view the component shows as a button with an array of squares icon (similar to the Pin Code) and when clicked will show the command buttons as a popup list
- In widget mode there is no change of colour representing the button being active or not. It's always active and the button is a shortcut, exactly the same as the Pin Code component
- In device details view the component shows as an array of buttons arranged side by side in groups of 4 and is sufficiently "thumb" friendly for quick access.
Hints- The click on any of the command buttons will send the command in the same way as any ON/OFF or custom button...but...with one advantage, you can keep sending the same command over and over as if it was a "momentary" button.
- To use this component as a set of "momentary" buttons all you need to do is when you receive the command in your device to send an empty string status or a non-existent status.
For example if you have a set of buttons
High,
Low,
Fast if you send a status "foo"
ChipChop.updateStatus("motor","foo") because there is no such button none will be highlighted in the app.
- You can change the order of the button by changing the values of the input fields in the Dev Console. This change will be reflected instantly in the Web App.
- Sending a status with a button name will also mark that button as active in the app
I hope you will find this new component useful and if you are unsure how to use it let me know.