HAM (Home Automation Macintosh) Bridge Goes Beta

HAM Bridge is a Mac app that lets you execute scripts (AppleScript, Automator workflows, Shell and Python) by issuing a simple HTTP GET request using a single parameter. You can check it out now via my G+ community.

Over the weekend I will be posting a SmartApp or two that will send commands to the bridge on your local network based on various SmartThings triggers.

enjoy

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@scottinpollock very cool stuff. I could see a lot of uses for this. I’m wondering how difficult it would be to recreate the Sonos functionality with this and a set of AirPlay-ready speakers…

I’m working on that now. Got some applescripts going working with iTunes and setting up speakers. There is some documentation on the internet for this and you can also use Rouge Amoeba’s Airfoil as well. I’m also working on an automator script that works with IFTTT to get weather and I’ll set it up to read it when I come downstairs in the morning to the kitchen.

iTunes is very accessible (as is most of the Mac) by AppleScript. So sending iTunes (or other Mac audio) to AirPlay devices is pretty simple, except for one thing…

Latency - Airplay has lots of it. This is one thing that makes Sonos “worth the money”; they work very hard to eliminate it. You can pipe music to multiple devices throughout your home and have pretty much everything in sync as you move from room to room. This rarely happens with AirPlay, but if you’re only concerned with one room at a time (or don’t care multiple rooms aren’t in perfect sync) you’re golden.

I have an app that when I am “away” and an outdoor motion sensor triggers (or when the doorbell is rung), fires up my main audio system and plays two large angry dogs barking. It loops through several of them (plays one, next time selects another, randomly), and is pretty realistic.

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@scottinpollock, I just wanted to thank you for this, it is awesome! Over the weekend I was able to create a SmartApp that calls a HAM Bridge command that runs an applescript. So when my “Good Morning!” Hello, Home action runs, my iMac changes it’s output to my AirPlay speaker in my bedroom, speaks today’s forecast and then changes it’s output back to the iMac’s internal speakers. This was one of the things I’ve been trying to setup since I got SmartThings and your HAM Bridge totally makes it doable. I can’t wait to think up all the other uses for this great application.

Thank you!!

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@jthurston422 - do you mind sharing how you did this? I am getting my smartthing hub tomorrow and have been searching for this functionality all night - I have a squeezebox/squeezeplay whole home audio setup instead of sonos but can switch out for an airplay device. Also is there a way to get it to play a specific online radio station or app (spotify, etc)? Ideally, when I wake up and go into the bathroom I want a motion sensor to trigger the audio saying good morning, this is the weather and then play the station.

Thanks so much!

@Macadoodle I was able to do this using HAM Bridge and an Applescript. If you head over to the HAM Bridge Google+ site, I’ve posted my script there (https://plus.google.com/113027936878153550755/posts/h8SyknZyNmM). As for the radio station or spotify, I’m sure it’s possible with applescript, but I’ve never tried. Let me know if you need anything else.

Thanks,
Jordan

Thanks so much Jordan!

is there something like HAM for windows or linux?

I could try my hand at a port, but what scripting components on those platforms would you want to see supported?

You can use airplay or bluetooth speakers with a server in windows, try it. [RELEASE] Airplay and Bluetooth Speakers Working from PC server

For those of you using HAM Bridge, and would prefer to use your Mac to run Schedules instead of SmartThings, here is a quick tutorial…

https://youtu.be/U8eVU8yIWzA

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This allowed my to do something I’ve been trying to do for a while.

Basically I wanted a smartthings routine to wake me up every morning at a set time by playing a specific playlist from spotify, dimming my lights on slowly and then turning on my coffee maker. I had everything but the spotify playlist until I came across this app.

Now my ST routine sends a command to my mac mini (paired with a bluetooth speaker) to execute an AppleScript that opens spotify, and shuffles a playlist while fading in.

I’m not a morning person so these little things make a difference :grinning:

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