I have had smart things hub 2.0 for a few months and have a few foscam cameras of the 98xx and 89xx varieties. I can’t figure out how to make them work with smart things. When I search, there are many many different threads that all assume I know everything from the previous 100 related threads and that I have 95% of the work done and I am just trying to add one new function like motion detection or tiles or something or a new version of the code. Some mention paid sites I would have to join to run some app or code, and its not clear if those are neeeded, obsolete, or how they differ in function from the free stuff. Can anyone help with how to add foscams, from step 1.0 alpha, with no previous understanding of the smart things ecosystem and code repositories and programmer slang? Also please assume I want all the major functions of the cameras to work and dont just want a tile or a motion detection or alerts alone, with the exception of live video which I sort of understand might be some paid premium thing.
To give some background on my abilities, which is greater than smart things will ever be able to expect from its average user if it wants to be a commercial success: In the past I have managed to install DDWRT and some custom android ROMs. But I have never compiled anything. I tried to install linux once or twice but the last effort was 5 or so years ago, and I found out I would have to separately compile DIVX to make it play movies and I didn’t know enough to do that. With smart things so far I was very confused about how to properly link to that github site with making forks (but not spoons???) so I just copied and pasted code for other devices but I guess maybe my other devices will not benefit from updates this way. It seems like smart things is worse than the custom android rom community in terms of never saving guides that go back to step one. All the latest guides assume readers already know the basics of setup and have been following along since 2012 and just want the latest dirt. Smart things can be pretty frustrating because on some deal site or review etc people will mention a particular device works with smart things, a person will buy both, and then they will find that to make the two work together they need to read hundreds of forum threads back several years to pick up the slang, then dozens more to understand the context of integration efforts for the particular device, then track back to the latest threads on the device to consider the different code setups and if lucky, get one or two working and compare results. Not quite plug and play.