A long overdue firmware update is now available for the Depth Camera Controller from Nitrogen Logic. This update brings Hue support out of beta, adds a new page for setting up zones, and adds new ways of monitoring zones.
New Video: Kinect and Hue, Together at Last
Hi everyone, I’ve uploaded a new video to YouTube (first one in a year!). This short video shows a Depth Camera Controller controlling a set of Philips Hue lights.
First I demonstrate how different zones can trigger different actions using several small zones placed around my monitor. Then I show the basic features of the Hue Support section on the controller’s Settings page. Finally, I briefly show the Automation Rules page, which is used to connect events from a zone (e.g. entered/exited, changes in surface area or position, etc.) to a change in the lights.
New beta firmware: Depth Camera Controller build 45 for Hue
An updated beta version of the Depth Camera Controller firmware with Philips Hue support is now available. Click the Check for Updates link on the Depth Camera Controller’s Settings page to download this new firmware.
The Hue light control in this version is much faster and more reliable than the previous beta, so be sure to check it out.
How I migrated from Posterous to Octopress while keeping page rank
When Posterous announced their pending closure (which takes place tomorrow, Apr. 30, 2013), I immediately began searching for a new blogging platform. I wanted a self-hosted setup on my own domain, so I would never again be subject to another blog service’s site closure. I settled on Octopress (based on Jekyll), due to its hacker-friendly command line nature, integration with Git, ability to publish to Amazon S3, and easily customizable default theme.
Migration from Posterous required three major steps:
- Exporting posts from Posterous
- Importing posts into Octopress
- Setting up redirection from Posterous to my new blog
Follow along below to back up your own Posterous blog.
This week only: Depth Camera Controller price reduced
The Automation Controller will be reduced from $325 to $250 for the same time period. Quantity discounts will also be adjusted; get in touch using the Contact Us page to place an order or to inquire about quantity discounts.
If you’ve been waiting to outfit your home or business with Kinect-based automation, this is a great opportunity to get started!
Beta firmware with Hue support for Depth Camera Controller
I’ve uploaded a new beta version of the Depth Camera Controller firmware that includes initial support for controlling Philips Hue lights with the Kinect. This beta firmware can be downloaded by clicking the Check for Updates link on the Depth Camera Controller’s Settings page.
Hue Support WIP
Exciting news: after tons of work, my local build of the Depth Camera Controller software is now able to change Hue lights based on zones! Using a system of automation rules similar to the Nitrogen Logic PC Remote, the Depth Camera Controller web interface is able to use zone events to trigger your Philips Hue lights.
There’s a good bit of work left to do to get it ready for production, but I just tested the first implementation and it works great! I welcome your feedback on the UI design for automation rules via the Nitrogen Logic Contact Us page.
More details to come in the future…
Depth Camera Controller Firmware Update: Build 35
Today I’m announcing build 35 of the Nitrogen Logic Depth Camera Controller firmware. This is a relatively minor update focused mostly on user interface tweaks.
You can update your Depth Camera Controller’s firmware by clicking the Check for updates… link on the controller’s Settings page, downloading the appropriate file, then uploading it to the controller using the firmware update section of the Settings page.
new in build 35
- Added a confirmation prompt before deleting a zone.
- Tweaked the page layout for improved consistency.
- Added Surface Area to the zone attributes displayed in the web interface (this should have been there a long time ago; Surface Area values were already calculated and reported through the TCP/IP interface on port 14308).
- Fixed the display of zone attributes when a zone is added in another browser window or from a different device.
New App: Nitrogen Logic PC Remote
Some of you may have been wondering why it’s taking so long to get Philips Hue support implemented, especially now that Philips has released official documentation for the API. The reason is that I’ve been working on a new application that satisfies a very cool feature request.
So what have you been doing all this time?
I’m pleased to announce the release of version 1.0 of a new application, the Nitrogen Logic PC Remote. This application allows you to run commands on any Java-enabled PC (Linux, Mac, or Windows) in response to zone events from one or more Depth Camera Controllers.
Coming soon: Depth Camera Controller retail micro-launch, Philips Hue support
The next few weeks will be exciting for fans of Nitrogen Logic. First of all, I've been working on adding seamless support for the Philips Hue lighting system to the Depth Camera Controller. Soon you will be able to control your Hue lights with a Depth Camera Controller and a Kinect camera, without requiring a separate automation system. This new Hue support will be available to all purchasers of the Depth Camera Controller via a free firmware update.