[Deprecated] BI Control - Local Blue Iris control

It can be done another way as well, see this post

I have been using BI for years and it has grown to something VERY feature rich!
Also HE integrating with BI using your app is fantastic and extremely useful.
BUT..... (and there is always a but)...
Is there a way to get more than 5 PTZ presets? Even if I have to edit your code which I don't have a problem with, just what need to be added / edited would be helpful.
Thanks so much!

2.1.3 - 09/19/22 - Added more presets

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Thank you for adding the PTZpresets!

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Just came back here. I'm on 2.0.1 of BIControl.

What is the best way to upgrade to event engine?

I've installed bundle manager but that's all the further I've gone. Thought it might be prudent to ask first. :slight_smile:

EE is a separate app. Install and setup like any app.

Okay, in that case what's the best way to upgrade to the latest verison of BIControl with Bundle Manager? Currently I have it installed manually (copy and pasted drivers/apps from your github years ago).

Open BM

  • Search
  • BI Control
  • Install

:smile:

Okay maybe I'm just being dumb. I just installed Normal Stuff, and BI Control via bundle manager but my existing install of BI Control is still 2.0.1. I'm trying to avoid having to redo my triggers and child devices.

If I go look at the App code itself, I'm seeing 2.1.3 in the child notes. Both apps in code have todays date.

I'm reading this over and trying to make sure I understand. I am coming from ST, and used Blue Iris Fusion there. Will this allow me to have the cameras show as motion detectors in HE (maybe I need to create a virtual device?)? I think I read I may need to use rule machine to make that happen?

And should I install this app or event engine? I'm kind of lost which is the better route.

I do it with Virtual Motion devices and Maker API

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If you just want cameras to act as motion sensors, you just need to create a virtual motion sensor for each camera you want to monitor. Install the built in app Maker API and select your new virtual motion sensors.

You'll use the URL from maker API for the on trigger and on reset actions under the trigger tab in BI.

I just use BI Control to trigger a camera to record if a motion sensor goes off or door opens.

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Thank you both @Terk and @scoob8000 . I've got it figured out thanks to you. I forgot how I did it on ST. Virtual devices are working great and this is sending a trigger when my contact sensors open.

Thanks again!

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I am a home automation enthusiast, employing a home hub (now starting Hubitat), with Blue Iris controlling my security cameras. I am changing to Hubitat in order to integrate my Blue Iris system with my home automation, mainly to trigger camera preset movements using device states in home automation system. I have found the now deprecated BI Control app, and was wanting to know if that is still a working solution to accomplish my needs. I also saw that BI control has been combined in a later app (EE), which I believe is also said to be deprecated. I am totally new to Hubitat (coming from Smartthings), and want the simplest of the 2 solutions mentioned. If BI Control is still working, I would problably choose it for its specificity to my need. Please advise if you will as to the best available solution.
Thanks

I quit using it because it was just easier to use rule machine. It being deprecated, but it was a pain if you wanted to trigger more than one camera on an event. In RM you would just add another send GET url. My use case is I have a motion sensor in my mailbox, when the mailbox is opened it triggers a recording on two cams that can see it and sends me a text with a still image of it.

Here is how you would trigger a camera on a motion sensor type event. Not the user/password string. You will need to create a BI user for this. The camera string in the URL is the short name of the cam in BI.

You can also create virtual motion sensors in Hubitat, and expose them with the maker API and have BI turn them active/inactive with the on trigger/on reset events.

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Thanks for that helpful response. My application would be much like the illustration you gave, except that I need to trigger my PTZ camera to go to a preset position to focus on the mailbox. It does not normally look at the mailbox. I have a preset for the camera to look at the mailbox, which needs to be called in the triggering automation, and then return to home position after a period of time. Can that function be included in the get request using your method? I used the Blue Iris Fusion app in Smartthings to do this, but it no longer functions since smartthings stopped the groovey code apps on their API. I believe the Hubitat app BI Control has PTZ preset controls if I am not mistaken. My hub is arriving today, so I will be able to start loading some apps and check out how to run them.
Thanks again for your input.

I don't have any PTZ's but looking at the blueiris docs, it looks like there are URL's you can use to control them to various presets.

In that case you would just use another send get request in your rule to that url, then send the one to trigger the recording.

This is a snippet from the BI help file:
/admin?camera=x&preset=n Goto PTZ preset n on camera x (short name)

Thanks again. I thought that may be possible. I will look at it further. But I really enjoyed an app that made a simple routine out of the process. Would you recommend I try BI Control or the later EE app?
The Blue Iris Fusion app was a wonderful tool. I wish someone would get the code and modify it to work with Hubitat. It really simplifies any integration you may want with Blue Iris system. I really miss it.

Here's a RM rule example to move a PTZ camera to a predefined preset.

Honestly, I would just do it in Rule Machine. It's a native built in app. Might seem a little more tricky at first but once you get your hub and play with it, it's not that bad.

Feel free to PM me once you get it going and I can walk you thru the rules a bit more.

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