It's awesome that you can now access the encoder sliders, though you can only see the first couple letters of each parameter, which could be tricky with lights with more advanced features.
Also, please please PLEASE allow me to boot directly into Live mode instead of ChanCheck. This was the worst thing to happen to the iPhone app...
Just to be clear, you can download the free version, but it won't actually do anything or allow you to at least see what the screen layouts are like, etc... UNLESS you actually go and setup the entire WiFi system to enable connection, configure console, etc.... in other words get the system up and operational. At that point and after all that work, the free version drops you after 10 minutes of use. Or pay the $53 for full blown off the bat, which is cheap in any event.
Seems it would be useful to at least have the demo version allow you to play a bit before deciding to set up the entire WiFi rig.
@Gecko - Chan Check Mode vs Live Mode is a function of the console, not the RFR. The aRFR, the iRFR, and the actual hardware RFR all get their functions from the console itself. (I agree, though... it should at lease be an option in the console.)
@Steve - The RFR's (i- and a- included) will connect to a laptop running the offline software. Just put your phone and laptop on the same WiFi, fill in the fields for your laptop's info (IP, Name) in the app, and you'll at least get to page through the screens. Just like above, the RFR's get 99% of their data from the console itself. I'm sure it'll still drop you after 10 minutes, tho.
[edited by: jfuchs at 4:21 PM (GMT -6) on Fri, Oct 21 2011]
@Steve - The RFR's (i- and a- included) will connect to a laptop running the offline software. Just put your phone and laptop on the same WiFi, fill in the fields for your laptop's info (IP, Name) in the app, and you'll at least get to page through the screens. Just like above, the RFR's get 99% of their data from the console itself. I'm sure it'll still drop you after 10 minutes, tho."
Yeah,, great. My home laptop does have EOL on it, but my WiFi is MAC address filtered, as well as WAP encoded. So I have to do a re-config. to view a demo ?.
@jfuchs - That's an interesting point. I distinctly remember this change occurring during the last iRFR update... though it's possible that I updated the console software right around the same time - which could be responsible for the change. Either way, I'll try to request the change for a console option as well.
@Steve - The RFR's (i- and a- included) will connect to a laptop running the offline software. Just put your phone and laptop on the same WiFi, fill in the fields for your laptop's info (IP, Name) in the app, and you'll at least get to page through the screens. Just like above, the RFR's get 99% of their data from the console itself. I'm sure it'll still drop you after 10 minutes, tho.
Any other steps I might be missing ?. I had a brain fart and realized that I had long ago setup the phone to access the home network, so I went and dug up the laptop name as well as the IP address and entered all into the Droid App.
I also realized that I might as well pay up (it's a good cause) I am now running the paid Android version.. In theory I should launch Ion in Client Mode ?, In any event, the phone app does not see the laptop as the Connect button stays greyed.
Any thoughts ?, as the connection to a laptop that is not actually a console isn't in the ETC Doc's and I'm now presuming that the laptop wants to actually be on Net3 for this to work.
The aRFR 'demo version' is not really intended to allow you to evaluate the software alone, but more to test the ability of your hardware to run the software and connect to the system.
ETC have not tested the app with every Android device in the marketplace, so this way you can at least make sure you can establish a connection before you fork out the money.
Steve, here 's a step by step walk-through (I am using the 1.9.8 beta, so the options might be a bit different if you are using 1.9.6):
On your laptop:
Launch the EOS/ION offline application.
In the Offline shell, click on the Settings button.
Click on the RFR button and make sure that "Enable WiFi Remote" is checked.
Click on the General button and copy down the contents of the "Device Name" field.
Click the Accept button to return to the Offline Shell.
Click EOS Family Offline, not EOS Family Client, to start the EOS program.
On your Android device:
Make sure you are connected to the correct WiFi access point
Start the aRFR app
Tap "Settings" then "Consoles"
Tap "New"
Enter a name for your connection: "Home Laptop" or such
Enter the IP address of your laptop
In the Password field, enter the text that you wrote down earlier from the EOS offline shell "Device Name" field.
Tap "Save" and go back to the aRFR main screen
Select your connection name in the drop-down menu on the main screen (above the Settings button)
The Connect button should be enabled (not greyed out)- this means that the aRFR is able to reach your laptop and communicate with the offline application.
Tap "Connect" and away you go.
If this doesn't work, you might try to ping your laptop from your Android device to see if there is network connectivity. I use a free app called "Overlook Fing" to test network connections.
Hope this helps-
-Todd
[edited by: tdrga at 1:09 PM (GMT -6) on Sat, Oct 22 2011]
Steve, don't feel stupid. There are at least a few steps involved in getting this to work, so I'll try and outline things to look for.
You've already got the IP address and Name of your computer. When you fill in the App fields, be aware that the computer name needs to go in the Password field. the Name field is just for you to remember it as something. For Instance, mine is set up as:
Name: Laptop@Home IP: 192.168.1.90 Password: NEO
When you start up the Offline software on your laptop, it will actually want to be Offline, not Client. Client is for hooking up to an actual console on the network, and your laptop will just sit there looking for a console to connect to. BUT! Before you click on the Ion Ofline (or your choice of console), click on Settings, then the RFR button on the right. Check the box for "Enable iPhone/iPod RFR". This is also for aRFR! (guess they'll have to update that now.) Accept, then start your Offline of choice. This checkbox is unchecked by default in all the consoles and offline, sort of a security measure.
After the offline is running, you should be able to hit refresh on the aRFR main screen and the Connect button should come up.
One other place that may disable ALL RFR connections is in the Offline, under Setup->Desk Settings->RFR Settings-> Allow RFR Connections. This is Enabled by default, I think, but check there too.
Beyond that, there's disabling the firewall on your computer and any other settings in your router...
[edited by: jfuchs at 1:50 PM (GMT -6) on Sat, Oct 22 2011]
Realized my computer name is actually all caps and that sort of thing matters to a password.
You are correct. In 1.9.8, the option has changed to "Allow WiFi remotes" (or something very similar).
I've found that in many cases, downloading a simple ping app also does wonders for troubleshooting a connection -- this lets you know if it is something with the network connectivity/wireless issues, or something to do with the RFR communication between the two devices.
