Q: Could this code be adapted for other media players?

[houser42]

Just found this very promising bit of code.
I have an Android TV (Sony Bravia KD.xx) that I am experimenting on with this.
No luck so far. Have the usual remote working with the same entity.

My main question:
I also have two other media players that I am wondering how difficult it would be to adapt this code for:
Kodi and Apple TV.
I want to program very similar swipe gestures/touchpad remotes for all me HT gear, as I have in the current
environment that I am migrating from at some point (iRule)
Any comments appreciated. Many thanks!

[Nerwyn]

Copying over our notes from the community forums page.

Apple TV

type: custom:android-tv-card
remote_id: remote.apple_tv
_row_1:
  - power
  - play
  - pause
  - menu
navigation_row: touchpad
custom_keys:
  up:
    icon: mdi:chevron-up
    key: up
  down:
    icon: mdi:chevron-down
    key: down
  left:
    icon: mdi:chevron-left
    key: left
  right:
    icon: mdi:chevron-right
    key: right
  center:
    icon: mdi:checkbox-blank-circle
    key: select
  power:
    icon: mdi:power
    key: suspend # or wakeup? idk I'm an Android user.
  play:
    icon: mdi:play
    key: play
  pause:
    icon: mdi:pause
    key: pause
  menu:
    icon: mdi:menu
    key: menu

Kodi

type: custom:android-tv-card
navigation_row: touchpad
custom_keys:
  up:
    icon: mdi:chevron-up
    service: kodi.call_method
    service_data:
      entity_id: media_player.kodi
      method: Input.Up
  down:
    icon: mdi:chevron-down
    service: kodi.call_method
    service_data:
      entity_id: media_player.kodi
      method: Input.Down
  left:
    icon: mdi:chevron-left
    service: kodi.call_method
    service_data:
      entity_id: media_player.kodi
      method: Input.Left
  right:
    icon: mdi:chevron-right
    service: kodi.call_method
    service_data:
      entity_id: media_player.kodi
      method: Input.Right
  # continue in a similar manner for other commands

[houser42]

Just confirming that these are working great. Fab!
I will make a full working remote for kodi and post it here at some point soon.

[houser42]

Question:
As I start work on this, two things that I wonder if they are in the code already or can be tweaked or added:

1. double-tap on the touchpad
2. full transparency for the touchpad area
   Can it be done? If not I guess this is something for the wishlist?
   Many thanks!

[Nerwyn]

1. double-tap on the touchpad

This is actually a feature of the tv-card that this was forked from, but it doesn't seem to work for me. Considering that the code that deals with double clicks hasn't been modified from the parent I wonder if it was working before the fork.

2. full transparency for the touchpad area

You can do this using card-mod. I probably won't add a separate input for this as it falls under theming which can all be done using card-mod.

card_mod:
  style: |
    :host {
      --ha-card-background: #7096d540;
    }
    toucharea {
      background: #244cc650;
    }

[houser42]

This is a bug.

I see. I assume something that would need to be fixed upstream and nothing you can squash?

[Nerwyn]

Fixed in v1.4.2. Double clicks are now disabled by default, but when enabled will no longer also trigger the single click event.

[Nerwyn]

You have to set double_click_keycode to the custom key name at the bottom level, then remap that key in custom keys, like this:

## Apple TV:
type: custom:android-tv-card
remote_id: remote.appletv
navigation_row: touchpad
touchpad_height: 200px
enable_double_click: true
double_click_keycode: menu
custom_keys:
  menu: 
    icon: mdi:chevron-up
    key: menu
  up:
    icon: mdi:chevron-up
    key: up

## Kodi:
type: custom:android-tv-card
navigation_row: touchpad
touchpad_height: 200px
enable_double_click: true
double_click_keycode: back
custom_keys:
  back:
    icon: mdi:chevron-right
    service: kodi.call_method
    service_data:
      entity_id: media_player.kodi
      method: Input.Back
  up:
    icon: mdi:chevron-up
    service: kodi.call_method
    service_data:
      entity_id: media_player.kodi
      method: Input.Up

[houser42]

I see. Thanks for that!

So I am working on this for four devices now. Some observations:

1. The Sony Bravia TV works 100% on a MacBook desktop and one iPhone client. Including double-tap back.

2. The Apple TV touchpad works 100% including double-tap back.
   Still appears like a 1-tap as you described. Timing issue?

3. The Kodi touchpad works 100% except double-tap back.
   I see a quick back and then return to where the back command was issued that maybe looks like a timing issue? Too slow?
   Still appears like a 1-tap as you described.

4. The Denon touchpad also works 100% except double-tap back as the other two.
   I see a quick back and then return to where the back command was issued that maybe looks like a timing issue? Too slow?

No consistent log errors. This is a dev VirtualBox system so possibly some inconsistencies that I need to iron out myself, as I am new to HA. But as the Bravia/Android TV works there seems to be something else going on that is beyond my current skillset on this. Many thanks again!

[Nerwyn]

Inconsistent behavior between devices is likely either a browser caching issue or lack of browser support for double click and not an issue with your Home Assistant host. I lean towards the former because according to W3 schools it should be supported by all browsers. Have you tried clearing your web browser or Home Assistant app cache?

[Nerwyn]

@houser42 can you post your full Kodi and AppleTV remote configs and some screenshots? I want to add them to the README examples.

[houser42]

Thanks @Nerwyn
Not bad news at all, these are luxury items;) My Home theatre app is up and running and has a button for back ;)
I agree that the double-taps are working ok on MacBooks after cleaning up caches and my development of my first bit of work in HA. The mobiles are however by far the most important aspect for me for the stuff I do.

My suggested features/settings for touchpad if/when the HA iOS app gets the required functionality
is in the little list below. I am aware it is unlikely that you have the time to code that from scratch
but if/when the hooks become available in the HA iOS app, take advantage and add them?
This is how millions of people are used to using their mobiles so I would assume it will be a priority for the HA apps
at some point. Thanks for a really, really useful bit of code. Very happy with it!

1. Double-tap
2. Two finger tap
3. Two finger double-tap
4. Two-finger swipes l-r-u-d
5. Acceleration in lists from fast swipes
   Are any or all of these working on Android if I may ask?
   Can any or all of these be used on the trackpads on laptops and MacBooks?

Be safe, be well

[Nerwyn]

1. Double-tap
2. Two finger tap
3. Two finger double-tap
4. Two-finger swipes l-r-u-d
5. Acceleration in lists from fast swipes
   Are any or all of these working on Android if I may ask?
   Can any or all of these be used on the trackpads on laptops and MacBooks?

Could you make feature requests for all of these under the issues tab with more information on each? Some make sense but others like acceleration I don't fully understand.

I have no idea which devices and browsers any of them work with. I'm a backend engineer by trade and the majority of my frontend experience comes from side projects like this. Double click isn't really used by any websites, which is probably why iPhones do not support it. The Home Assistant iOS app doesn't support it because Apple doesn't support it, and I doubt that they ever will. If I do ever get it working on iPhone it'll be using some weird logic involving recent single click frequency.

[houser42]

Sure.
Not sure I understand your points though..
These swipe gestures are supported in various apps on iPhone /iOs as well as on the touchpad on Macs going back more than ten years. By acceleration I just mean the standard feature on most iPhone and I would assume Android apps, that when you swipe faster a list will scroll faster. That type of standard behaviour that simplifes navigating long lists such as those in a large movie library in a mediaplayer in HA.
It is just the HA app that appears to not support them just yet for various codely reasons..
I am just suggesting these get added to your android card when it eventually becomes available in the HA app which I am assuming it will at some point sooner or later. I am not expecting you to code anything from scratch, just consider using the hooks when they appear. I truly appreciate what your card does as-is!

Be safe, be well

[Nerwyn]

The HA app is just a web browser and the HA UI is just a hosted website. When you're using the Home Assistant app, what you're really doing is accessing your own self hosted website, not an app. Therefore all of the touch and swipe gestures that work in most apps won't work in Home Assistant. It isn't the app or iOS that needs to support more advanced touch controls, it's the web browser and iOS webview. iOS doesn't support things like double click and possibly multi touch on websites because those actions are reserved for iOS functionality like zoom and scroll.

[houser42]

Ok. I see your point. Perhaps the fact that the browsers on both iOS and MacOS support all these swipe gestures now does not help in this case? Perhaps the HA app could support things like he Apple webkit a bit more and whatever the relevant similar framework code is called on Android?
Ah well. This is well beyond my skillset, and I am just hoping for more gestures in the HA apps, one way or another, sooner or later as swipe gestures is the way to go for home theatre remotes IMHO.
But very happy with what we have today also ;)
Be safe, be well

[dgoodwin430]

Could this be adapted to work with Roku players?

[houser42]

FWIW if it helps:
No issues here on latest Mac OS app on Apple TV and Kodi. Not using Roku though.

[Nerwyn]

@dgoodwin430 can you try sending those commands using the Home Assistant service call tool and see if they work that way?

[Nerwyn]

@dgoodwin430 Also, you mentioned above that "instead of key for action it has to be keypress". This isn't correct or possible as it isn't a valid option for action and as of a recent refactor would result in no action being performed.

[dgoodwin430]

@Nerwyn All I know is that previsouly changing key to keypress made everything work. I will try chainging it back to key instead since the source has been refactored. I’ll let you know if that works or not.

[dgoodwin430]

@Nerwyn It looks like changing kepress to key solved the issue. Thanks for your help.

[dgoodwin430]

@Nerwyn Would you be able to adapt the keyboard code to work with roku? Possible reference would be the Firemote code.

[Nerwyn]

Could you make a feature request issue and include links to reference code?

[dgoodwin430]

Yes, of course.