IFTTT Integration

[303]

ifttt.com

why?
• because the ifttt community is huge and simply showing up on there will bring customers to your product
• because ifttt triggers and actions would be amazing for sighthound creative and practical usage

[ryan]

Hi 303,

Thanks for the feature requests! With regard to the applescript and ifttt integration can you elaborate on the specific use cases you're trying to address? More detail will help us understand and potentially better address your needs.

With regard to the ifttt, unless I'm missing a link it looks like they don't currently have a public API for integrating new channels (and some posts from other developers indicate that they were selectively adding channels). That being said, you may be able to accomplish what you want now -

* There is an email channel, you can use email responses to trigger an action on ifttt
* If you have the local export response adding clips to a dropbox or google drive folder, that can trigger an ifttt action
* The "Run the command" response can execute an arbitrary script or app to interact in yet a different method

On the other side, having Sighthound Video take an action when something occurs, we'd love to have a public API in the future (that may or may not address your applescript request, though not via applescript). In the meantime it would be technically possible for the technically inclined to perform certain actions by reversing what the remote access functionality is doing (as this user did), but it's not terribly straightforward, subject to change, and not officially supported.

[303]

Responses inline...

Hi 303,

Thanks for the feature requests! With regard to the applescript and ifttt integration can you elaborate on the specific use cases you're trying to address? More detail will help us understand and potentially better address your needs.

With regard to the ifttt, unless I'm missing a link it looks like they don't currently have a public API for integrating new channels (and some posts from other developers indicate that they were selectively adding channels).

Correct! But from what I'm told, they are friendly. They already support things like Belkin WeMo and Philips Hue so this'll be right in line:

https://ifttt.com/platform

(can't hurt, right?)

That being said, you may be able to accomplish what you want now -

* There is an email channel, you can use email responses to trigger an action on ifttt

Yeah that is a great idea. I had it looking at my gmail inbox before but it was too slow. This is a better workaround. I can use automator to mail ifttt the animated gif (of the mov) attachment too.

* If you have the local export response adding clips to a dropbox or google drive folder, that can trigger an ifttt action
* The "Run the command" response can execute an arbitrary script or app to interact in yet a different method

On the other side, having Sighthound Video take an action when something occurs, we'd love to have a public API in the future (that may or may not address your applescript request, though not via applescript). In the meantime it would be technically possible for the technically inclined to perform certain actions by reversing what the remote access functionality is doing (as this user did), but it's not terribly straightforward, subject to change, and not officially supported.

Thanks, this is definitely a good start, so thanks for the thoughtful reply. As I've just plopped down my $250 on hope for the future *please* consider my minor investment in a well-documented API. I don't care about audio too much, but API will take this software from a niche curiosity with amazing computer vision into a package people install for their homes and use for years.

Since you asked for IFTTT use cases here are a few i'll use it for

• assuming i wasn't going to use my home automation IR sensors, i could use IFTTT to take night vision motion detection and turn on my front lights
• IF motion detection detects an animal in my backyard, THEN post it to one of my flickr galleries
• IF I'm home (android location channel) turn on certain cameras. IF I'm not, likewise.
• you could use soooo many recipes for using motion detection to turn on lights in the home with philips hue / belkin stuff. Right now I'm using insteon IR sensors for this.

Ok enjoy your saturday...it's already getting hot out!

[303]

In the meantime it would be technically possible for the technically inclined to perform certain actions by reversing what the remote access functionality is doing (as this user did), but it's not terribly straightforward, subject to change, and not officially supported.

Ha! Clever. Ok, so knowing it's not...officially supported...

I can't figure out a way to turn cams on or off via url query. it appears that is still only doable via js. Any chance of getting a hint on that in the meantime?

[ryan]

Not so much a hint but I can give confirmation there isn't a static URL that you can hit to accomplish that, a bit of scripting would be necessary. In the future when we have an official interface to the app items like this will certainly be made as easy as possible.

[tesla8er]

Pleased to say that Sighthound Video 2.4 now integrates with IFTTT.

Stephen
Sighthound

[shawneric]

The only problem with IFTTT is it doesn't fast enough to make a legitimate automated security system functionally operational. It takes 15+ minutes to get a response from IFTTT sometimes, even if the camera does detect someone. That makes the security system practically useless.

[303]

For what it's worth I don't think that's the point — that's been a behavior of IFTTT for years and likely won't change soon (see their wtf page here: https://ifttt.com/wtf ). But it does allow us to do non-urgent tasks like these:

https://ifttt.com/recipes/252362-if-sig ... r-analysis

https://ifttt.com/recipes/252350-increm ... -in-a-room

https://ifttt.com/recipes/252680-remind ... front-door

https://ifttt.com/recipes/252358-if-per ... i-get-home

I do wish it was instant and maybe they'll get there someday!

[tesla8er]

@shawneric,

That hasn't been our experience at all. I just tested it again.

IFTTT is sending Person Detected SMS messages in 12 seconds and phone calls in 11 seconds.

We also have hue set up at the office and it works almost instantly. In fact we haven't had any delays in any of the recipes.

Have you tested IFTTT with Sighthound? Any specific channels that are seeing delays?

Stephen

[Vidtec]

Hi,

regarding the scenarios listed here about turning lights on when motion detected. You don't want the lights going on during the day so I created 2 rules on a camera (one day, one for night) with only the night rule sending an IFTTT event. It turns on a WEMO light switch when motion detected in the front yard BUT only at night.
The final hurdle to get over is making them work like traditional sensor lights where the light stays on for X minutes. I don't want the WEMO to remain on all night after an event. Any ideas?