iPhone/iPad app ideas

[Martijn Meerts]

As some of you already know, I'm working in learning some more about iPhone/iPad development. The problem is, I don't have a lot of ideas for apps. The only ideas I have is the digital train control throttle in various formats (which will take a while because I need to make the OSX app it'll hook up to as well) for both iPhone and iPad, as well as some ideas for a game and some other things.

 

So, I was wondering if anyone here has any ideas, or has some personal wishes for what kind of app they would like to see/use on an iPhone, iPod Touch and/or iPad. Maybe I could work on developing the app for you which will allow me to work towards a specific goal that's not a personal project.

 

With so many apps already available, I guess it's difficult to think of something that hasn't been done already, but it's always possible to build an app that already exists, but just make a decent UI around it. (For example, all the iPhone throttles currently available are about as ugly as all the actual digital hardware throttles ;))

[KenS]

I'm not sure this is different enough from a throttle to meet your needs, but I'll toss it out anyway:

 

What I'd like to see for the iPad is a "dispatcher" app (possiby with an integrated throttle, or throttles; think tabbed interface). JMRI has the ability to define dispatcher's panels through its PanelPro application. But a walk-around touch-panel version/equivalent that would let you see (virtual) signal indications for blocks and throw switches at a touch would be really cool.

 

Ideally, this could be integrated with some kind of automation to allow route setup (e.g., "bring train 17 from staging track 5 to station track  3") by just touching/dragging icons, which is something I don't think PanelPro can do.

 

I should mention that I don't actually have an iPad (I do have an iPhone), and while I do have a Digitrax/JMRI (Mac) setup, so far I've only used it for decoder programming. Using PanelPro is definitely in my future, but not soon. I have been planning to try using the WiThrottle app, but that's another thing I haven't gotten around to. So my ideas of what's technically possible my be over-optimistic.

[Guest ___]

I'm seeing more and more Japanese train related apps on the iStore every week, but I'd like to see a "spotters guide" There seems to be a growing number of J-train related videos and magazines for the iPhone/Pad/Pad. I also see a need for a DCC controller app as well. But frankly, more things like maps, station lists, prototype data and so forth...

[Martijn Meerts]

I'm not sure this is different enough from a throttle to meet your needs, but I'll toss it out anyway:

 

What I'd like to see for the iPad is a "dispatcher" app (possiby with an integrated throttle, or throttles; think tabbed interface). JMRI has the ability to define dispatcher's panels through its PanelPro application. But a walk-around touch-panel version/equivalent that would let you see (virtual) signal indications for blocks and throw switches at a touch would be really cool.

 

Ideally, this could be integrated with some kind of automation to allow route setup (e.g., "bring train 17 from staging track 5 to station track  3") by just touching/dragging icons, which is something I don't think PanelPro can do.

 

I should mention that I don't actually have an iPad (I do have an iPhone), and while I do have a Digitrax/JMRI (Mac) setup, so far I've only used it for decoder programming. Using PanelPro is definitely in my future, but not soon. I have been planning to try using the WiThrottle app, but that's another thing I haven't gotten around to. So my ideas of what's technically possible my be over-optimistic.

 

The iPad isn't the limiting factor, but rather JMRI. It depends on what commands they allow on their server (the one the iPhone OS can connect to.)

 

I don't know much about JMRI, but I have seen the WiThrottle app (it's been discussed elsewhere on the forum, my opinion remains that it is too expensive and downright ugly ;)). It would be quite possible to make something similar to WiThrottle. Whether or not I would be able to add additional functionality, I wouldn't know. I'd have to check out JMRI for that first.

 

I guess I also don't know enough about US dispatcher systems, considering PanelPro confuses the hell out of me ;) I'd be more than willing to look into it though, but I'd need a bunch of help with regards to design and how things should function from a user's point of view.

 

As of now, all the computer programs to control a layout have either not added support for iPhone/iPad, or they've hacked it in real quick so the implementation is pretty limited.

 

I don't have an iPad yet either, but I've played with the SDK and the iPad simulator, so I've got an idea of the standard UI elements and the available space etc. Unfortunately I won't be getting an iPad anytime soon either, it won't be available in The Netherlands for a few more months, and I don't want to import one from the US. As for what's technically possible, what you've described wouldn't make the iPad break a sweat ;) For example, the CPU in the Marklin Central Station 2 (which can fully automate a layout with route control and everything) runs at a maximum of 624MHz, the iPad runs at 1GHz and the whole system has a much better design.

[Martijn Meerts]

I'm seeing more and more Japanese train related apps on the iStore every week, but I'd like to see a "spotters guide" There seems to be a growing number of J-train related videos and magazines for the iPhone/Pad/Pad. I also see a need for a DCC controller app as well. But frankly, more things like maps, station lists, prototype data and so forth...

 

As mentioned before, a DCC controller app requires a program running on the machine that's connected to the layout, unless you have either an ECoS, ECoS II, Central Station, Central Station 2 or the new Lenz USB/Network interface. Even if you do have one of those, an iPhone/iPad throttle will still be limited to what the devices allow you to do.

 

I'm working on an OSX app that can control a layout, but it's fairly slow going since I have to learn all this stuff while I'm going, and a lot of things are only supported with low level code in OSX (such as serial communications which so many command stations still like to use....)

 

 

A spotters guide would be very much doable. Both the iPhone/iPad app as well as the online database would be real easy to code. The problem is the actual content. It would require several people with good knowledge of Japanese trains to actively work on content. I'd be happy to help out with the programming side of both an iPhone/iPad app and the database, but I don't know enough about prototype J-trains (I haven't even been to Japan ...) If we can somehow get a team together, it might be something to work on though.

 

There could of course be a free version (limited to viewing static info) as well as a paid version which allows interactive/animated viewing of popular spotter routes and scenic routes etc.

 

A side effect would be that it'd be possible to put up a homepage with that spotters guide as well, considering all the content would be in a database somewhere already anyway.

[KenS]

I think the WiThrottle is ugly too, and I've got a walkaround throttle so it's really the novelty factor with the iPhone, I don't think an iPhone throttle alone has all that much value (although it's much cheaper than a wireless walkaround throttle if you've got all the other pieces).

 

JMRI (and I haven't done more than read some of the docs and install it) apparently has a variety of "upstream" interfaces that allow remote systems to do any JMRI function that can be done by local applications at the command line (i.e., all of its functions, I think). The WiThrottle apparently uses a scripting-based upstream interface (I'm not sure why), but they also have an TCP network interface that should allow direct control from a zeroconf-capable device like the iPhone/iPad.  See:

 

http://www.decoderpro.net/help/en/html/doc/Technical/Networking.shtml

 

It does sound like you'd have to write some relatively low-level code on the client to put JMRI commands into the form needed by the network server if you went that route.

 

In terms of other ideas, what about a "price checker" oriented to Japanese models?  I was in a store the other day, and saw an interesting locomotive, but I had no idea if I should get it.  I could have fired up Safari; I've used that to check prices on easy things, like Kato buildings, where a search by vendor name and part number will return results with relatively few clicks. But that seemed like it was going to be a much larger effort than I had time for, so I didn't look it up until I got home.

 

I've had the same problem when looking at models at dealer shows.  Is this model for a line in my preferred area?  Is it priced reasonably? Is there a newer re-release I could import instead? Those are all questions it would be helpful to have a quick answer to by manufacturer and part number searching. And some quick searches of the usual store sites and wikipedia (for "what line/where is that used" might be something you could wrap a relatively simple interface around.

[cteno4]

Martijn,

 

how about a model train database? i have been meaning to get all my trains into a bento db and just have not gotten around to it. what would be cool is a catalog of all the kato, tomix, ma and modemo trains that you could just check off what you have and all the basic info is in there along with a couple of pictures. sort of how a stamp or coin catalog works. hard part would be getting all the info into the db, but once there you could also then sell update subscriptions as well.

 

id easily pay $25 for something like this as it would totally make life sooo much easier than inputting the data for a couple of hundred trains! i know a lot of iphone app folks are not into paying more than 99 cents for things, but for essoteric stuff like this where there would be a lot of up front work and only a small number of potential customers i dont see a problem with higher pricing.

 

would be great to have it on the itouch so i can take to shows with the sublist of what i brought to the show or what box its lurking in!

 

cheers

 

jeff

[Martijn Meerts]

I think the WiThrottle is ugly too, and I've got a walkaround throttle so it's really the novelty factor with the iPhone, I don't think an iPhone throttle alone has all that much value (although it's much cheaper than a wireless walkaround throttle if you've got all the other pieces).

 

JMRI (and I haven't done more than read some of the docs and install it) apparently has a variety of "upstream" interfaces that allow remote systems to do any JMRI function that can be done by local applications at the command line (i.e., all of its functions, I think). The WiThrottle apparently uses a scripting-based upstream interface (I'm not sure why), but they also have an TCP network interface that should allow direct control from a zeroconf-capable device like the iPhone/iPad.  See:

 

http://www.decoderpro.net/help/en/html/doc/Technical/Networking.shtml

 

It does sound like you'd have to write some relatively low-level code on the client to put JMRI commands into the form needed by the network server if you went that route.

 

In terms of other ideas, what about a "price checker" oriented to Japanese models?  I was in a store the other day, and saw an interesting locomotive, but I had no idea if I should get it.  I could have fired up Safari; I've used that to check prices on easy things, like Kato buildings, where a search by vendor name and part number will return results with relatively few clicks. But that seemed like it was going to be a much larger effort than I had time for, so I didn't look it up until I got home.

 

I've had the same problem when looking at models at dealer shows.  Is this model for a line in my preferred area?  Is it priced reasonably? Is there a newer re-release I could import instead? Those are all questions it would be helpful to have a quick answer to by manufacturer and part number searching. And some quick searches of the usual store sites and wikipedia (for "what line/where is that used" might be something you could wrap a relatively simple interface around.

 

The reason an iPhone/iTouch can be more than a novelty, is because of the touch screen. With a regular walkaround throttle, you're stuck with 1 interface. With a touch screen you can can adjust. For example, you start the app, you get a screen with a list of the trains you have. You browse through them real nice and easy, find the one you want to control, and tap that one. Up pops the actual throttle. Of course, the throttle itself can be user configurable. Some people prefer buttons to control speed, some prefer a knob-like control, others prefer a simple slider. You can take it even further, rotate the iPhone/iTouch, and up pops a simulated cab control with 1 lever for speed, and 1 lever for dynamic braking. (Of course, the program that does the actual controlling of the layout will need to support dynamic braking ;))

 

The iPhone SDK (and the OSX SDK for that matter) have a lot of nice wrapper classes for streaming data over TCP, so it's no problem at all sending messages to JMRI and receiving messages back. In fact, this is something I've got working with my own test apps. (I have an OSX app that makes a service available on a certain port, the iPhone can detect the port, connect to it, and send/receive data)

 

 

 

 

 

Martijn,

 

how about a model train database? i have been meaning to get all my trains into a bento db and just have not gotten around to it. what would be cool is a catalog of all the kato, tomix, ma and modemo trains that you could just check off what you have and all the basic info is in there along with a couple of pictures. sort of how a stamp or coin catalog works. hard part would be getting all the info into the db, but once there you could also then sell update subscriptions as well.

 

id easily pay $25 for something like this as it would totally make life sooo much easier than inputting the data for a couple of hundred trains! i know a lot of iphone app folks are not into paying more than 99 cents for things, but for essoteric stuff like this where there would be a lot of up front work and only a small number of potential customers i dont see a problem with higher pricing.

 

would be great to have it on the itouch so i can take to shows with the sublist of what i brought to the show or what box its lurking in!

 

cheers

 

jeff

 

I actually started an online train database at some point. I wanted to code it in Flex (basically Flash with a bunch of useful classes included), had a UI design already, and was working on a back-end. Never got very far though ;) Anyway, the general idea was that people could create their own collections on the site, and add trains. They could search for a train, and if someone else had already entered it, they could use all that data. If a train didn't exist yet, they could then add it to the global database. This way, the users are actually contributing to filling up the database and keeping it updated. In a user's private database, they would then have additional fields for things like maintenance logs and such. There's some initial work of course, because you'll want to add a bunch of content before making it publicly available, so it doesn't look entirely empty ;)

 

It'd be easy enough to create an API that the iPhone/iTouch could hook up to, and there you have your database ;) It could also be combined with what KenS mentioned about the price comparison, although that'd be phase 2. On the iPad you could of course display much more info, or 2 trains side by side for comparison or something. Naturally, a database like this doesn't have to be limited to Japanese trains, or even limited to trains in general.

 

 

 

I'm not in it for the money btw, I just want an actual project to work on, and get something on the app store. I could just make some simple piece of junk app like the many thousands already available, but I won't =) It would of course be great if a couple of others here would have some time to help out a bit. I can do pretty much all the coding and large parts of the design, but I know from experience that things (especially designs) turn out much better if you have multiple people giving usability input.

[KenS]

It would of course be great if a couple of others here would have some time to help out a bit. I can do pretty much all the coding and large parts of the design, but I know from experience that things (especially designs) turn out much better if you have multiple people giving usability input.

 

I don't have much time, but I'm always willing to voice an opinion.