BI Alert! - Enhanced Notifications for the Blue Iris Android App using Tasker

[jaydeel]

I am pleased to share a Tasker project that I have been using to enhance notifications from the Android Blue Iris App. Image 1 summarizes the project and its features. Note the requirements.

Image 1


Click this link BI Alert!to install. This must be done from your Android device.
EDIT: BI Alert updated - see v1.1a in <post #16>.

Besides Tasker, you must have installed these REQUIRED PLUGINS:

• AutoApps
• AutoNotification, and the
• AutoNotification unlock key.

(Note: You must purchase Tasker and the AutoNotification unlock key.)

Image 2 shows what you should see. Click the green ‘Import’ button to install the entire project which includes all the required Tasker ‘Profiles’, ‘Tasks’ and ‘Scenes’. You will next be instructed to run a setup task. Please do so.

Image 2 (screenshot)


You can modify BI Alert! default functionality by manually editing Tasker variables (on the VARS tab). These are shown in Image 3. These are the default settings immediately after running the setup task mentioned above.

Image 3 (screenshot)


If you have correctly installed Tasker and the required plugins noted above, Image 4 shows what you will see immediately upon receiving a Blue Iris Alert notification - a replacement notification PLUS an optional persistent attention-grabbing Tasker ‘Scene’ dialog.

Image 4 (screenshot on S9 Android 8.0.0)


Image 5 shows my notification tray after receiving several notifications (yours may look different). Note in this case I can peruse a history of recent alert notifications, as well as the most recent original Blue Iris App notification. Tapping any replacement notification opens the Blue Iris app on the Alerts tab... Note also that because I configured BI Alert! to do so, it automatically opened my OpenVPN connection (I changed the default setting %BiaOpenVpnOn to ‘true’ - see Image 3).

Image 5 (screenshot on S9 Android 8.0.0)


Image 6 shows how the the BI Alert! notifications appear when expanded. Touch the image to open the BLue Iris App. You can also dismiss the specific notification, or all BI Alert! notifications in the tray.

Image 6 (screenshot on S9 Android 8.0.0)

 

[jaydeel]

Here are links for the optional OpenVPN functionality requirements

Requirements for OpenVPN Functionality

• Install & configure OpenVPN for Android.

• Install OpenVPN Tasker plugin.

• Edit line 15* in Task 'BI App Intercept' to select your OpenVPN profile.

* This line number could change in future versions. The line is obvious 'OpenVPN'.

 

[Richdem]

Wow,

This looks amazing.

Thank you for sharing this with the community

Richard

 

[Pirateghost]

Amazing. You have done a lot of work. I have it up and running but it's not activating my VPN for some reason. I followed all the steps, changed the line 15, tested my VPN for android (works).

 

[jaydeel]

Amazing. You have done a lot of work. I have it up and running but it's not activating my VPN for some reason. I followed all the steps, changed the line 15, tested my VPN for android (works).

That’s good to hear. I did not test it on any other devices.

On the VARS tab, is variable %BiaOpenVpnOn = true ? ... I made the default setting false.

Also you may need to edit the wait time variable... %BiaOpenVpnSec.
If you want OpenVPN to remain on after viewing the alert in the Blue Iris app, toggle off the BI App Monitor Profile

 

[Pirateghost]

That’s good to hear. I did not test it on any other devices.

Is variable %BiaOpenVpnOn = true ? ... I made the default setting false.

Also you may need to edit the wait time variable... %BiaOpenVpnSec.
If you want OpenVPN to remain on after viewing the alert in the Blue Iris app, toggle off the BI App Monitor Profile

Ok. I was modifying in the task tab instead of the var tab. Now I have VPN coming on, but not off. The other issue I can't figure out is why I am still getting BI notifications in addition to the new ones from this.

 

[Pirateghost]

Ok. I was modifying in the task tab instead of the var tab. Now I have VPN coming on, but not off. The other issue I can't figure out is why I am still getting BI notifications in addition to the new ones from this.

 

[jaydeel]

Setting %BiNotifyCancel = true (VARS tab) should cancel the BI App’s notification.

PS - display screenshots taken in landscape orientation will show the entire name of the variables.

 

[Pirateghost]

Setting %BiNotifyCancel = true (VARS tab) should cancel the BI App’s notification.

PS - display screenshots taken in landscape orientation will show the entire name of the variables.

Thanks.

 

[jaydeel]

I have updated my "BI Alert!" Tasker Project. The current version is v1.1.

If you would like to open UI3 from a Blue Iris Android App notification, then you may find this tool handy.

PLEASE NOTE: if you have already installed the original version of the BI Alert! Project, it should be deleted first. So, before installing v1.1, please read the section following Image#1 below.

You can install the update from this link <BI Alert! V1.1>. EDIT: BI Alert updated - see v1.1a in <post #16>. This must be done from your Android device, and requires Tasker v5.5 to be already installed. Otherwise you will see Image#1 below.

If you are not reading this post from an Android device, you can view the full release blurb for v1.1 by opening the above link then clicking the 'Click here to reveal' link in the highlighted section in Image#1 below.

These are the key updates:
1) Added tap action to Scene's image;
2) Added option to open the UI3 Alerts tab instead of the BI App when tapping the notification or Scene image - to make this work you MUST edit new variables %BiaUI3TouchOn and %BiaUI3url; Also the UI3 Alerts tab can be opened on the camera named in the notification - to make this work you MUST edit new variables %BiCamnamesLong, and %BiCamnamesShort to match your BI configuration;
3) Changed behavior for variable %BiaFilterOn setting - 'true' previously prevented creation of both the replacement notification and the Scene, now it prevents only the later (if the original notification text matches variable %BiaFilterText)

Image#1.

~~~~~
PLEASE NOTE: if you have an older version of the BI Alert! Project installed in Tasker, you SHOULD DELETE IT FIRST! ... However, before you do this, consider Tips #1 and #2 below... When you are ready to proceed, Image#2 shows how to delete a Project. Step #1 is to long-press the Project's name to reveal the context menu.

TIP#1: If you are like me and have many (MANY!!) Tasker Projects, Profiles, Tasks, etc., then you really should be backing up your Tasker files. Here's how... Touch the 3-dot menu (upper right in the UI), then touch Data>Backup. At this point you can choose the storage folder, but I recommend the default location (\Tasker\configs\user). Finally touch 'Done' on the keypad.

TIP#2: Use Tasker itself to automatically zip archive & timestamp every one of your Tasker backups! Click <here> for more info and a download link.

Image#2.

 

[Pirateghost]

Will check it out, thanks.

 

[ChrisX]

Very cool I will test it. Working with smartwatch ? Very cool idea show alert video on my smartwatch

 

[jaydeel]

Thx. I have not explored integrating Tasker notifications to an Android Wear device; however, it certainly looks doable via the TaskerWear Plugin.
https://play.google.com/store/apps/details?id=com.joaomgcd.autowear

Unfortunately I do not own a smartwatch to do any testing. But I may be able to borrow one

 

[Pirateghost]

My VPN is disconnecting but it is staying active in background.

 

[jaydeel]

My VPN is disconnecting but it is staying active in background.

Please clarify...

Are you observing that OpenVPN is not automatically disconnecting when the following are true... You have opted to open UI3 from the replacement notification (variable %BiaUI3TouchOn=true) AND you have set the variable %BiOpenVpnOff=true, AND Profile 'Monitor BI App' is turned on... if so, I understand what is happening and will try to fix it later today.



Sent from my SM-G960U using Tapatalk

 

[jaydeel]

I have updated my "BI Alert!" Tasker Project. The current version is v1.1a.

This version adds support to automatically connect/disconnect to OpenVPN when opening/closing UI3 from BI Alert! notifications. See the full release blurb[*] for details on how to activate and customize this functionality.

How to install...
You can install the update from this link <BI Alert! v1.1a> This must be done from your Android device, and requires Tasker v5.5 to be already installed.

PLEASE NOTE: if you have an older version of the BI Alert! Project installed in Tasker, you SHOULD DELETE IT FIRST! The process is described in <post #10> above.

~~~~~
[*] If you are not reading this post from an Android device, you can view the full release blurb by opening the v1.1a link above, then clicking the 'Click here to reveal' link.