CJDash Application (iDash?) Info

**Lake** · 02-07-2005, 10:28 AM

I've been doing little proofs of concept applications with the intent of eventually making something to run on a Mac in my car for a while now. Car PCs are pretty rare, and a Mac in a car is even more so. The few people who had done it were using very custom 'one-off' stuff. Additionally I have some things I want to do (talk to an AEM ECU as well as Data Acquisition hardware) which nobody else does, and a few things that don't concern me (OBDII is irrelevant to me, as the AEM doesn't even speak it). So I'd always just planned on going it entirely alone (which I feel I have the expertise to manage, provided sufficient time).

Then the Mini got announced. And capitalist started posting about the iDash project. Now the prospect of working cooperatively is much more likely. I still have my own requirements for the software, I want to do my own stuff in Java for example (using the Cocoa/Java bridge). Though thanks to Cocoa's really wonderful architecture it's possible to get ObjC, Java, AppleScript, Python, and Ruby all running in the same application. Talking fluently to whatever other stuff you might want.

So I've setup a central app which uses loadable bundles. What I have so far is pretty straightforward. Stick a loadable bundle into ~/Library/Application Support/CJDash/Modules/ and it'll be loaded as a module when the App' launches. I made a quickie iPod-Like touchscreen interface to iTunes as a demo module. It looks like this when loaded:

As I said it was done real quick and doesn't have much functionality yet. And on top of that I don't actually have an iPod, so it's just sorta pseudo-ipod-ish. If someone wants to map out the iPod's menu system I can replicate it more closely. The main thing is the touchwheel and talking to iTunes (you can watch iTunes update in the background while you use the app).

I'll be keeping this page up to date with info and the latest files. It has an example XCode project that's already setup to make your own module.

That's it for now.

~Lake

P.S. Debug: Gauge Test has some custom gauge widgets to play with.

**Delivery_Guy** · 02-07-2005, 05:39 PM

Wow, this sounds really promising! I just wish I knew a little about programing so I could help.

I do have an idea or two...would it be possible to rate songs as they are playing? That'd be nice so you could have some playlists set up for various ratings.

Anyway, keep it. Also sent you a PM about being in the twin cities.

**GReeToZ** · 02-07-2005, 05:43 PM

i wish somebody would make this for windows

**Bugbyte** · 02-07-2005, 11:07 PM

Originally Posted by GReeToZ

i wish somebody would make this for windows

Come over....to the dark side.......soon you will wear mock turtlenecks and sip Evian while hanging on every word that comes from his Steve-ness at the bi-yearly hero worship fests....errr...Macworld events......

**0l33l** · 02-07-2005, 11:27 PM

Originally Posted by GReeToZ

i wish somebody would make this for windows

Road Runner. Check into that. It has the ipod style wheel

**Bitoholic** · 02-07-2005, 11:37 PM

Apple is very protective of there IP and if you make it look too much like the iPod interface they can and most possibly will come down on you... We are an Apple development partner and when I told them about a new thing I am working on for the car, they said whatever you do, do not make it look like the iPod or you will be violating our IP rights and you can loose your development license.

Just a heads up

**Lake** · 02-08-2005, 01:41 AM

Well, it's entirely an iTunes/iPod accessory and doesn't even work without iTunes. So I don't consider Apple's "Look and Feel" to be an issue. It'd be like suing Griffin because they use white plastic in their iTrip product. And Apple sure as heck doesn't have a patent on rotary scroll wheels.

~Lake

Edited to be less of a rant.

**sdashiki** · 02-08-2005, 08:26 AM

Giving it an Aqua (not that ugly ******* brushed metal) feel to it, which comes with coding in Cocoa anyway, will give it the Mac look. Other than that, who gives a **** about the front end, i want functionality before it looks good.

Cars should sound good first.
Perform good second
and look good last.

Otherwise yer a liar.

**Lake** · 02-08-2005, 06:47 PM

Well, I've got a new toy. First, here's what it looks like:

Can you guess what it does? =) Maybe this is a clue?

It's a super-alpha car interface to google maps. Yes it'll require a 'net connection, but it's super low bandwidth (Minneapolis to New York's data was 46KB) so it should work nicely on a bluetooth/GPRS connection. Right now I'm not doing much with the interface or with the data I get back from Google, other than displaying just straight out what google supplies. Obviously there is room for all kinds of neat tricks (voice announcing and so on).

I'll make a module available soonish. Right now I rely on an external xml lib .jar file which XCode is being annoying about including, and I don't feel like kicking it around at the moment (been awake too many hours).

~Lake

**wrxinred** · 02-10-2005, 04:39 PM

This is a really good solution, and look really clean. hope i can help on this matter, and i will start buying the cocoa book soon. :P any good site and suggestion?