Frontend - Comprehensive Features Comparison

kev000 · 07-07-2009, 09:15 PM

This is a stub which I hope to get input on. I'm not terribly familiar with CF or RR so I'll need help with my facts. I hope to make this into an actual chart and post it on the mp3car wiki.

Note also that some ng3 features listed are planned features (as ng3 is not even close to being complete).

User Features:

NG3:

Design: Multi-Process Shell
Cost: Free
Skinning System: Themes, XML
Navigation: Yes (Navit)
OBD-II: Yes
Fusion Brain Support: Yes
Bluetooth Phone Support: Yes
Graphics Backend: nGhost3-Clutter (OpenGL)

Media:
Media Browser Type: ID3 Metadata Sorting
Playlist Editor: Yes
Supports UPnP Streams: Yes
Bluetooth Streams: Yes
HD Radio: Yes
Satellite Radio: No

CF:

Design: Monolithic Frontend with Plugin Support
Cost: $125
Skinning System: Behavioral, XML, Image based ?
Navigation: Yes (supports embedding other GPS apps)
OBD-II: Yes
Fusion Brain Support: Yes ?
Bluetooth Phone support: Yes
Graphics Backend: DirectX

Media:
Media Browser Type: ID3 Metadata sorting
Playlist Editor: Yes?
Supports UPnP: No
Bluetooth Streams: No
HD Radio: Yes
Satellite Radio: Yes

RR:

Design: Monolithic Skin-Engine with plugins for Audio/Video/DVD and to extend functionality.
Cost: Free for personal use.
Skinning System: Comma Delimited, Image, Object and Command Based with Flash Support.
Navigation: Yes
OBD-II: Yes (External App/Plugin)
Fusion Brain Support: Yes
Bluetooth Phone Support: Yes
TV Support: Yes
AM/FM Radio Support: Yes
External Application Support: Yes
Graphics Backend: GDI, GDI+ and DirectX
Audio Backend: Winamp/WMP/FMOD/Foobar2000/iTunes/more can be made
Video/DVD BackEnd: Built-In/WMP/MPC/VLC/MSVid/more can be made

Media:
Media Browser Type: File/Folder defined by skin and settings
Playlist Editor: Yes
Supports UPnP: Solely depends on player choice
Bluetooth Streams: By hardware or plugin only
HD Radio: Yes
Satellite Radio: Yes (Sirius & XM)

Rev (Formerly known as CarPal)

Design: Multi-Threaded Plugin Based
Cost: Free
Skinning System: Behavioral, XML, both image and/or text based.
Navigation: iGuidance embedding support
OBD-II: Yes (alpha).
Fusion Brain: Yes (buggy)
Bluetooth Phone Support: ?
Graphics Backend: Qt

Media:
Media Browser Type: ID3 Metadata + Folder/File based sorting.
Playlist Editor: yes
Supports UPnP: No
Bluetooth Streams: no
HD Radio: Yes
Sat Radio: No

Developer Features:

NG3:

Documented API: yes
Native Language: C++
Language Support: C++, .NET 2.0, Mono
OS Support: Linux, BSD, MacOSx
Open Source: Yes, LGPL/GPL

CF:

Documented API: yes
Native Language: Managed C++?
Language Support: .NET 2.0, ?
OS Support: Windows, Windows CE
Open Source: No

RR:

Documented API: Yes
Native Language: VB6
Language Support: All/Any
OS Support: Windows 98SE/ME/2000/XP/Vista/Win7
Open Source: No, but developers are welcome to join development team.

Rev
Documented API: Wiki in progress
Native Language: C++/MOC
Langauge Support: C++, .NET 2.0, 3.5
OS Support: Linux, Windows, BSD, MacOSX.
Open Source: Yes, GPL.

malcom2073 · 07-07-2009, 09:22 PM

Skinning system I think should be specified. Also CF supports all style of .net plugins (1.1 and 2.0 iirc)

kev000 · 07-07-2009, 10:09 PM

Quote: Originally Posted by malcom2073

Skinning system I think should be specified. Also CF supports all style of .net plugins (1.1 and 2.0 iirc)

Thanks Malcom2073! BTW, we should make this chart a comprehensive comparison of most major frontends. Feel free to list the features in the above format and I'll update the original post.

Wagoneer · 07-07-2009, 11:21 PM

Very curious here!!! Everyone is always talking about OBDII, this is the first time I've come across someone mentioning a potential solution for OBD1. My question to you guys, does anyone know of a way to read OBD1, and what is required ie hardware/software?

tnx in advance

chunkyks · 07-08-2009, 01:41 AM

OBD1... Read from "Not just a simulator, but a proxy" on this page: http://icculus.org/obdgpslogger/obdsim.html. The initial idea was explored a little on this thread [I actually implemented the code about halfway down the thread, with some other followup info in this thread].

It's done using obdsim, fbd, and a fusion brain

No idea if that's the solution that kev000 is talking about, but a large part of what I've implemented in obdsim so far has been to satiate this need.

Hardware wise, you're out about eighty bucks [I think?] plus sensors & elbow grease. Software wise, both fragments are free [as in beer] and Free [as in speech].

Gary (-;

malcom2073 · 07-08-2009, 04:20 AM

I think that should be listed under FB support, not OBD1. Nghost does not atm support any form of OBD1 (ALDL or otherwise) does it?

kev000 · 07-08-2009, 09:25 AM

Quote: Originally Posted by malcom2073

I think that should be listed under FB support, not OBD1. Nghost does not atm support any form of OBD1 (ALDL or otherwise) does it?

No, nGhost doesn't support any form of obd1 at the moment. But any software that will be written to support OBD-II using the obdgpslogger daemon can support OBD1 and ALDL-at least in theory. OBD1 probably isn't a major feature anyway because most users probably have OBD-II cars (malcom2073's Camaro excluded :P ). I'll remove it from the list and replace it with FusionBrain support.

malcom2073 · 07-08-2009, 09:34 AM

Maybe I will have to make it support aldl

ThunderStick · 07-08-2009, 10:15 AM

GUI based skinning program. Seems to be a feature that draws a lot of users.
RR has a free one, CF has one but it's expensive, NG ?

kev000 · 07-08-2009, 04:02 PM

Quote: Originally Posted by ThunderStick

GUI based skinning program. Seems to be a feature that draws a lot of users.
RR has a free one, CF has one but it's expensive, NG ?

Skin editors only apply to positional and behavioral-type skinning systems. Such an editor wouldn't apply to a theme-type skinning system.

And just for clarification, in my mind there are three types of skinning systems:

Behavioral - Can redefine behavior, look, and position of UI elements
Positional - Can change look and position of UI elements
Themes - Can change look of UI elements

malcom2073 · 07-08-2009, 04:12 PM

Then that would be a no for ng? :P

I'll throw this in for CarPal (Soon to be called Rev):
Design: Multi-threaded plugin based
Cost: Free
Skinning System: xml behavioral system. Both image and/or text based.
Navigation: iGuidance embedding support
OBD-II: Alpha plugin.
Fusion Brain: Buggy plugin

Media:
Media Browser Type: ID3 Metadata or folder based sorting.
Playlist Editor: yes
Supports UPnP Streams: Not sure? It supports remote URI and web streams
Bluetooth streams: no
HD Radio: yes
Sat Radio: No

Documented API: Wiki in progress
Native Language: C++/MOC
Langauge Support: c++, .net 2.0, 3.5
OS Support: Linux, Windows, BSD, MacOSX.
Open Source: Yes, GPL.

kev000 · 07-08-2009, 04:18 PM

Quote: Originally Posted by malcom2073

Maybe I will have to make it support aldl

ChunkyKs can confirm this, but I believe that if you had something that read the port/sensors on the aldl protocol and exported them via DBus signals, obdsim + obdgpslogger can then relay it to the listening obd-II app. Probably much easier than writing the aldl interface layer AND the GUI and you get logging and cool exporting as a bonus by using obdgpslogger as well. The end user also has the freedom to use any compatible GUI app as well.

malcom2073 · 07-08-2009, 04:22 PM

ALDL is a protocol similar to ISO-9141, not sure what you mean by reading the port/sensors. Sure you could tie directly into the sensors, but for those of us that don't want to hack up the ECU harness buying an ALDL reader and using a plugin.

HiJackZX1 · 07-08-2009, 04:25 PM

CF:

Design: Monolithic Frontend with Plugin Support
Cost: $125 / How did you get $300.00!!!!!!!!!!!! Do not get the nav version it sucks because of destinator.
Skinning System: Behavioral, XML, Image based ?
Navigation: Yes
OBD-II: Yes
Fusion Brain Support: I think so

Media:
Media Browser Type: ID3 Metadata sorting
Playlist Editor: Yes
Supports UPnP Streams: ?
Bluetooth Streams: Only phone support
HD Radio: Yes
Satellite Radio: Yes
Multi screen support: Yes

Its also very easy to skin. CF3 will have support to use any Nav engine and embed it into CF. Flux realizes that Destinator sucks. Also multi screen support is going to be beefed up to also support multizone audio. So if users in the front are listening to something, the rear can listen to something different. A Windows CE version is in the works to work on CE devices, like pocket PC and hopefully CE based headunits. Thin clients also work with CF CE. Also CF3 will use a really good graphics engine with nice transissions and what not. http://forums.fluxmedia.net/centrafu...3-youtube.html There are alot more things I can list but I wont kill you with every detail.

malcom2073 · 07-08-2009, 04:36 PM

fixerofallthing: ALDL actually had three different connectors depending on the year and vehicle, it's only a semi-standardized protocol, but for the most part it's all single wire 0-12v serial. The only difference between vehicles is what data is actually returned.

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