SMS Messaging Application - Send SMS's to your Display

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ChristmasInKaralee

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Welcome to my SMS Messaging App V3.6 for all to use.

UPDATED 19 Nov 19 - To Version 3.6

V3.5.2 Update to work with the latest Vixen Builds and Vixen 3.6 when released.

V3.5 - This update has only been changed to work with the upcoming release of Vixen 3.5. If you are still using Vixen 3.4 then Download the Messaging App Version 3.4, if you plan on using Vixen 3.5 then download Messaging Version 3.5.

V3.4.1 - Added a Bulk SMS message box so you can send an SMS to all users that have SMS'ed a message to the display (useful to thank them and to ask them to vote). Added a check so if a bad word is detected when using the Blacklist it will then check the White list to see if its in there and if so then display. Added inbuilt Scheduler to turn the Messaging App on and off.

30 Jul 17 - To V3.4 - Added new Display Message Form and moved the Display messages to this form. Also added a message textbox so you can add unlimited number of messages to display (randomly), each new line will be a separate message.

I want to make it clear that no matter what Software you sequence your lights with you can still use this application with a simple install of Vixen in the background and this application running in the foreground. So you can continue to use xlights as your main and have Vixen installed to use my app. I have included a video that shows how to set up Vixen for just this use.

Quick look at my Matrix Message Board in action (its a P10 7 x 1 panels)
Setup Vixen and Message demo.

- You will need a Twilio Account and get a mobile phone number off them. It's only $6 per month so I just buy one for Nov and Dec, so it doesn't cost that much.
- Works with Vixen 3.3u2 and above.
- Can change text settings.
- Can send an instant message to your Display.
- Can send a countdown to a specified date message to your Display.
- If there are any issues installing it then please see below as you may need to add an exception in your virus software.

Download 64bit Version

Version 3.6 64bit link
Version 3.5 64bit link
Version 3.4.1 64bit link

Download 32bit Version

Version 3.6 32bit link
Version 3.5 32bit link
Version 3.4.1 32bit link

Videos

Setup Vixen and Demo of message App

https://www.dropbox.com/s/7i2ps5f1lakzfqk/Messaging App Demo.mp4?dl=0

Demo
https://www.dropbox.com/s/mkurn960dx6s9so/Vixen Messaging Demo.mp4?dl=0

Setup Twilio
https://www.dropbox.com/s/p8qnogrjqnpga14/Twilio.mp4?dl=0

Control Messaging App from a Vixen Sequence
https://www.dropbox.com/s/28egjk9qmxmo8fd/Control Messaging From Vixen.mp4?dl=0

All Features:
- Audience can SMS Messages to be displayed on your Matrix/Megatree
- SMS with Twilio account.
- Start and Stop retrieving messages from within your own Vixen 3 Sequence using a Command Control. This is the best way to use the app if you don't have a dedicated Matrix for this as you can start the Messaging app when you Matrix is not in use with your Sequences.
- Customise the Text message with Font, direction, Position, line number and colour for each line of Text (including Random colour selection)
- Add multiple matrix/mega trees and direct local messages to selected matrix for display.
- Display a Countdown (for example: number of days to Christmas or to any date entered)
- Use Vixen 3 Sequences
- Filter messages with a Whitelist or Blacklist to ensure no profanities are displayed.

Firstly the following application is NOT supported by the Vixen Dev team so please do not create tickets or contact them for issues and information, please PM myself if you have any questions.

The software enables the audience to SMS (as long as you have an account with Twilio to SMS with mobile number) a message to be displayed on your Matrix or Megatree with various effects.

All the audience will do is send an SMS to the Twilio phone number that was provided to you add the text to the display within only a few seconds. There is also the option to use a Blacklist or Whitelist to ensure dirty words are not displayed.

Vixen Messaging can also add sequences that you created in Vixen for the Matrix and can be used while no SMS messages are being sent from the audience.

There is also many options for the Text to be displayed such as Font, direction, speed and position.

Important Notes before installation:
I have Trend Virus software and it thinks Vixen Messaging contains a virus. This is not the case however you may need to add the "Install file", the "Program Files\Vixen Messaging folder" and the "c:\users\xxxxx\appdata\roaming\Vixen Messaging folder" to the exclusion list of your Virus program.

Cheers and I hope you enjoy.
 

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One user posted this in another thread and it will save you some cash.

Recommend you do the following.

As Geoff mentioned, deleting the messages you don't want to send an auto reply to does stop these from occuring. I did notice an annoying auto reply message that comes up from Twilio each time a text is sent and this is deducted off your credit each time. The message is something like "Thanks for the message. Configure your number's SMS URL to change this message..........."

I got rid of it by doing the following:
1. Log into your Twilio account
2. That should bring up "Console Dashboard", if not select it on the left of the screen.
3. Look down the page and you will see "# Phone Numbers". Click on "Phone Numbers"
4. Find your phone number in red (+61 4xx xxx xxx) on the left and click on that.
5. Scroll down the page until you see "Messaging" Under that you will see "A Message comes in". On the right of that you will see https://demo.twilio.com/welcome/sms/reply/. Delete the reply/ from the end so it should read https://demo.twilio.com/welcome/sms/
6. Click on "Save" at the bottom.

This will stop the annoying auto reply message and will not affected any of the auto replying coming from the Messaging software.
 
Geoff - this looked great at the mini and something to consider for the future. Few questions:
I assume the sender gets charged for the sent message as well?
I have seen some services where if you text you can make a donation to charity (which gets charged to the senders phone bill). Was thinking this could be a way to raise money for charity (if someone is inclined without actually having to collect). Is this possible?
Is it possible to set up an equivalent email / Twitter service with amount of characters restricted?
 
Thanks mate. The sender is only charge based on their phone plan, so for 99% of people it is probably free.

There is a small cost of 0.75 cents to retrieve a message and around 5.7 cents to send a message back to them. So as you can see it doesn't cost much to use and you can limit the when and what gets send out.

As for donations through the SMS, I would say no, but haven't looked into it. The phone number belongs to Twilio so would need to see if it can be set up through them.

As for mail or twitter, my original version of the app had most of this, you could email in and also had different why to SMS. I found that they didn't get used and was to complicated. So I redesigned the app so it was simple and cleaner and it just works.
 
Ok, so my Ray Wu order arrived, I have made a 6x2 matrix and got it running on a BB with FPP and can load and run vixen sequences from FPP.
I have gone and got a phone number from twilio and been able to send and receive messages in the VM app, and also have messages showing up in my Vixen preview window.
What I cant get to work is messages to display onto the Matrix - or for that matter run a sequence from my PC onto the matrix.

I have the BB / FPP setup with a fixed IP - 192.168.1.141 and in the FPP pages set up a matrix in the Led Panels tab, I also set up 37 universes in the e131 tab but not enabled them.

Is there a method of turning on the outputs from PC to lights - like in That other software :) ????

Richie
 
this looks good. Quick question is their a filter option so that peoples "rude/crude" messages dont get sent through?
 
Richie4540 said:
Yes theres a black or white list depending upon which you want to use,
Click to expand...

You can also add any number of words to the white or black list as well.

Also if the same mobile number sends two bad words (that don't get displayed) then the mobile number is banned until my app is restarted and they then can't even send good words.
 
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Richie4540 said:
Ok, so my Ray Wu order arrived, I have made a 6x2 matrix and got it running on a BB with FPP and can load and run vixen sequences from FPP.
I have gone and got a phone number from twilio and been able to send and receive messages in the VM app, and also have messages showing up in my Vixen preview window.
What I cant get to work is messages to display onto the Matrix - or for that matter run a sequence from my PC onto the matrix.

I have the BB / FPP setup with a fixed IP - 192.168.1.141 and in the FPP pages set up a matrix in the Led Panels tab, I also set up 37 universes in the e131 tab but not enabled them.

Is there a method of turning on the outputs from PC to lights - like in That other software :) ????

Richie
Click to expand...

Hey Richie,

You may want to PM me as I will most likely need screen shots etc.

Firstly though from what you have said it looks like my app is working fine as the messages are showing up on the Vixen preview.

This could indicate a few things and I would need more info, possible issues are:
- Vixen patching from element to controller (BB) is not setup on the Vixen display screen.
- BB is not setup correctly. Can you run the in built test within the BB and does it display. If not then it's a BB or matrix issue (settings/ cables). If it does then ensure the BB is setup for bridging on the status page.

If this is all good then please PM me screen shots of the Vixen display screen, Vixen controller screen and your BB screens.

Last resort we can chat on the phone.

Happy to help and get it working.
 
Mate thanks for the help - It had to be something simple - I had not set the BB in FPP to bridge mode.
Its now happily receiving sms and displaying on the matrix.
Now all I have to do is make it waterproof and hangers on the side of the house.

Richie
 
Oh the phone numbers 0437 917 755 if anyone want to give it a go, I will probably keep it active till Christmas,
 
Fing said:
want us to test out the black list ?:eek::eek:
Click to expand...

Rock on - its only in my office at the moment not hung on the side of my house yet :)

I do have guests visiting for a meeting Thursday, maybe I should turn it off....

but thanks has to go to gnarmstr for making such a neat program.

some clown in the office tried sending a picture via MMS and got this in the message stream -
Bad Word/s Detected in YouhaveanewMMSPictureorVideoMessageToviewyourmessagegotohttptelstracommmsviewenterUserID61437917755andPassword13z25pwithin14days from

Richie
 
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