Playing custom chimes or audio files

Overview

You can play a custom chime in response to a hardware trigger event, like a doorbell, or you can play a custom chime using an HTTP request. You can use this capability to provide customers with their own unique doorbell rings, or to provide audio notifications in response to various events.

Using a hardware trigger signal (like a doorbell ring)

Start by physically connecting the doorbell 12V DC signal to the TRIGGER IN jack on the CasaTunes trigger card. Once connected, use CasaSetup to complete the configuration. Refer to Muting, Paging, Playing a Custom Doorbell Chime, and Doorbell Integration for more information on how to setup a hardware trigger.

Adding a custom chime (audio file) to play

You can add your own custom doorbell chimes to play. Simply copy your doorbell audio files into the \\CasaServer\CasaData\Chimes folder on your music server.

We recommend you name your audio files with user friendly names, as these will be displayed in CasaSetup in a drop down list for you to select from.

The audio file can be any type that is supported by CasaTunes. This includes files that end with: .wav, .aiff, .aif, .mpg, .mpeg, .mp1, .mp2, .mp3, .mp4, .m4a, .m4p, .wma, .ogg, .oga, or .flac

Using the REST APIs

CasaTunes provides a robust set of REST APIs that you can use to control CasaTunes. In fact, these are the same programming interfaces used by our own native Apps. We have added several new REST APIs that will allow you to play a specific audio track in one or more rooms (using room groups). This capability could be tied in to your home automation system to provide audible feedback in response to specific events.

You can test out these REST APIs using our CasaDev tool. This tool provides all the documentation for the REST APIs, as well as providing a sandbox for quick testing of the REST APIs. To start the CasaDev tool, simply enter the following in your browser of choice:

Click on the /System namespace and you will see 4 different doorbell REST APIs available:

• /system/doorbell - This API will play the configured doorbell chime in all rooms that are enabled for paging
• /system/doorbell/chimes/{chime} - This API will play the specified {chime} (audio file) in all rooms that are enabled for paging
• /system/doorbell/zones/{id} - This API will play the configured doorbell chime in the specified room. The specified room can be a room or room group. Simply use the name of the room or room group
• /system/doorbell/zones/{id}/chimes/{chime} - This API will play the specified {chime} (audio file) in the room specified by {id}. The specified room can be a room or room group. Simply use the name of the room or room group

Examples

The following examples assume:

• The name of your music server is CasaServer (default)
• You have copied several audio files in the Chime folder, including SecurityArmed.wav and MyFunkyDoorBell.wav
• You selected MyFunkyDoorBell as the default chime to play when the doorbell is triggered
• You have a room called Master Bedroom

To play your custom doorbell chime (MyFunkyDoorBell) in all rooms where paging is enabled, simply enter the following in your browser:

To provide audio feedback that your security system is now armed in the master bedroom only, simply enter the following in your browser:

So now it is your turn to experiment! Let us know of the cool things you are doing with the CasaTunes doorbell chime and the remaining REST APIs.