[App] Blink

I`ll check what I can do.
At the moment I can only change the network handling for amr/disarm to change all networks and not only the first one.
In future, new devices are needed for the networks (added kike cameras) to change them seperately.

@Davide_Zamo that would indeed be a great option to have. Also have 3 systems and would love to arm them . Now you can only arm the first system/location added

Short update…
Arm/disarm for all networks seems to be possible for implementation.
The more comfortable way to add each network as device will take mor time and work. But I see the benefit, especially because for BlinkMini the motion recognition cant `t be set (API endpoint unknown). So the cameras could be grouped in networks and armed/disarmed this way.

Would be great . I have 3 different houses with blink, so a arm and disarm all is “not wanted” for 3 diff locations at the same time

would be really great…

I implemented some fixes and improvements into my repository. Now it`s time to wait until ObelixNL has merged the changes into his repository and published a new version in the app store.

The changes are documented in the github pull request.

You can get an test version with the fix at Blink | Homey

Thanks RonnyW

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Hello to all Blink users…
Thanks to @ObelixNL for pulishing the new test version.

If you want to use this test/beta version, please use this link to the app store:

Here is a short list of fixes:

  • adding new camera (fixed changed account field by Blink)
  • getting snaphots (http header correction)
  • motion trigger (correction for reading video timestamt)

Other changes:

  • addes brand color for app icon
  • hide video timestamp in sensor view - it’s internal used for video timestamp comparison

And some improvements:

Snapshots:

  • If a snapshot is requested, the camera need some time to record and publish it for the API. The app is waiting up to 10 seconds for a new snapshot. If no snapshot could be read, “invalid_image_buffer” is shows as error in the Homey app. This could occour, is the camera is recording during snapshot request of is the camera is not reachable.

Motion detection:

  • No snapshot is recorded when motion is detected. The camera is recording at this time. A snapshot is not possible and will delay the alarm.
  • If you need a snapshot, it should be created via flow (action: capture snapshot) with a delay (duration of recording). Create a second flow for flow event “a snapshot was created” to send a push message.
  • Please note:
    The snapshot will only show a moment after the video recording ended.
    The motion detection is not pushed by the camera. It’s recognized if there is a new video timestamp. So if the camera recognizes motion, it is recording the video. Based on the new video, the Homey app is raising the motion alert.
    If you record a video using the Blink app, it will trigger a motion alert in Homey based on the new video timestamp.

BlinkMini:

  • new flow actions: create snapshot, create video
  • new flow event: alarm_motion

SyncModule (called system or network):

  • On arm/disarm (app flow action), the state of all sync modules is changed.
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error on adding cameras…

Yes, there is still another bug causing a error on startup. We’ll fix it and publish a new test version…

thanks i’ll try as soon as new test will be published…

Using the latest test version 1.0.8, why is the motion alarm blinkning and reporting motion as a warning with a year ago as timestamp? Same for all my cameras in Homey.

@all
@ObelixNL has just published a new test version. Thanks!

Please test this version. Hopefully, the error while adding a new camera is fixed.
Let me know if there are still errors. Please describe if you used a new/existing install and which camera you are using.

Hi,

with test version 1.0.8 finally the motion detection worked for me (for the first time I am using Blink and Homey after more than a year)

After the 1.0.10 has been automatically installed it stopped working again (as before 1.0.8 - it never worked, only with 1.0.8…)

Can it be please checked and fixed as it worked in 1.0.8?

Thx for your support.

Hello Alex,

I tested with this version and all is working for we.
Please consider that the mnotion recognition does not directly work with the camera sensor. Due to the Blink-API, only the last video timestamt can be used to determine a motion alert. This happens, when a camera is recognices motions and stores a video.

Please check the following settings:

  • is the network armed in Blink app?
  • in motion detection enablen for the camera in Blink app?
  • in your Homey device switched on? If you switch off the camera device, motion recognition is disabled for the camera
  • is a video recorded by the camera? Did you get a push alert from Blink app?
  • Can Homey connect to your camera? Is the snapsot visible?

You can test the motion recognition by recording a video using the Blink app. This way, a video is stored and it’s recognized by the Homey app.

Please consider, that many test/snapshots/API-calls in a short time will raise a rate limit for your Homey app. That means, that further API calls are blocked for a time (I think 15 to 30 minutes). This results in error massages in snapshot view.

Bye
Ronny

Dear Ronny,

I can confirm that all points are OK and according to your explanation.

It is strange that for me using Blink anf Homey for more than a year now only 1.0.8 worked with motion detection.

When I got the Blink message that a video has been recorded it triggered some lamps to switch on.

Since 1.0.10 everything works incl Snapshot via Homey etc but lamps are not turned on after recording. So back to the state before 1.0.8 (made no changes to flows etc)…

Alex

If you are using a Blink Indoor/Ouztdoor, there are 2 trigger for motion:

  • motion detected (the old one triggered by the app itself) and
  • motion alert switched on/off (troggered by changed capability.

Perhaps there is a difference.
Please could you check which one you are using in the flows.
I would suggest to use the second one (alert switched on), because it’s a default use case for Homey.

I will check later if I can reproduce this scenario.

I am using the first one.
I will try the other one today as well and will give feedback.

Hi, wow - it works by using the 2nd trigger!
Great! Then I know what to do. Thx for your great help!

Thanks for the feedback. I’ll check the first trigger, but it makes more sense to remove it for a better consistence, I think.