Hi all,

I am a brand new user of Crestron and wondering if you experts know a way to program Crestron to execute simple controls of a Mac computer from the touchscreen. I only need it to launch a program and start it recording.

I want to if it's possible how to give my installer some direction as to how to program it.

Thanks for your help.

This could be very easy. Which mac? If it's one with IR Support (Mac Minis have it, older macbook pros have it, unsure of the Mac Towers) your installer can use a program called remote buddy and map a remote button to start the program through an IR flasher from the processor. Couldn't get much easier. I do it quite often with mac mini's.

If its a computer that doesn't have IR support, then it's still possible but someone smarter than me would have to point you in that direction.

It's a new Mac Pro tower. I'll have to see if it has IR, but I doubt it.

I just want to be able to launch a video application and start it recording streaming from our Crestron panel.

Thanks for your help.

which panel?

if it is a newer one you may be able to VNC into the MAC from the panel.

[Link: twistedmelon.com]

You need that. You need an IR flasher (eye) run from the processor to that part. You need to put a program called remotebuddy on the mac. Your then map a button in remotebuddy to the program you want to open and program that button press into the panel. With that part and remotebuddy software, any programmer worth half a darn could accomplish this. This isn't the best way to go about it though, but it will work.

There may be a way to send HTTP commands from crestron to the mac pro to start the program, but that is above my paygrade. I'm about 99% sure this is possible and would be the best way to accomplish this.

So I finally got a chance to look at the Crestron system. It's a Pro2. Will VNC work with it?

cgav,

This is interesting. So, the Crestron would be programmed to send an IR signal that would then be received by the Mac, and the remotebuddy software would tell the Mac how to interpret that IR to launch a particular app and/or execute other commands. Is that about right? I'm still not clear. What send the IR signal in the first place?

That's exactly right. The PRO2 has IR out (on the back) that sends the IR signal to the MAC via a flasher:

[Link: crestron.com]

If your mac doesn't have IR support then you'd need the MIRA piece I referenced in an earlier post.

Also, you should get with the programmer. He may be able to program it with direct IP commands. There are programs like remotebuddy that take IP commands and control the PC. I don't know how to do it that way, but if it can be done, it would be a better method.

cgav,

Thank you so much for your help. I'll ask about the IP commands, though I'm skeptical that they know how to do this. I feel pretty confident that they could do this with the IR, though. Either way, it can be done, and that is the important thing. Best to you.

Thanks to the others who responded too. I am very grateful for the help.