We’re thrilled to be able to announce a new version of iRule for Android! This isn’t just an updated feature or two; it’s a major release! We’ve been working on it for several months now; building, testing, building, and testing more. We’re really happy with the results, and we think you will be, too. For you power-users, you can now use Variables to do some amazing things, there are multi-state buttons for those who want to create a richer, more informative user interface, there are new Handset templates (which have all been updated with multi-state buttons) for more Android devices, and much more.
To use the new version and start working with variables, multi-state buttons, and more, just log in to your iRule Builder account. Don’t forget to update the app on your Android phone or tablet before you try to sync the changes you’ve made in iRule Builder!
New Features in iRule 2.0 for Android and iRule Builder
Built for Speed
Version 2.0 has been rebuilt, almost from the ground up. We’ll skip the silly analogies to aftermarket car upgrades like superchargers and nitrous, but it’s like that. The engineers dug into practically every corner of the app looking for any way to make the app faster and better. There are dozens of enhancements too numerous to mention individually, all to improve the app’s speed and performance.
Multi-State Images
Buttons and links can now have three appearance states: Default, pressed, and selected. Make your user-interface more interesting and more interactive. Make your user interface more informative with source selection indication. Put them in select- and deselect-groups so they interact with one another, and use variables for even more exciting interactions.
New Handset Templates
All Android Handset templates have updated to include multi-state buttons, and several new handset templates have been added to support some newer devices, including the 2013 Google Nexus 7, Kindle Fire HDX, and more.
Full-Resolution Grid Support
Make your grid the same size as the number of pixels in your Android handset template and position buttons and other elements right down to the pixel, then use the new alignment tools to line them up!
Action Bar
All-new Action Bar, just for Android. Better, more intuitive navigation and access to app settings. Pin it to make it persistent, or let it pop over your remote’s UI as needed.
Wake-on-LAN (WoL) Action Support
Wake-on-LAN (WoL) Action objects are now supported on Android. Add the WoL object to a macro on a button or a link, or in a panel entrance, for much better control of your WoL devices like computers, media servers, and a few TVs.
Transparent Drawers
Drawer backgrounds are now transparent. Use a background image to make it function as before, leave it empty to let your Drawer UI elements “float” over the underlying page, or place a PNG with transparency to create a cool “glass drawer” effect.
Builder Search Bar
A new search bar on the Panels, Images, Devices, Feedbacks, and More tabs makes it easy to find what you’re looking for in even the largest graphics libraries or most complex remote projects.
Builder Enhanced Backup/Restore
Backup/Restore has been enhanced to offer better performance on larger projects, the Restore dialog now reports the status during the restoration process, and backup files now contain the account/project nickname.
Many Other Improvements, Changes, and Fixes
- Reworked Gateways Page
- Gateway status dialog and improved gateway connection status
- Improved IR smooth-repeat
- Fixed background height bug
- Improved gestures, including two-finger double-tap
- Stability improvements on several different devices
- UDP support is back, now supporting broadcast and unicast
- Fixed an issue with button placement after sync
- Fixes for Weather and Clock Modules
- Builder background color is now configurable to make it easier to work with white or light images
- Builder ‘Collapse all’ button collapses all expanded tree elements
For the most up-to-date information on this new version of iRule, visit the Release Notes page, the Support Center, and the Support Community.
