Change Release Notes
This is a beta release of the new ARC with plug-in framework. Throughout the next few releases, we will be adding more details on plug-in development and demonstrating plug-in capabilities. This release of ARC has the back-end nearly completely rewritten to support plugin controls. This makes ARC the first and only true robot platform by providing hardware, 3d printable components, software, appstore, mobile apps, and now user submitted custom controls. I'm very excited about this new feature and know it will bring many amazing plugin developers.
Plug-ins will be available here: http://www.ez-robot.com/ARC/plugins/
The plug-in framework enables users, companies and organizations the ability to create controls in ARC. If you're looking to support a new sensor, robot, controller, or add additional features, you can now create controls of your own.
*Note: this is a beta release, expect a few bugs
More details will be added soon - specifically a video on how to install plug-ins and how to begin developing your own in Visual Studio.
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Compare Editions
| Feature | ARC FREE |
ARC PRO |
|---|---|---|
| Get ARC for Free | View Plans | |
| Usage | Personal DIY Education |
Personal DIY Education Business |
| Early access to new features & fixes | Yes | |
| Simultaneous microcontroller connections* | 1 | 255 |
| Robot skills* | 20 | Unlimited |
| Skill Store plugins* | 1 | Unlimited |
| Cognitive services usage** | 10/day | 6,000/day |
| Auto-positions gait actions* | 40 | Unlimited |
| Speech recongition phrases* | 10 | Unlimited |
| Camera devices* | 1 | Unlimited |
| Vision resolution | max 320x240 | Unlimited |
| Interface builder* | 2 | Unlimited |
| Cloud project size | 128 MB | |
| Cloud project revision history | Yes | |
| Create Exosphere requests | 50/month | |
| Exosphere API access | Contact Us | |
| Volume license discounts | Contact Us | |
| Get ARC for Free | View Plans |
** 1,000 per cognitive type (vision recognition, speech recognition, face detection, sentiment, text recognition, emotion detection, azure text to speech)
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<fist pump>Yes! </fist pump>
EDIT Well darn! It looks like the left paren in quotes bug wasn't fixed in this release.
Thanks for your work on the ARC rewrite. I look forward to the video and updates for using the new plug-ins. I'm hoping it's something I will be able to do as this does interest me. It will be good to see what ideas other members will come us with. I'm wondering what the other improvements this rewrite will bring?
The web browser and tic tac toe plugins install great.... I am really going to like the plugin concept... So much in fact I want to learn visual studio so I can contribute to making plugins....
Very exciting!
@wbs it's on the list - however the rewrite did not contain any additional work because it was already a gigantic job architecting this advanced plugin system.
Thanks rich and levels. I'm tweaking the plugin manager ui and a few other functions before I create a how to movie. Shouldn't be much longer / it's been my focus for months. Big job
Installed Tic Tac Toe, but it does not appear to understand when the PC or Human wins with 3 in a row. Everything is a draw. No one wins or loses. Let the onslaught of "Would you like to play a game" BEGIN!
DJ, Just a suggestion. Since this is a Beta release with lot's of opportunity for new bugs, should you keep a link on the software download page for the previous "stable" version? Not that it was completely bug free (video recording being my biggest issue), but at least by now all the bugs are known and there are reports on the forum new users could easily find.
Alan
This is very exciting! Thank you DJ for your passion and work you put in the product. It makes using EZ-Robot hardware and software a joy!
@alan, video recording was announced over a year ago as being disabled until some encoder licensing can be arranged. Until then, it's still disabled and is not considered a bug. However, I would love to get that item off my list!
Ps, with the plugin architecture you can create your own video recording plugin! Or any developers can as well. I'm hoping this provides gateway to assist my developments such as video recording
The software has undergone rigorous tests against previous functionality with no behavioral differences. The beta status is applied to the plugin architecture and ui implementing and does not affect the ARC native features.
Hope that helps
Like I said, I really do appreciate your work on the rewrite. Very exciting indeed.
Thanks! I'm stoked to open ARC to the development community to help make it even greater. There only so much time in a day and my list is getting longer, not shorter
. This will help that!
I definitely missed that. The last I saw in the threads where Justin reported it and Jeremie confirmed it was that you were going to take a look.
https://synthiam.com/Community/Questions/7245
and
https://synthiam.com/Community/Questions/7281
The latter thread just 6 months ago, and you didn't mention there that you knew the cause or that the feature was disabled.
You know I am not one to complain too much -- except when I am right and you are wrong
like the DHCP issue , but really, if a feature is disabled, it should be labeled as such or removed from the UI and/or at least mentioned in the documentation when you click the ?. Neither is the case.
Alan
Here is the manual for creating plugins. The plugins that I've added have the source code available in the description as well.
How to: http://synthiam.com/Products/Controls