WhoIsIt - CallerID Display app

[Gunn]

Latest Revision (See the Readme in the zip)
4 January 2011, v2.3
Note: BeyondTV is NOT required to use this app!

Background
This application was written from my desire to have a nice looking caller ID display popup on my TV while using BeyondTV. I couldn't find anything out there that was to my liking. Plus, I didn't have a modem in my HTPC. I found a program called YAC which allowed me to use a server and a client to display the information on my HTPC, but I still didn't like the look. Thankfully, it was an easy process to create a listener for YAC that looked the way I wanted it. I've since added many preferences so others can hopefully enjoy what I've done.

What(/Who) is it?

The WhoIsIt? CallerID display is a listener used in combination with the Yet Another CallerID program (YAC). Therefore, YAC is required for this to application to work and must be running and configured properly. Get it at: http://sunflowerhead.com/software/yac/ . It is built using the .NET Framework v1.1 so that must also be installed before using.

WhoIsIt defaults have been set and adjusted to look decent on an 800x600 display. It is centered in the lower portion of the screen.

Features:

• Display CallerID information in a customizable window
• Show custom images mapped to specific phone numbers
• Select Font size, type and color
• Select Background color
• Select Opacity/Transparency of the display on screen
• Fade in/out the display
• Set the size and position of the display, including a full screen option
• Adjust the time the display remains
• Import and export settings to other machines easily
• Support for Vonage customers
• Wake computer monitor from standby when message arrives
• Multiple monitor support for displaying full screen
• Launch another application when a message is received

View the Readme within the zip file for more information and release notes.

New to v2.3:

• Added preference to wake the monitor from standby when a message arrives.
• Added ability to drag the display location with the mouse to set the X/Y position.
• Added ability to launch an external application when any message is received.
• Added preference to display full screen on monitor selected to display on.
• Added preference to enable or disable timer.
• If timer is disabled, a close button appears on the display.
• Updated user interface (Preferences, Image Mappings, etc.) to use Windows visual styles.

[Cal]

I don't know if you have added this but, the one thing I'd like to see is Customizable Name ID. ie it receives a number and Name as per normal but displays something else that is settable. That would be nice for those Known Cell phones of your friends that just say unknown but still give you a number.

Great, Now I have to see is I can get Vonage working with this since I mentioned it in the other thread. Now I really have to look at buying a modem just for this.

I think I'll take my laptop home this weekend as it has a modem built into it and see if I can get a proof of concept working.

[DonK]

Moved to Development forum, it's perfectly all right for this to be there.

[Gunn]

Cal, the YAC server has options to customize the way the data is displayed. You can add entries to a database, so that when that number comes in, you can have it display something customized, like "Mom & Dad", etc. Sounds like what you want. So my little program just displays whatever the YAK server sends it.

Thanks Don for moving it to the development discussion forum.

[Cal]

Ya. I saw that now that I tried to get YAC working last night so I think It will do what I want.

My Laptop has a Lucent Win Modem built into it and does not seem to be working right. I can start Hyper terminal and turn on the Caller ID function via AT commands and it works so I know Vonage is passing the info correctly. But I can't make YAC work on it. I also tried plugging my line directly into my Satalight receiver and it displays the caller ID info properly as well. I guess I'll have to go get a modem after all if I want this to work. I suppose I've proved that Vonage will work if I get the right modem so I might as well do it.

[nanook105]

I couldn't get it to work last night either. The modem in the PC that I tried works with the Beyond Media CallerID plugin, so I thought it would work with this.

[nanook105]

Ok, I got yac to work on another PC/Modem, but I can't get WhoIsIt to work. Even after starting WhoIsIt, I still just get messages from Yac. I assume that Yac has to be installed and running for WhoIsIt to work.

I am trying to run the Yac server and the WhoIsIt listener on the same workstation. Perhaps that is the problem ?

[Gunn]

Nah, that shouldn't be a problem. Actually that is how I did it when testing. Be sure that both are on the same port. I doubt you changed that though, since YAK does not give a method to change it. My app should default to the correct one.

You must also make sure to list the computer that YAK is running on also as a Listener, in the "Listeners..." dialog. Put in the hostname or IP of the computer. That way, YAK will know to send the info to that computer...even if it is the same one. Once you add it, try pressing the "Test Listeners" button to see if WhoIsIt pops up.

You can also try the "Send Text Message..." to do the same thing.

Another thing to check is if YAK is getting the CallerID info; have it write all calls to a call log ("Preferences->Write Text Message To Call Log") and after a call, open the log to see if it actually picked it up.

I need to update my readme/help file with some of this information. Let me know if it helps and you get it working.

[PBMax]

Gunn,

Nice work. I was going to work on something like this myself. Glad I don't have to anymore. Just a note, If you have a Yac listener running when you start your app you get a .NET error.

Otherwise it's great!

[nanook105]

Originally Posted by Gunn

You must also make sure to list the computer that YAK is running on also as a Listener, in the "Listeners..." dialog. Put in the hostname or IP of the computer. That way, YAK will know to send the info to that computer...even if it is the same one. Once you add it, try pressing the "Test Listeners" button to see if WhoIsIt pops up.

You can also try the "Send Text Message..." to do the same thing.

Another thing to check is if YAK is getting the CallerID info; have it write all calls to a call log ("Preferences->Write Text Message To Call Log") and after a call, open the log to see if it actually picked it up.

I need to update my readme/help file with some of this information. Let me know if it helps and you get it working.

YAC is getting the calls, because the YAC Server is displaying a message, and it is sending it to another computer that I have entered as a listener. However, I did not set the the computer running the YAC server as a listener - I'll give that a try this evening.

[nanook105]

Ok - setting the local server up as a listener worked - get the display from your app. However, the yac server still displays a message in the lower right hand corner. Is there a way to stop that ?

[Gunn]

Thanks for the info and compliments PBMax...I'll look into fixing that; or at least dealing politely with it.

nanook, I have that same problem on my server computer. Not sure if there is a way to turn it off unfortunately.

[nanook105]

I'm using an external modum on that computer, so I can just move the modum to another computer.

[Gadget]

Nice program.


It seems that it does not retain the size, position and font etc. once the computer is restarted. Is there anyway round this?

Thanks

[ncamara]

Can someone post some screenshots of this working?
Thanks