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Author Topic: "ForceSync" mobile app for Plecter RICE and Proffieboard sound boards  (Read 8978 times)

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Offline ShtokyD

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ForceSync saber App
- a single mobile app to control all Plecter RICE and Proffieboard (Open Source) saber sound boards via bluetooth


A short story about the “ForceSync” app:
I got this idea about 5 years ago — what if we had 1 smartphone app, that we could use for ALL custom sabers we have with all kinds of sound boards and electronics inside to remotely control it and adjust settings. And I really wanted it to be free for all so everybody could enjoy this awesome experience! At that time there already was an app by Electrum Sabercrafts that only worked with their own saber sound board and Android app for Crystal Shard board by Plecter Labs, but nothing else for other top tier boards like CF. So I started drawing the app interface design myself completely from scratch and mocking up the buttons layouts and stuff (for those who don’t know — my professional field is product design, so I was very comfortable in doing graphic and interface design), also asking questions to Erv Plecter about serial commands that control CF, Prizm and Crystal Shard sound boards (these were the only boards at that time that allowed bluetooth control via their UART RICE serial interface). So I researched all that, created a huge list of all those commands taken from RICE programs for PC and started to look for a developer who could code all this together into a real working app. That part took a while, because you can’t just find a good app developer who won’t ask $10000s for his work. Also he must be easy to communicate with and understand my design wishes and specifics. So I started with one of my friends who is a web developer, we created something resembling the smartphone app, but had to stop working on it because of his own career. Then I found another developer who eventually made a half of Android app, we paid him 4-digits in € but he said he has no time to work on it anymore for such small amount of money... I wasn’t expecting it was THAT hard to find a good app developer for a not huge amount of money, well... so then I got lucky and I met an iOS developer who agreed to make the LITE and PRO app for me for a quite decent price and we did it, a free LITE app on iOS is already running in the Apple App Store for about a year and people LOVE it! The PRO iOS app should also come out very soon, we are already finishing it. And only recently I found a professional app development studio who I paid to finish the Android app and here we are! We will make the PRO version for Android a bit later in 2021 because we had too much expenses already, but it was worth it!
It will be available for FREE download from the Google Play Store/Market for everybody. It’s a LITE version - a very limited but still very useful app for getting familiar with the saber remote control technology if you are still not sure you would like it and use it. But from many of my customers and friends responses, the experience you get with this app is truly next level and opens up so many more possibilities with a lightsaber experience!
We also are working now on a PRO app version which will give you full control over your custom lightsabers and make your experience even more fun! But since me and my friend, who helps me with budget investments to cover all our app developers expenses (literally thousands of dollars, I’m not exaggerating here), we are spending our own money from our pockets and our own time for the design and testing, and the PRO app has a lot of functions and work to do, it just can’t be free unfortunately, I wish it could. But the price will be very affordable so you don’t need to worry about it, everybody will be able to afford it. ;)
And of course a huge shout out to our sound boards developers, innovators and creators, especially to Erv Plecter (CFX) and Fredrik Hubinette (Proffieboard) for extraordinary work on their lightsaber sound boards tech, that literally made all this possible!!! I’m applauding you guys, you are truly our saber heroes! Keep it evolve!

Here is a demonstration video of our test ForceSync (Lite version) app for iOS:



This app is now available in App Store for iOS devices and in Google Play for Android in Lite version, Pro is pending (in-app purchase upgrade from the Lite version).


iOS: download here - ForceSync app on App Store
Android: download here - ForceSync app on Google Play


Lite version (FREE) features:
- full functionality support for Proffieboard sound board Remote Control
- limited functionality support for Plecter RICE sound boards (Crystal Shard, Prizm, Crystal Focus): only sound changing and main Blade Color changing without possibility to save settings

Pro version (PAID) features:
- full functionality support for Proffieboard sound board Remote Control
- full functionality support for Plecter RICE sound boards (Crystal Shard, Prizm, Crystal Focus) including saving settings and presets


For a bluetooth module we highly recommend FSC-BT630 or FSC-BT909 modules made by Feasycom company in China. We have tested a bunch of different bluetooth modules and found specifically these as the best candidate in terms of functionality, reliability and price. Also we are working on distributing these modules in USA and Europe by very well known companies in saber community, so it would be easier for the end user to get these modules. More info on how to use them please read here: Wireless (Bluetooth) for sound boards - HOW-TO!

More info you can find on our facebook page: http://www.facebook.com/forcesyncsaberapp
« Last Edit: January 21, 2021, 09:32:49 AM by ShtokyD »

Offline Darkmatter73

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Re: "ForceSync" mobile app for Plecter RICE and Proffieboard sound boards
« Reply #1 on: February 01, 2019, 08:29:18 AM »
This is going to be fantastic! Thanks for your hard work on this, can't wait to try it out.
-Darkmatter73

Offline ShtokyD

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Re: "ForceSync" mobile app for Plecter RICE and Proffieboard sound boards
« Reply #2 on: February 03, 2019, 08:49:41 AM »
This is going to be fantastic! Thanks for your hard work on this, can't wait to try it out.
-Darkmatter73
I see a lot of people upgrading their sabers to Bluetooth RICE in the near future :)
« Last Edit: February 05, 2019, 04:32:30 AM by ShtokyD »

Offline ShtokyD

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New video!

Offline ShtokyD

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My "ForceSync" app for Bluetooth RICE Remote Control over ALL Plecter RICE sound boards and Proffieboad is now live and available for download for FREE in App Store for iOS mobile devices! This is a first Light version of this app, we are now working hard on the Pro version which will have FULL functionality! If you want to support us for making more awesome products for saber community please download, rate and write a review, thank you! ;)

Offline SilantStrike

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installed the BT909 with a prizm5.5 this week and used the Light version on iOS.  Really cool, can't wait for the Pro version!

Offline ShtokyD

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installed the BT909 with a prizm5.5 this week and used the Light version on iOS.  Really cool, can't wait for the Pro version!
Great!

Offline ShtokyD

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Re: "ForceSync" mobile app for Plecter RICE and Proffieboard sound boards
« Reply #7 on: January 21, 2021, 09:34:31 AM »
Updates! We recently released the app on Android, give it a try! ;P

 

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