Universal RC Remote Control App

This project is designed to create a small, versatile remote control application for RC toys, styled after the familiar button layout of an Xbox controller. Built with Python and HTML, this app operates as both a desktop .NET application and a mobile application, offering seamless control over RC toys via Bluetooth, Wi-Fi, and RF communication modes.

Features

• Xbox-Inspired Button Layout: The app mirrors the intuitive design of an Xbox controller, making it easy to control RC toys with a familiar interface.
• Cross-Platform Support:
  • Desktop: Runs as a .NET application on Windows.
  • Mobile: Compatible with Android and iOS devices.
• Communication Options:
  • Bluetooth: For short-range, direct connections.
  • Wi-Fi: For networked control over greater distances. Current draft implemented with a UDP Socket.
  • RF (Radio Frequency): For robust, hardware-supported communication.
• Mode Switching: A dedicated button or UI element allows users to switch between Bluetooth, Wi-Fi, and RF modes effortlessly.
• Tech Stack:
  • Python: Powers the backend logic and communication protocols.
  • HTML: Crafts a responsive, visually appealing frontend interface.

Requirements

To develop and run this app, you'll need:

• Python 3.x: For backend development and communication handling.
• .NET Framework: For the desktop application (Windows).
• Mobile Development Tools: Android Studio (for Android) and Xcode (for iOS).
• Communication Libraries: Specific libraries for Bluetooth (e.g., PyBluez), Wi-Fi (e.g., sockets), and RF (e.g., PySerial or hardware-specific modules).

How It Works

• Frontend: The Tkinter-based interface replicates an Xbox controller layout, capturing user inputs (e.g., button presses, joystick movements) and sending them to the backend.
• Backend: Python processes these inputs and communicates with the RC toy using the selected mode (Bluetooth, Wi-Fi, or RF).
• Mode Switching: A Slider implemented on the UI updates the backend to use the chosen communication protocol dynamically.
• Camera Feed: A Resizeable Box implemented on the UI which shows the Camera Streaming (Camera integrated as part of the Server; Remote will act as the Video Stream Client).

Setup Instructions

1. Clone the Repository:

   git clone https://github.com/centx842/Universal-RC-Remote.git

2. Check for current Python Version:

   • First check your Python Version on Windows or Ubuntu Machine (using either 'python', 'python3', or even 'python310' in case of Ubuntu Machine)

     python --version

   • If Python version appears, proceed to the next step otherwise Install from Python.org.

3. Creating an Environment:

   • Move into your Project Folder:

     cd path\to\your\project

   • Create your Environment Folder within the Project Folder:

     python -m venv <env_name>

4. Activate the Virtual Environment

• For Windows:

  <env_name>\Scripts\activate

• For Linux/macOS:

  source <env_name>/bin/activate

Once activated, upgrade the essential build tools:

pip install --upgrade pip setuptools wheel build

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5. Install Dependencies

• Python:

  pip install -r requirements.txt

  (Update this file with any additional libraries as needed.)

• .NET: Ensure the .NET SDK/Runtime is installed and available in your system PATH.

• Mobile: Install and configure Android Studio and/or Xcode depending on your target platform.

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6. Run the Application

• Desktop:

  python main.py

Development Notes

• Desktop: Integrate Python with .NET using tools like IronPython or subprocesses.
• Mobile: Consider frameworks like BeeWare or Kivy for Python-based mobile apps with HTML frontends.
• Communication: Test with actual RC toys to ensure compatibility across all modes.

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⚙️ Build Binary

🐧 For Linux / macOS

pyinstaller --onefile --add-data "images:images" main.py

📁 Add more resources later:

pyinstaller --onefile \
  --add-data "images:images" \
  --add-data "sounds:sounds" \
  --add-data "config:config" main.py

▶️ Run the Binary

cd dist
./main

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🪟 For Windows

pyinstaller --onefile --add-data "images;images" main.py

📁 Add more resources later:

pyinstaller --onefile `
  --add-data "images;images" `
  --add-data "sounds;sounds" `
  --add-data "config;config" main.py

▶️ Run the Binary

cd dist
main.exe

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Release the Binary

🚀 1. Prepare Your Binary

Make sure your binary is built and ready (example for Linux):

cd dist
ls
# main

Rename it with version info (recommended):

mv main universal-rc-remote-v1.0-linux

Optional but best practice: Compress the file to reduce size and make upload easier:

tar -czvf universal-rc-remote-v1.0-linux.tar.gz universal-rc-remote-v1.0-linux

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🏷️ 2. Tag Your Release in Git

Each GitHub release is linked to a Git tag.

Create and push a new tag:

git tag -a v1.0 -m "First stable release with Linux binary build"
git push origin v1.0

🧠 Memory trick:

“Tag = Time capsule” — it freezes your repo at that version.

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🧑‍💻 3. Create the Release (via GitHub Web)

1. Go to your repo → Releases tab → click “Draft a new release”

2. Choose existing tag (v1.0)

3. Fill in:

   • Release title: Universal RC Remote v1.0

   • Description:

     🎉 First public release!
     
     ✅ Features:
     - Linux binary build for standalone use
     - MQTT & Serial communication support
     - Modern UI using CustomTkinter
     
     🧩 How to use:
     1. Download the `.tar.gz` file
     2. Extract it:
        tar -xzvf universal-rc-remote-v1.0-linux.tar.gz
     3. Run:
        ./universal-rc-remote-v1.0-linux
     

4. Upload your binary file (.tar.gz or .exe).

5. Click Publish release.

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Contributing

We’d love your help! Please check the contributing guidelines before submitting pull requests.

License

This project is licensed under the MIT License.