iMessageSpy

SecuritySpy - Messages.app and iMessage Integration

Description

I've created two scripts that allow you to interact with and control part of SecuritySpy using iMessages and the Messages.app. I've tested this on 10.9 and 10.10, but it may work on older versions of Mac OS X.

Features

What can you do with this? You can tell SecuritySpy to send you pictures from your cameras when they detect motion. You can tell SecuritySpy to send you pictures of any camera immediately (regardless of active/passive or motion detection settings). These are the main two features of the package. It also provides some other commands so you can control access. I recommend you use this with a dedicated SecuritySpy machine ("server"). I made a new Apple ID account specifically for iMessages on this server, and setup Messages.app with this account. No one knows the account, so it's fairly secure just considering that. Do not give people the account nor tell them the commands and your privacy will be pretty safe.

Screen shots

Installation

Installation is simple, but requires a few steps. First, make sure you are signed into an iMessage account with Messages and SecuritySpy is running with at least 1 camera.

Copy the file SecuritySpy Remote Control.applescript to ~/Library/Application Scripts/com.apple.iChat/
Copy the file SS_SendiMessages.scpt to ~/Documents/SecuritySpy/Scripts/
- The ~ means your home folder, usually something like /Users/yourname
Open Messages.app
- Go to Preferences > General
- Select SecuritySpy Remote Control.applescript as the AppleScript handler.
Open SecuritySpy
- Go to Settings > Camera Settings > Actions
- Put a check next to "Run Script" then select SS_SendiMessages.scpt
- DO THIS FOR EACH CAMERA.

That's it, it's all loaded. Now, from another computer or your phone send an iMessage to this system with the word cams - you should receive a list of your cameras. Send sub * to subscribe to all of them. Send help for help.

Bugs

Things I've noticied and not yet had time to fix...

~~sub * doesn't always work, especially if it's the first time you are subscribing. I recommend using sub SomeCamName before doing sub *, that seems more reliable.~~ sub command fixed 9/12/15
~~If you send something to the script that is not text, it will crash. This includes pictures and audio.~~ fixed 9/12/15
Sometimes the script runs too slowly and "crashes." This will require you to force quit Messages.app and re-open it. Adding delays helps, but it's still not 100%.
~~If you send pics and one of your cameras is disconnected/offline, it may crash trying to get a picture from that camera.~~ should be fixed as of 9/12/15
Sometimes the very first command produces an error if there is no plist file. Subscribing to something at least once fixes it permanently.
~~Capitalization is screwed up. I need to add a function to normalize/fix user input.~~ fixed 9/12/15
Not really a bug, but things seem to work better if you add yourself and any other users to Contacts.app.

Feel free to send along PRs. If you have something to ask/suggest, I usually check this forum thread: http://www.bensoftware.com/forum/discussion/949/securityspy-messages-app-and-imessage-integration

oceanplexian / iMessageSpy