[Feature Request]: Override app launchers

[manonstreet]

Is your feature request related to a problem?

No response

Feature Request

The bring your own device feature (entity:none) allows for some really cool possibilities with unsupported device types. I would like to use this capability to launch standard smart apps and leverage Firemote's extensive image library already in place. However this is currently not possible since the App Launcher buttons are tied to the device entity (effectively passing a media player source).

In order to override existing app launchers one of the following would be needed, either:

1. When creating a custom launcher, extend another key to refer to an existing app image. For example, "app_image: netflix". This would use the embedded netflix image on the custom launcher. The downside of this approach is that overlay and highlighting for when the button is pressed would not work.
2. Extend button overrides for app_launch_1...app_launch_N. With this approach, app launchers can refer to native smart apps (including the highlighting visual on select), and then a button override can hijack what pressing the button actually does.

While I am not looking to use this capability with AL1/AL2 remote style, I can imagine it would be particularly useful in those case.

Additional Comments (optional)

No response

[manonstreet]

I found a workaround for this issue, so no longer need on my end if this doesn't make sense to the broader user base.

[PRProd]

Out of curiosity, is your workaround in any way related to the way one user set up their config in issue #547?

In my opinion, your request is still an intriguing one. At the very least, being able to use built-in artwork for custom app launcher buttons is an idea that I'd love to add.

I'll keep this open for now while I think about how best to proceed.

[manonstreet]

My workaround is partly related. My goal was to have firemote support my LG WebOS TV. I already use firemote with my 3 other Roku stick driven TV's and I built a visual switcher leveraging the decluttering card to show the media player entity, plex entity (if the input is on plex), as well as the remote control.

For the LG, I used aspects of this implementation. And I also stumbled upon the same phenomena linked to in issue #547 without finding that page. What I noticed is that I can use this configuration:

type: custom:firemote-card
entity: media_player.lg_webos_smart_tv
device_family: apple-tv
device_type: other
defaultRemoteStyle_override: AFJTV

And as luck would have it, the json values for appName used by Apple TV matches exactly the source name values LG uses, for the apps that I care about (YoutubeTV, Netflix, Plex, and Disney+). Because of this match, I didn't have do anything special at all to make the app buttons work (no overrides or custom launchers necessary).

End result:

And in case you are wondering, those letters are initials for my wife and I that uses a custom launcher to run a script. That script detects the selected source on the media player, and if needed, automatically types in the profile PIN (parental restrictions).