larryllix Posted December 3, 2016 Share Posted December 3, 2016 This would be awesome to support programs for otherwise unsupported devices and other programming purposes. There is already support for thermostat direct temperature setting but a new pulldown of variables would be required. A program using the variable value for a timer loop would be one usage. "Alexa. Turn on XXXX in 15 minutes" Sets the state variable $XXXX to 15. Program triggers on $XXXX value change with a variable time loop If ...$XXXX > 0 Then ...Repeat while $XXXX > 0 ......Wait 1 minute ......$XXXX -= 1 ...Repeat 1 times ......Set lights On The variable could be named similar to a device to make vocals easier to remember. I am sure many more uses will be found for this simple feature. -Proportional positioning for blinds? Thanks!!! Link to comment
Michel Kohanim Posted December 4, 2016 Share Posted December 4, 2016 Hi larryllix, I like it very much. This said, I very much doubt Alexa's vernacular supports these types of interactions: turn on x in n minutes. This said, I will ask Benoit! With kind regards, Michel Link to comment
larryllix Posted December 4, 2016 Author Share Posted December 4, 2016 Hi larryllix,I like it very much. This said, I very much doubt Alexa's vernacular supports these types of interactions: turn on x in n minutes. This said, I will ask Benoit!With kind regards,MichelThanks. I wasn't sure how much control you had over the venacular. Things are already in place for. ...Alexa Turn On XXXX to 15 percent. but the "percent" would ruin any vocal grammar. However... I just tried, and with success. ...Alexa. Turn on Desk Light to 50. I can eliminate the "percent", but not the "to". With variables added as an end device, we could then already use. ...Alexa. Turn on XXXX to 50. eliminating the "percent" but the resolution may be limited to 1% and the variable have to be scaled up to user needed range. With this I assume that On/Off would be interpreted as 100/0 also. ...Alexa. Turn on Light On Timer to 15 fairly vocally vague. Wait until I request decimals and exponents. LOL merci Michel! Link to comment
bmercier Posted December 4, 2016 Share Posted December 4, 2016 As Michel guessed it, it's unfortunately not possible with a smart home skill. However, you could setup a program, and give it a spoken name like "fireplace in fifteen minutes". The then statement would turn on after 15 minutes, and the else statement would turn it off in 15 minutes. But of course, the delays are then hardcoded. Thanks, Benoit Link to comment
Michel Kohanim Posted December 4, 2016 Share Posted December 4, 2016 Thanks larryllix. Benoit, I think what larryllix is suggesting is to consider variables as lights with values. Is that possible? With kind regards, Michel Link to comment
larryllix Posted December 4, 2016 Author Share Posted December 4, 2016 As Michel guessed it, it's unfortunately not possible with a smart home skill. However, you could setup a program, and give it a spoken name like "fireplace in fifteen minutes". The then statement would turn on after 15 minutes, and the else statement would turn it off in 15 minutes. But of course, the delays are then hardcoded. Thanks, Benoit Merci Could variables (state in particular) be included in the ISY vocal lists, the same as devices and programs? These variables could be doubly used as program triggers and and analogue values for many ISY functions. The other post and pre-vocals would be nice to change also but not completely necessary. Link to comment
bmercier Posted December 4, 2016 Share Posted December 4, 2016 Thanks larryllix. Benoit, I think what larryllix is suggesting is to consider variables as lights with values. Is that possible? With kind regards, Michel The problem is with the vernacular. Turn on XXXX in YY minutes is not supported. We could however use the "Turn on XXX to YY" to set a state var to the value YY. We don't have to say "percent" at the end. Not sure if we could use "Turn off XXX to YY" though. I tried it, I see the vernacular is accepted, but I'm not sure if YY is passed at the API level. Benoit. Link to comment
bmercier Posted December 4, 2016 Share Posted December 4, 2016 Merci Could variables (state in particular) be included in the ISY vocal lists, the same as devices and programs? These variables could be doubly used as program triggers and and analogue values for many ISY functions. The other post and pre-vocals would be nice to change also but not completely necessary. Technically, yes. Then it becomes a matter of development priorities. Benoit. Link to comment
MWareman Posted December 4, 2016 Share Posted December 4, 2016 Seems the Google Home IFTTT channel has the ability to parse out a name, a value or a name and a value from phrases. IFTTT can then substitute these parsed values into its API call. This is very cool! Something Alexa cannot do at the moment. I may just be ditching my Alexa.... Link to comment
larryllix Posted December 5, 2016 Author Share Posted December 5, 2016 Seems the Google Home IFTTT channel has the ability to parse out a name, a value or a name and a value from phrases. IFTTT can then substitute these parsed values into its API call. This is very cool! Something Alexa cannot do at the moment. I may just be ditching my Alexa....It does seem like Alexa is increasing it's vocabulary and knowledge base. They are still way behind google, who started this nonsense years ago but after asking about my closest city, a dozen times, actually can identify it for weather now. Five years ago I had never heard of amazon. Three years ago, amazon was just an online book sales company, competing with Columbia records, and scratching at tails of ebay. Google owns us with a database that holds most of our lives including what restuarant I entered last week and when I came out and who was with me. Amazon is only nervous and peeking in the window. My belief is still, google was contracted to do the software and give amazon a year head start before launching the competition that will eventually blow amazon out of the water, with just plain huge experience and database. I also believe the mad attempt for amazon to head off the google take over, was the cheap Dots they are probably losing money on. Next, watch out for the paid services coming from amazon for Alexa ink cartridges, after all the printers have been practically given away so cheaply. Link to comment
stusviews Posted December 5, 2016 Share Posted December 5, 2016 Five years ago I had never heard of amazon. Three years ago, amazon was just an online book sales company, competing with Columbia records, and scratching at tails of ebay. Where have you been? Amazon began on-line in 1994. By the turn of the century, they were already way beyond only books. Link to comment
larryllix Posted December 5, 2016 Author Share Posted December 5, 2016 Where have you been? Amazon began on-line in 1994. By the turn of the century, they were already way beyond only books.I've been in Canada where they are still perceived as an online bookstore. Where have you been? Do you not see large Google signs lit up in every city or do you just see amazon signs on buildings? I have never seen one. It's 10 o'clock, does amazon know where your children are? Google does. Link to comment
stusviews Posted December 5, 2016 Share Posted December 5, 2016 I've been in Canada where they are still perceived as an online bookstore. Where have you been? Do you not see large Google signs lit up in every city or do you just see amazon signs on buildings? I have never seen one. It's 10 o'clock, does amazon know where your children are? Google does. No, but I haven't been in every city. Yes, I know where most of my children are Link to comment
larryllix Posted December 5, 2016 Author Share Posted December 5, 2016 No, but I haven't been in every city. Yes, I know where most of my children are OK google. Link to comment
paulbates Posted December 5, 2016 Share Posted December 5, 2016 I got to spend some time at their Smart Home Exhibit at AWS Reinvent. They are truly driving down the middle and focusing on industry & big things first.... As much as they promoted open integration, they didn't entertain much discussion from me or others that wanted more than a demo. But when the Honeywell rep showed up, the exhibitor's focus went on him. There has been slow and steady progress on Echo... let's hope they keep it up, and respond to competitive challenges from google like this. Link to comment
stusviews Posted December 5, 2016 Share Posted December 5, 2016 Gary Funk (Joke removed at the request of one user) You had a joke? Just kidding Link to comment
Michel Kohanim Posted December 5, 2016 Share Posted December 5, 2016 Hi Benoit, Thank you. Hi MWareman, we are awaiting for Google APIs being available to others. With kind regards, Michel Link to comment
asbril Posted December 6, 2016 Share Posted December 6, 2016 In the meantime GH works great with ISY using IFTTT Link to comment
MWareman Posted December 9, 2016 Share Posted December 9, 2016 Hi Benoit, Thank you. Hi MWareman, we are awaiting for Google APIs being available to others. With kind regards, Michel Michel, Here you go! https://techcrunch.com/2016/12/08/google-starts-opening-up-its-assistant-on-google-home-to-third-party-developers/ Love now over here: https://api.ai/blog/2016/12/08/build-conversation-actions-for-the-google-assistant/ Google's documentation on creating bots using api.ai: https://developers.google.com/actions/develop/apiai/tutorials/getting-started Link to comment
Michel Kohanim Posted December 9, 2016 Share Posted December 9, 2016 Thanks MWareman. We will be looking into this soon. With kind regards, Michel Link to comment
TheFallenAngel Posted December 12, 2016 Share Posted December 12, 2016 I've been in Canada where they are still perceived as an online bookstore. Where have you been? Do you not see large Google signs lit up in every city or do you just see amazon signs on buildings? I have never seen one. It's 10 o'clock, does amazon know where your children are? Google does. LOL No Larry only you in Canada perceive Amazon as an online book store Sent from my SM-G935W8 using Tapatalk Link to comment
larryllix Posted December 12, 2016 Author Share Posted December 12, 2016 LOL No Larry only you in Canada perceive Amazon as an online book store Sent from my SM-G935W8 using Tapatalk Now amazon.ca not only sells book covers, it sells Echo covers too! https://www.amazon.ca/MightySkins-Protective-Amazon-Generation-sticker/dp/B01G9DL866/ref=sr_1_7?ie=UTF8&qid=1481576470&sr=8-7&keywords=Amazon+echo Big jump from three years ago! Link to comment
paulbates Posted December 12, 2016 Share Posted December 12, 2016 Now amazon.ca not only sells book covers, it sells Echo covers too! https://www.amazon.ca/MightySkins-Protective-Amazon-Generation-sticker/dp/B01G9DL866/ref=sr_1_7?ie=UTF8&qid=1481576470&sr=8-7&keywords=Amazon+echo Big jump from three years ago! You can use your echo to order books Link to comment
larryllix Posted December 12, 2016 Author Share Posted December 12, 2016 The problem is with the vernacular. Turn on XXXX in YY minutes is not supported. We could however use the "Turn on XXX to YY" to set a state var to the value YY. We don't have to say "percent" at the end. Not sure if we could use "Turn off XXX to YY" though. I tried it, I see the vernacular is accepted, but I'm not sure if YY is passed at the API level. Benoit. Hi Benoit, Thank you. Hi MWareman, we are awaiting for Google APIs being available to others. With kind regards, Michel Back on topic... I just found another great possibility for this Alexa variable setting feature Alexa. Turn on TV Channel 238 where 'TV Channel' is the vocal substituted for a variable name in ISY '238' would be the analogue value stuffed into the variable (above) ISY would then do an AV control NR or other pathway to set the TV channel to 238. Alexa. Turn on Radio to 967 where 'Radio' is the vocal substituted for a variable in ISY '967' would be the analogue value stuffed into the variable (above) ISY would then use a NR to turn on the radio to frequency 96.7MHz. Alexa. Turn Off Radio Similar to above but 'Off' would be the value 0 stored into the variable 'Radio' ISY would then respond with an off NR, as required to do the job. Link to comment
bmercier Posted December 13, 2016 Share Posted December 13, 2016 Back on topic... I just found another great possibility for this Alexa variable setting feature Alexa. Turn on TV Channel 238 where 'TV Channel' is the vocal substituted for a variable name in ISY '238' would be the analogue value stuffed into the variable (above) ISY would then do an AV control NR or other pathway to set the TV channel to 238. Alexa. Turn on Radio to 967 where 'Radio' is the vocal substituted for a variable in ISY '967' would be the analogue value stuffed into the variable (above) ISY would then use a NR to turn on the radio to frequency 96.7MHz. Alexa. Turn Off Radio Similar to above but 'Off' would be the value 0 stored into the variable 'Radio' ISY would then respond with an off NR, as required to do the job. State Variable support is coming. Stay tuned Link to comment
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