Problem with Routines

[ScottAvery]

Does anyone else notice the list of scenes when creating a Routine doesn’t match the scenes in the basic section of the Alexa app?

Probably doesn't. You'll need to label the scene a "light" so it appears as a device in the Alexa app for this function.

Does anyone else notice the list of scenes when creating a Routine doesn’t match the scenes in the basic section of the Alexa app?

Probably doesn't. You'll need to label the scene a "light" so it appears as a device in the Alexa app for this function.

[stusviews]

rossarmstrong:

 

From the smartphone app, select Smart Home. Does the "Kitchen Night Lights" appear under the Devices tab? under the Scenes tab?

[rossarmstrong]

rossarmstrong:

 

From the smartphone app, select Smart Home. Does the "Kitchen Night Lights" appear under the Devices tab? under the Scenes tab?

 

 

Yes. All my ISY (and Harmony Hub) scenes (and Devices) show up properly in the Smart Home section of the app.

 

What is driving me crazy is that when editing a Routine, selecting Add Action, selecting Smart Home, the list of items under the Control Device and Control Scene pages do not match what is listed under the "root" Smart Home section of the app.

 

Under Routine, the Control Scene only list "scenes" controlled via the Harmony Hub (activities and assigned channels) and the Control Device list doesn't include any of my Insteon devices. Only zwave door locks, thermostats, Sonos devices, and my Rainmaker irrigation zones are included.

 

I have also tried going into the ISY Portal and changing my Scene Kitchen Night Lights to a Light. After rediscovery, Kitchen Night Lights is listed under Routine as a Device and I can add it to the routine. However, when running the Routine, the Kitchen Nights Lights are never activated. My Door Locks activate just fine. But no matter what brightness level is chosen for "Turn On Kitchen Night Lights", none of the Kitchen Lights ever change.

 

Hopefully I have explained this issue thoroughly enough that someone can point out what I am doing/setting wrong.

[stusviews]

You are not seem to be doing anything wrong.

 

Select the Routines page. On the right is a blue circle with a triangle. Tapping that runs the routine. Does that work for the Kitchen Night Lights? Do you actually require a routine?

 

If all you need is to use, "Alexa, turn on (or off) the Kitchen Night Lights," and you can't get a routine to do it, then that's easily accomplished from the computer Alexa app. Do you need help with that?

 

Back to Routines: tap on the routine name. What appears under ALEXA WILL?

[rossarmstrong]

The Routine runs either by voice or via manually activating it in the app. However, the command that the Routine will “Turn On Kitchen Night Lights to 100%( or whatever) Brightness” doesn’t result in any changes to my Lights. The commands to Lock my Locks do do work, so I know the Routine runs.

 

Do I need a Routine? No, but I think all of us here enjoy trying to maximize the utility of our home automation systems.

 

Perhaps I’m highlighting a bug that needs to be addressed.

 

I’ll continue to use my separate voice commands for locks and lights until I figure out what is causing the failure of the Routine to work.

 

I have a gut feeling it is an Alexa software issue and not related to the ISY portal, but I’m not a developer with access to the Amazon folks.

[stusviews]

I'm a little unclear. Are you trying to use a routine to change the On-Level or just to turn the device on and Off? If you want the former, then a computer group, not a smartphone routine, is the better/correct method.

[rossarmstrong]

I simply want the Routine to activate an existing ISY Scene that I have set for my Kitchen lights.

 

I can't use an Alex group because different lights in the kitchen are set to various on/off/brightness levels. The Alexa Group appears to be an all on/off only option.

[stusviews]

I'm still unclear. I don't understand how using a routine to "activate an existing ISY scene" differs from turning a scene all on or off.

 

What specifically do you want to accomplish? Do you want to change the brightness level of specific devices with your voice? Or turn the scene which has devices set to different levels on/off. Or something else?

 

For example,  have scenes that set device to various On-levels. There's no difficulty turning the scenes on or off. But I also have scenes in which I want to change the brightness. How I accomplish that depends on whether I want to change the brightness of one device in the scene or all at once.

[rossarmstrong]

My Kitchen Night Scene in the ISY Admin Console controls the settings of 31 different devices. Turning this sceon ON, regardless of whatever the current state of those devices are, the scene results in all main lights being turned off and certain above/in/under cabinet lights to be set at a 25% brightness level and also sets the keypad button states to match.

 

Turning this scene OFF, will set every device in the scene to OFF.

 

 

In theory, I could try and recreate this complicated scene by attempting to add each device separately in the Routine, but that defeats the purpose of having a scene.

[stusviews]

Simple enough scene. If you select the scene from the Admin Console and turn the scene on (and off), does it behave as expected?

[ScottAvery]

To piggy back Stu's question, you may not have set the root scene on-levels to the same as the controller on levels.  Calling a scene programmatically calls on the root level settings, where pushing a switch you have set as controller can call its own levels.  So you scene may appear to work just fine pushing a button on a keypad, but does not work from a remote call.

 

Did you give the scene a voice command and try it with "Alexa, turn on XXX?"

[rossarmstrong]

Unfortunately this string is getting drawn out long enough that information in earlier post is being overlooked.

 

My Kitchen Night Scene has worked flawlessly from the Admin Console, Keypad Buttons, Mobilinc for several years.

 

My Alexa voice command has worked flawlessly since the ISY Portal has gone live.

 

There is just not enough background about the Alexa Routine to explain what limitations it may have when dealing with Devices and Scenes.

[rossarmstrong]

But I continue to appreciate everyone's effort to try and find a solution.

 

Hopefully the answer will help others and not just me!

[nathagt]

Try this:

 

1) On ISY, create a program that executes your scene

2) On ISY Portal, add that program as a switch

3) On Alexa app, discover devices

4) On Alexa app, add that device to your routine

 

This is how I execute my good morning and good night program using Alexa routines. It works perfectly. 

Edited January 5, 2018 by nathagt

[stusviews]

Routines allow a program to be turned on, but not off. A program needs to be defined as a Light to enable off (run Else).

[nathagt]

Routines allow a program to be turned on, but not off. A program needs to be defined as a Light to enable off (run Else).

Switches can also be turned off using routines.

[rossarmstrong]

Try this:

 

1) On ISY, create a program that executes your scene

2) On ISY Portal, add that program as a switch

3) On Alexa app, discover devices

4) On Alexa app, add that device to your routine

 

This is how I execute my good morning and good night program using Alexa routines. It works perfectly. 

 

This worked great! Problem solved, Routine now does all desired actions.

 

Thank you.

[ScottAvery]

Switches can also be turned off using routines.

 

I like this as I could use it to distinguish types: lights for scenes, switches for programs, etc.

[nathagt]

I like this as I could use it to distinguish types: lights for scenes, switches for programs, etc.

That is how I use mine. It also keeps programs added to smart groups from responding to the new “turn on the lights” feature.

[stusviews]

I like this as I could use it to distinguish types: lights for scenes, switches for programs, etc.

 

I prefer distinguishing types by naming scenes scenes and program programs. I also would rather call a device a device. Too bad routines don't allow that while permitting both On and Off

[ScottAvery]

I prefer distinguishing types by naming scenes scenes and program programs. I also would rather call a device a device. Too bad routines don't allow that while permitting both On and Off

 

Yes, perfection would be preferred, but a useful workaround today is better than Amazon fixes (or 5.0 firmware) in the distant future.