Using Scenes in Google Home

[trevorst]

In the new Google Home app I can only find Scenes when adding or editing a routine. Is that the only way we can use Scenes now, I had hoped they would be available inside of rooms, especially  on the Google Hub display.

[apostolakisl]

If you mean getting scenes added in the portal to show up in a room on your phone, you can't label them as scenes.  From the portal, pick the "scene" tab at the top to add a scene, however, you need to select under "google home category" something other than "scene".  Yes, I know, it makes no sense to even be able to pick something other than "scene" when adding a scene, but you can and should if you want it to show up as a button on your phone.

[trevorst]

I found the same thing when I changed one of my scenes to light instead of scene. In that instance it worked fine as the scene only contained one light. What I am concened about is with the room feature working now a “Turn off Family room” vefbal will turn off all lights in the room  and a scene (Program) does not need to have an off. I guess you could just leave the “else” blank, will try that and see what the result is and if it causes extra delay etc. 

[mpops]

I just got a google home hub for Christmas and I almost returned it because it did not seem to work with the ISY portal. But then I saw this thread and my Google Home Hub was saved!

What I did wrong:  I use ISY scenes to do almost everything, so I only added scenes to the portal. These came up as scenes in both my Alexa and my Google Home connections. This is not a problem for Alexa, but its a BIG problem for Google Home, because Google Home has its own idea of what a scene is - and it is NOT the same as an ISY scene. A scene in Google Home is not visible and is  only accessible as part of a Google Routine. Scenes are not always found by Google Assistant, so voice commands for scenes are problematic

So a piece of advice - make your ISY scenes into Google Switches, or if they are simple, make them Google Lights. (But do not put more than one light in a room or it will get lumped together with all the other lights in that room.) The Google mental model of home automation is just different than the one I am used to from ISY. Once I reset my mental model and changed my scenes to switches VIOLA! I discovered that Google Home works quite well with the ISY portal.

[Buzzhazz]

Hi all.  I just set up my Google Hub and this thread and forum have been very helpful.  Thanks to those who have asked questions an provided answers.

I think I have my system set up correctly.  I have a handful of individual devices set up, but mostly scenes.  Some of those scenes use Insteon switches/relays as controllers/responders, and I have labeled those scenes as GH Category switches.  Most use  Insteon dimmers as controllers responders, and I have labeled the as GH Category lights.

Consistent with what I found on the ISY Wiki, the only commands that seem to work with ISY scenes are On and Off.  Has anyone found a workaround to have the ability to brighten or dim scenes?  For example, I have the Great Room Recessed Lights set up as an Insteon scene using three dimmers.  GH will only allow me to turn the scene on or off.

I could add the Great Room dimmer which actually controls the load as an individual device and control it rather that the scene, but then the other controllers would not reflect the current status.

Just looking for ideas on what others might be doing.Hi all.  I just set up my Google Hub and this thread and forum have been very helpful.  Thanks to those who have asked questions an provided answers.

I think I have my system set up correctly.  I have a handful of individual devices set up, but mostly scenes.  Some of those scenes use Insteon switches/relays as controllers/responders, and I have labeled those scenes as GH Category switches.  Most use  Insteon dimmers as controllers responders, and I have labeled the as GH Category lights.

Consistent with what I found on the ISY Wiki, the only commands that seem to work with ISY scenes are On and Off.  Has anyone found a workaround to have the ability to brighten or dim scenes?  For example, I have the Great Room Recessed Lights set up as an Insteon scene using three dimmers.  GH will only allow me to turn the scene on or off.

I could add the Great Room dimmer which actually controls the load as an individual device and control it rather that the scene, but then the other controllers would not reflect the current status.

Just looking for ideas on what others might be doing.

[MWareman]

I don’t think Insteon scenes support the ‘direct dim’ command like dimmer lights do.

I never expose Insteon scenes to my Google Homes. I have the Google Home control the device that is controlling the load. Then, I have a program triggering from the ‘status’ of the device to keep the scene in sync.

[Buzzhazz]

21 minutes ago, MWareman said:

I don’t think Insteon scenes support the ‘direct dim’ command like dimmer lights do.

I never expose Insteon scenes to my Google Homes. I have the Google Home control the device that is controlling the load. Then, I have a program triggering from the ‘status’ of the device to keep the scene in sync.

Can you give me an example of what that program would look like?

[MWareman]

9 minutes ago, buzzhazzard said:

Can you give me an example of what that program would look like?

In most cases - I have a SwitchLinc Dimmer controlling the load in a scene (as a controller) - and a KPL Button also as a scene controller. 

I add the SwitchLinc Dimmer ("Kitchen-Overhead') to Google Home with a spoken (as a light). 

I have the following program to keep the KPL button (it's a KPL button in a scene to control the KPL button as you cannot directly control KPL buttons) in sync:

SCSYNC-Kitchen-Main - [ID 006A][Parent 0036]
If
        'Main / Kitchen / Kitchen-Overhead' Status is Off
Then
        Set 'Main / Kitchen / SC - Kitchen-KPL' Off
Else
        Set 'Main / Kitchen / SC - Kitchen-KPL' On
 

I'm working on a solution to deal with secondary devices in a scene that have dim level indicators (such as multiple SwitchLinc Dimmers in a scene) by reading the load controlling dimmers level and applying it to the others in the scene directly with a direct dim command. Not done yet...  as those particular scenes have been low priority for me.

This then allows me to use Google Home to full potential - and have my KPL buttons reflect the correct state.

[Buzzhazz]

2 minutes ago, MWareman said:

I'm working on a solution to deal with secondary devices in a scene that have dim level indicators (such as multiple SwitchLinc Dimmers in a scene) by reading the load controlling dimmers level and applying it to the others in the scene directly with a direct dim command. Not done yet...  as those particular scenes have been low priority for me.

This then allows me to use Google Home to full potential - and have my KPL buttons reflect the correct state.

Thanks for posting.  That sounds like an interesting and effective way to get the job done.  My scenes have a combination of KPL buttons and dimmers as scene controllers as well.  I'd be very interested in seeing what you come up with when your schedule allows.  I will follow this topic.

Thanks again.

[MWareman]

Here is a program that syncs a load bearing LampLink with a non-load bearing SwitchLinc dimmer and a KPL button...

SCSYNC-Family-Floor - [ID 0130][Parent 0025]
If
        'Main / Family / Family Room Floor Lamplinc' Status is 0%
Then
        Set 'Main / Family / Family Room Floor Switchlinc' Off
Else
        $iSCSYNC_Temp  = 'Main / Family / Family Room Floor Lamplinc' Status %
        Set 'Main / Kitchen / SC - FamilyFloor-KPL' On
        Set 'Main / Family / Family Room Floor Switchlinc' On '$iSCSYNC_Temp %'

In this case - the Lamplinc is the device with the spoken assigned - as a 'Light'. Google Home then gives me full control of the device - including setting it's dim level.

Every time the status of the Lamplinc changes - the 'If' executes. If the status changed to 0% - the SwitchLinc is turned off. If not - the current status of the SwitchLinc is read into a temporary variable - then that temporary variable used to set the on level of the SwitchLinc Dimmer.

There is a small latency here - but it's not noticeable (since you don't really register the status of the secondary devices). Also - this needs 5.x on your ISY (the ability to read and write a device state to and from a variable is not available in 4.x).

For multiple secondary devices - just repeat the last 'Set' line as necessary for all devices in a scene. Just remember you cannot set KPL buttons that way - you need to create a scene with only that button in it. Also - there is no point setting a KPL button to the state - it's only either on or off...

[Buzzhazz]

MWareman, just one question.  If your lamp is on,  along with the KPL button on and the SwitchLinc, and then you use GH to turn the LampLinc Off, the SwitchLinc will be turned off via the THEN statement. What about the KPL button? Won't it still be On? Don'y you need an extra statement like:

Set 'Main / Kitchen / SC - FamilyFloor-KPL' Off

I see that in the ELSE statement, the KPL button will be turned Off anytime the LampLinc status is changed to 0.

[MWareman]

MWareman, just one question.  If your lamp is on,  along with the KPL button on and the SwitchLinc, and then you use GH to turn the LampLinc Off, the SwitchLinc will be turned off via the THEN statement. What about the KPL button? Won't it still be On? Don'y you need an extra statement like:

Set 'Main / Kitchen / SC - FamilyFloor-KPL' Off

I see that in the ELSE statement, the KPL button will be turned Off anytime the LampLinc status is changed to 0.

You are correct. Thanks. Thats what I get for putting this together between other work..