Programming scenes on Alexa or Admin Console (+)?

[ctviggen1]

The too long, didn't read questions:  How do you determine where a scene should go: Alexa or ISY?  And is it better to have them all on one platform? How do you define a scene with an embedded scene?

In more detail, we have some scenes that are programmed on the Alexa/Echo side, and some that are programmed on the ISY/Admin Console side.  For instance, "Outside lights" is a scene is programmed on the Alexa side, meaning that my wife gathered the outside lights into a scene using her Alexa app on her phone.  Meanwhile, I have "Kids bathroom lights" (a set of three different lights for our kid's bathroom) programmed in the ISY/Admin Console, so when we say "Alexa, turn off kids bathroom lights", Alexa runs the scene "Kids bathroom lights", and turns off the three lights associated with that scene.

The problems:  Now, there are two sets of scenes, one on Alexa, one on ISY, and I often don't remember where the scenes are programmed.  Additionally, if I want to modify the scenes on the Alexa, I have to have my wife do it, as we have two accounts that are not linked together.  (The echos have to be in her account to run the lights, and she uses the Alexa app on her phone.) We have a lot of lights and outlets and the like, and it seems a bit crazy to have Alexa know about all of those, for ones we rarely if ever would control through Alexa, even if we might control them via a scene.  We have enough of a time remembering the names of the lights we can control, which is why we started the "downstairs lights" scene (for instance), so we could remember this name and have it turn off the downstairs lights.

An example.  We have an "All lights" scene in ISY. We have a lot lights in this and also I have another bunch of lights to add (have the Insteon switches, just need the time to wire them in).  Not only are there going to be a ton of lights in this scene, but also this is under flux and is likely to change.

How do you determine where the scene should go: Alexa or ISY?  And is it better to have them all on one platform?

Finally, if we have an "All lights" scene defined in say the ISY platform, and there is a scene within that scene, what actually has to get added to that scene?  Example: I have a "hallway lights" scene that is made from three different light switches. Does the "All lights" scene (to enable Alexa to turn off "All lights") need to include the "hallway lights" scene or only one light switch from the "hallway lights" scene?

[paulbates]

I have 2 "service levels" at my house.

One for things that are managed by the ISY. I keep those together and on the ISY in ISY scenes.... For safety related reasons

• Linked lights in virtual circuits operated by switches all go on and off instantly and at the same time. No delays or "popcorn" lights. 
• No cloud / network dependence on key locally managed light switch functionality. Its ok for alexa to control it, but a switch will always work
• No ISY or PLM dependencies.. scene controlled light switches will always work even if a PLM goes flaky (which has not been often for me)

The second service level is for things everyone else creates on their own... create if it you want, but that doesn't mean I own it or automate it further... if I do decide to, I create the scene I need on the ISY for the above reasons.  This starts at the beginning.. when alexa was introduced in our house a few years ago, and as its evolved... there's a discussion on what it means and what it doesn't.

To keep the 2 methods (alexa and insteon) synced, you'll unfortunately need a google sheet or something where everyone says what they've done. I know it kind of defeats the convenience of alexa, but I travel every week and I'm not going to look regularly in multiple accounts to see what someone did with their phone and expected to be the help desk for that. There has to be some agreement on how things work. I've used this type of model for years starting with PCs to keep bad expectations from creating an unrealistic IT support job for me.  

For the last scenario, All lights on and off, it might be a little easier to do that with Alexa, as you can't aggregate Insteon scenes.. they are discrete. You have to have a scene for hall lights, and  an "all lights off" scene ... and add the devices in the hall lights to both.  

Paul

Edited December 31, 2018 by paulbates

[DaveStLou]

I tend to use a similar model to @paulbates. I use ISY scenes and programs the most since I prefer to have the predictable portions of my home automation done by ISY program if at all possible (e.g. turn off lights in occupied rooms after a period of time).

My wife and I use Alexa for spontaneous, on-the-fly changes in what's on or off. Since I often incorporate the Harmony polyglot, it also helps to have ISY aware of what is going on as much as possible so I can act on it with other programs. Simply said, is use ISY for everything I can and only use Alexa scenes if there's no other way to do it within ISY.

Edited January 1, 2019 by DaveStLou