ISY Can Control Anything Your Alexa Can Control

[apostolakisl]

I have discovered that there is a webhook skill for Alexa.  The webhook skill allows you to create as many URL's as you want (I think there is no limit) and those webhooks's show up as devices in your Alexa according to whatever you named them on the webhook webpage where you created them.  Once they show up as devices on your Alexa, you create routines where the webhook "device" is the trigger and then you set whatever action you want. 

In ISY, create a network resource plugging in the URL provided by the webhook.

One issue I discovered here is that it seems you must set all this up from the primary account profile in your Alexa.  I tried setting it up at first from my profile, but my wife is the primary account.  Things showed up in my profile, but they did not work.  When I set things up in my wife's profile, it all worked.

Here is what your network resource should look like.  In the path box, you put all of the webhook URL address that follows the ".de".  In other words, the red stuff I put in the URL below.

https://trigger.esp8266-server.de/api/?id=allofmyprivatestuff

[bmercier]

Thanks for the tip.

I think there is an easier way to do the same thing though.

1. Create a state variable.
2. In portal, expose the variable as a contact sensor (or whatever else you prefet)
3. Then use the device to trigger a routine.

[apostolakisl]

1 hour ago, bmercier said:

In portal, expose the variable as a contact sensor (or whatever else you prefet)

How about that.  I had no idea this existed.  It is easier to setup for one item, but once you setup the webhook for the first item, adding more is just a matter of copying the network resource and changing the one digit in the URL.  The webhook does let you use any URL delivery method in addition to ISY, though I suspect I won't ever do that.

[tmorse305]

I wonder if the webhook method is subject to the 30 second throttling that occurs when the method @bmercier described.  I use that method for a lot of things but always have to ensure programmatically that I wait at least 30 seconds before changing the state of the variable.

[apostolakisl]

3 minutes ago, tmorse305 said:

I wonder if the webhook method is subject to the 30 second throttling that occurs when the method @bmercier described.  I use that method for a lot of things but always have to ensure programmatically that I wait at least 30 seconds before changing the state of the variable.

I have used the webhook to open and close blinds and while testing did not wait but a few seconds in between and I had no issues.  If I only use it on blinds, then it doesn't really matter since I would never change it back and forth in real life in less than 30 seconds.

[larryllix]

I have used the webhook to open and close blinds and while testing did not wait but a few seconds in between and I had no issues.  If I only use it on blinds, then it doesn't really matter since I would never change it back and forth in real life in less than 30 seconds.

Yeah but the 30 Seconds is not for each device. It is for any command. This means if you closed one blind you cannot operate any other device for another 30 seconds, and you have no way of knowing it failed.

I use this pseudodevice method for many vocal announcements but would not trust it for operating devices reliably.

Sent from my SM-G781W using Tapatalk

[tmorse305]

I just tried the webhook method and confirm that it does not require a 30 second delay.   Good to know.

I had one application where I needed Alexa to be more responsive than the 30 seconds would allow.  I used the VirtualButtons NS and the corresponding Alexa skill and that also does not require a 30 second delay.  But you only get 1 button for free.  This looks like a better choice if you need more than one.

[apostolakisl]

I just completed the process of linking an Insteon mini-remote to ISY and wrote a program 

Blinds - [ID 00A4][Parent 0097]

If
        'Guest Rm Mini RemoteBlinds' is switched On
    And 'Guest Rm Mini RemoteBlinds' is not switched Off
 
Then
        Resource 'Guest Blinds Open'
 
Else
        Resource 'Guest Blinds Close'
 

It works fine.  There is about a 3 or 4 second delay.  I can open/close them back and forth right away while they are still closing or opening.