Virtual switch as scene controller

[oberkc]

I have created a few virtual switches to experiment around, seeing if they can be part of a solution to a problem with my use of an echo hub.  I wante to use a virtual switch as a scene controller, but scenes to not activate in response to a change in status of the virtual switch.  Am I missing something or is this not possible?

[Guy Lavoie]

Are you looking for the "status" or "control" event in your program? As far as I can tell from experimenting, only the status change is detected for virtual switches (created by the "Virtual" plugin).

Have tested it by doing something simple, like incrementing or setting a variable when the status changes? I use a virtual switch (that I turn on in UD Mobile) to set a variable that is then tested in a separate program to open a garage door, and turn off the virtual switch.

[oberkc]

9 hours ago, Guy Lavoie said:

Are you looking for the "status" or "control" event in your program?

I am currently (may change) not using any programs.  I am simply trying to use the virtual switch in a scene, as controller.  I have tried controlling the virtual switch directly from the admin panel, and in response to an Alexa echo device.  The virtual switch changes status, but the scene in which it is added as a controller device remains untriggered.  I hope that there is some step that I am missing, but suspect this is not possible.

[Guy Lavoie]

You would need to try it with a program, looking for the virtual switch status then triggering the scene.

[oberkc]

6 hours ago, Guy Lavoie said:

You would need to try it with a program, looking for the virtual switch status then triggering the scene.

May I take this as your position that the virtual button cannot be a scene controller?

[Guy Lavoie]

35 minutes ago, oberkc said:

May I take this as your position that the virtual button cannot be a scene controller?

That's right. I just tested it and you can't turn a scene on or off with a virtual switch. Think of it as a on/off status flag, that you can test in a program.

It fills a nice function as a device that you can add to a scene (as a responder) so that you can then test the status of a scene in a program, to do additional things. It's been discussed recently that a scene doesn't really have a "status" because you could turn on a scene composed of several devices, and then change some of those devices individually, so would the scene still be "on"? Think of it as being able to detect a scene trigger command. For some reason, IoX doesn't make scene "control" or "status" commands available for testing in programs, they don't appear in your device list. This is thus a handy workaround.

For your echo hub application, how about having it set a state variable instead, and look for the variable value as the trigger to have a program run a scene?

Edited Sunday at 07:46 PM by Guy Lavoie

[oberkc]

Thank you.  I was looking for a simple answer to a simple question.  I was hoping that there was a trick I was missing that would allow a virtual switch to be controller in a scene.

[oberkc]

1 hour ago, Guy Lavoie said:

For your echo hub application, how about having it set a state variable instead, and look for the variable value as the trigger to have a program run a scene?

I must admit that I have never had much use for setting a variable (a numerical representation of the switch status)  to trigger a program when I already have the switch status (on/off) directly available that could be used without need to translate to a number.  It seems like a lot of unneeded complication.

Besides, I have not even stated my application.  But since you ask, my interest is in having an Alexa favorite show the status of my garage doors (open/close or on/off) and, when I press the same Alexa favorite, it would trigger the door.  I have a pretty good idea how to accomplish this, but was hoping to avoid unnecessary programs.

[Guy Lavoie]

In most cases, we want Alexa to control a device like a switch directly  (on/off), and that's easily done with no programming needed. When you want to do fancier stuff like take action or not, depending on status, then programming will usually get you there. An example of this is my own garage door (what is it about garage doors?). My garage isn't attached to my house, it's a separate building. It is also a zone on my alarm system. I can open and close it about 6 different ways, including asking Alexa, pressing a button on a keypadlinc, and in UD mobile. The thing with the great majority of garage door openers is that they're toggle devices. Momentarily close a contact to open it if it's closed, or to close it if it's open. So it's not an on/off device. When I ask Alexa (or the other methods) to open it, I want it to ignore the command if it's already open. Same with close commands. Add to that the complication that I don't want to allow the automation methods to open it during nighttime hours, or when the alarm is armed. I was able to do all that by programming.

[oberkc]

I already have the ability to open and close garage doors by Alexa voice commands, keypad buttons, UD mobile.  I am attempting, however, to use an echo HUB and create a favorite that I can TOUCH to activate the doors and to simultaneously show status (basically trying to create a keypad button on the Alexa favorite screen).  It is a little different than voice commands.  Unfortunately, I am running into limitations with Alexa that is making this an interesting problem to solve.  Also, unfortunately, I am fearing that I am not getting consistent response from the virtual switch to Alexa and Alexa seems to be missing some changes-of-state with the virtual switch.

[Guy Lavoie]

Tell us more about the echo Hub. Looks like a rather new device. How do you go about programming it, and what makes it different from Alexa? I always like learning.

Off the top, it looks like a echo show dedicated to home automation, a sort of Alexa app running on a dedicated hardware device.

Edited Monday at 01:49 AM by Guy Lavoie

[oberkc]

9 minutes ago, Guy Lavoie said:

Off the top, it looks like a echo show dedicated to home automation, a sort of Alexa app running on a dedicated hardware device.

That is  a good summary.  I would say that it is an echo device configured for wall mount and touch interface, specialized for home automation.  The visual user interface seems to be the big difference.  I have always wanted a touch screen interface for my home automation and thought this might be it.  I would like something like an eight button keypad but touch screen based, that I can configure the labels and colors and icons.  The main screen on the hub can also include some cameras and other stuff, but the jury is still out whether this is something I will like.

It is programmed mostly through the Alexa mobile app, but widgets can be added and configured directly through the hub screen, itself.

I am thinking that a tablet with UD mobile, pinned, might also work.  I have a few around and may try it as well.  

[dbwarner5]

13 hours ago, oberkc said:

 I have always wanted a touch screen interface for my home automation and thought this might be it.

I use an iPad mounted on the wall with UDM. 

Might be able to use a Fire tablet as well, but havent tried it.... would be much cheaper than an iPad.

[oberkc]

5 hours ago, dbwarner5 said:

I use an iPad mounted on the wall with UDM.

I am considering trying this.  I have had a tablet in the past, prior to UD Mobile.  In fact, I already have a couple of tablets lined up for this.  I think it would work very well for the switches, but I was hoping for a clock and camera feeds (have never gotten my cameras to work on UD Mobile.).  Sometimes, I just don't know what I like until I try things.

[dbwarner5]

21 minutes ago, oberkc said:

I am considering trying this.  I have had a tablet in the past, prior to UD Mobile.  In fact, I already have a couple of tablets lined up for this.  I think it would work very well for the switches, but I was hoping for a clock and camera feeds (have never gotten my cameras to work on UD Mobile.).  Sometimes, I just don't know what I like until I try things.

 

I was able to get my camera feeds to work after a lot of trials.. but not Ring cameras.

This is the path I finally used for local monitoring of my IP cameras, changing the last number in the hundreds digit. (201, 301, 401 etc)

rtsp://<Username>:<Password>@192.168.68.101:554/Streaming/channels/301