Using Homeseer to send spoken text to Amazon Echo devices (via Smartthings)

[jwshome2]

I realize most people will not go out and purchase a Smartthings hub simply for the ability to send TTS to Echo devices, but I happened to have a Smartthings hub that I was no longer using, and I've been able to make it work. I can trigger any Echo devices (one, or a group) to speak any text simply by asking Homeseer to make a GET request to a URL. The text to be spoken is included as a token in the URL.

Here's how to do it:

1. Install the webCoRE SmartApp on the Smartthings hub (this is laborious but not complex - there are very good instructions online)
2. Install the Echo Speaks Smart App on the Smartthings hub (ditto aborious but good instructions online)
3. Create a "piston" (a script, essentially) in webCoRE that looks something like this:
   
   

   execute
   	with
   
   	Echo - Office
   
   	do
   
   	playAnnouncement({$args.text}) [I](only while Away, Night, or Home)[/I];
   
   	end with;
   
   	end execute;

4. Find the URL that webCoRE assigns to the piston (it's shown in the 'Quick Facts' section where you create the piston - it's called the 'External URL').
5. Use Homeseer to generate a GET command to the URL specified by the piston in the webCoRE app. The URL will contain your specific token ID, installation ID and piston ID. Append to that URL the token "?text=Hello, World" (without the quotation marks) or whatever text you would like Alexa to speak. Here's an example of my specific URL (with my IDs hidden):

https://graph-na02-useast1.api.smart...llo%20there%27

You can test this in a browser if you prefer.

Then write a script in Homeseer to issue the GET command triggered by whatever you want to serve as the Homeseer trigger.

It's somewhat amazing when you get it to work - it really opens up a whole new set of capabilities for Homeseer.

Hope this is helpful.

[Index]

Hello, I just went through the laborious webCoRE and arduous Echo Speaks Smart App installs (well documented as you stated tho). Created a successful "piston" can run it in a web browser, however, I cannot get it to run as an HS GET. This is my "External URL" https://graph.api.smartthings.com/ap...ions/MyInstall ID/execute/:MyExecuteID:

I have tried several variations of the script below (is there a syntax problem?)

Sub Main()

hs.GetURL("https://graph.api.smartthings.com/api/token/MyTokenID/smartapps/installations/MyInstall ID/execute/:MyExecuteID:")

End Sub

Thanks in advance for your thoughts.

Glenn

[Kigmatzomat]

It looks like you left off the actual text to speak.
Look at the end of the original poster's link:
.....myInstallationID/execute/:myPistonID:?text=%27Hello%20there%27

Btw, I wandered in here hoping to find a process to emulate. I dont actually have an st hub lying around.

[AZweimiller]

The node-red way is simple and works reliably.