I'm new to HA and I'm having trouble with naming conventions. I've got a house full of Somfy shades, Amazon echoes in most rooms, some Zwave light switches and just brought an ELKM1 online. Currently, I have a ZRTSI, which HS3 controls the opening and closing just fine. However, there are times when I'd like to open or close a shade in a particular room using a voice command. What is the best way to name things so that I could walk in a room and just say "Alexa, open the shades", or, "Alexa, tell Homeseer to open the shades" and the shades in that room will open. I've tried this and I often get a reply that there is more than one device with that name. With more than a dozen rooms with powered shades, I don't want to have to give them all different names and have to remember all those different names. What is the best approach to this?
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Originally posted by mik3 View PostI usually tie each device to the room.
So, turn on the master bedroom lamps.
I only have 2 automated shades so the name Living Room and Dining Room are easy to recall. Twelve individual names would be much to remember.Dan-O
HomeSeer contributor since summer 1999, yes 1999!
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Originally posted by Dan-O View Post
That works with lighting. You don't even have to say master bedroom if they're tied to a room using the Alexa app. You can walk into the master bedroom and say, "Alexa, turn on the lights," and the master bedroom lights will come on. I have our kid's rooms set that way and they appreciate not having to say the room's name (They're both teenagers - need I say more?)
I only have 2 automated shades so the name Living Room and Dining Room are easy to recall. Twelve individual names would be much to remember.
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Originally posted by Dan-O View Post
That works with lighting. You don't even have to say master bedroom if they're tied to a room using the Alexa app. You can walk into the master bedroom and say, "Alexa, turn on the lights," and the master bedroom lights will come on. I have our kid's rooms set that way and they appreciate not having to say the room's name (They're both teenagers - need I say more?)
I only have 2 automated shades so the name Living Room and Dining Room are easy to recall. Twelve individual names would be much to remember.
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Originally posted by Dan-O View PostAs long as the device is set up in HS to be voice controlled and it has been found and added in the Alexa app, you should be good to go.
You can then create a room and add lights to that room in the Alexa app.
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I do both. I have actual devices and virtual devices. Both of them in Alexa and the HS Mobile app.
I have a virtual garage door that gets turned on through Alexa or the app. The virtual device status's change is what triggers an event.
I have 233 devices both real and virtual, and 219 events, I'm sure others have more but I would say we have a fined tuned, yet ever evolving automation system in our house.Dan-O
HomeSeer contributor since summer 1999, yes 1999!
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Originally posted by Dan-O View PostI do both. I have actual devices and virtual devices. Both of them in Alexa and the HS Mobile app.
I have a virtual garage door that gets turned on through Alexa or the app. The virtual device status's change is what triggers an event.
I have 233 devices both real and virtual, and 219 events, I'm sure others have more but I would say we have a fined tuned, yet ever evolving automation system in our house.
Also, when clicking on "Kitchen lights" to manage the device, I'm unsure about some of the settings. Why would I want to check the "light" box? Would that be for a smart bulb, as opposed to a switch? Also, Alexa seems to work fine when I leave the Voice Command box empty. Would I use that box more with the "other" app, where you have to say "Alexa, tell homeseer....", to control a device not inside the Alexa group? In other words. If I filled the Voice Command box for the recreational room lights with "rec room", and also had these lights in the recreational room Alexa group, so that I can walk in and just say "Alexa, turn on the lights". Would I now be able to go in the kitchen and say "Alexa, tell homeseer to turn of the rec room lights? Is this how it is suppose to work?
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Originally posted by MSG56 View PostI'm still trying to figure out why HS adds three entries for the switch. Why do I need all three of these?
The second one not all Z-Wave switches have and can be super useful to trigger events and other devices. Obviously one tap was you pressing the button once. But you can tap twice or more and trigger an event - as an example - If node 51 Central Scene had its value set to Scene 01 pressed 2 times then (Insert action here)
There are events that can be fired with you hitting the on/top button 2 or more times and also the off/bottom button as well. I use this to go into Night Mode as well as to tell HS that I'm in bed and finish turning all the rest of the lights out ahead of time.
Originally posted by MSG56 View PostAlso, when clicking on "Kitchen lights" to manage the device, I'm unsure about some of the settings. Why would I want to check the "light" box? Would that be for a smart bulb, as opposed to a switch? Also, Alexa seems to work fine when I leave the Voice Command box empty. Would I use that box more with the "other" app, where you have to say "Alexa, tell homeseer....", to control a device not inside the Alexa group? In other words. If I filled the Voice Command box for the recreational room lights with "rec room", and also had these lights in the recreational room Alexa group, so that I can walk in and just say "Alexa, turn on the lights". Would I now be able to go in the kitchen and say "Alexa, tell homeseer to turn of the rec room lights? Is this how it is suppose to work?
I believe you are correct about the Voice Command box, believe it or not, I don't use them that way. I have re-named my devices in Alexa to the names I want when I edited them in the Alexa app.
I could be wrong, but the more current HS Skill doesn't require you to say, "Tell Homeseer" I think you can just say, "Alexa, turn the Rec Room lights on"
Dan-O
HomeSeer contributor since summer 1999, yes 1999!
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