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    Getting spoken text to HomeSeer, and custom responses back to Assistant

    Hi,

    I've read about how Google would not allow generic and Smart Home apps to co-exist and HomeSeer opted for the more direct control, which is understandable. However, I really have a need to send the spoken text to HS and get a custom response.

    Therefore, I created my own action: https://forums.homeseer.com/forum/ho...stom-responses

    This had worked beautifully for a long time, but unfortunately, Google Assistant recently changed the behavior when invoking actions and it now announces the action name ever time, which is a waste of time and very annoying.

    Example:

    Me: Ok Google, ask HomeSeer what the thermostat is set to.
    Assistant: Getting HomeSeer (or Let's get HomeSeer, or Here's HomeSeer) <--- I don't want to hear this line
    (chime sound)
    HomeSeer: The thermostat is set to 69 degrees.
    (chime sound)

    The action announcement used to go away after a number of frequent invocations, but not anymore. This is very annoying. Actions on Google support says this behavior is within Assistant, and they think what I used to experience was a glitch. In other words, they claim nothing changed in regards to this behavior on their end.

    rjh, is this how your generic action used to behave in regards to Assistant announcing the action name every time? Any news on Google allowing the two to co-exist? Could you get around the restriction if you called one "HomeSeer" and the other "Home Seer"? Or maybe somebody else could host the code in their Google account? I recall having to mess around with my Action Name and Pronunciation before it would "take". I think my action name is "HomeSeer" but pronunciation is "Home Seer". Maybe what Google should do is allow their to be a trigger phrase in the Smart Home App to skip looking for direct control and just send the transcribed text to the home automation system. If there is any way we can help push for change at Google to support this, please let us know.

    This is an important feature for me. I send many questions to HomeSeer and do not want to hear that introduction every time.

    Thanks!
    HS4, Insteon, Z-wave, USB-UIRT, Harmony Hubs, Google Hub/Chromecasts/Speakers, Foscam & Amcrest cameras, EZVIZ DB1 doorbell
    Plugins: BLLAN, BLOccupied, BLUSBUIRT, Chromecast, Harmony Hub, Insteon, Jon00 Homeseer/Echo Skill Helper, Harmony Hub, Jon00 DB Charting, MediaController, NetCAM, PHLocation2, Pushover 3P, weatherXML, Z-wave

    #2
    Does anyone else currently send spoken text to HS via Google, or want to? Alexa integration supports this feature as well as direct device control. Google integration only supports direct device control. My solution is not as good as it could be due to what I described above, and I'd love for HS to try to find a way to allow for and support both control methods like Alexa has. I feel they could have more pull with Google and get them to consider removing that stupid announcement. I can understand they want to alert people a 3rd party is now taking over, but they don't need to tell me it's "Getting HomeSeer" when that's exactly what I asked for. Just do it and shut up! At least after a half dozen commands. It should be clear what my intent is at that point. Verbosity is the bane of voice control.
    HS4, Insteon, Z-wave, USB-UIRT, Harmony Hubs, Google Hub/Chromecasts/Speakers, Foscam & Amcrest cameras, EZVIZ DB1 doorbell
    Plugins: BLLAN, BLOccupied, BLUSBUIRT, Chromecast, Harmony Hub, Insteon, Jon00 Homeseer/Echo Skill Helper, Harmony Hub, Jon00 DB Charting, MediaController, NetCAM, PHLocation2, Pushover 3P, weatherXML, Z-wave

    Comment


      #3
      I know I'm not the only one. I read more of the threads discussing the end of the indirect Action that HomeSeer initially launched to be replaced with the direct smart home one, and noted others with interest in Jon00's Echo Helper script. Google's reason for not allowing both is ignorant. Why can't both exist?

      rjh, sorry to mention you again, but I'm very curious if you worked something out with Google early on to have the "Ok, getting HomeSeer" message removed after a few invocations. That's the only explanation I can come up with to explain why my custom Action, also called HomeSeer, didn't use to say that phrase after a while, and then all of a sudden started saying it every time.

      This is why I'm pushing for this to be supported by HomeSeer again. HomeSeer has more pull with Google than I do. Rich, would a petition from your customer base help your case with Google in regards to bringing indirect control back? Voice processing on the HomeSeer side offers so much more flexibility, especially with Jon00's helper. It's a shame to let that go to waste with Google Home. Yes, I have that functionality myself, but not everyone is willing or able to set that up for themselves, and the user experience is no longer what it was and should be. I hope HomeSeer can solve both of those problems and bring the same capabilities that Echos have to Google Home/Assistant for everyone.

      Thanks for any input.
      HS4, Insteon, Z-wave, USB-UIRT, Harmony Hubs, Google Hub/Chromecasts/Speakers, Foscam & Amcrest cameras, EZVIZ DB1 doorbell
      Plugins: BLLAN, BLOccupied, BLUSBUIRT, Chromecast, Harmony Hub, Insteon, Jon00 Homeseer/Echo Skill Helper, Harmony Hub, Jon00 DB Charting, MediaController, NetCAM, PHLocation2, Pushover 3P, weatherXML, Z-wave

      Comment


        #4
        I very much doubt you will get a response. I expect Rich and the entire dev team is working on HS4 at the moment.

        Alexa is your friend
        Jon

        Comment


          #5
          Originally posted by jon00 View Post
          I very much doubt you will get a response. I expect Rich and the entire dev team is working on HS4 at the moment.

          Alexa is your friend
          Yeah, I expect you are correct. I didn't think anything would change quickly, but thought I might still get a quick response and perhaps start a dialog with other HS users who have similar interests. Letting HS know this is important to us in the process. Hopefully it's an "us" and not just me. I fear some have abandoned Google smart speakers after learning of being restricted to direct control. Some seemed to hint at that in other threads.

          Other than this one shortcoming as discussed in this thread, I prefer the Google smart speakers and already have them all over the house. My parents have Alexa and HomeSeer and it works well for commands, but last I checked, HS can't send announcements through an Echo as a HS Speaker client which is a big downside for me.

          Thanks for the reply, Jon. Love your work! Especially the Echo Helper which I can use via my custom Action. Hopefully some day HS will support this method and you'll be able to change the name to Echo/Assistant Helper...or something.
          HS4, Insteon, Z-wave, USB-UIRT, Harmony Hubs, Google Hub/Chromecasts/Speakers, Foscam & Amcrest cameras, EZVIZ DB1 doorbell
          Plugins: BLLAN, BLOccupied, BLUSBUIRT, Chromecast, Harmony Hub, Insteon, Jon00 Homeseer/Echo Skill Helper, Harmony Hub, Jon00 DB Charting, MediaController, NetCAM, PHLocation2, Pushover 3P, weatherXML, Z-wave

          Comment


            #6
            I don't want to jinx it, but the worthless introduction that suddenly appeared and which irritated me, recently went away again. My custom action interaction now works the way I want it to. It executes immediately, without the introduction. The chime sounds are still there but that's fine. I sure hope it stays this way.

            I'd still love to see this functionality supported natively by HomeSeer, and available for everybody, especially since Alexa allows for it. It gives you so much more flexibility in regards to interacting with HomeSeer via voice.
            HS4, Insteon, Z-wave, USB-UIRT, Harmony Hubs, Google Hub/Chromecasts/Speakers, Foscam & Amcrest cameras, EZVIZ DB1 doorbell
            Plugins: BLLAN, BLOccupied, BLUSBUIRT, Chromecast, Harmony Hub, Insteon, Jon00 Homeseer/Echo Skill Helper, Harmony Hub, Jon00 DB Charting, MediaController, NetCAM, PHLocation2, Pushover 3P, weatherXML, Z-wave

            Comment

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