Brightness Commands Not Working with Alexa

[b0sst0n]

Wim,

I looked at the instructions and the new integration appears to be very device specific on whether we should enable Alexa for "devices" or "features". I do have a feeling this was very related to the issue I was having above as most of my Jowihue devices are imported as "groups" from the hue bridges.

For example, I have a single light fixture in a room which has 5 candelabra hue bulbs. This light fixture and all 5 of the hue bulbs are a "group" named "Foyer Light".

If I want to enable voice commands for this light fixture group, should I be enabling the voice commands for the "Foyer Light" device (a group from the hue bridge) or specific features of the "Foyer Light" device?

I'm a little confused on how Jowihue "groups" work and wondering if/how voice commands will be passed down from the "group" to the individual hue bulbs correctly. The way HS has now altered voice commands to work by "device" or by "feature" is now adding another layer of confusion on top.

Any insight you can provide would be helpful!

These are the instructions I am referencing above:

https://docs.homeseer.com/display/HS...ll+Integration

[b0sst0n]

w.vuyk Homeseer has been unresponsive to my posts in the thread about Alexa (they keep telling me to ask you!) and I'm going on 2-3 months where if I ask "Alexa, set my light to 50%", then Homeseer sets my lights to the color red. I know this probably isn't your fault, but do you know any other way of getting Homeseers attention?

I don't really want to look for another solution to replace Homeseer, but I am not sure what else to do at this point... I can't keep using the system like this. I end up just using the Hue app most of the time now and pulling out my phone every time I dim/brighten a light, it's awful!

[w.vuyk]

I know what you are saying. HST points to my plugin even when a log is showing an error is logged by HS, if the device is coming from my plugin it is an issue with the plugin(or when coming from other plugins those will be pointed at). Instead of first looking what the error is, and checking the source it is pointed away. My plugin ALWAYS adds its name to an error....

All the plugin gets a command forwarded by HS, and this has nothing to do with 'voice', just a straight command send to the plugin. If you say dim my light 50%, HS should send a command with value 50 on the feature then dims instead of the value 50 to the device that controls color (50 is red in this case). If it does not then the Alexa - HS interface is not working correct. Maybe address rjh for this to get proper support? Somehow the controlled feature can still be only one, not a color device and a dim device both.

Wim

[b0sst0n]

Thanks Wim, hopefully rjh sees this thread and replies... I posted enough info above for them to get a sense of how my system is setup with individual bulbs being grouped into "lights".

I used to have all zwave switches, but I swapped the "dumb" switches back in and opted to go with a massive hue installation (~150 bulbs over 3 hue bridges!). This is why Jowihue/Homeseer is so important to my setup. If Jowihue/Homeseer isnt working properly with voice commands, I'll have to move to something like Hubitat or HomeAssistant to aggregate all of the bridges together. (I really don't want to!)

[wkearney99]

Somehow the controlled feature can still be only one, not a color device and a dim device both.

The Alexa system absolutely supports devices being both dim AND color controlled. The Alexa system speaks to the Hue system perfectly for this.

It's Homeseer's interface from their MyHS cloud to Alexa that's not handling it effectively. Anything else that has color light support as a skill works just fine.

THIS IS MY #1 REASON NOT TO UPGRADE TO HS4.

It seems like Homeseer is just not putting any serious effort to get voice control sorted out properly. I volunteered to BUY devices and send them and was told "they don't need that" but also that "the developer" was working on it.

I've already bought HS4. But I have zero intention of upgrading and screwing up our household lighting schemes until this stuff is sorted out.

[rjh]

I cannot think of a reason why this should not work. I have a rack of color bulbs that I run tests on and the color control works from Alexa. I know it works with our hue plugin but I have not tested Wim's. Since it's all set up I will try it tomorrow and see if I can recreate the issue. If I can, I will determine where the issue is.

[w.vuyk]

Rich, thanks for looking into this, hope you can find something as several users are asking question on Alexa and google voices. As I am not using voices in my (Dutch) house it is hard to find out what is going wrong here.

b0sst0n I am wondering if you maybe changed settings on the light(s) you are testing with? If you check the status/graphics page are all controluse values (on RGB feature and on/off/dim features) still set?

[rjh]

I just tried your latest JowieHue plugin for HS4 and I am able to control the color of a bulb with Alexa just fine. So what specifically is not working? Does it not work for you?

I enabled the voice command check box (on the root), then discovered. then said: Alexa, set the NAME_OF_DEVICE to Red. Bulb went red.

Rich, thanks for looking into this, hope you can find something as several users are asking question on Alexa and google voices. As I am not using voices in my (Dutch) house it is hard to find out what is going wrong here.

b0sst0n I am wondering if you maybe changed settings on the light(s) you are testing with? If you check the status/graphics page are all controluse values (on RGB feature and on/off/dim features) still set?

[w.vuyk]

Rich,

The user is complaining the dim command is not working, in effect the color changes where dim was expected ? Set light to 50%

[rjh]

I tried that also, set the bulb to RED then to 5% then to 100%, worked ok for me. Color control has been updated in the past few months, so maybe this is an old issue and was fixed?

Rich,

The user is complaining the dim command is not working, in effect the color changes where dim was expected ? Set light to 50%

[w.vuyk]

Rich,

Thanks!

b0sst0n Could you try with Rich's settings as he explained?