Support for Amazon Echo Connected Home API

[rjh]

If you are creating devices in your plugin that are used for control, such as for controlling lighting, there are a few things to consider in order for your devices to be controlled by the Amazon Echo.

When you create your devices make sure you set the ControlUse property to the proper value. The HomeSeer Connected Home API uses this property in order to determine if the device is controllable. For example, when you ask the Echo to "Discover your Devices", the discovery process only returns devices that have have the ControlUse property set for On,Off,Dim,thermost setpoint heat, thermostat setpoint cool, thermostat fan On, and thermostat fan auto.

For the HomeSeer Skill, HomeSeer simply uses the CAPI control labels, so the ControlUse is not used.

[rmasonjr]

I see CoolSetPoint, HeatSetPoint - I do not see values for Thermostat Fan On or Thermostat Fan Auto:

[rjh]

Right, the Fan one's are new Enums and will be in the next update we post so you can complete any work when you install that version, you will need the latest HomeSeerAPI file.

I see CoolSetPoint, HeatSetPoint - I do not see values for Thermostat Fan On or Thermostat Fan Auto:

[rmasonjr]

Right, the Fan one's are new Enums and will be in the next update we post so you can complete any work when you install that version, you will need the latest HomeSeerAPI file.

Ah - thanks Rich!

[usLEDsupply]

Any chance there could be another text field added to the database for a voice name? so we don't have to re-name our fixtures or create virtual devices that would make it hard to support dimming

ideally with 1 or 2 aliases so if someone wants to call them Pendent Lights and someone else wants to call them Hanging Lights they would both work

i have been using the echo hue bridge and for several devices i have more than one name as Alexa doesn't always figure out that when we say "kitchen light" we want it to do the same as when we say "kitchen lights" so i had to put both devices in so she would get it every time

[waynehead99]

Support for Amazon Echo Connected Home API

Any chance there could be another text field added to the database for a voice name? so we don't have to re-name our fixtures or create virtual devices that would make it hard to support dimming

ideally with 1 or 2 aliases so if someone wants to call them Pendent Lights and someone else wants to call them Hanging Lights they would both work

i have been using the echo hue bridge and for several devices i have more than one name as Alexa doesn't always figure out that when we say "kitchen light" we want it to do the same as when we say "kitchen lights" so i had to put both devices in so she would get it every time

This idea has been suggested on other threads and I think it's a good idea. My thought was one field that can be dynamic like the current VR. Example being [pendent|hanging] lights. My thought being, what I say and what my wife may say could be two different things and makes things less structured and more natural, and ultimately more usable.

[rmasonjr]

Rich - any ETA when the next HS3 release will hit? I'm looking for the Enum support for thermostats (above).

[rjh]

We have been going over all the possible VR commands and making sure they all work with the Echo. We are just about done and I plan on posting another Beta tomorrow (Tue).

Rich - any ETA when the next HS3 release will hit? I'm looking for the Enum support for thermostats (above).

[rmasonjr]

I confirmed that the new Enums are in the latest beta - thanks Rich!

[risquare]

Amazon Echo and HS2 Pro

We have been going over all the possible VR commands and making sure they all work with the Echo. We are just about done and I plan on posting another Beta tomorrow (Tue).

Is it compatible with HS2 Pro?

[rjh]

No, it will not work with HS2.

Is it compatible with HS2 Pro?

[MPisano]

HS3 should use ControlUse after Labels

the discovery process only returns devices that have have the ControlUse property set for On,Off,Dim....

For the HomeSeer Skill, HomeSeer simply uses the CAPI control labels, so the ControlUse is not used.

Rich I agree, but I have control lablels like "Power On"\"Power Off" and "Mute On" \ "Mute Off" with ControlUse set to _on \ _off

Seems multi word labels "xxxx ON" arent understood?
(ie Kitchen Music Power - Power On")

Renaming the Labels to just "On"\"Off" does work, but the buttons are less informative

even Renaming to "Foo\Bar" works, but a simple ON then wont regardless of ControlUse

Shouldn't HS3 have a set of internal keywords like "ON,OFF,DIM" and match them to the underlying ControlUse for the device if the Labels were not found?

Users can easily rename devices to tweak Alexa getting the device, but if users have to start poking at Pair.Status(s) it's gonna get ugly and Getting "Command not Found" is frustrating for simple commands like ON

Regards,
Mike Pisano

[beerygaz]

Rich it seems that when setting a dim percentage via the echo it's setting an absolute value on the device rather than a true percentage. I have devices that have 0-255 dim values but setting the light to 50% actually sets it to an absolute value of 50.

[cheeryfool]

Rich it seems that when setting a dim percentage via the echo it's setting an absolute value on the device rather than a true percentage. I have devices that have 0-255 dim values but setting the light to 50% actually sets it to an absolute value of 50.

I need to play with this some more, but I thought mine were doing this:

"Alexa, dim <XYZ Light> TO 50%" would switch it to 50% of max output
"Alexa, dim <XYZ Light> 50%" dims it to 50% of the current value, if on, and does nothing if off.

I've been including the "TO", so haven't had a problem since I noticed it not doing what I was expecting without the "TO".

Will spend the time proving (or disproving) that tonight

[rjh]

Which device does 255 levels so I can try it.

Rich it seems that when setting a dim percentage via the echo it's setting an absolute value on the device rather than a true percentage. I have devices that have 0-255 dim values but setting the light to 50% actually sets it to an absolute value of 50.