Announcement

Collapse
No announcement yet.

Alexa room access

Collapse
X
 
  • Filter
  • Time
  • Show
Clear All
new posts

    #76
    Originally posted by AgileHumor View Post
    So this is working PERFECTLY with Alexa to Hue Lights (without HomeSeer as bridge). I have about 30 hue lights, 20 HomeSeer voice enabled switches, and 7 Echo's through the house. 5 of those echos have their own Alexa enabled group (assigning Echo to a room via Alexa mobile app, not available in webapp).

    With the update V3 API with Hue, I can say, "turn on lights", and all Hue lights, in room with the Alexa configured group, will turn on. I can also say "turn lights blue", and Alexa will change just that echo room's group lights to the color blue (not all my Hue lights in house). Note- Color changing requires a Hue v2 bridge.

    However, any HomeSeer devices in the Alexa enabled group is ignored for group commands. In my case, I have a mix of hue and HomeSeer connected Z-Wave light switches in the Alexa enabled group. However, as most have pointed out, HomeSeer devices are ignored for group commands (most likely due to not using v3 api) and require you to use the full name to control discretely. So "turn lights off" will currently leave the HomeSeer ceiling light unchanged when all the Hue lights turn on/off in the room served by the echo.

    My guess is Alexa is using a "displayCategory" of device (i.e. it needs to know if it's a "light" type of object) for this Alexa room integration to work. This is documented in the new Alexa.Discovery
    https://developer.amazon.com/docs/de...lay-categories
    ACTIVITY_TRIGGER
    CAMERA
    DOOR
    LIGHT
    OTHER
    SCENE_TRIGGER
    SMARTLOCK
    SMARTPLUG
    SPEAKER
    SWITCH
    TEMPERATURE_SENSOR
    THERMOSTAT
    TV

    It could also be using the discovery results of capabilities to determine if it's a light (but displayCategory more likely):
    https://developer.amazon.com/docs/sm...e-capabilities
    Alexa.PowerController
    Alexa.PowerLevelController
    Alexa.BrightnessController
    Alexa.ColorController
    Alexa.ColorTemperatureController


    Hopefully I explained it well. It is quite cool new feature when Rich gets the new API sorted. I'm assuming only devices with displayCategory "light" will respond to "turn lights on/off". Maybe 'switch' too??

    Also, there is hope to make the "Turn TV On" with a HS virtual switch (any needed events to make it happen), with the category 'TV', which should just control your specific TV in room where is its configured in the Alexa enabled group. I look forward to specifically the categories for virtual switches (maybe more, but these are key): Switch, Light, TV
    I hope there is a way in HS to set the type. For instance, I don't want all the switches/outlets to turn on when I say "turn on lights".

    Also, I have ceiling fans I would like to put into the other category, even if that means I only get on/off control.

    From the looks of it, you can't change the type in Alexa, so that only leave s HS to have the ability to really control that.

    Comment


      #77
      Originally posted by sirmeili View Post
      I hope there is a way in HS to set the type. For instance, I don't want all the switches/outlets to turn on when I say "turn on lights".

      Also, I have ceiling fans I would like to put into the other category, even if that means I only get on/off control.

      From the looks of it, you can't change the type in Alexa, so that only leave s HS to have the ability to really control that.
      Based on the current functionality, that may not be possible (except to exclude from group). You could still discretely say the device name "living room fan"...but I don't see the ability with current group setup to say "turn fan on" and just the living room fan will turn on...as there is no displayCategory of "Fan" in the current API. The Alexa enabled group is not a "variable replacement" power feature we would like this go around.

      Comment


        #78
        Odd that you should mention this, we were testing it just now! When you add a device, we check if its dimmable, if so, we treat it as a light and you can say "turn off the lights" and it will be included. However, if you have a on/off switch connected to a light we do not report that as a light. So we added a setting in the HS device properties "Is Light" that you can check. If checked, we tell Alexa its a light. The side affect to this is that you can tell Alexa to dim the switch device. Of course nothing will happen, but you would not do that would you

        So by default, your ON/OFF devices are not included in lights.

        Also, we have verified that the groups feature does work, you can assign devices to a group and a group to an echo, then say "turn on the lights" and all the lighting devices turn on that are assigned to the echo that heard you.

        Hope to submit this for approval early next week.

        Originally posted by sirmeili View Post
        I hope there is a way in HS to set the type. For instance, I don't want all the switches/outlets to turn on when I say "turn on lights".

        Also, I have ceiling fans I would like to put into the other category, even if that means I only get on/off control.

        From the looks of it, you can't change the type in Alexa, so that only leave s HS to have the ability to really control that.
        💁‍♂️ Support & Customer Service 🙋‍♂️ Sales Questions 🛒 Shop HomeSeer Products

        Comment


          #79
          Thanks Rich. I will say that one of my insteon switches (via the is plugin) is considered a light together now though it is a switch. I haven't checked what the statuses are though. I'll have to check that out when I get near a computer.

          *I realize some of what you've said is regarding the new stuff you are working in and not released yet.

          Sent from my Pixel 2 XL using Tapatalk

          Comment


            #80
            Originally posted by rjh View Post
            Odd that you should mention this, we were testing it just now! When you add a device, we check if its dimmable, if so, we treat it as a light and you can say "turn off the lights" and it will be included. However, if you have a on/off switch connected to a light we do not report that as a light. So we added a setting in the HS device properties "Is Light" that you can check. If checked, we tell Alexa its a light. The side affect to this is that you can tell Alexa to dim the switch device. Of course nothing will happen, but you would not do that would you

            So by default, your ON/OFF devices are not included in lights.

            Also, we have verified that the groups feature does work, you can assign devices to a group and a group to an echo, then say "turn on the lights" and all the lighting devices turn on that are assigned to the echo that heard you.

            Hope to submit this for approval early next week.
            I've notices that Alexa Groups don't always work as they say they do but maybe that's an issue since you're still on Smart Home Version 2. I assume that what you're releasing is written under Smart Home Version 3 so we get the new features.

            If you're releasing Scenes by mapping Events to them I hope you can block that by default. As it stands I think that using Virtual Events to trigger scenes is better than mapping events to scenes. I've totally stopped directly setting events using voice commands and now only voice control them using virtual devices. I would, however, like a way to get alexa to accept a virtual lock device which is won't current do. I think it's only the way you present them that cause alexia to reject them.

            The other reason is that Amazon puts too many restrictions on what you can do with scenes. They will let you lock and unlock a door using direct device commands but not do it using scenes. That's just plain STUPID. Speaking of locks I would request that you have a way to disable unlock functions with voice controlling locks.

            Speaking of lights have you found a way to tell Alexa to turn on a light to its last setting? I've wanted to do that but never found a way to make it work through Alexa Smart Home, only with an Alexa Skill.
            HomeSeer Version: HS3 Standard Edition 3.0.0.548
            Linux version: Linux auto 4.15.0-72-generic #81-Ubuntu SMP Tue Nov 26 12:20:02 UTC 2019 x86_64 x86_64 x86_64 GNU/Linux
            Number of Devices: 484 | Number of Events: 776

            Enabled Plug-Ins: 3.0.0.13: AirplaySpeak | 2.0.61.0: BLBackup
            3.0.0.70: EasyTrigger | 1.3.7006.42100: LiftMaster MyQ
            4.2.3.0: mcsMQTT | 3.0.0.53: PHLocation2 | 0.0.0.47: Pushover 3P
            3.0.0.16: RaspberryIO | 3.0.1.262: Z-Wave

            Z-Net version: 1.0.23 for Inclusion Nodes
            SmartStick+: 6.04 (ZDK 6.81.3) on Server

            Comment


              #81
              Any updates on when this will go live? I'm really looking forward to this functionality as echo dot's are cheap and I'm growing tired of having to say "turn on the master bedroom night stand lights" --- would just like to say "turn on the lights".

              Originally posted by rjh View Post
              Also, we have verified that the groups feature does work, you can assign devices to a group and a group to an echo, then say "turn on the lights" and all the lighting devices turn on that are assigned to the echo that heard you.

              Hope to submit this for approval early next week.

              Comment


                #82
                Alexa room access - Versioning information..

                When this goes live will version information be provided to know what pieces are required? What Homeseer version, Plug-ins required, Amazon versioning, etc. Thanks, the progress looks great!

                Comment


                  #83
                  We are ready to submit this but would like to do some testing. We will doing some testing with some users to make sure all is ok.
                  Last edited by rjh; December 15, 2017, 03:15 PM.
                  💁‍♂️ Support & Customer Service 🙋‍♂️ Sales Questions 🛒 Shop HomeSeer Products

                  Comment


                    #84
                    Thanks, I have enough testers.
                    💁‍♂️ Support & Customer Service 🙋‍♂️ Sales Questions 🛒 Shop HomeSeer Products

                    Comment


                      #85
                      For those of you requested access to the new skill, you should have received an email address with instructions.

                      Post any issues you find to this thread and we will monitor.
                      💁‍♂️ Support & Customer Service 🙋‍♂️ Sales Questions 🛒 Shop HomeSeer Products

                      Comment


                        #86
                        For those of you testing the V3 API:

                        Make sure you unlink your current skill and re-link the new one using the link that was sent to you in the email. The new V3 skill is named "HomeSeer SmartHome". If your skill is not named this, then you do not have the correct one.

                        For the groups feature to work, you need the latest Alexa App (do not use the web app), and you need to create a group and assign it to an Echo. Then add the devices to the group. If you want to say "Alexa, turn on the lights", only devices that are dimmable will be included with this command. If you want to include switches as lights, check the "Is Light" check box in the device properties for the switch and re-discover.

                        Note that if you don't see the "Is Light" property, make sure you install the latest Beta of HS3. It may not be on the Beta page yet, so here is a link to the Windows installer:

                        https://homeseer.com/updates3/SetupHS3_3_0_0_398.msi

                        If you need to "forget" all your devices and discover again, you can do that from the web app at alexa.amazon.com. You cannot do that from the latest mobile app.
                        💁‍♂️ Support & Customer Service 🙋‍♂️ Sales Questions 🛒 Shop HomeSeer Products

                        Comment


                          #87
                          Not working for me. I have 2 Hue nightlights and a dimmable wall switch for ceiling lights. After installing new skill, updating HS to recommended beta, creating a room group with alexa dot and lights - only Hue lights respond, same as before. If I click on/off on manually in Alexa app they all work but voice control only works for Hue night lights, not Homeseer dimmable switch. I also tried to update "Is Light" setting in Homeseer, although I don't think it was needed since it is a dimmer. It didn't make any difference.
                          Attached Files

                          Comment


                            #88
                            Well.... It's absolutely awesome!
                            I just walked into my bedroom and said "Alexa lights on" and 3 LIFX bulbs, 2 Z-wave lamp modules, and 1 X-10 wall dimmer switch all fired in sequence same for off. That was the only group I set up, but it worked first time and there goes my Friday night HAHA, lots of playing to do.

                            I could not install the new skill from my phone, clicking the link in the email took me to another page to "open" Alexa but it kept taking me to the Play store to install the Alexa app, which was already installed, and I could never see the new skill. I went back to my desktop and opened the email in chrome and clicked the link which the took me to the Amazon Dev site to accept the new skill testing. Accepted the new test then it asked to link to my Homeseer account again and then it ran the discovery process. After that I had new devices that were duplicates but with new more detailed names, I then choose to forget all devices and rerun the discovery, after that all was good with the status of each device now updated in the Alexa app.

                            Gonna set up some different groups and test some more.

                            Really great job on this! Early Christmas present for all

                            John

                            Comment


                              #89
                              I added voice names to a few events and they were discovered also, don't forget to open options for the event and click the "include as voice command" or you will be stuck.

                              John

                              Comment


                                #90
                                Well the fun stopped, seems to be offline now, don't know what's up?

                                John

                                Comment

                                Working...
                                X