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Help with Alexa, Events and voice command

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    Help with Alexa, Events and voice command

    I have added a name to the Voice command field of an event
    "outside lights on." And I checked the box "Include as voice command" under Options of that event.

    Then on Alexa app/website, ran discover under both Devices and Scenes. It did not show the event.

    I then disabled my Homeseer skills in Alexa, re-enabled, and ran discovery again. nothing.

    Any thoughts on what I could be missing?

    currently running 3.0.0.398

    #2
    I dont think that will work. You will need to use the HS Skill which uses "Alexa, tell homeseer to run the event xxxx"
    What you're describing is the Smart Home API which is just on/off type commands.
    HS4Pro on a Raspberry Pi4
    54 Z-Wave Nodes / 21 Zigbee Devices / 108 Events / 767 Devices
    Plugins: Z-Wave / Zigbee Plus / EasyTrigger / AK Weather / OMNI

    HSTouch Clients: 1 Android

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      #3
      Your events will not show in scenes until the Homeseer Alexa skill is updated to the V3 API, it is in testing now and works great, should be soon now.
      John

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        #4
        A simple work around for events is to use a virtual device that you can turn on and off with Alexa and use the state of that device to run events in HS3. I'm testing the new skill and while it works as it should I still don't like to use the ON/OFF in my voice command, what I find works best is the new use of Routines in the Alexa app. With the routines you decide what the voice command is and then Alexa will turn that into whatever control use you want, "Alexa kitchen volume up", just more natural spoken phases I guess.

        John

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          #5
          I has seen this feature (voice commands of events) in the description of the new version of HS3, so was trying to get that to work. Didn't realize it was needing an updated version of the Alexa skill.

          I'm familiar with creating virtual devices, but using voice directly for an event looks to be much easier. Looking forward to it.

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            #6
            While waiting for the next version...

            If you use IFTTT, you can do this today with a little easier voice command structure.

            1. Activate Alexa and Homeseer services on IFTTT
            2. Create event in HS3
            3. Create a simple applet in IFTTT
            If THIS - When Alexa hears a phrase (Type in a phrase)
            Then THAT - Run a Homeseer event (They will be listed in a pull down)
            4. All you have to then is say "Alexa, Trigger (Phrase)"

            For my garage door, as an example, I created 2 events in HS3. 1 to open my garage door, 1 to close it. 2 applets in IFTTT to trigger the events on hearing the phrase.

            Now, I can say "Alexa, Trigger open Jim's Door" and "Alexa, Trigger Close Jim's Door"

            The only add to the verbiage outside of the phrase I want to use is the add of the word "Trigger". That is what makes Alexa use IFTTT applets.

            Jim

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              #7
              With the routines in Alexa you can do the same without the added "trigger" just "Alexa, close Jim's door", can't get better than that.

              John

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                #8
                Haven't tried the "Routines" yet. But thought it was just to join various existing commands (Lights on, etc) into a single voice command. If it can trigger execution of actual HS3 events, then I'm all in! Will have much happier wife!

                Glad I am off work next week! Half the fun of doing this stuff is the "Re-Doing" it better!

                Question though... If Alexa V3 puts events into scenes, why have it in Routines as well? Seems duplicative and a bit confusing.

                Thanks!

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                  #9
                  Routines?

                  Originally posted by lj502 View Post
                  With the routines in Alexa you can do the same without the added "trigger" just "Alexa, close Jim's door", can't get better than that.

                  John
                  Can you explain in more detail?

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                    #10
                    Currently routines can only be added or edited through the app, not the web management. Open the Alexa app and touch Routines from the menu

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                    Click the "+" button to add a routine

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                    Choose the words Echo responds to and the action(s) it will invoke

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                    Here is our "House to Sleep" Routine. When we say "Alexa, put the house to sleep, a virtual device is turned on. It could also invoke a "scene" (Event). Then Echo responds with "Goodnight, talk to you later" from the device that received the command.

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                    Last edited by randy; February 12, 2018, 02:12 PM.
                    HS4 Pro, 4.2.19.0 Windows 10 pro, Supermicro LP Xeon

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                      #11
                      Thanks for the thorough explanation!

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                        #12
                        Any update on the Alexa skill v3? I'd love to see events show up in my alexa app..... I know all of the work around, I just prefer NOT to use work arounds...

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                          #13
                          You can indeed add events to Alexa, the will be discovered as "scenes" rather than devices in the Alexa app. It seems you cannot trigger a scene directly from Alexa .instead you must create a routine that turns on the scene as part of its actions.

                          My personal experience with it had been very flaky. Sometimes the scenes/events work. But just as often I get this response:

                          "Ok here's HomeSeer, a device with that name was not found".

                          It's strange, I'd stick to the method of triggering via a virtual device.

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