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Major Upgrade for HomeSeer Amazon Echo Skill!

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    Originally posted by DJF3 View Post


    Now I can leave my existing devices the way they are and use new devices with simple names for Alexa. I have not extensively tested this but it seems to work fine.
    Thank you for sharing this - I think it is an excellent idea!! Linking z-wave devices to virtual devices and enabling voice control on the virtual device is a very nice approach! I too have fairly complex naming schemes (in order to help track devices). Unfortunately my naming scheme does not work well with Alexa. Your approach provides a "clean" solution (vs. trying to sync virtual and physical devices via triggers and actions.

    Comment


      Originally posted by DESIi1 View Post
      Alexa has learned how to respond to "Open". "Open Garage Door 1" now works the same as "Turn on Garage Door 1" No "Tell Homeseer" is needed.
      Do you know how Alexa learned "open" and "close?" I having same issue and would rather not create virtual devices if I don't have to.

      Comment


        Originally posted by DESIi1 View Post
        Alexa has learned how to respond to "Open". "Open Garage Door 1" now works the same as "Turn on Garage Door 1" No "Tell Homeseer" is needed.
        I am curious as well how you were able to get Alexa respond to Open/Close for your garage door. I have Somfy motor shades controlled through RFXCOM. I first tried creating a virtual device with Open and Close in the Status and On and Off in the Control Use, and linked the virtual device to the primary device. Alexa would not respond to Open/Close, but worked fine for Turn On/Turn Off. I then changed a Keypadlinc button configuration in the same fashion (eliminating the virtual device), and still Alexa would not respond to Open/Close.

        Interestingly, I can ask Alexa to "Open" my Family Room lights to turn them on and "Close" to turn them off. The Family Room lights are also controlled by a Keypadlinc button. So, Alexa does understand Open and Close, and can translate that to On and Off. I just get can't determine the scenario where that works.

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          Similar here. I can tell Alexa to turn my garage door "On" and "off" and it will open and close accordingly. Just cannot say "open" or "close."
          Last edited by CinBRandon; June 30, 2017, 12:07 PM.

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            Originally posted by CinBRandon View Post
            Similar here. I can tell Alex to turn my garage door "On" and "off" and it will open and close accordingly. Just cannot say "open" or "close."
            From what I understand, that is by design. The idea is that you wouldnt want a burglar to yell "Alexa, open the garage door" or "Alexa, unlock the front door"
            The "close" versions of those phrases should work fine, though...
            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

            Comment


              Originally posted by rmasonjr View Post
              From what I understand, that is by design. The idea is that you wouldnt want a burglar to yell "Alexa, open the garage door" or "Alexa, unlock the front door"
              The "close" versions of those phrases should work fine, though...
              I just tried "Close" for my shades, and Alexa still responded - "I'm not sure how to help you with that". Reading over on the Amazon Developer Forum, it appears that Open/Close did work for a while - it actually still does if I use it to control an Insteon light.

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                Originally posted by automateme View Post
                Interestingly, I can ask Alexa to "Open" my Family Room lights to turn them on and "Close" to turn them off. The Family Room lights are also controlled by a Keypadlinc button. So, Alexa does understand Open and Close, and can translate that to On and Off. I just get can't determine the scenario where that works.
                Replying to my own post. I do now realize what is different, and why Open/Close seems to work for On/Off for my lights and not my shades. I use the Insteon Hub Alexa skill for my lighting control, and the HomeSeer skill for other device control (Pool Controller, Somfy Shades, etc). Somehow the Insteon skill can map Open/Close to On/Off for devices controlled by the Insteon Hub. Now... to see if I can somehow trick the Insteon Hub into controlling my shades through HomeSeer.

                Comment


                  Originally posted by rmasonjr View Post
                  From what I understand, that is by design. The idea is that you wouldnt want a burglar to yell "Alexa, open the garage door" or "Alexa, unlock the front door"
                  The "close" versions of those phrases should work fine, though...
                  Saying "close" does not work.

                  Saying "Set garage door to on" - it will open
                  "Set garage door to off" - it will close
                  "Tell homeseer to unlock the Storage Door Lock" - it unlocks.

                  Comment


                    Originally posted by CinBRandon View Post
                    Saying "close" does not work.

                    Saying "Set garage door to on" - it will open
                    "Set garage door to off" - it will close
                    "Tell homeseer to unlock the Storage Door Lock" - it unlocks.
                    That stinks. Amazon must have changed the API - here was a list from many months ago:
                    https://forums.homeseer.com/showpost...72&postcount=4
                    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

                    Comment


                      Actually unlock, open and similar commands are ones that Alexa should ignore for security reasons.

                      I'd just like to see a way to set given commands on any device that voice commands could not use. That way one can keep a bad person from issuing those command which reduce security. Don't want to remove a device totally from voice commands so I can say Lock, Arm and other commands that increses secure the home.

                      This is something that will have to be done at the basic level in HS3. It's something that Homeseer hasn't figured out yet but hopefully they will soon.
                      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

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                        Security through Alexa

                        Manufacturers should let the user decide if they want to control something through voice. If they think it poses a security risk, they should include a disclaimer. Another option is like what Ford did with the MyFord skill set.

                        To start my car (to warm it or cool it), I say "Alexa, ask myford to start my car", Alexa: "please provide your security code". Me: "1234" (or whatever it is). Alexa: "Ok, sending the start command to your car".
                        This should be an option for any door (garage, front, etc) open or unlock command. It makes it as secure or more secure as putting in a key code on a pad.

                        Comment


                          The "tell homeseer to open/close the garage door" works just fine for me.

                          What is NOT working are "Smart Groups". Anyone else got smart groups to work?

                          I went through this in other postings the other day but still no change from either side (Amazon or Homeseer)

                          Comment


                            The smart groups are an Amazon construct.

                            They just send us a list of devices to control..., other than that we have no interaction with them.
                            Wade

                            "I know nothing... nothing!"

                            Comment


                              Thermostat temperature reporting.

                              I know that this is an old thread but I thought I would give it a try. Before the Homeseer skill upgrade, when I would ask Alexa to change the temperature, she would report that the temperature was changed using no decimal places. i.e: "The thermostat is set to 73 degrees." After the skill upgrade, Alexa now reports my temperature at 1 decimal place. i.e "The thermostat is set to 73.4 degrees." Is this happening to anyone else and if so, how do you correct it?

                              Comment


                                I am indeed setting the thermostat value to include a decimal point ( I like being precise)

                                I think you are the first person to take issue with it, but I will bring it up to Rich on Monday to see what he thinks of it.
                                Wade

                                "I know nothing... nothing!"

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