HomeSeer SmartHome Skill (Alexa Version 3 API)

[langenet]

Good questions... I was under the impression that the "Tell/Ask Homeseer" skill is not impacted when using the HomeSeer Smart Home V3 skill.
I too would like to continue to use Jon's Alexa Helper as I think it bring a lot of value. I still haven't updated my version of HS - was hoping to this weekend, but it appears there are problems with .425.

Robert

[Kbevo]

I use two HS Skills. Both have their purpose. As mentioned above, the API skill does not require the "tell/ask Homeseer" prefix that the Automation Skill requires. I use the API skill for most on/off tasks and for launching events (with "turn on [event name]"). I use Jon00's Alexa Helper app with the Automation skill to get HS device settings for devices that the API will not/cannot discover.

Gary

[The Profit]

Good questions... I was under the impression that the "Tell/Ask Homeseer" skill is not impacted when using the HomeSeer Smart Home V3 skill.

I too would like to continue to use Jon's Alexa Helper as I think it bring a lot of value. I still haven't updated my version of HS - was hoping to this weekend, but it appears there are problems with .425.



Robert

[Kbevo]

I interpret that to be V2 & 3 of the API, but you are right Rich would be the best source.

Correct, I have no issues, and I believe many folks are running both.

If I add both, is it best practice to delete all known smart home devices from the Alexa app and re-discover?

In my case, I upgraded (first) from the old version of the API to V3. I did delete and rediscover all my devices. I then added the smarthome skill and did not delete all my devices. I may have re-ran discovery.

Gary

[zwolfpack]

Search for "homeseer" in Alexa app skills returns three results -

HomeSeer Home Automation Skill - this is the "tell HomeSeer" one

HomeSeer SmartHome - this is the newer (V3) one

HomeSeer - this is the older (V2) one

The latter is the only one I have enabled at present. I'm still on .368 which doesn't support the newer one.

[langenet]

My understanding is that you can have either

HomeSeer Home Automation Skill - this is the "tell HomeSeer" one

*and*

HomeSeer SmartHome - this is the newer (V3) one

*or*

HomeSeer - this is the older (V2) one

Robert

[The Profit]

My understanding is that you can have either



HomeSeer Home Automation Skill - this is the "tell HomeSeer" one



*and*



HomeSeer SmartHome - this is the newer (V3) one



*or*



HomeSeer - this is the older (V2) one



Robert

[fuzzysb]

I finally mate the punt and upgraded to V3, i deleted all my devices and installed the Homeseer SmartHome skill and linked the account. then after that i discovered devices. 0 devices were discovered. i'm in the UK. keep seeing others with the same issue. how to troubleshoot?

[langenet]

Yeah... I just updated to .435 but hadn't updated to the newer skill yet. Still using the V2 skill. Everything works great. I thought about updating the skill but can't really see the point of it. I use Jon's helper which fills the gaps as far as running events are concerned. I can't see myself asking Alexa to turn an event on.

Robert

[jfla]

Hello

It's on our list, and should be submitted to Amazon in the next few weeks.

Since March, 29, No news for Skill Alexa in French?

I know it's not your priority, but there's now 20 skills in french for Home connect

Thanks

Jean-Francois.

[Timon]

Set light to last value

is there any way to command Alexa to set a light to its last value? I've tried several things including asking it to set the level to 255 and have had no success.

[taylormia]

I just converted to the v3 Homeseer Smarthome skill and rediscovered all the devices. I'm seeing a diffference in how it displays and responds to the voice commands.

The Homeseer V2 Skill discovered devices and it looked like this:




The same device in Homeseer V3 now looks like this with the Floor and Room added to the Device name.




Also, when I say "Turn on Family Room Light", the response is "Many things share that name..which one did you want" . I have only one device called "Family Room Light".

But for other devices, the responses are normal like with Homeseer V2.

Any ideas?

[taylormia]

I found a workaround by creating a Device Group in the Alexa app called "Family Room" with only the "Family Room Light" device as a member.

Now it responds correctly to both "Turn on Family Room" and "Turn on Family Room Light"

[Sgt. Shultz]

The echo speech processor has a bug, where if it finds closely named devices it can't tell the difference.

A device named 'Family Lights' and a device named 'Family Upstairs Lights' look the same to the echo whether you ask it for 'Family Lights' or 'Family Upstairs Lights'

[Code]

I found a workaround by creating a Device Group in the Alexa app called "Family Room" with only the "Family Room Light" device as a member.

Now it responds correctly to both "Turn on Family Room" and "Turn on Family Room Light"

If you have an echo on your Family Room and associate it to the Group you just created, Alexa will turn on your Family Room light just by saying "Lights On" to that Echo device.