Armed Away

Just installed ST. My schedule and family routine vary often. I have several routines set up that arm and disarm SHM throughout the 24 hour day. Is there a way to override the routines and manually put the system in “armed away” until I manually disarm it?

I can temporarily put the system in armed away by clicking on the icon. But the next time a routine runs (for example good night at sunset) that I have disarm the system, the system disarms. There are random times that I want to manually keep it armed until I manually disarm.

You could use CoRE for this.
Set it up so that Routines only run when a specified variable is true (or use a virtual switch and set it up so they only run when the virtual switch is off; turning it on overrides everything).

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Is there a “plug n play” for this? Otherwise it’s above my ability. I like the idea of a virtual switch. Is there one available?

For virtual switches, you can look here.

Most custom code is not plug and play unfortunately. CoRE is one of the systems that can be the most overwhelming.

Possibly try Routine Director in the SmartApp marketplace.

It’s found under Presence & Modes.

I think you need to look at your routines and ensure they don’t run if you are away. When you set the routine to ‘Automatically run when…’ you can tell it not to run if you are in a particular mode. So you could set the good night routine to not automatically run if you are in away mode.

What you are looking for is location “Modes”

Each Routine can be told in which Mode to operate or not operate in.

For Example, Armed/Away may put your location Mode to “Away”…Goodbye to “Away”…l’m Home to “Home”…Goodnight to “Night”…

However, you can create specific modes like. Movie Time or Do Not Disturb or whatever in the IDE/Graph…There is information here regarding SmartThings IDE.

Me personally, I use CoRE, which you will want to learn, and create Virtual Switches to pause certain automations. This is my preferred method because I can say, “Alexa, Turn On Puase TV Auto Off” then when I want to start the automation again, “Alexa, Turn Off Pause TV Auto Off”

This way, I don’t have to change the Mode of the location just to pause one or two specific automations.

I also have various switches that use double tap to do the same thing and a Smart Tile dedicated to Virtual Pause Switches.

Pretty darn cool.

Excellent! This is what I was looking for. I’ll give the virtual switch a try.

Thanks again!

I have set up several modes as a work around to what I’m trying to do, but just seems too clunky.

For example: Just my wife and I at home, kids are grown and are at college. I have a “good night” routine that sets the mode to “night” and puts the SHM to “arm/home.” Then, at a specified time, I have a “sleep” routine that sets the SHM to “arm/away” as the motion sensors that are now active are where we wouldn’t be when we’re sleeping. Then, I have a “good morning” routine that disarms the SHM and goes into “home” mode. Then various other routines depending on time of day, day of week, etc.

But, here’s the issue: Sometimes the kids come home from college and I want to completely disarm the system and override the routines for a certain period of time. Or, my wife and I go away for a weekend and want to arm the system and not have a routine change the arm/away. Not every weekend is the same so I can’t set it up for Sat/Sun. Also, my wife has a company issued iphone that only white listed apps can be downloaded, so I can’t use the “everyone away” feature.

So, what I did was to not have any routine change the SHM status. It’s always “disarm.” But, I use the custom features in the SHM that notify me (and sets off alarms) using the additional modes I set up. Was a lot of work to set up because the custom features only allow you to select 1 set of items, such as “motion.” You can’t select motion and open/close sensors in the same custom. Very clunky.

This way, I don’t have any routine to automatically set the SHM and I can arm/disarm manually.

I’m hoping the virtual switch will work for what I’m trying to do.

Any other ideas?

Yeah, Virtual Switches will work for you but CoRE+Virtual Switches offer the best flexibility.

If you are planning on sticking with the SmartThings platform then taking a little time to learn CoRE will take your ST experience to a whole new level.

Pistons are the main “If This Then That” or simply “Do This” that CoRE uses. They can do everything that Routines do and most of the separate Smart Apps available natively in ST.

Regarding creating Virtual Switches, there’s an app that can create the VS for you and even tie it to a Routine to either do or undo the routine. It’s called Switch Mania.

Thank you!

Here’s another situation I’m trying to figure out how to resolve.

I have a routine set up that at 0600 the mode changes from “sleep” to “home.” (I created the “sleep” mode). Then, I have a “goodbye” routine that runs when I leave based on my phone leaving and changes the mode to “away.” The issue I have if I’m away overnight on a trip, the mode changes at 0600 to “home” but since my phone is already not in the area, the routine “goodbye” never runs and the mode stays in “home.”

When I’m home, I want the mode to stay in “home” at 0600 until I leave. If I’m gone overnight, I’d like the mode to go to “away” at 0600.

Is there a way to do this?

It sounds like you need to get better at using the advanded options under The automatically perform section of routines. There is a section specifically for “Don’t do this if i’m in this mode”. Your scenarios are fairly simple, so no reason to use CoRE or virtual switches.buttons.

CoRE

Your level of “want” can be met by using CoRE. It really is simple once you get the logic figured out.

CoRE Basic Piston in Expert Mode is very powerful and super simple to set up.

Here’s your Piston

Create Group
Create Condition (Trigger)
If Date and Time happens at 0600
AND
Create Condition (Condition)
Presence Sensor is present
When True
Using Location switch mode to Home
When False
"Do whatever you would like if you are not at home"

I don’t agree with this. His requirements will be better met by not having a bunch of modes that will require each thing he has to be designated to use this or that mode but rather pistons that trigger or don’t trigger certain events.

If you really think about it. Routines are limited CoRE Pistons anyway. You can do EVERYTHING that a Routine can do in CoRE but can not even do a small fraction of the things CoRE can do with a Routine.

Learn CoRE and the sky’s the limit.

I use CoRe all the time for complex things, but there’s no reason to use dynamiter to dig a post hole. @Bags can provide more details on his first scenario, but the second one is super easy within his exiting routine. Just add the filter to not run when mode is away. This works perfectly for our family when we’re travelling.

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Not sure I can do it with the routines. I understand the “don’t do this if I’m in this mode.”

Here’s what I want to have happen:

0030-0600 “sleep” mode (I’ve created a sleep mode)
0600 change to “home” mode if I’m present

If I’m not present, at 0600 change to “away” mode

The current routines are a “don’t do this if I’m in this mode” but I want it to change to one mode if I’m present and another mode if I’m not present.

See what you are saying there. Should stay away as long as they are away.

What’s the purpose of sleep mode if you aren’t home?

It arms SHM with a custom monitor that monitors motion sensors in addition to open/close sensors while we are asleep. I use night mode to only arm open/close sensors.

I guess my question is, if nobody is home, why wouldn’t SHM already be in the setting with motion sensors activiated?

The issue is only my phone is monitored. My wife has a company iPhone that only allows white listed apps to be downloaded. So, If I’m away on business, I want the mode to change to “home” at 0600. If I’m actually home at 0900, I want it to stay in “home” mode. If I’m actually not at my house at 0900, I want it to go to “away” as my wife goes to work at 0830.

I can’t figure out how to use a routine to change the status from “home” to “away” if I’m not home at 0900. The “everyone leaves” function won’t work because it’s checking to see if a phone was there then leaves. I’m not there in this scenario and therefore this never triggers even though my phone is away from the house.