I don’t think anything is allowed to trigger an intrusion alert except the alert set up through smart home monitor. But you could have a single motion sensor going off trigger both a smart home monitor and a virtual switch coming on. It’s just you to have to set it up in two separate places. I know that’s extra work, it’s just the way things are for right now.
As far as how to set up a virtual switch, there’s a step-by-step for that in the echo FAQ I mentioned. I think it’s pretty self-explanatory, but you can ask any questions about that in that thread:
I understand exactly what you’re saying about the complexity. When it works as intended, SmartThings is my absolute favorite home automation system. But while it is very powerful and flexible, it is neither intuitive nor “discoverable” (discoverability means that if you just poke around in the app you’ll find all the important features).
I do have a technical background, but I had to quit work a few years back when I became quadriparetic. I now use a wheelchair and have limited hand function so I have to pay other people to do pretty much anything on the system, even change the batteries in a sensor. So I do very much understand the desire for a “set and forget” system. But at least we have this community and there are many people here who are always willing to help you figure out how to get the system to do something. That’s a big plus.
