CoRE for Dummies (How to get started and make your first Piston)

Only a very basic rule. The walk thru above is just an example to get you started with CoRE. But it is extremely robust in terms of options (types of triggers, layering of conditions, etc.), so it can far exceed anything you could ever do with just the standard Smart Lighting app.

That being said, if all you require is a very simple “turn on lights at sunset” type of rule, then something like Smart Lighting would both work and might be a better way to set it up.

@pcgirl65

Smart Lighting is extremely limited, extremely.

But, if your devices are eligible for local processing and you are looking for simple automations, then smart lighting is the way to go.

Every app has a purpose and every propose is different.

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Would I be able to use a piston as a widget on my phone? The reason I ask is because if I want to quickly dim the lights to watch a movie it would be better to just click on my phone and press one button.

Maybe you can set it up as a Tap piston, it will take a couple extra clicks though.

A shortcut to the Dashboard on your phone (this is probably where your delay would be), click it, then Click the Tap piston.

Well, the way I think of CoRE is more like the HAL9000 computer (or really any scifi movie where the computer controls the workings of the spaceship). So most of my pistons are created to do things without me “stating” what I want with button presses, etc.

There are some I have that “sense” what I want done, for example turning on a light in a room when it’s dark and I walk in (motion sensor, etc.).

However, for something like a “watching movies activity” (if you think of it that way) you may want to just set up a routine. @JDRoberts has a nice explanation of modes and routines in this post…

The Tap piston sounds cool, never heard of that one. @eibyer is that the “DO” one? And if so, how would you set it up to be on the ST dashboard?

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You can create a virtual switch.
Set that switch as one of the trigger to fire your piston.
Create a routine that only turns that switch on and off.
Setup the ST widgets on your phone and that routine will be there.
Tap that routine → switch turns on → piston runs.

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The TAP is a feature of the dashboard view in CoRE. You can not currently set that up to be on the widget screen. Only routines and modes show up there.

See my above post for how to get it to work.

Very basic problem (sorry about that). This guide was very helpful. However, I am still unable to get CoRE into my SmartApps. I see it in the IDE, but not on my phone app for SmartThings. I’m guessing it is because I did get an error during the linking process: In Git Bash I typed: git remote add upstream https://github.comSmartThingsCommunity/SmartThingsPublic.git and it returned the following error message: fatal: not a git repository (or any of the parent directories): .git

If this is not the right place, please point me in the right direction. I am very new to this, but excited to get started with CoRE. Thanks

Hmmmm, just copy and paste…

Yep, that doesn’t sound good at all.

But if it’s in the IDE does it show as “Published” in the status? Also when you click on it (the link that should say “ady624 : CoRE” in Namespace/Name does it actually show code?

Love the TAP, I wonder how much would it take to bribe @joshua_lyon to work with @ady624 on a magic widget…

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Man, I can’t like this enough! Can you imagine? No stupid virtual switch and routine to make a widget just to make a shortcut to a piston.

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I tried deleting everything I did and started over doing just the manual install. I have the same problem. I see ady624: CoRE in the IDE (status = published / category = convenience / OAuth = true and when I click on ady624: CoRE I do see the code), but it does not show up under SmartApps on my phone. Another odd thing, on my phone I have the SmartApp IFTTT, but it doesn’t show up on my IDE. I know I am in the correct IDE, as I see my other devices and can even turn them on and off from my phone and I can see them change state on the IDE. Just the SmartApps section seams to be behaving strangely.

Very odd. In your post it sounds like you have multiple accounts “…I know I am in the correct IDE…” maybe between GitHub and ST?

Anyway, you may want to post a new thread about the GitHub integration or something. Because clearly you did all the “redo” things right. Someone with more knowledge of how the repositories work will probably be able to help.

Don’t go to SmartApps yet, go to the Marketplace first then My Apps, then SmartApps. Once you do that then it will be accessible in the SmartApps menu.

Great catch @eibyer!

Yes, as he says you must add the smartapp after you have published it. I looked back at the wiki they created for GitHub integration as well as the official ST GitHub documentation and they make no mention of that final step, as far as I can see. So I’ll update the first post.

Thank you! That did the trick.

Okay, I’m a complete and utter pillock, but I can’t figure out what the “Tap #1” button does…

Just installed CoRE today (very excited for an RM replacement!).
I am getting an error every time I try to create my first Piston.
I start creating a Piston, get to the “Then…” part, tap on “Add an action / Tap to show” then get a red “You are not authorized to perform the requested operation.” and can’t proceed.
Any ideas/advice? Thanks.

Are you on Android v2.2.2? If so, can you please upgrade to v2.2.3?