CoRE triggering routines vs CoRE performing dedicated actions?

This is more so a “what’s your opinion” thread on the use of CoRE [standard or web] and or Routines.

Do you:

  1. Use CoRE statements to trigger routines (which have set actions)

  2. Ditch routines all together and use CoRE statements and dedicated CoRE actions.

I’m not sure if there is a sure benefit either way, including if it’s “six in one, a half dozen in the other.” However, I was curious on what the community thought/how others in the community program their automations.

Fire away!

I have zero routines. I don’t have numbers to back this up but routines seem to be one of ST’s failure points when something goes wrong with the platform (just from observation when people complain things are not working during an outage).

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The two main advantages to routines are just in the UI, I think.

First, they have their own place in the official mobile app, so it’s quick to find them for manual execution.

Second, right now they are the only thing that you can make an official widget for, which is nice on a smart watch.

Of course there are unofficial ways to do it, including the IFTTT DO Button, so that one’s easy to work around as long as you know how. :sunglasses:

There’s another possible advantage, which is that a routine is the only way to officially automate changing the smart home monitor armed status. But it this point, it seems unlikely that they will withdraw the method that core uses. But you never know.

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I use the 4 stock routines to trigger mode changes and do bulk on/off commands. Everything else goes through core/webcore.

Goodbye -> Mode Away
Goodnight -> Mode Night
I’m Back/Good Morning -> Mode Home

All of my routines except I’m Back are triggered by core pistons too, the conditions for executing the routines are more complicated than the routine’s built in triggers allow for.

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@JDRoberts the widget is definitely useful! Good point there!

@anon36505037 Interesting setup. So essentially, you use the routine as a virtual switch that core is triggering actions on? This would still allow use of the widget and use CoRE for, hopefully, a more reliable execution method. Neat idea!

Hi all

A quick question regarding CoRE and motion triggering lights

Do you prefer the condition ‘is active’ or ‘changes to active’ for motion sensors to trigger lights?

if LoungeMotion is active then
LoungeLight Turn On
else
Wait 3 mins
LoungeLight Turn Off
endif

or instead -

if LoungeMotion changes to active then
LoungeLight Turn On
else
Wait 3 mins
LoungeLight Turn Off
endif

Thanks for the advice Robin

A couple of other questions for the forum -

  1. What is the best way to activate a bathroom extractor if room activity continues for a minute after the initial motion activates the lights?
    if BathroomMotion is active then
    BathroomLight Turn On
    Wait 60 seconds
    BathroomExtractor Turn On
    else
    Wait 2 minutes
    BathroomLight, BathroomExtractor Turn Off
    endif

  2. I have some large rooms that require 2 motion sensors covering them. I have created a SimulatedSwitch to address this -
    if Any of BedroomMotion1 or BedroomMotion2 is active then
    BedroomMotion Turn On
    else if Each of BedroomMotion1 or BedroomMotion2 is active then
    BedroomMotion Turn Off
    else
    endif

And then trigger actions within those rooms based on the state of the SimulatedSwitch.

Is there a better way?

Thansk in advance

How do you trigger the routines from core pistons? I can’t seem to find it.

Thanks, I’ll take a look at webCore

Hey,
I have the same problem. The activation of the extractor fan in the bathroom.
So, if im going to shower, i grab the value from a humidity sensor and them it activates the fan, easy, but if im going to poop, i need to create a rule to check if the room is still occupied pass the first motion was detected. Help?

Thanks