Create a Virtual device from a contact sensor and an actuator? Gate control in ActionTiles?

SmartApps & Automations Automation Ideas
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So I have searched and searched but have notgot my head aorund it yet. Basically my drive gates - I can see if they are open or clsoed with a contact sensor that feeds back to Smart Things. I also have a switch that will allow me to either open or close the gates!

But how can I have them merged into one virtual device - that shows if the gates are open or closed and if I click on it when open closes them and closed opens them!

I would be really greatful for any hints, help or pointers as I have jsut started playing with aciton tiles and would love to have a single icon for it in there.

Thanks

Stuart

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Hi Stuart… interesting use case! but that’s not really “the way Things work”… at least not standard SmartApp integrations.

  1. For a Thing to be compatible with ActionTiles, it must conform to a supported SmartThings “Capability”. ref: http://docs.smartthings.com/en/latest/capabilities-reference.html

  2. Unlike the SmartThings App UI, ActionTiles does not get a definition of the Thing’s “UI” that is defined in the top section of the Device Type handler. There is absolutely no SmartThings API that can read this definition for an arbitrary Thing! That means that ActionTiles’s UI can only conform to claimed Capabilities (and possibly someday, maybe, if we decide to go in that direction… claimed ad hoc custom Attributes and Commands).

  3. ActionTiles (with few exceptions) currently only offers one Capability per Tile. So you can’t have one Tile that is both a “Contact Sensor” and a “Momentary Button”.

  4. But you have a solution: Why not claim Capability “Garage Door Control”? That is an official standard Capability that, indeed, shows current state based on a sensor, as well as offering operation of the Gate! http://docs.smartthings.com/en/latest/capabilities-reference.html#garage-door-control

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Thanks you got me on the right track! All working now with a bit of logic from webcore!

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