Dim multiple dimmers

[bravenel (Bruce)]

To track a dimmer, it has to have a subscription (so that it reports level). That can either be a trigger event, or a condition of a rule. The one thing it can’t be is a condition of a triggered rule, because those conditions are just tested, not subscribed to.

If it’s a condition of a rule, that condition may or may not be part of the rule, up to you and your use case. In any event, assuming it’s subscribed to, then the action for the other dimmers is “track event dimmer” on. What happens is that when the tracked dimmer (or dimmers) change level, that causes a rule evaluation, and the actions will look at the tracked dimmer’s level.

Hopefully, this will move you closer to understanding how to set it up. If not, ask more…

The “you are not authorized” is an Android mobile app bug. Usually you can just ignore it, and keep plugging along.

[Boruguru (BoruGee)]

@MichaelS who owns the Virtual Dimmer code may incorporate this as well.

To be clear, this is code I got from Bruce, who said he got it from SmartThings, so while I appreciate the credit, this is what the community is all about…sharing what is out there!

This is an interesting change and may incorporate it once I give it a full test. At the end of the day it is an interface change, but seems to follow SmartThings new devices.

**Edit…I did test this and it is mostly a cosmetic change, but does align with the new SmartThings conventions for other switches so I updated it. I also added in the large information tile for percentage as that is what the "real’ dimmers have …it also helps us with bad eyes that can’t see the percentage in the smaller text :)…Great suggestion @Boruguru ! I have included your name in the text of the update. The only line, however, that you needed to change was the details button…since levelSliderControl was no longer there, it doesn’t need to be listed. Otherwise, great addition

Great, if that helped. I debated to have the % tile or not and thought it is duplicate information. But now that you have incorporated it, it look good. I tried your new code and works…

Food for thought : But worth giving this idea a try. As you can see there is space for 3 tiles. 1. % 2. Refresh 3. Can you have a temperature tile. Ex. Temperature from a temp. sensor that you choose from a list of available temp sensors?. Point is that you can have most of the information that you need for a particular Room in this tile. Idea was to use this in a Room Header area, where you can turn on off lights, dim them and also see the temperature of that room. Not sure if adding a temperature from other device can be used here, as this tile is for a device type.

[MichaelS (Micheal)]

I would have to look into that, but that would turn this device from a more ‘generic’ usage to a more specific version. Not sure everyone would care about temperature in a dimmer. Further, I am not sure you can reference another device from the device you are setting up…will have to look into it.

Also, I created a wiki page for the installation of the virtual dimmer: http://thingsthataresmart.wiki/index.php?title=Virtual_Dimmer

[Boruguru (BoruGee)]

To track a dimmer, it has to have a subscription (so that it reports level). That can either be a trigger event, or a condition of a rule. The one thing it can’t be is a condition of a triggered rule, because those conditions are just tested, not subscribed to.

If it’s a condition of a rule, that condition may or may not be part of the rule, up to you and your use case. In any event, assuming it’s subscribed to, then the action for the other dimmers is “track event dimmer” on. What happens is that when the tracked dimmer (or dimmers) change level, that causes a rule evaluation, and the actions will look at the tracked dimmer’s level.

Hopefully, this will move you closer to understanding how to set it up. If not, ask more…

The “you are not authorized” is an Android mobile app bug. Usually you can just ignore it, and keep plugging along.

Bruce,

I get stuck when it ask to fill in this screen. (It is asking for a comparison Dimmer and don’t get the logic on what to compare. Without filling in the comparison information it won’t let me complete the screen.

[Boruguru (BoruGee)]

I would have to look into that, but that would turn this device from a more ‘generic’ usage to a more specific version.

I would agree on that. Keep it generic and simple is the way to go. Creating a view for a room should be up to a dashboard view, which we hope would get from ST in a future day. Thanks…

[MichaelS (Micheal)]

Thank YOU for the suggestion…and motivating me to create the Wiki entry!

[bravenel (Bruce)]

Compare the level of the selected dimmer to a number or to another dimmer device.

So, depending on what you’re trying to do, you could use a comparison that’s always true, like < 100. You’re probably creating the condition just so you can track the dimmer level. But, you have to be careful, because a rule only does things when truth changes.

So, perhaps a trigger would work? Trigger event is dimmer level, again < 100. So any change in dimmer level is going to fire this. Action is set dimmer level, track event dimmer. Track event dimmer means to set those dimmers to the current level of the dimmer that fired the trigger.

You can use this with a group of dimmers if you want, where any one of them can change all of them.

[Boruguru (BoruGee)]

Thank YOU for the suggestion…and motivating me to create the Wiki entry!

Wiki looks perfect. Looking good…

[Boruguru (BoruGee)]

Compare the level of the selected dimmer to a number or to another dimmer device.

So, depending on what you’re trying to do, you could use a comparison that’s always true, like < 100. You’re probably creating the condition just so you can track the dimmer level. But, you have to be careful, because a rule only does things when truth changes.

So, perhaps a trigger would work? Trigger event is dimmer level, again < 100. So any change in dimmer level is going to fire this. Action is set dimmer level, track event dimmer. Track event dimmer means to set those dimmers to the current level of the dimmer that fired the trigger.

You can use this with a group of dimmers if you want, where any one of them can change all of them.

Thank you, could not figure out that I have to provide a always true condition for compare clause. Got it to work. There were some pitfalls in Action section as well. But got it to working by now.

[iowac (Iowa Chapman)]

AWESOME this worked perfectly for my 2 living room dimmers which are on separate switches for my ceiling fan lights which i could turn one on and the other comes on but could not get them to dim together, the dim with me didnt work either this one works perfectly as i wanted, not only does it dim both by dimming one in the app if i dim one at the wall dimmer it also dims the other with it. Bravo.