FAQ: Creating a virtual Groovy Device [OBSOLETE]

Wiki
21

It depends on how you plan to use the virtual switch, what do you want to use it to control?

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22

Any help as to how I could add 3 hue bulbs to this so that I can have one button to turn on/off the bulbs in one go (or even better have a virtual dimmer for the set)?

Edit: ignore me. Realized I was being dim and not thinking logically. Create the virtual switch then create an app which uses that switch as the trigger to control the multiple lights.

23

You can control multiple switches triggered from another switch using smart lighting, no need to write an app to do that.

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24

Hi Mike

Sorry, that’s what I meant when I said create. And that’s exactly the smart app I used for my scenario.

I think I need to stop browsing the forums late at night when I’m not thinking properly :smiley:

25

I’m pretty sure in the current version this isn’t possible but can you hide devices like these virtual devices so that they do not show under the Things section in the app. My family uses the app in different ways and some use the Things while others use the Rooms and I’m not going to waste the frustration trying to get everyone to use the same approach nor should I.

Basically since my sunset/sunrise on the hub is completely and utterly broken I can use these virtual devices with my echo to trigger my away or home or bedtime routines however unfortunately that means about 5 or 6 virtual devices being displayed that I wouldn’t want anyone to accidentally click as that’s a disaster waiting to happen and will happen! haha

I already attempted to give them a label that pretty much indicates don’t click or whatever but that’s still not good enough but I’m guessing I’m stuck with it unless there is a way to hide devices on the app.

26

Your best bet here might be to create multiple Dashboards in SmartTiles and leave the virtual devices off the ones you give to the rest of the family.

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27

Good idea! I’ll give it a try. That just might work for now as I really don’t think you can hide devices.

28

Plus, if you put a shortcut on each phone, it will load up more quickly than the app loads and then gets over to the appropriate tab.

You can then uninstall the app on those devices and secure it all back up.

29

Interesting problem, and I do agree SmartTiles is probably one workable solution.

There is another option you. Your “Virtual Switches” could be assigned a custom Device Type which has no “on/off” user interface (main tile or subtiles). You’d still all see the virtual device tiles, but it would be neutered.

30

6 posts were merged into an existing topic: Rule Machine - Programming the Logic Sequence Assistance

31

Thanks for posting this. How do I assign a routine or phrase to the switch? I am not finding any instructions on how to do it

32

You have to use a smart app to do it. There are two provided in the official smartthings mobile app marketplace section that work very well. (Note that routines used to be called “hello home phrases” or “hello home actions.” They’re all the same thing.)

  1. open the mobile app
  2. choose the marketplace section.

Three) choose the smart apps tab)

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Four) choose “lights and switches”

Five) scroll down until you see the apps to have a switch activate a hello home phrase. install it, and then you will be able to associate the virtual switch with the routine.

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There is a much fancier version of the same smartapp by the same author called “Alexa helper” (because it was first used by people who had the Amazon echo). It lets you set up six switches at once instead of just one, with all kinds of filters and rules for them. However, it has not been officially published to the marketplace yet, so here is its link in the community-created wiki:

http://thingsthataresmart.wiki/index.php?title=Alexa_Helper

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33

Thanks for your reply, I was able to set the switch the way I wanted it to be.

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34

figure this is a good place for this.

I’ve always created virtual switches with the On/Off Button tile device type. They work great! What is the difference between this and simulated switch?

35

@slagle ?

36

The simulated devices don’t send any commands around :slight_smile:

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37

Sorry for the amature post.

I have Smartthings hub and I have Alexa. My end game is to be able to ask Alexa to run a routine “Good Night” and it run the routine that I have set up in the smartthings app. I attempted to create a momentary switch in smartthings, I have the Alexa Helper installed, but Alexa is not discovering the switch and the “switch” inside smartthings isn’t doing anything either.

Can someone please help?

38

Assuming the switch was created OK and shows up on the things list in the smartthings mobile app, you have to then individually authorize it before echo can see it.

Follow the instructions in step 10 of the first post in the echo set up FAQ and see if that helps. :sunglasses:

You have to do this authorization step anytime you add a new device to SmartThings that you want echo to be able to use.

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39

If Alexa helper isn’t working, then you need to ask your question in that thread and people there will help you. :sunglasses:

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40

Thanks guys! I got it authorized and now showing up on Alexa. Now, i just need to get the virtual trigger to actually do something :frowning: It doesn’t do anything.

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