How to make SmartThings do what I need it to? Is it even possible?

Hi all, so I got my SmartThings hub but beginning to wonder if it can do what I need it to.

I’d like to, in one trigger be able to do the following:

Switch off a light
Dim another light
Set the LED strip to low brightness red
Close the blinds
Open the projector screen
Switch the projector to a particular input

Can someone advise me if this is too much to ask of SmartThings?

I haven’t purchased all of the above yet so lets assume that all of the above devices are zwave plus and are therefore compatible with SmartThings.

Thanks

I’m pretty sure you can do the above. I don’t have any experience with CORE, but it’s a very powerful program created within the community. If you would like to post to a thread for help developing CORE pistons I’ll bet someone there can tell you just how to accomplish this. There is another IOS program, free to create one rule, called SmartRules that could handle this task as well.

As per the above, you should be able to do it ok.
I would think about using webCoRE.
This supersedes CoRE and you can use your pc to build the pistons (rules) you will need.
If someone has probably already done this you mau be able to import their piston.
Search webCoRE and all you need to know will appear.

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CoRE and webCoRE are both powerful toos for ST. Most things your mind can come up with, you can do it in either. webCoRE is still in Beta but you might as well start with it to avoid 2 learning curves as webCoRE is the future.

You may not be able to do it all with Z wave, in particular, the projector input will probably require a different device ( typically Logitech Harmony hub, but there are some other choices as well), but assuming that each individual task can be accomplished through SmartThings, you can, as others have already mentioned, build a “piston” in Core that can trigger them all together. :sunglasses:

Excellent advice thanks all. You have just transformed my day from a bit of a murky old crappy things aren’t working day to the kind of day where anything is possible.

Anything is indeed possible.

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This is very true indeed!

With a bit of imagination, or a good search on this forum, you’ll be amazed what can be done!

My Alexa can tell me what my kids chores are and when the dog was last walked!

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I haven’t looked at Core or WebCore, but this sounds like things you can do from ST’s Automation/Scenes/etc… as a simpler version, I have an Automation called “Nightlight” that takes the three connected light bulbs I have in the bedroom, turns two of them off and sets the third one to the minimum dimness.

That’s technically three devices I’m doing two different things with.

Some things may be a challenge with ST in general, but not so much the software as the hardware available.

If your projector is HDMI-CEC compliant, that could possibly turn it on and switch to the correct input (Chromecast will do this on proper HDMI-CEC setups).

Only other thing I’m not sure of is the opening projector screen, but I’m wondering if a blinds control could be adapted to it, if someting doesn’t already exist.

All the use cases you mentioned, except the projector input switching and screen opening, can be automated via smartthings.

The projector screen opening could be done if you use a generic blinds opening motor to move the actual screen, that would then be controlled via an additional shutter module with relays.

As mentioned before, CoRE is heavily recommended from my side also, since it covers all capabilities (ST doesn’t allow all capability control in all cases via it’s Routines for some reason), and even custom attributes used in various device handlers. I find it to be the best “automation engine” on all z-wave controllers i’ve ever tried (and i’ve tried over 6 various brands). If only ST made a system like CoRE inbuilt to the ST hub…

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Glad to say that I have now fully automated all of the above. I really really love SmartThings :):):slight_smile:

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