I have a Jasco/GE dimmer switch with built in motion sensor. Since smartthings moved away from being able to use rule piston, I have been trying to figure out a work around for having the motion sensor that is built into the switch to deactivate at a certain time. (Kids bedtime to wake up time). I had a rule through with rule piston that was capable of doing this but I cannot figure out a way to do it without the rule piston. Any suggestions or help is appreciated.
There are a few ways to do it depending on whether you are using just relative times, just specific times, or a mix of relative and specific times.
In ST Routines, you can use specific start/stop times or relative (sunrise/sunset) start/stop times in the If conditions of a Routine. These will be considered preconditions (bounding conditions) for whatever other triggers you want. So from 11pm to 8am (precondition), when motion is detected, turn on light to 10%, as an example. You can also do the same thing in the Smartlighting ST app (only during these times).
If you want a mix of specific and relative times, there are two options. First, use Smartlighting which allows a mix of relative and specific times as bounding conditions (only during these times). Or, you can create a virtual device to serve as a variable to represent âKids Bedtimeâ. You then have Routines to turn on/off âKids Bedtimeâ and then use the virtual device as a precondition in a Routine like âIf Kids Bedtime is on (precondition) and motion is detected, then turn on light to 10%â.
I use the virtual device method.
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Has your device transitioned to an Edge driver or is it still on a DTH? The DTH for these devices used custom commands that arenât compatible with the new app (though webCoRE was able to access them). With webCoRE no longer available, you need to put your device on the driver linked below to be able to control its settings.
With that driver in place, you can schedule operating mode changes between occupancy, vacancy and manual using the routines in the app.
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I did find and install this driver you mentioned for my motion switch but it only shows the occupancy vacancy in the âsettingsâ portion and does not show up as something I can use in making a routine or in the smart lighting app. I did have a DTH before the switchover. Could this be interfering some how?
Simply installing the Edge driver doesnât transition the device from the DTH to the Edge driver. Youâll need to exclude the device, delete the custom DTH from the IDE, and the re-add it to your hub.
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Check whether your device is now on an Edge driver by seeing if the Driver option shows in the same menu on the device that has Edit/Settings/Information. If thereâs no Driver option then youâll need to do as @h0ckeysk8er suggests.
If your device is on an Edge driver, check whether itâs using the âGE Z-Wave Motion Switch/Dimmerâ driver. I have a more generic driver for GE/Jasco devices in that same channel that supports the motion switches but only exposes the configuration parameters in the settings menu. Youâll need the driver specifically for the motion switches to do what you want in routines.
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I deleted the DTH from the IDE, excluded each switch and re-added them. I then installed the GE smart dimmer switch driver from the link youâve provided. This seems to have done the trick to get the additional options for making a routine. I set a routine to be IF time is (precondition) and location mode is home (always is) THEN run scene âPaige and Griffonâs motion offâ, which the scene is just turning the two kidsâ switches to manual mode and thus stop the motion sensor from turning on the lights and just have the switches turn on by hand. (Manual) I attached images. Unfortunately this scene doesnât work automatically. It stays in occupancy mode. Only when I go in to edit the scene and press the âtest sceneâ button. Then it works and changes to manual mode. Am I missing something? Or is there any other suggestions on how to better set up this routine? Thank you all very much for your time and input with this. I greatly appreciate it!
ST Routines are event driven. So if âthis happensâ needs to be an event/state change. Preconditions are bounding conditions âIf something in a particular state or some particular timeâ. The way you have it written it says:
If the Location Mode changes to Home
and itâs during 7:56pm-6:19am on S/M/T/W/T
then run your scene
The trigger is a change in Location mode to Home. If that doesnât happen, then the Routine doesnât fire. And in fact, I think you really want the Location mode as a precondition as well. So youâll need another trigger to fire this Routine (which canât be a time trigger since youâre using that as a precondition).
Also, the Actions in this Routine are âTurn on the lightâ and âSet operating modeâ. You need to uncheck âTurn on the lightâ to just change the operating mode.
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Ok, that makes sense. So for example, I could add in âliving room motion detects motionâ into the IF (or something of the sort) to trigger the âkids bedtime motion offâ scene?
I noticed that with the THEN setting of the switches you have to have the setting to âonâ otherwise the options to change modes and such grey out and you canât change them. Is there a work around for that?
Yes, some kind of trigger is necessary. For example, you could create a virtual switch and set that device to come on at a certain time and go off at a certain time to represent the state of Nighttime. I use that as a bounding condition for my Motion/Dimmer switches to control button and motion behavior at night. You could use that so that your trigger would be âIf Nighttime is onâ and conversely âIf Nighttime is offâ.
You have the general GE/Jasco switches and dimmers driver. You specifically need the GE/Jasco Motion/Dimmer driver from his same channel. It allows you to change settings without any on/off action.
GE Z-Wave Motion Switch/Dimmer e120daf2-8000-4a9d-93fa-653214ce70d1 2022-10-02T20:15:49.147522379 GE/Jasco Devices - philh30
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Tap the radio button next to âturn onâ to clear it. Different device but below is what you should be able to do. Also, you might want to eliminate the Scene and just put your actions directly in the Routine. Scenes donât run local yet, but if you put this all in a Routine then it should.
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For the trigger of the routine, why not just use their bedtime as a specific time trigger like below? Itâll go every night at that time so long as you donât put it as a precondition. Then have a separate routine triggered by a time in the morning to turn it back to Occupancy mode.
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How is a virtual switch created?
Hereâs what I have for installed driver on the motion switches. Is there something different?
Actually, @philh30 is right. I started with the original Routine and didnât really think through what you needed to accomplish. Taking his suggestion, just add the Location Home precondition so that it only happens when you are home.
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Ignore my suggestion. I overcomplicated things. Check out Philâs suggestion of simply changing modes at the desired times.
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Ok I set it up like Phil explained fto change to manual mode at a certain time for âbedtimeâ and occupancy mode in the morning for âwake up timeâ. Thinking this should work. Yes, I think I was over thinking this and overlooked the obvious. 
Thanks again for your time and assistance with this, guys!
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